The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England in Q&A With Susan Higginbotham

Sep 29, 2009 Misfit rated it really liked it

(4.5)

The Stolen Crown begins is told from the alternating POV of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham and his wife Katherine Woodville. Henry (Harry) was married as a young child to Katherine, younger sister of Elizabeth Woodville - Queen of England and wife to Edward IV (no small feat for those *grasping* Woodvilles). When they grow older Harry and Katherine are able to establish a strong marriage, but Harry wants more power and position at court than Edward is willing to give him and he chafes a (4.5)

The Stolen Crown begins is told from the alternating POV of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham and his wife Katherine Woodville. Henry (Harry) was married as a young child to Katherine, younger sister of Elizabeth Woodville - Queen of England and wife to Edward IV (no small feat for those *grasping* Woodvilles). When they grow older Harry and Katherine are able to establish a strong marriage, but Harry wants more power and position at court than Edward is willing to give him and he chafes at the bit, which only exacerbates his dilema. Harry is on firmer ground with Edward's younger brother Richard and when Edward dies and Richard thinks he can take it all.......

This period and it's history is much too complicated to try to spell out in a review - either you know the basics going in and don't need a rehash or if you don't I'd just have your eyes glazing over trying to explain it all. What I enjoyed most about this one was the *fresh* look at the period from the POV of Harry and Kate and how his rebellion against Richard III might have come about. I just loved Kate's voice and her dry sense of humor, as well as seeing them both as children and then adults caught up in a political storm beyond their control.

I loved the way the author brought some humor into the York/Lancaster differences, as well as busting some of those commonly held myths - Katherine being much older than Harry as well as the Woodville women being practicing witches. I appreciate that Higginbotham doesn't try to muddle her story with *authentic* period language - no "woe is me" to be found in this book (but that's a good thing). You also won't find a saintly-pure-as-the-driven-snow Richard as he's been painted by recently by some of our latest and *cough* greatest historical fiction authors, although this Ricardian may not always agree with the author's interpretations :p

Impeccably researched, the author mentions in her notes what is fact, what is surmised from the known facts as well as those mysteries that will probably never be solved like the Princes in the Tower. Highly recommended for any fan of this period as well as a good eye-opener for those new to it, this should give you a good grounding without overwhelming you at once. My all time favorite is still Sharon Penman's fabulous The Sunne in Splendour. 4.5/5 stars.
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Oct 04, 2009 Robin rated it liked it

Shelves: england, historical-fiction, medieval, war-of-the-roses, read-for-review, arcs, richard-iii

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is another wonderful novel by Susan Higginbotham and it covers a very interesting and active period in British history – the Cousins War (or as we call it, the Wars of the Roses). Between the pages we get the story through the eyes of Katherine Woodville and her husband Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. We see from both points of view their marriage as children, their time at Edward IV’s court, their life at home, the birth of their children, and Henry’s involvement with Richard III.

The f This is another wonderful novel by Susan Higginbotham and it covers a very interesting and active period in British history – the Cousins War (or as we call it, the Wars of the Roses). Between the pages we get the story through the eyes of Katherine Woodville and her husband Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. We see from both points of view their marriage as children, their time at Edward IV’s court, their life at home, the birth of their children, and Henry’s involvement with Richard III.

The first half or so of the novel really focuses on their lives and how they both grow and mature in a very turbulent time. The second half of the novel seems to focus more on Henry’s involvement with Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Personally I liked the first half of the novel more because I really enjoyed watching Kate and Henry grow and come to love and care for one another. The scenes between the two when they were young were very sweet and touching. Higginbotham takes on some of the “rumors” about their marriage and shows how they could have been started and why. I thoroughly enjoyed how she weaved these into the story. The author also explores reasons why Buckingham rebelled against Richard and gives her version of “the truth” behind the mystery of the princes in the Tower, which seems believable. Richard III is not shown in a glowing light here but he is not made into a horrible monster (though Kate despises him). We see a more ruthless side of him but it just seems to make him appear more of a man of a time where you had to be a bit ruthless to survive.

As always in Higginbotham’s novels, the writing is wonderful, there are fantastic details and descriptions, and great character development. The two main characters, Kate and Henry, are very believable and you can sympathize with them even if you don’t agree with them. I really enjoy her writing – it is easy to read but I don’t feel like I’m reading something for young adults. She is just very clear in her writing with good details and marvelous research but yet the reader is not going to get bogged down in the pages. I am a huge fan of this author and I would recommend this book to anyone.
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Dec 04, 2009 Kathleen Kelly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: finished

The story takes place from 1464-1496 and tells the story, mostly in Harry Stafford( Duke of Buckingham) and Katherine Woodville's voices. Katherine is the sister of Elizabeth, who when Kate is quite young, marries King Edward IV secretly. Kate and Harry are married at an extremely young age, Kate was 6 and Harry was around 11. Their marriage was not consumated until Kate was at least 17.

King Edward IV dies from a short illness and his sons Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, are in succession fo The story takes place from 1464-1496 and tells the story, mostly in Harry Stafford( Duke of Buckingham) and Katherine Woodville's voices. Katherine is the sister of Elizabeth, who when Kate is quite young, marries King Edward IV secretly. Kate and Harry are married at an extremely young age, Kate was 6 and Harry was around 11. Their marriage was not consumated until Kate was at least 17.

King Edward IV dies from a short illness and his sons Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, are in succession for the throne, but Richard of Gloucester has other ideas and as the boys protector he assumes the throne supposedly until Edward is old enough to assume the throne. He has Elizabeth and Kates brother Anthony arrested and later executed for plotting to kill Edward V. Richard then gives orders for the boys to be locked up in the Tower at the advice of Lord Hastings whom Richard III later has executed.

Richard declaring that Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was illegitimate and that, in consequence, Richard, not his nephew, was the rightful king. According to this story Richard admits to Harry that he had issued an order to have Edward IV's sons killed. No one really knows for sure if this happened or not and there have been many different historians debating this issue.

Richard III is the last king of the house of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. As lifelong friends, Harry is loyal to Richard until he realizes what Richard did to Edward V and the Duke of York. The story continues on and there are many characters portrayed in the story and it was a bit difficult to keep them all straight. I felt that the early years of Harry and Kate's friendship and marriage was a very loving one. They had 5 children together and seemed to be very happy.

There were two big rebellions against Richard. The first, in 1483, was led by Harry Stafford. The revolt collapsed and Buckingham was executed for treason against the king at Salisbury near the Bull's Head Inn.
In 1485 there was another rebellion against Richard, headed by Henry Tudor, 2nd Earl of Richmond and his uncle Jasper. The rebels landed troops and Richard fell in the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last English king to die in battle. Henry Tudor then becomes King Henry VII and marries King Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth and they become the parents of Margaret, Arthur and Henry who becomes King Henry VIII.

I feel that the author did an impeccable job of research and telling this story in such a way that I found it very interesting although like I said I had trouble with all the characters. I liked the story of Harry and Kate and the love that they had between them, in spite of what some critics have said that Harry despised Kate. I kind of like this version better. Kate does go on to marry two more times, to Jasper Tudor, King Henry VII's uncle and to Richard Wingfield. This is a must read for historical fiction fans.

About the Author

Susan Higginbotham is the author of three historical fiction novels. The Traitor's Wife, her first novel, is the winner of ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Silver Award for historical fiction and is a Gold Medalist, Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. She writes her own historical fiction blog and is a contributor to the blog Yesterday Revisited. Higginbotham has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in North Carolina with her family.

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Dec 10, 2009 Lauren rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this look at the Wars of the Roses. The Stolen Crown tells the story of the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III from the perspective of the Duke of Buckingham and his wife, Katherine Woodville (sister to Queen Elizabeth Woodville). Although Richard III and Edward IV are common subjects of novels these days - even Phillipa Gregory is writing about them - The Stolen Crown felt fresh to me. The story is familiar - no need to retell it here. Instead, in this review, I am going to po I really enjoyed this look at the Wars of the Roses. The Stolen Crown tells the story of the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III from the perspective of the Duke of Buckingham and his wife, Katherine Woodville (sister to Queen Elizabeth Woodville). Although Richard III and Edward IV are common subjects of novels these days - even Phillipa Gregory is writing about them - The Stolen Crown felt fresh to me. The story is familiar - no need to retell it here. Instead, in this review, I am going to point out some differences in The Stolen Crown, compared to other novels I have read.

While it is not in the same league as Sharon Penman's Sunne in Splendour, it takes a very different perspective than many other contemporary novels. The Woodvilles are not evil, they are not witches, nor are they schemers - they are simply regular people who were caught up in English politics due to an unexpected marriage. The Woodvilles are definitely flawed - they do not think clearly about the reperussions of ambitious and unconventional marriages - but they are human. Another difference is that Richard III isn't simply the misunderstood nice guy who was villified by the evil Todors. Higginbotham's Richard is arrogant and ambitious. He is driven to take the crown not by a justifiable hatred for all things Woodville, but simply because he wants to be king. Richard isn't exactly evil, but he is ruthless. I thought that Higginbotham's Richard fits well with the factual record - certain elements have never sat well for me with the Ricardian view - the pathological hatred for Woodvilles (see the Rose of York series) and his summary executions of nobles, particularly Lord Hastings. Another interesting element of this work is the portrayal of the Buckinghams. Henry Stafford, according to the Ricardian view, hated Woodvilles and resented his child bride. This view, however, does not mesh well with the fact that the Buckinghams had numerous children. There must have been some affection there, or they would not have bothered begetting more than an heir or an heir and a spare. Stafford is portrayed as foolish (meshes with facts) and Higginbotham presents a reasonable case for exonerating Stafford as the murderer of the Princes. Before reading The Stolen Crown, I leaned in favor of Stafford as the killer of the Princes, but now, I think it may well have been Richard.

Overall, The Stolen Crown is an enjoyable read. I enjoyed Higganbotham's take on a familiar story and this is a must read for anyone interested in this period of history. The only negative, to me, is that Henry Stafford may have been sugar coated a bit too much. I didn't really feel that the book created a believable story for why Stafford initially aligned himself with Richard III. Otherwise, though, the book is great. ...more

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Dec 13, 2009 Alaine rated it it was amazing

Whilst a year or two ago it seemed there where lots of books being released about the Tudors, it seems that the York's and Lancastrian's are now in vogue. However if you feel a little overwhelmed with the complexity of this historical period and want a story that covers it all then go no further than this book. One of the things I most enjoy about Susan Higginbotham is that she writes about real people in history that aren't royalty but are close enough that you get a multi layered story.

This bo Whilst a year or two ago it seemed there where lots of books being released about the Tudors, it seems that the York's and Lancastrian's are now in vogue. However if you feel a little overwhelmed with the complexity of this historical period and want a story that covers it all then go no further than this book. One of the things I most enjoy about Susan Higginbotham is that she writes about real people in history that aren't royalty but are close enough that you get a multi layered story.

This book is written in first person by two characters. Katherine Woodville who became the Duchess of Buckingham at the age of 7 and her husband Harry Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham. As with the book Hugh and Bess, this book begins when the couple are young and it is almost half way through the book before the marriage is consummated when Kate is 14. By this time you are so completely lost in the characters of this book that you want to know every detail of their lives.

This story takes the perspective that the Duke of Buckingham had homosexual feelings towards Richard of York thus doing his bidding and helping him to bastardize his own nieces and nephews. Of course in doing all this he completely betrayed his wife and her family. What was so interesting about this book is that it doesn't imply that King Edward was guilty of a previous marriage or betrothal, rather that he would have done everything in his power to protect his son so that he could succeed him to the thrown. The book also gives the impression that his line would have successfully continued to rule the country and that whilst King Edward was a womaniser he was also a good and respected king.

The beauty of historical fiction is that authors take the parts of history that they want to use and weave a wonderful tale for the reader to loose themselves in. I loved Susan Higginbotham's account of this period in history more than any other I've read and I love the way she peels back layer upon layer to reveal the characters of those she writes about. Now I've certainly read several variations of what may have happened to the two little boys in the tower and often authors shy away from making a commitment to their idea. This book bravely enacts a version of possibility which I found feasible and probable. ...more

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Feb 28, 2010 Amy Bruno rated it it was amazing

Shelves: signed-by-author, historical-fiction, read-in-2010

Susan Higginbotham is batting three for three! The Stolen Crown is my third Higginbotham read and my third 5 star rating!

In her third book Higginbotham takes on Katherine Woodville and Harry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, two lesser known players in the Wars of the Roses. Katherine is the younger sister of Elizabeth Woodville, who was secretly married to King Edward IV of England and Harry is commonly known as one of the suspects in the Princes in the Tower debate.

I found it very interesting to ...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Carla Nayland added it

Unsentimental portrayal of the turbulent events surrounding the short and ill-starred reign of Richard III, and in particular the dramatic role played by Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham.
Review: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/s... ...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Christy English rated it it was amazing

This is a wonderful re-telling of the War of the Roses. It captured me from the first page, and I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend this read!

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Jan 12, 2013 Ernestina rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Not a flattering picture of Richard III, but quite understandable since one of the narrators is Katherine Woodville, the wife of the Duke of Buckingham (the other narrator) and the youngest sister of Elizabeth, queen to Edward IV.
I particularly appreciated the Author's Note at the end of the book, where historical facts and fictional ones are clearly stated. ...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Susan rated it really liked it

Very much enjoyed this book! I like reading historical fiction from the point of view of a lesser known real person. Very much appreciated the author's note. ...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Tanzanite rated it really liked it

4.5 Stars. Interesting point of view and the first person narration didn't bother me like most do. Full review: http://shelfandstuff.blogspot.com/201... ...more

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