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England's Queens
England's Queens: The Biography | Elizabeth Norton
5 posts | 11 to read
Her story not his, the English monarchy through the private and public lives of the queens of England. Nearly eighty women have sat on the throne of England, either as queen regnant or queen consort and the voices of all of them survive through their own writings and those of their contemporaries. The primary role of the queen over the ages was to provide an heir. Catherine of Aragon found this to her cost, divorced by Henry VIII for failing to produce a healthy son. Anne Boleyn was executed shortly afterwards for the same reason. The birth of an heir was also a route to power for a queen and Eleanor of Aquitaine became the most powerful woman in Europe during the reigns of her sons. Emma of Normandy was so desperate to be queen mother that she manipulated her three sons in an attempt to ensure that one would be king. One was murdered when he attempted to reach his mother but her remaining two sons became kings in turn with their mother as a leading advisor. Strong relationships could also develop between the queens and their husbands. Richard II and Anne of Bohemia made an arranged marriage but quickly fell deeply in love and, on Anne's death at Sheen Palace, Richard's grief was so intense that he ordered the palace to be destroyed. Edward VIII even abandoned his throne when forced to choose between the crown and his lover, Wallis Simpson. Not all marriages were happy and queens such as Isabella of France and Catherine Howard took lovers to escape their marriages. The unhappy Sophia Dorothea of Celle was imprisoned for over thirty years by her husband George I when her affair was discovered. Her lover, Count von Konigsmarck was murdered. Most queens made arranged marriages and were used by their families to build alliances. Some queens were able to break away from this control. Queen Victoria spent her childhood secluded with her overprotective mother, even sharing the same bedroom until the day when she was proclaimed queen and finally freed herself from her mother's control. For the first time, the voice of each individual queen can be heard together, charting the course of English queenship through nearly two thousand years of history. Each queen played her own part in shaping what the role of queen would become and it developed through the lives and actions of each of the women in turn.
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OrangeMooseReads
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1. I‘ve read so many books set in England/Great Britain. It would be nice to see the places I‘ve only read about.
2. Yes, I would highly recommend it.
3. I‘m not sure lol whatever strikes me as I scroll through Libby.

#wonderouswednesday
@Eggs

Eggs #1 I agrée! Scotland ??????? and Ireland ?? as well! 9mo
19 likes1 comment
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KellyHunsakerReads
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England was so green! So unlike CO... too bad I had such a strange dream. I am now in Ireland... will update that soon.

#BackpackEurope

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Sophoclessweetheart
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Jumping back into my current reads after sending my book ideas to the publisher. Eager and excited to see what happens next. But for the meantime, coffee and contemplation 📖💛 #nonfiction #history #medieval #tudor #plantagenet #britishhistory #bookblogger #booklover #bookish

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Sophoclessweetheart
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My current reads and some wonderful, scary, exciting news! I *might* be writing a nonfiction book about Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire and it *might* be in commission with a publisher. This is something I‘ve long wanted to do and never realistically believed I would and so I‘m thrilled and excited and scared. Maybe it will come to naught but I‘ll keep you updated. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤗 #History #nonfiction #bookblogger #booklover #bookish

MayJasper 😄 ooh 😄 6y
Jabberwocky Very cool!!! 6y
TrishB Cool 👍🏻 6y
See All 19 Comments
CaitlinR Congratulations 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @CaitlinR @TrishB @Jabberwocky @MayJasper Thank you All! 🤗😁 It‘s still in the planning and discussion stage but I‘m so excited I had to tell someone. Lol 6y
youneverarrived Oh sounds exciting! 😁 6y
Birdsong28 Would love to read that. Good luck 🍀🍀📚📖 6y
batsy Oh wow, that's brilliant! Best wishes and hope it all works out 😊🍀 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @youneverarrived @Birdsong28 @batsy Thank you Ladies, so much! 💋🤗 6y
Cathythoughts Oh I wish you the best & hope it all comes true ❤️. Very exciting 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @Cathythoughts Thank you so much Cathy. Xx 6y
DrexEdit Congratulations! Very exciting. Let us know how it goes. I'd be interested in reading a book on the duchess of Devonshire for sure! 😊 👍 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @DrexEdit Thank you so much. I will certainly keep everyone updated. 😉💛 6y
MommyWantsToReadHerBook Woohoo, exciting stuff! Holding thumbs 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @MommyWantsToReadHerBook Thank you so much! How kind x 6y
quietlycuriouskate So exciting! Wishing you all the best with it. ❤ 6y
mabell Wow! Congratulations! 🎉🎉 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @mabell Thank you Elizabeth 🤗💛 6y
52 likes2 stack adds19 comments
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Sophoclessweetheart
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My current reads have gone from one to three today but I don‘t mind. Two nonfiction and an historical fiction for variety. Of course I‘m partnering these tonight with my new knitted rabbit mug which is so cute I could squeal. I saw it in the supermarket today and couldn‘t resist. Anyone else a mug addict? #currentlyreading #nonfiction #historicalfiction #tudors #medieval #history #booklover #bookblogger #bibliophile #bookish #booksinbed

Schnoebs I have so many mugs they are practically falling out of my cabinet 😂 6y
Sophoclessweetheart @Schnoebs I‘m so glad I‘m not the only one! 😹 6y
57 likes2 stack adds2 comments