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The Merry Monarch's Wife: The Story of Catherine of Braganza (A Queens of England Novel)

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Review of Jean Plaidy's The Merry Monarch's Wife

This is the story of Portugal's Princess Catherine, her marriage to King Charles of England, and all the courtly intrigue, treachery, plotting, womanizing that that entailed.

We learn about Catherine while she is but a mere child in her father's country palace, as he tries to regain his throne in Portugal from the Spanish, while her mother hopes to marry Catherine to Charles, should he become the English king. But at the time, he was an exiled prince, his father beheaded, and Oliver Cromwell had taken over England.

Still, Catherine's mother believed with all her heart, Catherine would some day become the Queen of England. For years, it seemed it would not be so.

Becoming the Queen of England would save her country, Portugal, from the Spanish. But at what price to the innocent young woman who had been raised for years in a nunnery and was now thrust into the immoral English royal court?

I was riveted to the tale, and wondered why this story was not made into a movie. Nothing Hollywood can make up rivals real life. I loved seeing the story through Catherine's eyes, a woman who romanticized a relationship with her husband years before she ever became his wife. I felt her pain through all the misfortunes she'd had to endure, and wanted to see her life end happily.

The whole time I read the story, I was immersed in Catherine's world, and loved it. I couldn't wait to get to the end and learn how Catherine finally fared. I've read a lot about bonny Prince Charles and his escapades, but from his wife's point of view, it was all the more rewarding.

By 1662, Catherine of Braganza has waited for years to honor the marriage contract with Charles II of England. Understanding the critical importance of the match, Catherine's mother believes it will bring an end to Spain's threat to Portugal, as only the power of England can force the Spanish to back down from their aggressive stance. However, with the beheading of Charles' father, Oliver Cromwell seizes the throne, Charles left with no options. After Cromwell's death, the country appears ready to accept a new king, Charles returning to England, soon after to wed his Portuguese bride. Although she regrets leaving her homeland, Catherine will finally fulfill the destiny she has anticipated in Restoration England. The citizens still harbor animosity toward Catholicism, but Catherine is not threatened by that fact, although as the years pass her Catholicism will be the cause of much turmoil and potential danger. Having loved Charles, or the idea of the man, at twenty-four Catherine is more than ready to become his queen.

Indeed, she is not disappointed, the king a charismatic, merry man with a fine sense of humor who welcomes her with great affection. Long-sheltered in Portugal, Catherine spends the early days of her marriage blissfully ignorant, only gradually realizing that Charles is incapable of fidelity. Catherine's first shock is in the person of Lady Castlemaine, Barbara Palmer, a voluptuous and clever woman who has already given the king a number of children. When Catherine refuses to accept Castlemaine as one of her ladies-in-waiting, a visible crack appears in the marriage, as well as a hint of her husband's capacity for anger when Catherine refuses to change her position. Although Castlemaine never becomes part of the queen's entourage, she is forced to accept not only Charles' current mistress, but the truth of his infidelities. A blight on her happiness, only pregnancy can afford the unhappy queen relief, but after two miscarriages, it is apparent that Catherine may remain barren, a condition that puts her marriage at grave risk from factions that would see her replaced a la Anne Boleyn.

Regardless the conditions, Catherine loves her faithless husband, willing finally to accept any terms to remain by his side. And Barbara Palmer is only the first of many: Frances Stuart, Moll Davis, Nell Gwynne and Louise de Keroualle. Ironically, Charles does love his wife; over the years she understands both his flaws as a man and strengths as a king. Although the author's main focus is on the painful reality of Charles' affairs, the couple also faces serious challenges to the security of the realm, James Stuart's public embrace of Catholicism, a Popish plot to reinstate a Catholic monarch and various problems that come to light because of the people's fear of a return to Rome in a decidedly Protestant country. Throughout, Charles is a charming roué who holds great affection for his childless wife, confiding his predisposition toward her religion on his deathbed. Returning to Portugal, Catherine serves as regent for a time, the years as Queen of England serving her well in safeguarding Portugal from Spain. Catherine's position in Restoration England is unique, her relationship with Charles an intimate view of the complexities of politics and faith. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

I have gotten hooked on these reprints of Jean Plaidy's books. I have not read one yet that I did not love. Her prose is wonderful, and brings to life the historical figures, their contemporaries and time periods that she is writing in.

Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, was a prolific writer of historical fiction. In this, her ninth volume in her "Queens of England" series of books, which was originially released under the title, "The Pleasures of Love, she relates the first person narrative of a little known Queen, Catherine of Braganza, who married Charles II of England. Together, they led England during the restoration of the monarchy, after the death of Oliver Cromwell saw the end of Puritan rule in England.

The marriage of Catherine of Braganza, who was from Portugal, to the newly restored King of England, Charles II, was a purely political alliance. Catherine was the daughter of King Juan IV of Portugal, who had previously been known as the Duke of Braganza, a vassal of Spain, as Spain had invaded Portugal in his father's time. When Catherine was five, after sixty years under Spanish rule, her father drove out the Spaniards and assumed his rightful role. His rule was a tenuous one, however, as the only foreign countries who recognized Juan IV as King of Portugal were France and England, who were enemies of Spain, at the time. The Pope, however, under the thumb of the Spaniards, did not, and other countries followed suit.

When Catherine, the Infanta of Portugal, was about eighteen years of age, her father died, leaving her mother, Donna Luiza, Queen Regent, of Portugal, as her brother, Alfonso, was only thirteen years old. Shortly thereafter, in the year 1658, Cromwell died, and within two years, Charles II of England was restored to his throne. Donna Luiza sought the marriage of her daughter, Catherine, to Charles II, as a way of being able to shore up her defenses against the ever pervasive threat of Spanish subjugation. By the time Catherine was twenty two, she was married to the thirty year old King of England.

Catherine was a Catholic Queen in a Protestant England that had never forgotten the cruelties of their last Catholic ruler, Mary Tudor, also known as "Blody Mary", for her excesses againt those of the Protestant faith. Consequently, the English were cool in their reception of Catherine. Moreover, she was married to a King who was a natural philanderer and whose amorous escapades with the beautiful, though notorious, Lady Castlemaine, as well as with the cockney actress, Nell Gwynne, among others, would cause her much heartache.

When Catherine failed to produce an heir, and it became clear that she was barren, there was much political intrigue in hopes that Charles II would divorce her and marry someone with whom he could beget an heir. That the King was capable of doing so was evident from the number of children he begat with his mistresses. Still, this merry monarch, much beloved by his people who viewed his amorous escapades with amusement, refused to discard his faithful and loyal wife, despite the fact that the public reviled her.

The author weaves a compelling, first person narrative of a Queen whose personal travails are little known. Against a backdrop of historical events, political intrigues, and well known personages, her story artfully unfolds, capturing the imagination of the reader. Hers is a story all too familiar. It is the story of a young noblewoman whose personal happines is subjugated to matters of state. Well written, it is a somewhat romaticized account of a life lived in the shadow of political expediency, and its pathos will keep the reader turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book. Behind Henry VIII, Charles II is my favorite monarch. I've read his story from the point of view of three of his main mistresses, and both his nieces, Mary and Ann. I'm not sure why it took me so long to come around to Carthine, but it was certainly a very different look at the most licentious court England had seen in quite some time.

Catherine's mother started planning a marriage between her daughter and Charles from the time Catherine was a little girl. England was under the puritan rule of Oliver Cromwell at the time, but she was certain that someday the monarchy would be restored, and when it was, her daughter would be the one to join Portugal and England which would help to drive Spain away from attacking the small country. Catherine gew up dreaming of a romanticized version of Charles, and couldn't wait for the time to come when she would leave for England...very unusual at the time since most royal Princesses dreaded leaving their homeland to marry a strange Prince from a far-away, unfamiliar land.

Catharine's mothers intuition proved correct, and at the ripe old age of 23 she finally sailed to England to marry her dashing King. One thing that surprised me was Ms. Plaidy mentioning very pointedly that Catherine did NOT get married by proxy in Portugal, when in fact she did. In Lisbon on April 23, 1662. This would have been to assure that during the journey from Portugal to England, there would be no doubt that she was the Queen of England, and married to King Charles II.

Upon Catherine's arrival, the dream she had built up was quickly shattered, and reality set in. She truly did love Charles, but she was very surprised to discover that he kept mistresses...and a lot of them (over the years). It took her awhile before she learned that she would never be the only woman to hold the heart of the King, but once she truly accepted him for who he was, they loved one another very deeply. Charles was extremely protective of his little Queen...he would not tolerate his mistresses speaking ill of her, and he refused to divorce her once it became apparent that she would never give birth to a son.

Overall, this was an excellent realistic look into the court of Charles II. This is not the sex-filled gossipy mistress version, but the real story from a loving wife and Queen who came to this country from a very different place and just wanted to fit in. My only issue with the book, and why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, was the second half seemed much more rushed. There was a lot of 'As the years passed...', which would quickly fly over 3-5 years. It's almost like Ms. Plaidy realized the book would be way too long if she continued writing it in the same descriptive manner as the first half, so she cut back on the dialogue and descriptions dramatically in the second half. It didn't take away from the story too much, but some events were quickly told to us almost as an afterthought, instead of finding out how these events affected certain people. In the end though, I absolutely recommend this book, especially if you love Restoration England. Yes, the mistresses are fun, and their side of the story is always more exciting, but it's definitely worth the time to get to know the wife of England's Merriest Monarch.

This story revolves around Catherine's romantic dreams, but if you get out of the emotions you can see the country relationships and how they played with and against each other. Portugal, England, France and Spain all have political moves to help or hurt each other. It reminds me of a chess game!

Although Plaidy uses the same basic descriptions in her queens novels the flavor of each is distinct. You can still understand the background and history dispite the emotions of the women. I enjoy her writings

The author is Dead so she will not see this,However Jane Plaidly's style of writing is what drew me to her. I worked for the "Newspaper" for twenty-nine years and I'am all REVIEWED OUT. Bye. Do not ask me again.

Jean Plaidy is one of my favorite authors, and that's why I like her historical novels.
It's about History, England, Regency, and a lot of King's and Queens'
I love that book about Catherine Braganza

Thanks a lot for your assistant to get that book.

What a great read. I must admit I do like Jean Plaidy, sometimes she misses, but mostly her books are enjoyable. What I like about Jean Plaidy is that she does not give acclaim to herself (or did,I should say) that she is a historical now it all. She writes entertaining historical novels with dashes of fact piled in. Her writing is vibrant so it is easy to picture the times that she is writing about. I really enjoyed reading about the Stuart era (Restoration period), it was insightful. A great 'Weekend Read'.

I highly enjoyed The Merry Monarch's Wife. This book gave an inside look into the life of Charles II from the point of view of his long suffering and faithful wife Catherine of Braganza.

She was brought from Portugal to marry the prince of her dreams. She thought that she would be the happiest person on earth because she had finally realized them. Charles was charming, fun, loving, but he couldn't be the one thing she truly wanted, and that was to be a faithful husband. Charles was known all over to be a man with many mistresses, one of the most famous being The Lady, Barbara Castlemaine. This was something Catherine didn't know until it was too late and distressed her for some time.

Catherine was, of course, devastated by this. The man she loved loves other women. But she learned that he can give her something a bit more important than fidelity, and that is unswerving loyalty when she really needs it.

England at this point is very untrusting of Catholics and will do almost anything to get rid of them at any cost. Catherine, being a Catholic, was on the list of people to be gotten rid of. But Charles will do next to anything to make sure that she is protected. He loves her in a way that he cannot love his mistresses and Catherine learns to appreciate that.

Jean Plaidy goes through the reign of the Merry Monarch with the same ease that he seemed to sail through life. She uses the view point of Catherine to show the lifestyle that Charles lived, but also the hard points that he had to get over as King. From the Plague to the Great Fire of London to the many plots to depose him and set up his brother in his place, Plaidy uses Catherine to give Restoration England a true voice, one of leisure and suspicion, high times and dangerous times. This is a book that I would recommend to those wanting to read more about England's very Merry Monarch, his wife, and life during Restoration England.