The Constant Princess

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The Constant Princess is a historical novel by Philippa Gregory, published in 2005. It is based on the life of Catherine of Aragon.

[edit] Plot Summary

The book starts at Alhambra Palace when Catherine was very young. The book then skips over to Dogsmerfield, England when she meets Henry VII and her fiance, Arthur Tudor. Catherine's passion turns her marriage with Arthur beautiful, but the beauty is diminished when Arthur suddenly dies of the sweating sickness. Catherine promises Arthur on his death bed that she will become Queen of England, marry Arthur's brother, and deny that their marriage was consummated, one of the most audacious lies in the history of England. The book is about Catherine's struggle to become Queen and the Battle of Flodden against the Scots. It also features her attempts to produce a Tudor heir and her reaction to Henry's first infidelity. The book ends with the start of the proceedings to divorce Catherine, as Henry VIII is attracted to Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn.