King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: The Boleyn Inheritance


author: Philippa Gregory

genre: historical fiction


published: 2006


pages: 518


rated: 4 1/2 stars

I rise from my great chair with the gold canopy over my head. On either side of the box the curtains billow in the Tudor colors of green and white, my initials are everywhere, my crest is everywhere. The other initials of all the other queens are on the underside of the curtains only and they don't show. To judge from today, there has only ever been one queen: myself.

It seems every time I pick up a Philippa Gregory book, I cannot put it down. Since reading The Constant Princess, I have been hooked on her books and find myself totally absorbed in her storytelling. The Boleyn Inheritance was no different.








The story is set between 1539 and 1542 after Jane Seymour dies and King Henry VIII decides to marry once again. This time he marries a German princess, Anne of Cleves, making her his fourth wife. After a bad first encounter with Anne, Henry quickly begins to hate her. Once Anne is in England she finds herself alone and barely able to speak the language, with a husband who will not consummate the marriage and who dislikes her from the start.






The story is told from the points of view of Queen Anne, Katherine Howard who is a lady in waiting, and Jane Boleyn, who is George Boleyn's widow. Jane's own testimony helped send her late husband and his infamous sister Anne Boleyn to the chopping block.




The young, beautiful and silly Katherine Howard has captured the kings eye, who is already looking for a way out of his new marriage.



The Henry in this book is old and obese, no longer the young, handsome, charming prince he once was. He is nearly fifty years old and a tyrant, twisting the law to serve himself and having innocent people killed.

A fat old man, a vulgar old man, like a drunk sheep farmer on market day. His face is terribly bloated, like a great round dish of dripping; his hair is thinning and gray; he is monstrously fat; and he has an old injury in his leg that makes him so lame that he rolls in his walk like a sailor. Without his crown he is not handsome; he looks like anybody's fat old grandfather.

Katherine Howard made me laugh a few times with her self-centered comments and observations. She was definitely vain and flighty, and had no clue about the danger she was putting herself in. I pitied her since she was just 14 years old when she arrived at court and 16 when she was sentenced to death. Katherine became Henry's fifth wife and he called her his 'rose without a thorn'.

The king is on his throne looking powerful and fatherly, and Lady Anne is as pretty as she can be (given that awful dress) beside him. She might as well just have thrown the sables in the Thames and have them sewn on that taffeta tent. I am so distressed about such wonderful furs all but thrown away that it almost dims my pleasure for the moment.

Jane Boleyn is back at court after helping send her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She was constantly sneaking around, eavesdropping and following them in The Other Boleyn Sister. But in this book she misses them and keeps thinking about how much she loved them, that didn't make any sense to me. Towards the end of the book she somewhat admits to herself that she was insanely jealous of the bond between George and Anne Boleyn.

The two of them used to ride together, racing, neck and neck like lovers, and I could hear their laughter over the thudding of the hooves as they went flying by. Sometimes, when I saw them together, so rich, so young, so beautiful, I couldn't tell which of them I loved more.

I liked Queen Anne, and I pitied her. Her marriage to the king was doomed from the start. Once she knew that Henry was trying to find a way out of the marriage, she just hoped and prayed her life would be spared.

There is a silence between us, as we both come to realize the simple truth that is being spoken. We are two women who have recognized that we cannot control the world. We are players in this game, but we do not chose our own moves. The men will play us for thier own desires. All we can do is try to survive whatever happens next.

I enjoyed this book very much. The Boleyn Inheritance has been the perfect read on a cold winters night. There was drama, romance and plenty of interesting characters. I was completely hooked on the last few chapters and was up until late into the night reading.

Everyone tries to forget that Henry is a ruthless man. Henry himself tries to make us forget. When he is being charming, or setting himself out to please, we like to forget that we are playing with a savage bear. This is not a man whose temperament is tamed. This is not a man whose mood is constantly sweet. This is not a man who can manage his feelings; he cannot keep constant from one day to another.

title: The Other Boleyn Girl


author: Philippa Gregory


genre: historical fiction

pages: 661

published: 2001

first line: I could hear a roll of muffled drums.

rated: 5 out of 5




First off, I need to start by saying that this book was excellent. I enjoyed every minute of it, and it was a real page turner. It is a bit hard for me to review, I think mostly because there is so much going on in the story, but I will summarize it a bit.




Young Mary Boleyn catches Henry VIII's eye and with the plotting of her family, she leaves her husband and begins a courtship with the King. There is much jealousy between Mary and her older sister Anne. The two sisters look as different as night and day, Mary being the fair one and Anne being the dark one. Anne is the one who is in charge of helping Mary seduce the king. She tells Mary how to act and what to say around him. All the while the two sisters have a love/hate relationship. Anne hates being Mary's servant and helper, she has plans and ambitions of her own.





In time Mary has a daughter by the king, then later on a son. Being the king's mistress has it's rewards, her family members and her own husband are granted gifts and power in the king's Court. But, while Mary is pregnant the second time, she is having a rough time, so the Boleyn family appoints Anne to flirt with the King and keep his attention on the Boleyn women. Of course, Anne takes it as far as she can and winds up becoming the King's mistress herself. After that, ambitious Anne decides she wants the king and the throne as well. Anne will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and tries to get the king to divorce his wife, Queen Katherine, and marry her instead.

The lines between Anne and me were now clearly drawn. All our childhood it had been a question as to which of us was the best Boleyn girl, now our girlhood rivalry was to be played out on the greatest stage in the kingdom. By the end of the summer one of us would be the acknowledged mistress of the king; the other would be her maid, her assistant, perhaps her Fool.

This book was full of drama and plenty of backstabbing. I found Anne and Mary's relationship to be the most interesting. These two sisters both hated and loved each other. I though George, the Boleyn brother, was another very interesting character.
I found this book hard to put down and it kept me up late at night reading. I enjoyed every minute of this one and highly recommend it. But before reading this one, I do suggest reading Philippa Gregory's The Constant Princess which is about the Princess of Spain who later becomes Henry's wife. It's not necessary to read that one first, but I think it's nice to get the storyline behind Henry and Queen Katherine's marriage.




The writing in The Other Boleyn Girl was great, the plot fantastic and the characters are well written. The story is narrated by Mary and you can't help but feel bad for her, she is thrown into a life of lies and deceit at an early age. You also wonder how she continues to put up with Anne and be loyal to her. I liked the dialouge between the three Boleyns; Anne, Mary and George. Just when you think the plot can't thicken, it does.




Here are a few of my favorite passages:

There was nothing I could do but take second place and smile. The king might bed me at night, but all the day he was Anne's. For the first time in all the long while that I had been his lover I felt like a whore indeed, and it was my own sister who shamed me.

"I didn't want you to come back to court to be my rival," I said sulkily.

"I was born to be your rival," she said simply. "And you mine. We're sisters, aren't we?"

Anne and father were delayed by spring storms and I found myself hoping, childlishly, that her boat would sink and she would drown. At the thought of her death I felt a confusing pang of genuine distress mixed with elation. There could hardly be a world for me without Anne, there was hardly world enough for us both.

Jane and I kneeled side by side in the queen's chapel and listened to the Mass celebrated before the altar of the church below us.


"Jane," I said quietly.

She opened her eyes, she had been far away in prayer.

"Yes, Mary? Forgive me, I was praying."

"If you go on flirting with the king with those sickly little smiles, one of us Boleyns is going to scratch your eyes out."

The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a film in 2008.

I did see the film version and enjoyed it. However, I liked the book much better. There's many differences between the two.

title: The Virgin's Lover

author: Philippa Gregory

published: 2004

genre: historical fiction

pages: 438

first line: All the bells in Norfolk were ringing for Elizabeth, pounding the peal into Amy's head, first the treble bell screaming out like a mad woman, and then the whole agonizing, jangling sob till the great bell boomed a warning that the whole discordant carillon was about to shriek again.

rated: 5 out of 5





Elizabeth is made queen, and her long time friend Robert Dudley, is at her side day and night. Lord Robert has risen from scandal and now wants nothing more than to be part of the Queen's court. He leaves his own wife, Amy, with relatives, while he seduces the Queen. Elizabeth cannot resist Robert, and the two begin a scandalous love affair.


The Queen's advisor, Cecil, helps her to run the Kingdom, advising the Queen to marry a prince, join alliances and keep England safe. Meanwhile all of England knows about the Queen and her lover. Cecil tells the Queen that she needs to send Robert away, and back to his wife. Elizabeth is torn between what is right for her country and the love she has for Robert.



Roberts wife, Amy, is heartbroken over her husbands love affair with the Queen. To the point where she just prays to God that she will die soon so she won't suffer alone anymore. She feels she cannot live without Robert. When he comes to tell her that he wants a divorce, Amy refuses to give him one. Robert threatens to divorce her anyway then send her to a convent by force if she won't grant him a divorce. He thinks if he can divorce his wife, then the Queen will marry him and he will be King of England.



This book had me hooked from page one. I found it hard to put down. This is the book I was up late at night reading, gladly losing sleep just to get one more page read.
Philippa Gregory writes historical fiction like nobody's business. I've also read The Constant Princess and enjoyed that one too.
I've read some mixed reviews about this one, but as for myself, I really liked it.
This won't be my last Philippa Gregory novel.


I loved the storyline and the writing was great. I disliked Robert of course, and the Queens behavior while she was with him was hard to believe. She was willing to give everything up for him. Robert was no good! He was having affairs, treated his wife horribly, was power hungry and was a liar. Yet the Queen was obsessed with him.




I felt bad for Amy. She became an outcast because of Robert. She had nowhere to go, and no one wanted to take her in, because they didn't want to risk offending Robert. Everyone knew he was the Queens favorite and might end up being King consort. And until the end Amy still prayed that Robert would come back to her, she was willing to forgive him.


I liked Cecil, I felt he was the only one the Queen could trust. He had the most sense, and he wanted Robert gone. In the end, he knew what he had to do to make sure Robert would have another scandal brought down on him so he could never marry the Queen.

But even Cecil knew that Elizabeth could not rule without Dudley at her side. At this stage in her life-so young and surrounded by so many dangers-she had to have a friend. And although Cecil was willing to be at her side night and day, Elizabeth wanted a confidant: heart and soul. Only a man besottedly in love with her could satisfy Elizabeth's hunger for reassurance; only a man publicly betraying his wife every moment of every day could satify Elizabeth's ravenous vanity.

If you're in the mood for drama, romance and a good scandal, I recommend reading The Virgin's Lover.

"Mine," he said certainly and his mouth came down on hers and he kissed her deeply.

She did not resist for one moment. Her terror and then the feel of safety with him were as potent as a love potion. He could smell the sweat of her fear and the new scent of her arousal, and he went from her lips to her neck and down to the top of her gown, where her breasts pressed tight against the laced bodice as she panted lightly. He rubbed his face against her neck, and she felt the roughness of his chin and the eager licking of his tongue and she laughed and caught her breath all at once.

The story of Queen Elizabeth I has inspired several films. My favorite is
Elizabeth which came out in 1998.
Cate Blanchett plays the Queen and Joseph Fiennes plays Dudley. I think the film is perfectly cast.

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed three years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her brother, Edward VI, cut her out of the succession. His will, however, was set aside, and in 1558 Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister, the Catholic Mary, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.

read more about Elizabeth I at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England


and here: http://www.tudorhistory.org/elizabeth/index.html

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory


rated: 5 out of 5





"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England."




This is the story of Catalina, Princess of Spain who would become Queen Katherine of England the first wife of Henry VIII. It begins when Catalina is just 5 years old.
Catalina, the the Spanish Infanta, has been raised to think of herself as the future Queen of England and has been betrothed to Arthur, the Prince of Wales, since childhood.



Catalina has no doubts in her mind that she is destined to be Queen of England.
Her parents, Queen Isabel of Spain and King Ferdinand of Aragon are both rulers and warriors.



When Catalina is 15, she is sent to marry Arthur and leaves her home and family in Spain behind. She becomes the Princess of Wales. She is homesick, but she knows this is her destiny. She and Arthur end up falling deeply in love, which is rare considering they are forced to marry. They plan on how they will rule England together once they become King and Queen. But they are only married 5 months before Arthur becomes sick and dies suddenly.




'I love him so deeply. I did not know that I could ever love anyone like this. I can feel myself growing in patience and wisdom, just through my love for him. I step back from irritablility and impatience, I even bear my homesickness without complaint. I can feel myself becoming a better woman, a better wife, as I seek to please him and make him proud of me. I want him always to be glad that he married me.
I want us always to be as happy as we are today. There are no words to describe him....there are no words.'








On his deathbed Prince Arthur makes her swear she will marry his younger brother, Harry, and eventually become Queen and rule England the way they planned together. Harry is just 10 years old at this time.

Catalina is left a widow but refuses to gome home to Spain.
Her plan is to marry Prince Harry, like Arthur wanted. She swears that her marriage to Prince Arthur had been unconsummated, this way she can marry Harry.


After seven years, the King dies and Harry choses Catalina for his bride, and they are finally wed. Catalina is finally Queen of England and can rule as she always wanted. She becomes 'Katherine Queen of England' and Harry becomes 'King Henry VIII'.




'They carried Catalina from the Tower to Westminster as an English princess. She traveled in a litter made of cloth of gold, carried high by four white palfreys so everyone could see her. She wore a gown of white satin and a coronet with pearls, her hair brushed out over her shoulders. Harry was crowned first, then Catalina bowed her head and took the holy oil of kingship on her head and breasts, stretched out her hand for the scepter and he ivory wand, knew that, at last, she was a queen as her mother had been: an annointed queen, a greater being than mere mortals, a step closer to the angels, appointed by God to rule His country, and under His especial protection.'






Catalina suffers alot throughout this story. Her true love Arthur dies and she has to marry his brother. Catalinas mother dies and she never sees her again after she leaves Spain to marry Arthur. Her father abandons her once he sees that Arthur died and she was useless to him. The point of her marrying Arthur and becoming queen was to create an alliance between England and Spain.

She desperately wants to have children, most of all a son so he will one day be King. And her husband Henry is selfish and spoiled, she has to put up with is infidelity as well. But throughout her life Catalina remains 'constant', never giving up, always overcoming obstacles.








I don't read much historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It was just a juicy story, full of drama, backstabbing, heartache & romance. I liked Catalinas character, she was a strong woman, very naive at first, but determined. I like the love story between her and Arthur.
I will be reading more of Philippa Gregory novels.

You can read more about Catalina, Princess of Spain here & Henry the VIII by clicking here.






visit the authors website:
http://www.philippagregory.com/






this book has also been reviwed by : My Reading Adventures