1. The Plantagenet Prelude
The Plantagenet Prelude begins with Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine as their marriage creates an Angevin realm stretching from England deep into France. Their partnership is powerful but volatile, and the ambitions of their sons gradually turn family rivalry into rebellion. Plaidy follows the making…
2. Revolt of the Eaglets
News of Thomas a Becket's martyrdom has spread throughout Christendom and the blame is laid at the feet of Henry Plantagenet, King of England. Two years later, with Becket canonised, Henry's position is precarious: punished at the Pope's insistence for his part in Becket's death, he…
3. The Heart of the Lion
Richard I inherits the English crown with his attention fixed on crusade and the recovery of Jerusalem. His campaigns bring him into conflict and negotiation with Saladin, while rivalry with Philip II of France and tension with his brother John threaten his lands at home. Plaidy…
4. Prince of Darkness
Richard I dies in 1199 without a legitimate heir, leaving the English crown disputed between his younger brother John and his nephew Arthur of Brittany. John secures the throne, but his reign quickly becomes a struggle to preserve the Angevin inheritance against Philip II of France…
5. Battle of the Queens
In the first half of the thirteenth century, Isabella of Angoulême and Blanche of Castile stand on opposite sides of the rivalry between the English and French royal houses. Isabella, widow of King John and mother of Henry III, remains ambitious after returning to France, while…
6. Queen from Provence
Marguerite, eldest daughter of the Count of Provence, had married a king of France - and now her sister Eleanor is determined to make just as grand a match. Good fortune and wily cunning bring her Henry of England. A good and generous husband but a…
7. The Hammer of the Scots
Edward I returns from crusade to inherit a kingdom and a set of ambitions that will define his long reign. Plaidy follows his marriage to Eleanor of Castile, the conquest of Wales and the increasingly bitter struggle to impose English authority over Scotland. William Wallace and…
8. Follies of the King
Edward the Second's first act on coming to the throne is to recall Piers Gaveston from exile, and the new king's devotion to the shrewd and avaricious young man soon becomes a scandal. It is assumed that when Edward marries one of the most beautiful princesses…
9. Vow on the Heron
After the murder of Edward II at Berkeley Castle, his young son Edward III occupies the throne while real power remains in the hands of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer. Edward's marriage to Philippa of Hainault and the birth of an heir strengthen his position, but…
10. Passage to Pontefract
Richard of Bordeaux, young heir to the throne after Edward the Third, is surrounded by ambitious uncles who believe it would be better for the country if they could take the crown. While Richard shows himself capable of reckless bravery in defeating the Peasants' Revolt, his…
11. Star of Lancaster
Richard the Second is losing his hold on the crown and Henry of Bolingbroke, previously exiled by the king, returns to England to claim it. Richard is deposed and dies mysteriously, murdered some say on the orders of Bolingbroke, now King Henry the Fourth. But Henry…
12. Epitaph for Three Women
After the death of Henry V, the English crown passes to the infant Henry VI. His uncle John, Duke of Bedford, struggles to preserve the conquests in France, while Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, pursues ambitions that repeatedly complicate the government of a kingdom ruled in a…
13. Red Rose of Anjou
When Henry VI becomes king, it is soon clear that he would be better suited to a quiet life than to ruling the country. Richard, Duke of York, is convinced that he would make a better king and has more right to the crown, and he…
14. Sun in Splendour
Edward IV owes his crown to Yorkist victory and to the support of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, but his secret marriage to the widowed Elizabeth Woodville changes the balance of the new regime. Warwick expects to shape royal diplomacy and patronage; Edward instead advances his…