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In 1536, Henry VIII, King of England, was beheaded for adultery, incest and treason his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who has not given birth to the male heir he hoped.
A few days later, he married Jane Seymour, who will give him a son - the future Edward VI - but will die in childbirth in 1537. Less than three years later, he married Anne of Cleves as part of an alliance with the Protestants. But, unable to consummate his marriage, he decided to get the cancellation to marry with very young Katherine Howard, niece of the ambitious Thomas, Duke of Norfolk.
Despite the vigilance of Jane Boleyn, her lady-in-waiting allied to the Duke, the new queen tied an affair with Thomas Culpepper. In 1542, this infidelity cause his downfall. Also suffer the fate of her cousin Anne six years earlier.
Three wives, three tragic destiny ... With brio, Philippa Gregory takes us into the mysteries of the court, where machinations, intrigues and conspiracies to gain or maintain power succession, and that women are often the first victims ...

450 pages
April 14, 2010
Archipelago
21 € 85

Include Henry VIII, after he did sentenced to beheading Anne Boleyn, and he became a widower of Jane Seymour, died in childbirth.
the sovereign seeks a new wife, he found in the person of Anne of Cleves, a young woman of good family, but tormented by his brother, the patriarch of his family.
The latter so enchanted with his good fortune, and full of good attentions.
But arriving at the Court ignorant manners sometimes strange, she commits a foul that puts him back to the sovereign: she does not know that he likes to "dress up" and to believe that nobody recognizes. But it is the case for Anne. Unfortunately, the evil king grown old. Big, smelly, it looks like an old drunk, and when his disguise, he tries to kiss her, it pushes and spits on the ground to express its contempt

But the King likes to believe he is still as beautiful as in her youth, and feels mortally mortified.

After that, it will behave coldly with Anne, he did not even come to honor. Until the young Catherine Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's cousin, comes as bridesmaid to the Court.
The latter likes to banter, and suggests to the King that she is beautiful.
The latter therefore infatuated with her, which endangers Anne, which he seeks to get rid of to marry his "rose without thorns," as he called Catherine

Fortunately, Anne will not know the doom of précendente Queen Anne. His marriage with the king is canceled, she moved to England as the "sister of the King"

This book is the result of the magnificent "Two Sisters for a King," that I had been a pleasure to read.
This suite is up to the first installment of Philippa Gregory, who wields the pen with great skill!

The story of Henry VIII, because it is what it is, is superb! This king, young and beautiful man, a little spoiled and arrongant, which gradually transformed into selfish monster realizing the power that is his own, and eventually to play God in the land.
The rise of his madness is beautifully told in these two books.

The 2nd book is written in several narratives. Each narrator tells his story. There are so Anne Cleve, but Catherine Boleyn, Jane Boleyn (widow of George Boleyn, Anne Marie and brother).
Each in its own way, tells the story of England: Anne with great wonder in discovering his new home and with fear of the fate that awaits him. Jane takes us inside the workings of the plots of the Court. Catherine brings freshness and youth, through his frivolous and childish kind.

A small masterpiece of the genre. Should there be one day after (to tell, for example, deprivation of Catherine and remarriage to the king, and the coronation of Elizabeth), I read it with great pleasure!

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