In reviewing the book, Publishers Weekly summarized the book as: "Gregory's skill for creating suspense pulls the reader along despite the historical novel's foregone conclusion." [1] The Historical Novel Society review wrote: "The facts are well known, but the way that Gregory tells the story is a wonder." [2] Anti-Villain: Cardinal Wolsey is arguably this. He does bad things, but he is not completly unsympathetic. Anne Boleyn is a love rival for Katherine of Aragon, but she doesn't want to see her or any of the other Catholic characters maimed and/or killed. Her relationship with Katherine of Aragon is much more lighthearted and amiable when compared to most other fictionalized potrayals. While at Ludlow Castle, Arthur and Catalina make plans for their future reign as king and queen of England. "You are a tactician," Arthur tells Catalina during one of their conversations. "I wish to God I had your childhood and knew the things you know" (129). What tactics did Catalina learn as the child of two powerful monarchs? How does she put these skills to use in her rise to the throne? Outliving One's Offspring: Henry VII and Elizabeth of York outlive their eldest son, Arthur. Meanwhile, Isabella and Ferdinand outlive their only son, John. Same Story, Different Names: Zig zagged. The Spanish Princess takes more creative liberties than the Tudors and Wolf Hall. It's also told from Catherine of Aragon's point of view, rather than King Henry VIII in the Tudors or Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall.

It is doubtful that Catherine of Aragon cherished Islamic culture and she certainly did not regret her country's defence against the Moors. At Arthur's request I told the greatest lie a woman has ever told, and I will tell it to the very grave...He asked me to say that we had never been lovers and he commanded me to marry his brother and be queen...I was constant to my promise."

But you all know the *rest of the story* so I'll not rehash it one more time, I'm just here to discuss the reading experience. Whether or not Katherine and Arthur consummated the marriage or not is a subject of debate and despite my previous conviction that Katherine spoke the truth about it during "The King's Great Matter", I was willing to keep an open mind (kind of). However, I didn't buy into the twu wuv fowever between Arthur and Catalina, nor did I buy into Henry VIII's portrayal as a bit of an ignorant dolt with no business sitting on the throne of England, In the novels and The Spanish Princess, Catherine and Arthur consummated their marriage. That however, is untrue. Religious Bruiser: Isabella of Castile fights off a band of Muslim rebels before Catherine is sent to England. I know that, at the time, Catalina said this, she was in despair, but I would have thought that a devout Christian would realize that earthly father =/= heavenly father (because the earthly father is DUH human and fallible!). There are ways to do the "God has forsaken me" without drawing this odd conclusion. Anne Boleyn is portrayed as ambitious, but not callous and mean-spirited. Her loyalty and love for Catherine of Aragon is genuine. Her father is portrayed as a good father who loves his family and while they support the Protestant Reformation (in secret) they are not portrayed as plotting to destroy the Catholic Church and/or kill the Catholic characters like in the Tudors.

Margaret Pole and Lina are portrayed as being more tolerant Catholics than Thomas More and Catherine of Aragon. They disagree on how to defend Catholicism from the Protestants. Margaret Pole and Lina believe that Protestants should be properly instructed, educated and listened to, while Thomas More and Catherine of Aragon take a Church Police path. Good Girls Avoid Abortion: After getting pregnant from her lover, Rosa asks Lina for help. Lina gets her a potion to cause abortion, but Rosa can't bring herself to use it, instead getting assurances by her lover that he'll care for her and the baby. One of the most beautiful women ever to grace the silver screen, Hedy Lamarr also designed a secret weapon against Nazi Germany. The book started off all right, when the switches to Katherine's narrative were short and well spaced, but by the end I was nodding off at them and was praying for the book to end, and I'd only recommended it for PG fans only. If you are looking for a well rounded, historically accurate look at Katherine of Aragon I suggest you look elsewhere. Oh, and before anyone gets in a tizzy as to why this non-PG fan decided to read another, this is for a group read for the European Royalty Group at Goodreads. I expect lively discussions.While Mary Tudor did grow old and bitter as queen, the Real Life Mary Tudor was quite kind and caring as a princess. She was treated like dirt as a little girl and had everything and everyone she loved and cared for taken away from her. While it is true that she did execute 300 Protestants as queen, at the same time most academic historians agree that there is more to her story then that. True obedience can only happen when you secretly think you know better, and you choose to bow your head. Anything short of that is just agreement, and any ninny-in-waiting can agree.” On his deathbed, King Henry tells Harry that the young man is free to marry whomever he chooses. Why does Harry decide to honor his betrothal and marry Catalina? What actions does Catalina take to make Harry want to marry her? What is the significance of Catalina changing her name to Katherine when she becomes queen?

Katherine of Aragon (also known as Catalina) has known her destiny since childhood: to wed Prince Arthur of England. The daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, 16-year-old Katherine leaves behind her beloved home to forge a new life in a foreign land and take her place as Princess of Wales and, ultimately, Queen of England. Norwegian novelist Jacobsen folds a quietly powerful coming-of-age story into a rendition of daily life on one of Norway’s rural islands a hundred years ago in a novel that was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize. Religion. Catalina was a devout Christian; here, she spends more time praying to Arthur and worshiping him beyond the grave. It's rather disturbing that she is still so obsessed with Arthur (after a mere 5 months of marriage!) that YEARS later, she is basically praying to him, asking him for help. I understand people mourn differently, people remember the dead differently, but this was just disturbing. And where was the religious Catalina from history? Also, this quote rather bothered me:

Prințesa statornică" de Philippa Gregory este un roman de ficțiune istorică despre Catherine de Aragon, Infanta Spaniei, Prințesa de Wales ca soție a Prințului Arthur și, mai pe urmă, regina Angliei din 1509 și până în 1532 ca soția pretențiosului rege Henric al VIII - lea al Angliei. Philippa redă foarte frumos copilăria, adolescența Catherinei, începând de la vârsta de cinci ani (de la trei ani era deja Prințesa de Wales) și maturizarea ei, sfârșind cu anul 1529 când a avut loc procesul divorțului dintre Catherine și Henric al VIII - lea. Îmi place mult cum scrie Gregory și vreau să îi citesc toate cărțile, bineînțeles, cele traduse la noi. Describe Katherine and Henry's marriage. How is the age difference (Henry is six years Katherine's junior) a factor? How does Katherine's first confinement -- for what turns out to be a false pregnancy -- change their relationship and her standing in the court? But if my earthly father can forget me and forget that I was his favorite child as he has done, then I suppose My Heavenly Father can forget me too." Demoted to Extra: Elizabeth of York, protagonist of the previous series, only plays a supporting role this time, before dying in the third episode.