Katharine, the Virgin Widow

by Jean Plaidy Book 2 in the Tudor Saga series.

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3.9(1,569)

Teenage Katharine of Aragon leaves Spain for England to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales, in a dynastic alliance intended to bind the Tudor monarchy to the powerful Spanish crown. England is unfamiliar and often hostile, while Arthur's poor health makes the future of the marriage uncertain from the beginning.

Arthur dies only months after the wedding, leaving Katharine a young widow stranded at a foreign court. Her value to both kingdoms now depends on whether another marriage can be arranged, and the obvious possibility is Arthur's younger brother Henry, the new heir to the throne. The novel follows Katharine through the years in which diplomacy, money and disputed promises determine whether she can remain in England and eventually become the wife of the future Henry VIII.