Product Description

Katharine of Aragon is a proud Spanish beauty who became Queen of England. From the moment of Katharine's betrothal to Arthur, Prince of Wales, she looked upon herself as the future Queen of England. But, Arthur died just after their marriage and it was as the wife of his brother, Henry VIII, that she went to her Coronation. This delightful, richly tapestried novel tells of her life with Henry - the many happy years; the birth of their daughter, Mary Tudor; her popularity with the people and, above all, her constant and unswerving love for the King. But after nearly twenty years, Henry - his eyes affixed firmly on the ambitious young Anne Boleyn - repudiated their marriage, submitted Katharine to the humilations of a 'trial' and banished her from his life. "The King's Pleasure" is a brilliant re-creation of one of history's greatest tragedies. This is a story which will impress Katharine in the reader's mind as a noble woman and great Queen.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30342 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

About the Author
Norah Lofts was one of the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, known for her authentic application of period detail to all her books. She was a bestselling author on both sides of the Atlantic, was born in Norfolk. She taught English and History at a girls' school before turning to writing full time in 1936. Her passion for old houses and their continuing history sparked off her much praised Suffolk trilogy, The Town House, The House at Old Vine and The House at Sunset. These were followed by the bestselling The Concubine, about Anne Boleyn and by Eleanor the Queen a novel about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Lofts wrote more than 50 books, including historical non-fiction and short stories.

Customer Reviews

my favourite book in the world
never in all my days have i read a book as fantasic as this. i cry every time at the end. i have a keen interest in the tudors and it doesnt drift too far away from fact but is still a great story. i have read it over twenty times and i love it, i will go on reading it over and over. beautiful, i am moved every time. norah lofts is a great writer. have read anne boleyn and that is just as good.
wish they would make it into a film.

A welcome reprint
This is a well-written, sympathetic novel about Katherine of Aragon, her marriage to Henry VIII, and its dramatic end. It is good to read about Katherine before she became the tired, unattractive, old-before-her-time woman that we are familiar with from retellings of the Anne Boleyn scandal. Some writers have made Katherine seem rather dull, but Lofts brings her to life as a warm, strong woman - one can see why Henry was in love with her for so many years. Even though we know how the story will end, the characterisation and dialogue keep the pages turning. Jean Plaidy's Katherine of Aragon trilogy covers the same ground at greater length and is also worth reading, but this book does not seem lacking by comparison, despite its shorter length.

Excellent.
Having read a couple of Philippa Gregory novels on the Tudors recently I decided it was time to re-visit an historical Queen of Historical Fiction again, Nora Lofts. My mother has all her books and they were much read and loved many, many years ago. They have lost none of their charm, liveliness and depth. As other reviewers have mentioned, the young Katherine of Aragon is brought to life beautifully here and, unlike Philippa Gregory, we are also able to sense the ambivalence within Henry when he set about usurping her with Anne Boleyn and re-shaping English history. It is also fascinating to see glimpses of Henry as a boy, and his gentle brother, Arthur, as well as their father. Beautifully put together and blended seamlessly. There is a whole host of characters in this book which gives it tremendous depth and breadth. The copy I read is falling apart - testament to the number of times it has been read by those in my family - and the fact that I still found it utterly engrossing is testament to Nora Lofts' storytelling abilities. If you like the Tudor period you must read this. I am now off to start reading through the entire bookshelf again!