THE LOVES OF THE LIONHEART - History's Forgotten Princesses

The Loves of the Lionheart

History's Forgotten Princesses  This is a novel I have wanted to write for some time, since I became interested in the Queen of Richard the Lionheart. She was the only Queen of England who never set foot in the country and I found her a fascinating subject. However, as I got involved in the research for Queen Berengaria, in relation to Richard, I thought his first serious love interest, Princess Alys of France, deserved a mention. Alys turned out to be a very interesting character, a sympathetic character, although very little is known about her. In fact, very little is known about either of these princesses, and I hope I have done them justice. I have studied many chronicles of the time, a lot of which contradict each other, but none of them really describe the thoughts and feelings of these two young women, especially Alys, who I feel was exploited and much maligned. Anyway, this has been a new venture for me, to write about real people instead of fictional ones, to know where the story has to go because it is history, it has happened. I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It is available from today in both kindle and paperback versions. The kindle version will be on special offer for this week only. As always, thank you all for your continuing support.

New Book out now - The Crusader's Widow

THE CRUSADER'S WIDOW

Against the wishes of his Countess, Isabella, Lord Philip Whyford agrees to accompany King Richard I on crusade to the Holy Land. With him goes his cousin Sir Roger Farley but after two years of waiting impatiently for her husband's return, Isabella is devastated when Roger returns alone with the news that Philip is dead.

 

Since Philip has no sons, Roger is his heir and he wastes no time in laying claim to the title and estate. It soon becomes apparent that he also wishes to lay claim to Isabella. His attempts to persuade her to marry him having failed, he enlists the aid of Prince John, the King's brother and Regent of England in his absence.

 

Will Isabella give in and marry Roger, for whom she holds a growing resentment; will she have a choice? And will she ever learn the truth about Philip's Saracen mistress whom Roger insists has borne her husband a son? Will she ever learn the truth about his death?

 

Read the first chapter here.

Thoughts of the Day - The Legend of Robin Hood

Errol Flynn as Robin Hood

Richard Greene as Robin Hood

I have followed the legends of Robin Hood since childhood, from the gorgeous Errol Flynn (left) to the tv series starring Richard Greene (below). 

Richard had two Maid Mariannes, June Thorburn and Patricia Driscoll, but when their faces suddenly changed, he didn't seem to notice.  They say that love is blind!

I have to say that Kevin Costner was the one that most appealed to me, but then after the Bodyguard, he would appeal in anything! 

 The thing that stands out for me about those old films is the nice, clean, matching clothes, in expensive suede, with never a mark on it!  No wonder they felt the need to make the spoof film, Robin Hood Men in Tights!  Today's Robin is much more realistic clothing wise, even if Kevin Costner did have a telescope in the twelve century.

This new Robin Hood tv series I have been watching stars Jonas Armstrong as Robin, and he does look suitably scruffy and poverty stricken.  Having a muslim in attendance as a physician is highly unlikely, as is the fact that said muslim is a woman masquerading as a man.  The men must be a little lopsided if they cannot see at once that it is, in fact, a woman, or perhaps the men of the twelfth century thought that muslims were shaped differently to men.  But we cannot expect historical accuracy as well as great entertainment.

Yesterday's episode ended with Maid Marianne, who graduated to the Lady Marianne sometime about Kevin's time, if not earlier, actually dead.  Never have I seen that before, but lo and behold Jack, the muslim he/she physician gave her hemlock, which is a deadly poison, to send her back to sleep before she died and wow!  She returned to life.  I was so relieved! The legend always ends with the pair marrying in the presence of the ever grateful King Richard I, and I would want nothing to spoil that.  I was so pleased that they noticed before the burial, as well.

Of course, King Richard I, otherwise known as Richard the Lionheart, used England as a bank and was arguably one of the worst kings we ever had, but he was a great soldier.  He failed to leave any heirs, since nobody apparently told him that he had to consummate his marriage to the Princess Berengaria for that to happen, but rumours that he was homosexual are just that - rumours.  I have never believed that, since there is no evidence except his one sexual failure which could have had many causes.  I think he just got his sexual kicks from fighting wars and preferably winning them, which he usually did until he came up against Saladin in the third crusade.