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A review by taherasplace
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power by Leah Redmond Chang
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, Queen of England are two of the most famous female figures in history.
I was aware of the name Catherine dé Medici but didn't know much about her besides her being a member of the Medici family before her marriage and being called the Serpent Queen.
What I definitely didn't know about at all and got to know through this book was that Mary, Queen of Scots spent a period of her life as part of the French royal family, at first thanks to her maternal family enjoying a high place at the French court and later as a wife of Francis II, the eldest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine dé Medici.
Also, the fact that Catherine dé Medici hoped for a possible Anglo-French alliance by encouraging a marriage between her youngest son Francis, Duke of Anjou and Elizabeth I.
Elisabeth de Valois was a name I had no idea about and even though she makes up the trio of queens discussed in this book, I felt she as a figure overall had no huge impact except for being married to King Philip II of Spain and being his most beloved wife.
Mary, already born a queen with a crown and country to rule when the time came; who spent her earlier years in great comfort, splendor and loved by all and was a woman of great beauty and popularity, finds herself later on all alone and betrayed, with no family or friends, desperately trying to hold on to her legacy and crown. Meanwhile, Catherine dé Medici and Elizabeth I (who does make her presence felt in the final chapters) who each after spending a lifetime thwarting machinations against their being, their position and sovereignty end up becoming a powerful figurehead of their respective ruling dynasty.
How the wheel of time and fortune turns!
I listened to this as an audiobook and Olivia Dowd's soothing and clear voice ensured that I did not find it difficult keeping up with the narrative. Infact, I enjoyed it so much that I ended up listening to it twice.
I was aware of the name Catherine dé Medici but didn't know much about her besides her being a member of the Medici family before her marriage and being called the Serpent Queen.
What I definitely didn't know about at all and got to know through this book was that Mary, Queen of Scots spent a period of her life as part of the French royal family, at first thanks to her maternal family enjoying a high place at the French court and later as a wife of Francis II, the eldest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine dé Medici.
Also, the fact that Catherine dé Medici hoped for a possible Anglo-French alliance by encouraging a marriage between her youngest son Francis, Duke of Anjou and Elizabeth I.
Elisabeth de Valois was a name I had no idea about and even though she makes up the trio of queens discussed in this book, I felt she as a figure overall had no huge impact except for being married to King Philip II of Spain and being his most beloved wife.
Mary, already born a queen with a crown and country to rule when the time came; who spent her earlier years in great comfort, splendor and loved by all and was a woman of great beauty and popularity, finds herself later on all alone and betrayed, with no family or friends, desperately trying to hold on to her legacy and crown. Meanwhile, Catherine dé Medici and Elizabeth I (who does make her presence felt in the final chapters) who each after spending a lifetime thwarting machinations against their being, their position and sovereignty end up becoming a powerful figurehead of their respective ruling dynasty.
How the wheel of time and fortune turns!
I listened to this as an audiobook and Olivia Dowd's soothing and clear voice ensured that I did not find it difficult keeping up with the narrative. Infact, I enjoyed it so much that I ended up listening to it twice.