The Other Queen (The Tudor Court, #7) By Philippa Gregory

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Other Queen is the fifteenth and last book in the Plantagenet and Tudor series. I can’t believe the series is over! This installment tells us the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and how she struggles to regain her throne and Kingdom. But her cousin Queen Elizabeth is like a huge barrier between her and her goal. Elizabeth and her advisor Cecil force Mary to live under the guard of Bess of Hardwick and her husband George. What Bess did not expect was her husband falling in love with Mary. There is lots of drama and lots of conflicts.

The book is narrated from three points of view. And such narration will help the reader to understand the characters’ emotions, challenges, and obstacles they were facing. This is another book in which I completely dislike Elizabeth. I really need to read more about her to confirm the awful attributes that Philippa Gregory has given her. She is insecure, jealous, and wicked. She reminds me of her father. Philippa Gregory didn’t portray her in a positive way so I really need to read more about her to know how much I like or dislike her. As for the three main characters, I’m a bit conflicted about how I feel about them. Some of their decisions I can’t approve and other decisions were acceptable considering the circumstances they were living in, especially with Elizabeth and her servants bullying them all the time.

This was another entertaining book from the author. Unfortunately, this is the last book of her royal historical fiction. Somehow I’m glad I’ve read this series. It is worth it a lot. Not just for the entertainment factor but also for gaining historical knowledge. Yes, there were a few books that were weaker than the rest but I wouldn’t call them bad. The majority of the books were excellent. If you are interested to read about royal historical personalities, I think this series will not disappoint you. It has all the ingredients necessary to make it a worthwhile ride.
440 As a Gregory fan, I am very very disappointed. This book has the same style as The Boleyn Inheritance, in which it goes back and forth between narratives of three different people. That, I did not mind. The narratives themselves are awful. You have Bess Hardwich who just goes on and on and on about her properties and her candlesticks stolen from monasteries and her account books. She never talks of much else and she speaks every 2nd chapter. You have her husband George that just rambles on about his loyalty and honor. And of course you have Queen Mary. Let me say, I am going to search for another portrayal of her because this queen resembles nothing of what I have heard of her. In this book, Queen Mary just pontificates on her status. I am a French princess. My body is sacred. You cannot touch me. Yada yada yada. Also, I am confused about the Bothwell situation. One chapter she is writing him letters My dear Bothwell, come save me, and the next chapter she is stating how he raped her and forced her to marry him and kidnapped her. Then again, in the following chapter, she is declaring he is the only man manly enough to fight for her. Somebody, enlighten me, please. 440 Gregory seems to have changed her style some since 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. This is certainly not a frothy bit of 16th century soap opera but quite a serious and well researched bit of historical fiction on life of Mary, Queen of Scots during the first few years of her imprisonment in England.

It also places a great focus on one of my personal heroines of the period, Bess of Hardwick. She is one of the three narrators. The others are Mary and Bess' husband George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, who served as her 'jailors'. Most of the action takes place at the Talbot's estates rather than at the court of Queen Elizabeth.

I can imagine that some readers would be disappointed by the narrow scope of the book and/or by its sober tone but I quite approved of it. I feel Gregory has tried to up her game in terms of accuracy to history though may find, if reviews on amazon and here are any indication, that readers who enjoyed the gossipy fluff find this hard going.

Gregory suggested two recent biographies, one for Bess and one for MQoS, that had influenced her writing. On the strength of that I've reserved them both from the library. 440 The Other Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #14), Philippa Gregory
The Other Queen is a 2008 historical novel by British author Philippa Gregory which chronicles the long imprisonment in England of Mary, Queen of Scots. The story is told from three points of view: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots; Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, also known as Bess of Hardwick; and George Talbot, the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury.
Mary Stuart, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, has fled to England after she has lost the support of the Scots after marrying Lord Bothwell (James Hepburn), whom the people believe murdered her second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. She has left her son in Scotland in the hands of the Protestants and expects her cousin to restore her to her throne. Secretly, however, Mary recognizes herself as Queen of Scotland (since she was born to it), France (since she married to it), and England (since Elizabeth's paternity and her mother's marriage to her father is questionable). As Mary plots to overthrow Elizabeth, Elizabeth puts her in the custody of George Talbot and his wife, Bess of Hardwicke, in response to Mary's repeated attempts to claim the English throne. Mary is indignant at the captivity, repeatedly stating her royal status, and is upset when she is given some of the reigning queen's gowns to wear, saying that they are hand-me-downs. She is unafraid of punishment for any reckless or insulting behavior she makes to her cousin, believing that one would never execute a fellow monarch. Most of the novel centers around the first few years of Mary's Stuart's imprisonment, during which time she makes several failed escape attempts and almost immediately begins to seduce the earl. George slowly begins to feel his loyalty to Elizabeth fade, replaced by a strong attachment to the captive queen. This results in marital problems with Bess, who ultimately separates from him.

عنوان: ملکه دیگر؛ نویسنده: فیلیپا گریگوری؛
ماری استوارت، معروف به «ماری یکم»، نه ماه پس از به دنیا آمدنش، تاجگذاری کرد، و به صومعه فرستاده شد، تا شناسایی نشود، و با امنیت بزرگ شود، و اداره ی کشور را بر دوش گیرد. ایشان در صومعه شناسایی شدند، و به جانشان سوء قصد شد. ایشان را به فرانسه فرستادند، تا با «فرانسیس (نخستین فرزند هانری دوم از دودمان والواها)» ازدواج کند. پس از درگدشت «هانری دوم» پادشاه فرانسه، «فرانسیس» بر تخت نشست، و یک سال بعد «فرانسیس» نیز درگذشت، و «ماری» به «اسکاتلند» بازگشت، تا شورش را سرکوب کند، و تاج و تختش را پس بگیرد. پس از چندی با پسر عموی خود «لرد دارنلی»، ازدواج کردند، که حاصل این ازدواج، تنها فرزند «ماری»، به نام «جیمز» بود. پس از کشته شدن «دارنلی»، «ماری» و «لرد باثول»، به شرکت در آن قتل متهم شدند. «ماری» فرزند خود را به «ملکه الیزابت انگلستان (دختر هنری هشتم انگلستان)» سپردند، تا او را وارث انگلیس و اسکاتلند کند. سرانجام «ماری»، در چهل و چهار سالگی، به دستور «ملکه الیزابت» گردن زده شد. «ماری» آخرین باری که فرزند خود را دید، در ده ماهگی او بود. ا. شربیانی 440 I cannot fathom why every reader must compare every book of Gregory's to The Other Boleyn Girl. I understand that it was the most popular and was made into a film. That doesn't mean every comment should be This is not like The Other Boleyn Girl or This is so much better than The Other Boleyn Girl. Can't an author write other books and in other writing styles?! Furthermore, I will bet a million dollars that 80% of the other readers NEVER read The Other Boleyn Girl and only saw the film which is not even 100% historically accurate and is basically filled with intrique like an episode of The Tudors. Straighten up, some you other readers.

Moving on, The Other Queen, featuring Mary Stuart during her time of protection aka house arrest under Elizabeth I in the home of Bess of Hardwick; is indeed a great read. Mary had quite a life from the moment she became Queen, merely days after her birth. With a mother like Mary of Guise, this was written in the stars. The story picks up after Mary's involvement (or lack there of) with the murder of Lord Darnley and the subsequent marriage with Bothwell. Afterwards, Mary flees to England thinking Elizabeth can help claim her innocence and to return to Scotland stronger than ever, however, Elizabeth with the help of scheming yet intelligent Cecil is urged to place Mary under house arrest to protect her own crown and that of James (Mary's son in Scotland).

Yes, The Other Queen did skip all that drama and focus on the house arrest but this brought into play the famous Bess of Hardwick and her views on the situation. This opens a new fork in the road to how one can perceive Mary and Elizabeth during this time. Despite being in Bess's household, Mary is still portrayed as a stong, daring, and conviving (in a good way). Mary was an extrememely ambitious indiviual throughout her turmoil and Gregory suffciently presents that in a unique way.

So yes, it may not be The Other Boleyn Girl, but NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE!

440

The

read The Other Queen (The Tudor Court, #7)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” ( USA TODAY ) Philippa Gregory—a dazzling new novel about the intriguing, romantic, and maddening Mary, Queen of Scots.

Fleeing violent rebellions in Scotland, Mary looks to Queen Elizabeth of England for sanctuary. Though promised protection, Mary, perceived as a serious threat to the English crown, is soon imprisoned by her former friend as a “guest” in the house of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The newly married couple welcomes the condemned queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court.

To their horror, they grow to realize that the task will bankrupt their estate and lose them what little favor they’ve managed to gain as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. And Mary is not as hopeless as she appears, manipulating the earl and spinning her own web of treachery and deceit, as she sharpens her weapons to reclaim her Scottish throne—and to take over Queen Elizabeth’s of England. The Other Queen (The Tudor Court, #7)

Queen Mary of Scots has always been of high interest to me. So much written about her beauty and intelligence, perhaps equally as much as her foolishness and cunningness. Could they all be true? Philippa Gregory attempts to drawn conclusions in the last book, The Other Queen, of her Plantagenet and Tudor Novels. The end of era when she is put to death, or at least a few decades before the real end when Queen Elizabeth her cousin passes away. I'm intrigued by the couple, George and Bess Talbot, who looked after Mary when she was imprisoned in England, supposedly a brief stay before being returned to Scotland and put back on her throne. I enjoyed the book, particularly Bess's scenes. George was a cad, imho, and I occasionally flipped thru those scenes. I'm glad to end this series on a high note, as I'm fully caught up in all of them. Now I can read her new series, with its two Fairmile novels published and the third this fall. 440

The ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots.
The Tudor blood ran in her veins yet she was ousted from Scotland and denied the English crown in the event of Elizabeth's death. Her right to the crown is often debated amongst historians.



Her guardian George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury.
A man torn between serving his own queen Elizabeth 1 and Mary who is thrust into his household.
He was in an unenviable situation; to serve England or to honor what is right and just.



His wife Bess Talbot Countess of Shrewsbury.
A rare commodity in Elizabethan times; a businesswoman but also a woman who finds more than her estates in jeopardy.
Strangely, I had little sympathy for Bess; I felt she was more concerned with losing her wealth and her houses than she was about her marriage.


Fotheringay by Sandy Denny


How often she has gazed from castle windows o'er,
And watched the daylight passing within her captive wall,
With no-one to heed her call.

The evening hour is fading within the dwindling sun,
And in a lonely moment those embers will be gone
And the last of all the young birds flown.

Her days of precious freedom, forfeited long before,
To live such fruitless years behind a guarded door,


One of those weird moments: While reading this novel yesterday, a really old song came on the radio (see above). Of course, Fotheringay is the castle where Mary Queen of Scots was finally imprisoned. Hearing that song while reading of Mary felt really strange.

Recommended for lovers of good books and historical fiction novels. 4★


440 This review is for the audiobook version of “The Other Queen” by Philippa Gregory, published by Recorded Books, and narrated by Stina Nielsen, Jenny Sterlin and Ron Keith.

Audio: 5 stars The narration for this novel is a full-fledged five stars. The story is told from three viewpoints (Bess, Mary and George) and each character gets its own distinctive and independent voice. I give bonus points when audio books do this, as they can be hard to follow with only one narrator (not to mention they can get quite monotonous) , so to have three on this one made the experience enjoyable. Each narrator was concise, deliberate and animated and highly-skilled. Hands down, a great audio experience.

Story: 3.5 stars As always, Gregory does her research. This well-informed novel tells the story of the one and only Mary Queen of Scots.

Mary, Queen of Scots, is strikingly beautiful, and also holds the unique position of being heir to the thrones of Scotland, France and England. This, obviously, does not sit well with her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, who exiles Mary to northern England, to live with newlywed couple (and loyal English subjects), Bess Hardwicke and George Shrewsbury. While living with the couple, Mary tries in vain to return to Scotland and regain her throne, using her charm to persuade the Earl of Shrewsbury to help her. But with the threat of a treason charge on his head, will George help the young queen, or deny his feelings and avoid a beheading?

Initially, I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters in this novel. Mary was brave and confident, determined to overcome what others thought of her in pursuit of what she rightfully deserved. Bess was also very strong and independent, focused on providing for her family and keeping her fortune. George was a devoted husband and loyal subject to Queen Elizabeth- until Mary enters the picture. By the end of the novel I was not as enamored with the characters. Mary had become entitled and whiny, George was a downright sap and nincompoop, and Bess (although quite possibly the only likable character by the end) was self-obsessed and shallow.

Now, that being said, I don’t slight Gregory for this. A fiction novel based on real characters, it is to be expected that a lot of their unlikable traits belonged to the actual people themselves, not on Gregory’s development of them. As usual, Gregory does stellar research, and her knowledge of the period is above par.

I enjoyed Mary’s imprisonment (as much as one can, anyway) , and her plotting to be returned to her throne. I found, however, that parts of this novel dragged on too long. There were many royal figures in this novel, and their roles in the plotting were often just fillers. I didn’t feel they played an important enough role to get the attention Gregory gave them. The three main players of this novel, George, Mary and Bess, drew me in and kept me engaged, but the other (multitudinous) royals and nobleman (beyond Elizabeth herself of course) did not interest me.

The thing with Gregory’s novels is that the endings do not surprise you. I went into this novel with the knowledge of how the fated Scots Queen would fare, but I still enjoyed reading her story. For Bess and George, Gregory gave them a just and satisfying ending, which drew “The Other Queen” to a comforting close.

Overall, the narration of this novel is a five-star delight, and the novel had me intrigued (for the most part) , although a shorter novel with fewer characters and more focus on the main plot would have made this a perfect read.
440 This book took me quite some time to get through. I have read Philippa Gregory's other books, and though they are not always factually correct, and most often read like gossip mags, I have come to enjoy them and expect that of her books. This was so long and drawn out, and not at all enjoyable. It is written from the viewpoint of Mary Queen of Scots and her two jailers, but you are never engaged with any of the three main characters. Gregory simply twists and repeats the same sentiments for each chapter. I had to force myself to finish it. No new revelations, or interesting facts are ever revealed. It was like walking through mud. 440 THE OTHER QUEEN, by Philippa Gregory, is a work of historical fiction which focuses on the years in captivity of Mary Queen of Scots. The main characters in addition to Queen Mary are George Shrewsbury and his wife Bess. Their triangle is fraught with love, passion, jealousy, and deception.

This is my first read of a “Queen” Gregory work. I found her to be a gifted author; however, I was disappointed that the book had repeated phrasing and bulky heft. It was almost as if the author thought the reader not able to retain what had been mentioned previously, ad nauseam.

I give this book a 4 star rating, disappointingly. 440