Book Review: Henry's Roses: The Lives of Elizabeth of York, Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France, by Amanda Harvey Purse

Available from Amazon UK 

and for pre-order from Amazon US

Amanda Harvey Purse, best known for her book, 'The Boleyns: From the Tudors to the Windsors', has turned her attention to three of the women who influenced King Henry VIII in different ways.  His mother, Elizabeth of York, and his two sisters, Margaret and Mary.

In her introduction Amanda tells us this book is the culmination of fourteen years of research, and this shines through in the many details of these fascinating women. I’d hoped for more insights into how they influenced Henry VII, yet much of this has to be inferred from the historical record.

I was intrigued by the suggestion that, for Henry VIII, no woman could ever replace or live up to his mother, and he ‘continued to look for his own version of her throughout the rest of his reign.’

Elizabeth of York, Queen of England

Henry's sister Margaret was sent away to become Queen Consort of Scotland soon after their mother’s death. At only thirteen years old, it seems unlikely she had much of a bond with her brother, and apart from a few pleading letters was largely ‘out of sight and out of mind’ – and they didn’t meet again for another thirteen years.

Henry's other sister, Mary, (who he sent off to become Queen of France) may have exerted a subtle influence through her second husband, one of Henry VIII’s few trusted friends, Charles Brandon.

Amanda Harvey Purse suggests Henry’s sisters ‘probably knew him better than any of his advisors’, on the grounds that they shared the early experiences which ‘helped form the man and the Monarch.’ A possible clue to support this view is Mary daring to disobey her brother by marrying Charles Brandon in secret.

Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon

I doubt we can ever know the answers, but the strength of Henry's Roses: The Lives of Elizabeth of York, Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France is in the questions raised about how much King Henry VIII's life was shaped by his mother and sisters.

Tony Riches

 

(I would like to thank Amberley Books for providing a review copy)

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About the Author

Amanda Harvey Purse is an author and historical researcher for London-based museums, as well as for television documentaries. She has spent the last twenty-five years studying the Victorian period and is a member of The Royal Historical Society. She has studied the Tudors at the University of Roehampton and is the founder of Tudor Secrets and Myths Facebook Page.