The Queen’s Secret by Jean Plaidy

Jean Plaidy was the pen name of English author Eleanor Hibbert. She also wrote under the name Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr. When she was at the height of her career in the 1950- and 60s she was one of the most popular writers in the world. Recently her historical novels have been re-released and have found favor with a new generation of readers.

The Queen's Secret is part of the Queens of England series. It is the second book in the series and is the story of Queen Katherine of Valois who was the wife of King Henry V of England. 

He is the great warrior of the Shakespearean play of the same name. While he may have been great in battle, his love of war made him a poor king and he spent much of his reign away from his country.

This book is written in the first person, like a diary by Katherine. She takes us from her childhood in France and leaves us understanding a little more about where she came from. Her Father King Charles of France was called Charles the Mad and his madness made her life as a child very unsettled and allowed for the war that was brewing with England.

This dynastic marriage produced a son and with the early death of King Henry V his widow was banished from the court but not allowed to return to France. Thus begins the real story of the novel, the queen’s secret if you will.

Owen Tudor was Welsh and certainly not of the class of Katherine of Valois. He became after the death of King Henry the Clerk of the Wardrobe in the dowager queen's household. At some point, he also became her lover and eventually her husband though it was a secret marriage and relationship. Their union resulted in several children including their eldest some Jasper Tudor who was the father of Henry Tudor who would eventually become the King of England.

Jean Plaidy takes great care in creating her characters. The main characters in this drama are real but of course, as with any good historical fiction, she supplies the conversations and adds minor characters to fill in information that would otherwise not be provided.

The history in this book is spot on. The author does not take liberty with the known facts. The book is very easy to read and you will learn a great deal of history without even realizing it. This is historical fiction at its very best.

The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden

If you have ever read any of Alison Plowden’s other books you know that she writes history in a style that is easy to read and appreciate. This book basically continues the story that was presented in Caroline and Charlotte. The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden is an easy and entertaining historical read.

When Princess Charlotte died in childbirth in 1817, the hopes of the house of Hanover died with her. Even though King George III and his wife Charlotte had a large family, 9 sons and 6 daughters, they had not one legitimate heir. A crisis was brewing. Those sons who were not married (there were three) must marry and try to produce an heir.

William, the Duke of Clarence, was the eldest at 52. He had already fathered a large family of ten with actress Dorothea Jordan. He seemed a good candidate and he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. Edward, the Duke of Kent, was 50, and he married Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was a widow with children; Adolphus, The Duke of Cambridge was the youngest at 43 and he married Augusta of Hesse-Cassel.

The baby stakes were on and it would take quite a few years to determine who would be the winner. As everyone knows now, The Duke of Kent and his wife had a baby girl, named Victoria after her mother, who was the only baby to survive. This book is her story.

The Duke of Kent was a hardened soldier and as healthy as a horse and yet it only took a week of the horrifying medical practices of the early 19th century to kill him, leaving a heartbroken wife and a baby daughter who would never know him.

The book deals with all the intrigue and controversy that swirled around the little girl who would be queen. Her mother tried to keep her from having contact with both of her uncles who were the kings of England. Her life was controlled in just about every aspect and it was the loyalty and devotion of her companion Baroness Lehzen that helped to make life tolerable for her.

Her mother, much in need of the strength of a man, had turned to John Conroy for advice and he sought to control not only the mother but the daughter. In the days before she became queen, he tried to pressure Princess Victoria into granting her mother regency over her, and through her mother, of course, himself. He underestimated the backbone of the young woman he was dealing with. She resisted all attempts to pressure her and from the moment she became Queen he was banished from her court. It took many years for her to forgive her mother but eventually she did.

In the book, we watch the adorable little girl grow into a stubborn woman who would have her own way. We also see her learn to be Queen from Lord Melbourne her first Prime Minister. By the end of the book, she has fallen in love with Prince Albert and has started to become the woman that she was always meant to be.

The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden is a very good read, filled with interesting stories and a close look at the upbringing of one of England’s greatest monarchs.

Founding Mothers by P.M. Zall

When we think out the founding of the United States, the first names that come to mind are George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. There are no women whose names come immediately to mind. This is totally wrong, however, because it was true then, as it is now, that behind every great man there is a great woman. In the book Founding Mothers by P.M. Zall, we get to meet some of these women.

The late Paul Maxwell Zall was a renowned professor at Cal State L.A. among other prestigious universities. He was also a research scholar at the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif., where he did research for this book and others that he has written. He had a way of extracting the humor and the personality of the people he writes about, and in “Founding Mothers” he brings us biographical sketches of ten women who played an important part in the founding of the United States. Some of them, like Abigail Adams and Dolly Madison, will not come as much of a surprise. Others are mere shadows who have been obscured by the shadows of time.

He begins his book with a dedication to his sisters. He then goes on to explain what should be obvious to everyone: while the founding fathers were off in Philadelphia or at the forefront of the diplomatic effort or the battlefield, someone had to be back home holding down the fort. It was the wives of the founding fathers who made sure that when the war was over; their husbands still had a home to return to.

The first woman we are introduced to is the common-law wife of Benjamin Franklin, Deborah Reed Franklin. We know very little about Deborah except that over the period of her 44-year marriage to Ben Franklin, they were apart for 25 years and she was making sure that their business ventures could support his foreign travels. They were young lovers and it would seem that while Ben became an international figure, Deborah was happier just staying home. This may well have been a case where he outgrew her but his affection was genuine and he never had another serious relationship.

Abby Smith Adams is much better known since she was very aware of her husband’s place in history and as an educated woman used her mighty intellect to promote him in every way that she could. I think the closest analogy of their relationship might be Bill and Hilary Clinton where you are never quite sure who is the stronger and smarter of the couple. She kept all their correspondence, and it gives a wonderful picture of their affectionate and intellectual relationship.

Beyond these two, there are eight other fascinating women introduced. The biographies include quotes from letters and any other extant comments that refer to them. This is all very well documented and a very interesting read for anyone who enjoys American history and biographies in particular. If you are a history lover,  Founding Mothers by P.M. Zall will be a very good read.