The Queen’s Rival

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4.1(2,440)

England, 1459. Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, is left with her younger children when the Yorkist leaders flee after the collapse at Ludford Bridge. Lancastrian forces occupy the family’s lands, her husband and sons are attainted, and Queen Margaret of Anjou uses the victory to weaken the Yorkist claim. Under restraint but not politically silenced, Cecily works to maintain communication, protect the dynasty and prepare for its return.

The fortunes of the House of York change through exile, battle and the death of Cecily’s husband, Richard, Duke of York. Her eldest surviving son then claims the throne as Edward IV, turning a defeated noble family into a royal house. Told through letters and chronicle-like reports, the novel follows Cecily’s role in a conflict where maternal loyalty, propaganda and dynastic ambition are inseparable.