Sisters to the King by Maria Perry

Sisters to the King by Maria Perry

Groundbreaking in both depth and scope, Sisters to the King not only reveals two remarkable historical figures, but also radically alters our view of Henry VIII and Tudor history.

Although in the Tudor age Henry VIII's sisters Margaret and Mary were considered more important personalities than his six wives, they had less of the contemporary limelight . . . until Maria Perry examined their amazing lives and influence on European history. Margaret became Queen of Scotland at the age of 13, while Mary, Henry's famously beautiful younger sister, was married off to the aging King of France. 

Against convention both chose their second husbands for love. Maria Perry brilliantly illuminates the characters of these two remarkable women, and also uncovers evidence on other aspects of the Tudor age: fresh information about Henry's upbringing and his wedding night; and a revealing new study of Henry's "worldly jewel," his illegitimate son, the Duke of Richmond, previously a shadowy figure.

Maria Perry attended Manchester High School for Girls and Oxford's Somerville College. She did a variety of roles on theater, cinema, and television before returning to writing after a career in journalism, both in London and in Sweden. The Word of a Prince: A Biography of Elizabeth I (Boydell Publishing) and Knightsbridge Ladies (Andrew Deutsch) are two of her previous novels. She is based in London.