Mistress of the Court

by Laura Purcell Book 2 in the Georgian Queens series.

First published 2015

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Henrietta Howard arrives in Hanover determined to escape an abusive marriage and secure a place in the household of the dynasty that is about to inherit the British throne. Her intelligence and self-command win the confidence of Caroline of Ansbach, but they also attract Caroline's husband, the future George II. Henrietta's position becomes increasingly precarious as friendship, dependence and royal desire become impossible to separate.

Around them, the accession of George I brings the Hanoverians to Britain and intensifies the feud between the new king and his son. Caroline works to protect her children and her husband's future while Jacobite unrest threatens the dynasty from outside. Purcell centres the political transition on two women whose choices are constrained by marriage, money and court patronage, showing the personal cost of surviving close to royal power.