The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage That Forever Changed the Fate of England

This novel meets my first criteria for excellent historical fiction: it is well-researched and true to the contemporary sources. The two protagonists are Katherine "Kate" Woodville, youngest sister of Queen Elizabeth, consort to King Edward IV of England, and Henry "Harry" Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham. In turn, they describe their lives and the effect the political and personal events of their time has upon their marriage. The book begins in 1464, when Kate and Harry are children, with the courtship and marriage of Kate's eldest sister Elizabeth Woodville to young and handsome King Edward IV of England. The Woodvilles are a large and close-knit family whose father Richard is a member of the English gentry and whose mother Jacquetta is a kinswoman of the royal House of Luxembourg. Well-born enough though they are, the Woodvilles are considered upstarts, and Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth, a mere subject, is considered inappropriate by many. To make matters more unbearable to Edward's and Elizabeth's enemies, Elizabeth's numerous sisters are given good marriages, and none is grander than the arranged marriage of Kate Woodville to the fatherless young Duke of Buckingham. Harry is the ward of the Yorkist King and Queen and so has no say in the matter, despite the wealth of his inheritance and his royal bloodline. In Higginbotham's novel, Kate Woodville is spirited, passionate, spontaneous, intelligent, and thoroughly likable. Harry is a far more complex personality, mostly because divided loyalties haunt his youth, as he attempts to reconcile his Lancastrian family ties with his Yorkist upbringing, and his manhood, as he wrestles with his love for Richard of Gloucester, his affection for his wife Kate, and his desire to do the right thing. That he fails to do the right thing and regrets it too late to make amends is the tragedy of his brief life, and his fatal flaw is a love for Richard that blinds him to Richard's amorality, greed, and opportunism. Thanks mainly to the influence of Paul Murray Kendall's biography Richard III, historical novelists have often portrayed Richard as captivated by Buckingham, in whom he sees the charm of his dead brother George. In Higginbotham's novel, however, it is Harry who is enthralled by Richard, whom the younger man has hero-worshipped since childhood. Buckingham's love for Richard is much more potent than his affection for Kate, and leads him to give Richard the weapon he needs to dethrone Edward IV's young son and heir Edward V. It is only when Harry learns of the deaths of Edward V and his little brother that his eyes are opened to Richard. By that time, it is too late. Too late, also, he understands his depth of love for Kate. To make amends, Harry throws his lot with Richard's opposition, who turn to Henry Tudor upon learning of the deaths of Edward IV's sons. The rebellion fails, however, and Harry is taken to Salisbury and executed on Sunday, November 2, 1483. Higginbotham i

I admit it, I usually only read for entertainment. I'm not big on non-fiction, so serve it to me "lite"! This is a fictionalized account of a real time in English history - so maybe the facts aren't actually known, but the author did a great job in filling in the blanks. Ms. H made the story a page turner, the main two characters were likable - even when they didn't do nice. I actually teared up at the end. Then, at the end, Ms H writes about what is really known/unknown, and I thought how she addressed the story made sense, and it is a story to remember. I had read "Traitor's Wife" some years ago, before it became a more publishable book (profitable) and really liked that one, too. So, I will look forward to any new book by this same author. She did good!

Susan Higginbotham has brought us her third meticulously researched historical fiction novel,The Stolen Crown. The story of the secret marriage of Elizabeth Woodville to Edward IV of England is told through the eyes of Elizabeth's younger sister, Katherine. In the way of royal families, Elizabeth's many siblings are soon placed in marriages advantageous to the king, and Kate is married to Harry, the Duke of Buckingham. Historical novels about the War of the Roses and its aftermath are everywhere right now, and I have read several of them. The Stolen Crown seems to be the most carefully researched and true to actual events, as they would have been seen through Kate's eyes. I often complain about historical novels not giving readers enough reference or background, and Susan Higginbotham always includes an interesting Author's Note, that I refer to often while reading. There is also a "cast of characters" in the front of the book, with descriptions and connections given. I highly recommend Susan Higginbotham's The Stolen Crown to those interested in this era of history. It is interesting and exciting, written with an eye on the family behind the history.