3.5
Three Sisters, Three Queens
ByPublisher Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory, the little-known story of three Tudor women who are united in sisterhood and yet compelled to be rivals when they fulfill their destinies as queens.
As sisters they share an everlasting bond; as queens they can break each other’s hearts…
When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined—with Margaret’s younger sister Mary—to a unique sisterhood. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.
United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son.
Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss, and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.
As sisters they share an everlasting bond; as queens they can break each other’s hearts…
When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined—with Margaret’s younger sister Mary—to a unique sisterhood. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.
United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son.
Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss, and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThree Sisters, Three Queens Reviews
3.5
klastrella
Created 2 days agoShare
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“So dap who”
Conor
Created 12 days agoShare
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“At its core, Three Sisters, Three Queens is a novel about sibling love and rivalry, exploring the complex relationships between Margaret Tudor, her brother Henry VIII (Harry), and her sisters-in-law, Katherine of Aragon and Mary Tudor. Philippa Gregory does an excellent job capturing the shifting dynamics between them - Margaret’s admiration and frustration with Harry, her evolving feelings toward Katherine, and her deep bond with Mary. I especially enjoyed Mary’s letters, which were amusing in their constant references to gowns and jewels, adding a lighthearted contrast to the heavier themes of the novel.
Margaret herself was an intriguing protagonist, though at times I found her a bit self-righteous. However, this trait made her feel all the more real - especially considering her lineage. In many ways, she mirrors her formidable grandmother and namesake, Margaret Beaufort, in her sense of entitlement and perseverance. Her love story with Archibald (Ard) was engaging, and her eventual quest for divorce felt deeply relatable, making her struggles all the more compelling.
The pacing was strong throughout, making for an enjoyable and immersive read. However, one thing that left me curious was why Margaret didn’t inherit the mystical powers of the river goddess Melusina, which her mother Elizabeth of York, grandmother Elizabeth Woodville, and great-grandmother Jacquetta of Luxembourg supposedly possessed in Gregory’s other books. Given the continuity across The Cousins’ War and The Tudor Court series, this omission felt like a missed opportunity.
Overall, Three Sisters, Three Queens is a well-crafted and emotionally engaging novel that delves into the personal and political struggles of a lesser-explored Tudor queen. With strong characterization and an engaging narrative, it’s a solid 4/5 stars for me.”
Amber
Created 14 days agoShare
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teo
Created about 1 month agoShare
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“Philippa always amazes me how she can take the disconnected bits of a woman's life that have been left behind in the historical record and create such an intricate and detailed portrait of her. I did not know much about Margaret before reading this except the few bits and pieces that had appeared in other Tudor Court books. It was quite interesting to read a book focused on her.”
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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