3.5
The King's Curse
ByPublisher Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the acclaimed Starz series The White Queen comes the story of lady-in-waiting Margaret Pole and her unique view of King Henry VIII’s stratospheric rise to power in Tudor England.
As an heir to the Plantagenets, Margaret is seen by the King’s mother, the Red Queen, as a rival to the Tudor claim to the throne. She is buried in marriage to a Tudor supporter—Sir Richard Pole, governor of Wales—and becomes guardian to Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon.
But Margaret’s destiny, as cousin to the White Princess, is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws her into poverty, yet a royal death restores her to her place at young Henry VIII’s court where she becomes chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine. There she watches the dominance of the Spanish queen over her husband and her tragic decline.
Amid the rapid deterioration of the Tudor court, Margaret must choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical Henry VIII or to her beloved queen. Caught between the old and the new, Margaret must find her own way, concealing her knowledge that an old curse cast upon all the Tudors is slowly coming true...
As an heir to the Plantagenets, Margaret is seen by the King’s mother, the Red Queen, as a rival to the Tudor claim to the throne. She is buried in marriage to a Tudor supporter—Sir Richard Pole, governor of Wales—and becomes guardian to Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon.
But Margaret’s destiny, as cousin to the White Princess, is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws her into poverty, yet a royal death restores her to her place at young Henry VIII’s court where she becomes chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine. There she watches the dominance of the Spanish queen over her husband and her tragic decline.
Amid the rapid deterioration of the Tudor court, Margaret must choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical Henry VIII or to her beloved queen. Caught between the old and the new, Margaret must find her own way, concealing her knowledge that an old curse cast upon all the Tudors is slowly coming true...
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3.5
Sarah
Created 4 days agoShare
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Alicia T
Created 12 days agoShare
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“Margaret Pole was a fascinating woman, but I don't think we got to see a lot of her personality. Rather, I felt like she was just a vessel to talk about Henry rather than a focus on her. Still, I love learning about this time period in history, so I was mostly engaged. It was one of the better books in this series, I think. It was decent!”
Conor
Created 15 days agoShare
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“I really enjoyed The King’s Curse. One of the highlights for me was its expansive timeline and how it overlaps with several of Philippa Gregory’s other books. It picks up right where The White Princess ends with Edward “Teddy” Plantagenet’s execution and weaves through events seen in The Constant Princess, Three Sisters, Three Queens, The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Boleyn Inheritance. I loved spotting the nods to these narratives throughout.
That said, I did notice a few continuity errors. For example, in The Constant Princess, Katherine’s pregnancy isn’t widely known before the Battle of Flodden, but in this book, it is. Anne Boleyn returns from France in 1521 instead of a year later, as The Other Boleyn Girl suggests, and Henry VIII starts showering Mary Boleyn with gifts earlier than expected. Margaret Pole’s reaction to Katherine of Aragon bringing up Edward of Warwick also differs from The Constant Princess. While these inconsistencies stood out, they didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
At its core, this book is about Henry VIII’s transformation - from the charming, handsome prince into the tyrannical, paranoid king we all recognize from history. Margaret Pole’s journey was harrowing, and I was fully invested in her struggles. I felt so happy when she regained her titles and family homes, but her forced separation from Reginald was heartbreaking. Her love for Geoffrey and his eventual betrayal was tragic, as was her realization that she hadn’t told Montague she loved him enough.
One of the things I admired most about Margaret was her unwavering loyalty to Katherine of Aragon and Princess Mary. Despite the dangers of defying Henry VIII, she stood by them both, refusing to abandon Katherine in her lowest moments and later risking everything to support Mary. Her devotion and integrity made her downfall all the more tragic.
The author’s note also caught my attention, especially the mention of the theory that Henry VIII had Kell syndrome. That would explain so much about his erratic behavior and health issues!
Overall, The King’s Curse was a gripping and emotional read. Despite some minor inconsistencies, I loved the connections to Gregory’s wider Tudor universe and found Margaret Pole’s story deeply moving. A solid 4/5 stars!”
Molly
Created about 1 month agoShare
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“Extremely well researched historical fiction about Margaret Plantagenet and her adult life. I am sure many fictional liberties were taken but a very interesting story of survival in a nest of vipers none the less.”
teo
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About Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is the author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl, and is a recognized authority on women’s history. Many of her works have been adapted for the screen including The Other Boleyn Girl. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction. She is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She was awarded a CBE title for services to literature and charity in 2022. She welcomes visitors to her website PhilippaGregory.com.
Other books by Philippa Gregory
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