Power-hungry monarch, cold-blooded murderer, obsessive monster—who could love such a man? Set against the glittering courts of sixteenth-century Europe, the Spain of the dreaded Inquisition, and the tortured England of Bloody Mary, For a Queen’s Love is the story of Philip II of Spain—and of the women who loved him as a husband and father. Philip was a dark and troubled man, who, like … dark and troubled man, who, like many royals, had been robbed of his childhood. His first marriage, a romantic union with childlike Maria Manoela, brought him tragedy and a troublesome son, Don Carlos. Then followed marriage with the jealously possessive Mary Tudor, a political union that ultimately failed to bring Philip an heir that would solidify the unified power he so deeply desired. And finally, marriage again to a young bride Philip stole from his unbalanced son, sowing the seeds of brutal murder. But history is seldom what it seems, and in the hands of beloved author Jean Plaidy, we hear another side to the story of Philip II—the most powerful of kings who was at once fanatic, murderer, husband, father, and lover.
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This is the first historical fiction book I’ve read that focuses on Philip II of Spain. Before reading this, I knew pretty much nothing about the man, other than he was the husband of Mary Tudor. The further I got into the book, the more research I did on Philip, so I knew what to expect. As usual, Ms. Plaidy writes Philip’s story in such an easy …
This was a great historical fiction read. My only issue was that it ended very abruptly. I felt that there was more to the story than was written. But who can really complain about a Jean Plaidy book?