''The Spanish Queen'' is a 2013 historical fiction novel by

Carolly Erickson Carolly Erickson (born January 1, 1943–November 11, 2020) an American author of historical fiction and non-fiction. In 2008, her book ''The Tsarina's Daughter'' won the RT Reader's Choice Award for best Historical Fiction. Personal life Eric ...

Plot summary

The book focuses on

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

's marriage to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, which is strained by difficulty conceiving and the repeated infant deaths of their children.

Reception

The book received praise from critics for its historical accuracy and complex portrayal of Catherine, although it received some criticism for its lack of invention.{{Cite web , last=Donoghue , first=Steve , date=2013-10-29 , title=Book Review: The Spanish Queen , url=https://www.openlettersmonthlyarchive.com/olm/book-review-the-spanish-queen , access-date=2025-05-11 , website=Open Letters Monthly , language=en-US

References

2013 novels Novels set in Tudor England Novels set in the 1530s Cultural depictions of Catherine of Aragon Cultural depictions of Henry VIII