The Serpent and the Moon by Her Royal Highness Princess Michael Of Kent
As a descendant of both Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers, and an insider who has seen her share of palace intrigues, no writer could be more equipped than Princess Michael of Kent to explore one of history's most fascinating royal love stories. Catherine de Medici was fourteen when she was bartered in marriage to France by her ambitious cousin, Pope Clement VII. Catherine fell in love with her future husband, Henri, at first sight. But Henri had eyes only for his mistress, the beautiful Diane de Poitiers, eighteen years his senior. Diane and Henri ruled as one, their intertwined monograms and signature black and white colours appearing on everything from royal proclamations to palace doorknobs. Catherine, despised at court, watched miserably as Henri became Dauphin and then King, each day growing more devoted to Diane. Only Henri's death at the age of forty-two ended his love for Diane and Catherine's long, agonizing 'hate and wait'. THE SERPENT AND THE MOON is peopled by the most illustrious figures of the time - including Henry VIII of England, Francois I, and Anne Boleyn. A ten-year labour of love from a uniquely qualified writer, this is a moving and personal love story as well as a richly woven history of an extraordinary time.
"A cracking good story..a consummate storyteller."
-- Lucinda Hahn, Chicago Tribune
"A hugely entertaining book...the stuff of high Renaissance drama."
-- Leonie Friede, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"A sizzling story about love and betrayal in a royal family...a true tale of palace intrigue in the sixteenth century."
-- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"The author, who knows a thing or two about palace intrigue herself, writes with style and panache and serves up marvelous details of pageantry, court fashion, furniture, and gossip worthy of the master of the genre, the duc de Saint-Simon."
-- Dominick Dunne
-- Lucinda Hahn, Chicago Tribune
"A hugely entertaining book...the stuff of high Renaissance drama."
-- Leonie Friede, The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"A sizzling story about love and betrayal in a royal family...a true tale of palace intrigue in the sixteenth century."
-- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"The author, who knows a thing or two about palace intrigue herself, writes with style and panache and serves up marvelous details of pageantry, court fashion, furniture, and gossip worthy of the master of the genre, the duc de Saint-Simon."
-- Dominick Dunne
Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent is the author of two previous books, Crowned in a Far Country: Portraits of Eight Royal Brides and Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours. For more than ten years, the Princess has pursued a successful career lecturing on historical topics. She lives with her husband, Prince Michael of Kent, in Kensington Palace in London and in their seventeenth-century manor house in Gloucestershire, England.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780743251068 |
| ISBN 10 | 0743251067 |
| Title | The Serpent and the Moon |
| Author | Her Royal Highness Princess Michael Of Kent |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Atria Books |
| Year published | 2005-10-17 |
| Number of pages | 432 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |