The Tudor Rose: Princess Mary, Henry VIII's Sister
The Tudor family tree continues to bear succulent fruit for both fiction and nonfiction writers. Draskau picks another worthy Tudor female for this biographical peek into the life of one of the supporting characters in the real-life dynastic drama. Henry VIII’s beautiful younger sister, Princess Mary Rose, was subject to many of the same constraints as her more infamous friends and relatives. Pawned off at an early age to an aging Louis XII of France, she defied societal and familial expectations after his death by marrying, without her brother’s knowledge or consent, the love of her life, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, eventually giving birth to four children. The author takes this biography a step further as she outlines the often tragic events of Mary’s descendants. Long live the Tudor soap opera! --Margaret Flanagan