The Shadow of the Pomegranate

The marriage of Katharine of Aragon and King Henry VIII was a right royal match. England loved the young lovers, but hardly were they wed when powerful people in Henry’s court were spinning webs of intrigue around the innocent royal pair. Spanish spies, the Pope’s men, the Queen’s seductive ladies-in-waiting, and especially the King’s brilliant advisor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey—all were obsessed with one question: Would Queen Katharine be able to give Henry the healthy son he so desperately wanted? Everything depended on the answer, especially the destiny of Queen Katharine herself.

Jean Plaidy has brilliantly written the bittersweet true story of young King Henry and his dear Kate, who wanted only to please her beloved husband but seemed thwarted at every turn.