THE PLATAGENET SAGA

The Plantagenet Prelude (1976)
After her marriage of 14 years to the weak Louis VII of France is dissolved, the remarkable Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry, the son of Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou (aka Plantagenet), who is accepted as heir to the throne of England [1154-1189] after Stephen's only son dies. Thus begins a passionate and tempestuous relationship.

The Revolt of the Eaglets (1977)
At the height of his powers, Henry II has been accused of the murder of his one-time friend, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas à Becket, and is beset by the devilish machinations of his own family. Eleanor, who has grown to hate him, openly encourages discontent and resentment in their four sons: Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John.

The Heart of the Lion (1977)
Although Richard [1189-1199] inherits the throne upon his father's death, he spends most of his reign Crusading in the Holy Land, leaving his kingdom under the shadow of his scheming younger brother, John.

The Prince of Darkness (1978)
Although his 12-year-old nephew, Arthur of Brittany, has a claim to Richard's kingdom, John [1199-1216], the youngest of Henry II's sons, has himself crowned in May of 1199. After his first wife produces no children, John has his marriage annulled and takes the beautiful 12-year-old Isabella of Angoulême, even though she is betrothed to another. In time his own subjects come to hate him. He all but loses his crown and is finally forced to sign the Magna Carta.

The Battle of the Queens (1978)
The flamboyant and passionate Isabella of Angoulême, wife of England's King John, and virtuous Blanche of Castille, the Queen of France, could not be more different and hate each other on sight. The vindictive Isabella, who marries Count Hugh following the death of her husband, will stop at nothing, not even murder, to destroy the French Queen.

The Queen from Provence (1979)
Eleanor of Provence, the younger sister of the Queen of France, marries John's son Henry III [1216-1272], whose lavish gift-giving (paid for by the taxes levied on his people, of course) and patronage of his numerous in-laws, gains him the enmity of his barons, pushing them to the brink of revolt.

Hammer of the Scots (1979)
After a series of ineffectual Plantagenet kings, Edward I [1272-1307] rules with a steady and strong hand. His greatest wish is to unite the three crowns of England, Scotland and Wales, but unrest in both bordering countries thwart him.

The Follies of the King (1980)
Although his succession is undisputed, Edward II [1307-1327] proves to be neither the man nor the ruler his father was. Lazy, incapable, and insistent upon placing his favorites above all others, he makes a lot of enemies, including his own wife, Isabella of France, whose estates he confiscates. She subsequently becomes the lover of Roger Mortimer, one of Edward's bitterest enemies, and with him plots to have him deposed.

The Vow of the Heron (1980)
After the deposed Edward II is brutally murdered, 15-year-old Edward III [1327-1377] ascends to the throne. Strong, decent, courageous, and intelligent, he executes his mother's treacherous lover, recovers England's possessions in France, restores the shattered dignity of the monarchy, and retains the loyalty of his barons. His marriage to Philippa of Haniault proves a happy and prosperous one, but his reign is marred by the Black Death.

Passage to Pontefract (1982)
After his beloved wife's death, Edward III, now a tired, old man, becomes dependent upon his greedy mistress, Alice Perrers. Worse yet, the Black Prince has also passed away, leaving his 10-year-old son Richard of Bordeaux [1377-1399] as heir to the throne. But Richard shows some early promise in the face of the ambitious scheming of uncles and a peasant's revolt. He finds love with Anne of Bohemia (and later Isabella of France), but his extravagance, megalomania, inattention to his duties as King, and indulgence of his favorites lead to his ultimate undoing.

The Star of Lancaster (1982)
After Richard II is deposed and dies in Pontefract Castle under mysterious circumstances, his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke (by marriage the Duke of Lancaster), becomes Henry IV [1399-1413]. From his usurpation of the crown arises the dispute over succession which will eventually lead to the War of the Roses. Henry spends most of his reign fighting those who had helped him. Adding to his problems is his rebellious son, Harry, whose reckless conduct and disreputable friends causes scandal. But when Harry becomes Henry V [1413-1422], he proves himself an able soldier when he recaptures Normandy. He marries Catherine of Valois, daughter of Charles VI, but reigns only nine short years before his death.

Epitaph for Three Women (1983)
Set during the long reign of Henry VI, the "three women" are: Catherine of Valois, Henry's mother, who is cruelly given no part in his "English" upbringing and who marries lowborn Welshman Owen Tudor, whose descendants will one day sit on the throne; the French country girl Joan d'Arc, who successfully goes to battle against the invading British and is burned as a witch for her efforts; and Eleanor of Gloucester, the wife of Henry's uncle, Humphrey of Gloucester, Lord Protector of the Realm, next in line should young Henry die. Her ambitions to be queen lead to charges of sorcery against her.

Red Rose of Anjou (1983)
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, schemes to wrest the crown from weak, possibly mad, Henry VI [1422-1471] and his wife, Margaret of Anjou. When Henry is deposed, Margaret, aided by the Lancastrians, fights for her rights as Queen Regent in order to secure the throne for her son. But in the War of the Roses the House of York prevails and Richard's son becomes Edward IV [1471-1483].

The Sun in Splendour (1983)
Tall, handsome, and an insatiable womanizer, Edward IV falls for widow Elizabeth Woodville who cannily refuses to surrender her virtue unless he marries her first, thus shocking both his family & Lady Elizabeth Lucy (by whom he already had two children and may have, in fact, married previously), not to mention upsetting the plans of his staunch ally, the Earl of Warwick. In the bitter conflict that results, only the King's brother, Richard of Gloucester, remains loyal. The marriage of Edward & Elizabeth produces two sons, Richard, asserts his legal claim to the crown, based on the claim that Edward's sons are bastards. The Parliament supports Richard, but the point becomes moot when the young princes are murdered.

Uneasy Lies the Head (1984)
After the defeat of Richard III [1483-1485] at Bosworth Field, Henry Tudor, the grandson of Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois (widow of Henry V), becomes King Henry VII [1485-150. He marries the beautiful & devout Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, who dies in childbirth in 1503. That same year his eldest son, Arthur, also dies, leaving his second son, Henry as his heir.

THE TUDORS

Katherine, the Virgin Widow (1961)
In order to cement a union between England and Spain, Katherine of Aragon, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, marries Arthur, the frail son of Henry VI. Arthur's untimely death leaves the widow stranded in her new land, belonging neither to England nor Spain. She is subsequently betrothed to Arthur's brother, Henry VIII [1509-1547], but their union hinges on whether her first marriage was consummated.

The Shadow of the Pomegranate (1962)
At first 18-year-old Henry seems happy with his 24-year-old wife, but when Katherine succeeds in producing only a surviving daughter, Mary, a desperate Henry prepares to cast her aside in favor of Anne Bolyen.

The King's Secret Matter (1962)
Katherine of Aragon's rightful position as Queen of England-and that of her daughter Mary as heir--is endangered by Henry's affair with Anne Boleyn, who refuses to become his mistress until he divorces Catherine.

Murder Most Royal (The King's Pleasure)
Henry's dissatisfaction over the failure of Anne Boleyn to provide him with an heir leads to her execution. He is more fortunate with Jane Seymour, who dies after delivering the son Henry covets. But the adulterous behavior of fourth wife, Catherine Howard costs her her head.

St. Thomas' Eve (1954)
Devoted family man Sir Thomas More, the Chancellor of England, finds himself at odds with Henry VIII's wild desires and subsequent decision to defy the Catholic church and divorce his lawfully wedded wife, Katherine of Aragon. Unable to permit himself to bow to the king's will, he pays the ultimate price for his faith and honor.

The Sixth Wife (1953)
After a tremendous disappointment with his fifth wife, the plain, unaccomplished Anne of Cleves, Henry marries for the last time. Catharine Parr, who has been freed by death from a passionless marriage has her desire to wed the man she loves thwarted by Henry VIII, who persuades her to marry him.

The Thistle and the Rose (1963)
In an attempt to unite England and Scotland, Margaret Tudor marries James IV, but the result is disaster for Scotland and he is killed at Flodden in 1513. Margaret, who marries twice more, becomes regent and fights to keep the throne for her son, James V of Scots, whose only child (by his second wife, Mary of Guise), is the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots.

Mary, Queen of France (1964)
Mary Tudor, the wayward and passionate sister of Henry VIII, loves adventurer Charles Brandon, but political events have little to do with matters of the heart and she becomes the reluctant bride of the aging, gouty Louis XII of France. Only following the death of Louis in 1515 is she finally free to marry Charles.

The Spanish Bridegroom (1956)
To restore the power of Spain and bring England back to the Catholic Church, young widower Philip II of Spain agrees to marry the middle-aged Mary Tudor [1553-1558], who has succeeded to the throne following the death of Edward VI [1547-1553], the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. It proves a disastrous decision. To Philip's anger, Parliament refuses to crown him king and he leaves for Spain and a distraught Mary begins her cruel battle against heresy.

Gay Lord Robert (1955)
Robert Dudley, Lord Leicester, is the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I [1558-1603], who returns his affection. But he is a married man. Their relationship falls under a dark cloud when Robert's wife, Amy, dies in a mysterious accident. The now-free lover expects Elizabeth to marry him, but when she refuses he weds Lettice Knollys to spite her.

THE STUART SAGA

The Murder in the Tower (1954)
Elizabeth dies childless, naming Scotland's James IV, the son of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and the great-grandson of Henry VII, as her successor. He becomes James I of England. During his unremarkable reign, one of his favorites, Robert Carr, rises to power and with James's help, marries Frances Howard, Countess of Essex. But an accusation of poisoning brings about his downfall.

The Wandering Prince (1956)
Ten years after Charles I has been deposed and executed, Charles II [1660-1685] restores the monarchy. His marriage to Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of the King of Portugal, produces no legitimate children, but an affair with Lucy Walter will bring forth a son, James, Duke of Monmouth.

A Health unto His Majesty (1956)
Charles II throws himself into the gaiety of court, dividing his time and attentions between his wife, the shy, plain, and unworldly Queen Catherine of Braganza, and his promiscuous and sensual mistress, Barbara Palmer, Lady Castlemaine, managing to make both happy.

Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord (1957)
Charles II struggles to keep religious strife from tearing his kingdom apart while "playing the field" with a variety of women such as Barbara Palmer, Hortense Mancini (the "most beautiful woman in the world'), Louise de Kéroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth, and actress Nell Gwyn.

The Three Crowns (1965)
When Charles II dies leaving no legitimate heir, his Catholic brother James [1685-1688] becomes heir-presumptive to the three crowns of Britain. Eager to gain them for himself, Protestant William of Orange marries Mary, the young daughter of James II, who is subsequently placed in the impossible position of choosing between loyalty to her husband and father.

The Haunted Sisters (1966)
James II's younger daughter, Anne of York, loves John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave, but is married off to Prince George of Denmark. The marriage proves to be a happy if fruitless (only one of her 17 children survive infancy) one, but Anne falls under the influence of the ambitious and scheming Sarah Churchill while her unpopular Catholic father (James II) is losing his throne to her sister, Mary II [1688-1694] and husband, William [1688-1702].

The Queen's Favourites (1966)
Sarah Churchill, the ambitious wife of the Duke of Marlborough, finds her position as the favorite of sickly Queen Anne [1702-1714]-the last of the Stuart line-threatened by a poor relation, the plain and unobtrusive Abigail Hill.

THE GEORGIAN SAGA

The Princess of Celle (1967)
Sophia Dorothea, the Princess of Celle, is cruelly thrust into a loveless marriage with the sullen, vindictive and unfaithful George of Hanover. Desperate for love, she finds it in the person of Count Königsmarck, a dashing Swedish adventurer, with tragic results. In England, the question of succession (Queen Anne's only son, William, dies before reaching maturity) is decided in favor of George's mother, Sophia, the granddaughter of James I. But with Sophia's death, he crown falls to, George [1714-1724] , who speaks no English and has very little interest in his new possession.

Queen in Waiting (1967)
When the lively and intelligent Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach marries George Augustus [1727-1760], the son of George I, she does so in the belief that she will one day become Queen of England and goes to great lengths to charm any man who may advance her own political influence.

Caroline, the Queen (1968)
Caroline attempts to make the choleric George II more palatable to his subjects and control him by cleverly playing the submissive, dutiful wife.

The Prince and the Quakeress (1968)
George III's [1760-1820] secret marriage to Hannah Lightfoot, a virtuous Quaker lass, is nullified in favor of a more suitable mate, Charlotte of Mecklenburg.

The Third George (1969)
When the plain and unexciting German princess Charlotte marries the dashing young George III, no one expects her to keep the attention of the amorous king. But they underestimate the resolve of the gentle Queen who gives her husband 15 children.

Perdita's Prince (1969)
The charming future George IV enjoys the life of a libertine and engages in a relationship with all manner of women, including actress Mary Robinson. He is blinded to the intrigues of ambitious men who conspire against the throne and who are eager to exploit the conflict between George III and his son, Frederick, who will die before attaining the throne of his despised and despising father.

Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill (1970)
The Prince of Wales continues to court scandal in his pursuit of Maria Fitzherbert, a young widow who is both a commoner and a Catholic. She flees to France only to be irresistibly drawn back and into a passionate relationship that may cost the Prince his throne.

Indiscretions of the Queen (1970)
In 1795, George IV [1820-1830] is marries his unattractive and coarse cousin, Caroline of Brunswick, in order to persuade Parliament to write off his debts. After giving birth to a daughter, Charlotte, Caroline is discarded by her husband and even turned away from attending his coronation.

The Regent's Daughter (1971)
Charlotte, the daughter of George IV and Caroline of Brunswick, manages to surpass her unhappy upbringing to earn the adoration of the people as well as a devoted husband, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. But their joy is cut short when she dies in childbirth.

Goddess of the Green Room (1971)
William, the second brother of George IV, gives little thought that he may one day inherit the throne. He enters into a happy 20-year relationship with Irish actress Dorothy Jordan, who bears him 10 illegitimate children. But when George's only child, Princess Charlotte dies in 1817, the pressure is on to produce a legitimate heir to the throne. William is forced to take a royal bride, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and becomes king in 1830, but their union will not be fruitful. This makes his niece, Victoria, the daughter of the late Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (the fifth of George III's 15 children), heir presumptive to the throne.

Victoria in the Wings (1972)
With no legitimate heir to his throne, William IV dies, placing the burdens of the British monarchy upon the slender shoulders of 18-year-old Victoria [1837-1901]. But others hope to control her and a distant uncle plots to supplant her.

THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND SERIES

My Self, My Enemy (1984)
Henrietta Maria, becomes the wife of Charles I [1625-1649], a man of honor determined to do his duty as he sees it. She devotes herself to helping him and narrowly escapes sharing his fate when his unswerving belief in the divine right of kings costs him his throne and his life.

Queen of This Realm: The Story of Queen Elizabeth I (1985)
Declared illegitimate by her own father, Henry VIII, Elizabeth Tudor, the daughter of Anne Boleyn, is placed in jeopardy when her half-brother, Edward [1547-1553], suddenly dies shortly after his accession to the throne, and her harsh half-sister, Mary [1553-1558], is crowned. But Elizabeth [1558-1602] perseveres to become England's greatest monarch, never letting her obsession with Robert Dudley lead her into a precarious marriage.

Victoria Victorious (1986)
Victoria [1837-1901] tells her own story of the triumphs and tragedies of her long reign.

The Lady in the Tower (1986)
Anne Boleyn plays her cards well by refusing the advances of Henry VIII [1509-1547], who is desperate for a male heir, until he discards his current wife, Katherine of Aragon, and makes her queen. But when she, too, fails to produce a son, it is her undoing.

The Courts of Love (1988)
Eleanor of Aquitaine is a bold adventurer who marries two kings, one of France and the other Henry II [1413-1422] of England. Willful and brave, she clashes with Henry in a never-ending battle of wills that lasts their lifetimes.

In the Shadow of the Crown (1989)
Mary Tudor [1553-1558], the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, found her place usurped and her life threatened by her father's subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn. When she finally ascends to the throne, her persecution of Catholics earns her the sobriquet "Bloody Mary."

The Queen's Secret (1990)
Catherine of Valois, the daughter of France's Charles VI, is forced to marry England's Henry V[1413-1422] when he conquers her native land. She gives birth to an heir only to see him taken away from her to be raised in an English household and watches her husband die from a sickness acquired in battle. Forbidden to return to France, she flouts convention and the law by falling in love with Owen Tudor, a former knight in Henry's army. Out of their union the Tudor dynasty is born.

The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Anne of York (1991)
In defiance of her father, the Earl of Warwick, Anne Neville marries Edward IV's [1461-1485] younger brother, Richard, the Duke of Gloucester [1483-1485].

The Pleasures of Love: The Story of Catherine of Braganza (1992)
After the monarchy is restored to England Catherine marries Charles II [1660-1685], but his frequent infidelities puts a strain on their relationship, as well as her failure to produce an heir.

William's Wife (1993)
15-year-old Mary [1688-1694], niece of Charles II and eldest daughter of the Duke of York (James II), is thrust into a loveless political marriage with her cold-hearted and power-hungry Protestant cousin, William of Orange [1688-1702], who scorns his beautiful young wife and uses her as a stepping-stone to power.

The Rose Without a Thorn (1994)
Impoverished Catherine Howard comes to court as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. Although her heart belongs to another she agrees to marry Henry VIII [1509-1547] after he rids himself of the unappealing Anne.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

Royal Road to Fotheringay (1955)
Mary Stuart goes to France to marry the son of Henry II, but when the Dauphin dies, she returns to Scotland where her claim to the English throne earns her the enmity of Elizabeth I [1558-1603].

The Captive Queen of Scots (1963)
24-year-old Mary is taken prisoner by Elizabeth but continues to plot against her, thus sealing her own fate.

QUEEN VICTORIA

The Captive of Kensington Palace (1972)
As her ruthless uncle connives to gain the crown for himself, young Victoria's mother fears for her life and does everything she can to protect her. Complicating matters is Victoria's strained relationship with her widowed mother, the Duchess of Kent, whose relationship with the ambitious and hated John Conroy, who longs to rule the country by ruling Victoria.

The Queen and Lord M (1973)
18 year-old Queen Victoria falls under the influence of her Prime Minister, the charming but divorced Lord Melbourne, who becomes a father-figure to her. Some are aghast at Melbourne's close relationship to the innocent young Queen and take to referring to her as "Mrs. Melbourne."

The Queen's Husband (1973)
Victoria meets and falls in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, the son of a minor German duke. Although he battles for supremacy in the relationship, he cannot overcome her iron will, and eventually accepts his position as the Queen's husband. And for Victoria, no diplomatic crisis or domestic scandal can overshadow her love for her foreign-born husband.

The Widow of Windsor (1974)
With her beloved Albert gone from her all too soon, Victoria withdraws into seclusion, struggling to face her royal responsibilities alone as England prepares to enter the 20^th century.