The Constant Princess

By Philippa Gregory

A splendid and sumptuous historical novel from the internationally bestselling author, Philippa Gregory, telling of the early life of Katherine of Aragon.

I was born a princess, destined to be queen, and I know my duty.

1491. Henry VII’s eldest son Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, has been betrothed since childhood to the Spanish princess Katherine of Aragon. Their marriage will cement the alliance Henry Tudor craves to secure his country.

But when Arthur’s sudden death leaves an 11-year-old boy heir to the kingdom, Henry Tudor must choose whether to send Katherine back to Spain, or to marry her himself. Katherine has no son from her brief marriage to secure her future; her substantial dowry and his powerful contract are at stake.

Henry has reckoned without the determination of a young woman set on fulfilling her own destiny to be a queen – and the ambition of Prince Harry, the future Henry VIII.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Nov 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9780007370122

Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory, CBE, is one of the world’s foremost historical novelists. Her books include The Other Boleyn Girl, The White Queen, and most recently Dawnlands. A recognized authority on women’s history, she graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She is a fellow of the University of Sussex and Cardiff University and an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. In 2020 she was made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to literature and charity. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016 was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. She is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and in 2018 was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Nielsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. 

Reviews for The Constant Princess

[d_mckinley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it. The writing was fantastic. the story was heart breaking

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD performed by Jill TannerBook six in her Plantagenet and Tudor series focuses on Catalina, Infanta of Spain, daughter of Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand, and known in English history as Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII. I admit that I knew little about Katherine, other than her end (thrust aside in Henry’s mad affair with Anne Boleyn). I never realized that she was the daughter of Isabela and Ferdinand, that she’d been trained as a warrior queen, and that she’d been betrothed to Henry’s older brother Arthur when she was but four years old. This was one fierce lady; intelligent, mentally and emotionally strong, an astute observer and able to plot and plan with the best of them. Gregory gives the reader a strong female lead, and I was caught up in the story at the beginning, but I found that the story seemed to bog down in details. I got tired of the “waiting” and can only imagine how Katherine felt enduring those years of “limbo” while she waited for a marriage and an heir. Jill Tanner does a fine job performing the audiobook. She sets a good pace and really brings Katherine to life. I get the sense of how young they all were at the outset. (Katherine and Arthur were married only five months when he died, leaving her a widow at age seventeen.) And Tanner gives the young Henry a boyish immaturity that really contrasts with Katherine’s steady and superior though process.

[loricrane · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The title, though not very provocative, matched the personality of the heroine perfectly. The history in this story was riveting and was brought to life by Ms. Gregory. I think I've read just about all her books, and this is one of my favorites.

[wareagle78 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another of Gregory's wonderful historical tales, this one focusing on Katherine of Aragon, nee Caterina, the Infanta of Spain, who was the first wife of Henry VIII.

[sleano_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gregory's portrayal of Queen Catharine is intriguing. She gives a different account of what Catharine's life was like pre and post Henry VIII. She tells a wonderful love story that transcends heaven and earth. Gregory gives depth to Queen Catharine as a monarch, lover, and warrior.

[tsisler_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think I would have done much better in History throughout school if it had been presented like this. In The Constant Princess, events, places, and people come to life. This book is very engaging and i gobbled up its goodness!Gregory's presentation of the story allows the reader to traverse the path of maturation with Catalina and the English court. Being a Princess certainly isn't all rainbows and butterflies, and Catalina endures many hardships. Her constancy is inspiring.

[crittercrazyjen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my favorite Philippa Gregory novels. It was refreshing to read about the young Katherine of Aragon, as most authors write about her later years. Though some may be upset and even offended that, in this novel, Katherine and Arthur's marriage is consummated, I for one was not. It has been neither proven nor disproven that Katherine's first marriage was consummated. That being the case, I have often found myself asking, "What if...?" What if Katherine really wasn't a virgin when she wed Henry VIII? Though it's unlikely, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Gregory has merely spun a tale based upon this possibility. I found Philippa's version of the events to be well-written and intriguing, even if the novel isn't 100% fact based.

[trishaj-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great historical fiction novel from Gregory. Not only does she weave the story of Katherine of Aragon magnificently, but she grabs your interest so that you want to learn more about this enigmatic woman. What I wouldn't give for a trip to Spain to see where the child, Catalina, lived as the Infanta of Spain, Princess of Wales, future Queen of England.

[mccin68 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Follows Catalina, the spain princess, from her beginnings as a pawn of her parents, Isbella and Ferdinand of Spain and Henry VII to her cornation as Queen of England. The ending was disappointing as it jumps so 16 years skipped some very turbulent times. I understand the writer's intent to showcase Katherine in her strongest and influential times but it would have been better to end it there without the 16 year gap. overall great read. especially life the history of her childhood and the influence of her feverent/militant mother Isabella.

[blondestranger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The end of the book was really slow-going. Interesting to learn about Katherine's upbringing since all other learning was about her demise and humiliation during her divorce.

[tipsister · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Constant Princess is the story of Katherine of Aragon, who was the first of Henry VIII's wives. She was a princess of Spain, the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. She was the mother of Henry's daughter Mary (Bloody Mary).The story began with Catalina, Infante of Spain, Princess of Wales, and future Queen of England, as a little girl living in Spain. She was beloved by her parents and brought up as a princess of both Spain and England, having been betrothed to Prince Arthur at a young age. Catalina traveled to England at the age of fifteen and married Arthur. After a trying few months, Catalina found herself in love with her husband. Not long after, he died of illness. She struggled to maintain her dignity while being tossed back and forth between her parents and King Henry VII. She fought for her place in England and eventually married Arthur's brother, King Henry VIII.I really struggled with this book. It was well written and interesting, much like Ms. Gregory's other books on the Tudors, but I had a hard time getting into it. I suppose it was because I knew what was going to happen. There wasn't much mystery really. I enjoyed The Queen's Fool and The Other Boleyn girl more because they were about characters that I didn't know anything about. While I knew about Anne Boleyn, I knew nothing of Mary Boleyn.I have a confession. . . I skimmed the last hundred pages or so. It was all about battles and war planning. That didn't interest me, I would have rather Katherine have some joy at the birth of Mary, but that was barely touched on. It was a bit of a disappointment over all but I still plan to continue reading her books.

[norabelle414 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Less lengthy and easier to get through than the rest of her novels, I recommend this as a starting point for anyone who wants to get sucked into the work of Philippa Gregory.

[lismb_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My second Gregory novel and I enjoyed it completely! A must read for historical fiction fans.

[juglicerr · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I will admit up front that I am not a Philippa Gregory fan. True fans may wish to skip this review altogether. I do read a lot of history and historical novels about this period, and I was intrigued as I flipped through the pages and read about the confrontation between Katharine and Margaret Beaufort, Henry VIII's very powerful grandmother, who tends to be left out of accounts of this period. I was also glad to see a novel that dealt extensively with Katharine's earlier years. I disliked The Other Boleyn Girl, but at least I didn't become as bored as I did by this novel. There are a few effective and historical incidents: Henry VII's gift of jewelry to assuage Katharine's homesickness, her refusal to state an opinion on going to Ludlow, her false pregnancy, etc. Gregory shows Katharine as the pretty young girl and shrewd woman she probably was. The beginning, at Grenada and Gregory's revisionist view of Katharine and Arthur's marriage are both interesting and intriguing. For the most part, however, the book is entirely too interior, too focussed on the private and Katharine's very repetitive thoughts. Clearly, Gregory is partly trying to explain Katharine's adamant refusal to allow her marriage to be dissolved, but I don't need to be retold the same thing every tenth page. Too much is told and not shown: we are told of Queen Elizabeth's kindness to Katharine, but we don't see it. We are told that the Duke of Buckingham gave Katharine gifts of food when she was in dire straits, but we never see him showing up at her home. Moreover, since the book leaps from 1513 to 1529, the trial at Blackfriars, I hope the reader is familiar with The King's Great Matter, because there is almost no explanation here. I don't mind that the book ends here, there have been so many other books, but there may be some readers who have no idea what is going on. Maybe one could read the first two parts of the book, switch to The Other Boleyn Girl, and then switch back when it gets up to the trial, and then resume reading it after this. One problem with the book is that except for the longing for a child, there is only ever one thing happening in Katharine's life at a time: from Fall of 1511 until 1513, for example, the only subject of the plot is the looming war with France and Scotland. This is the period when Katharine's dear friend Margaret de la Pole was created Countess of Salisbury, a title held by her Yorkist forebears (perhaps with Katharine's encouragement?). The book establishes Katharine's sad plight after Arthur's death, and then skips forward to Henry VII's death, leaving out such interesting events as the meeting of Henry with Katharine's sister Juana and her brother-in-law Philip. Katharine would later be involved in Henry VII's attempt to marry the widowed Juana (over the vehement objections of Ferdinand). It omits, except by allusion, the marriage of Princess Margaret to James IV of Scotland and the proxy marriage of Henry VIII's sister Mary to Juana's son Charles, as Philip and Henry plot to combine against Ferdinand. So much going on that could have been described, and we have endless repetitions of Katharine's belief that she is fated to be Queen of England! By skipping from 1513 to 1529, we miss Henry's bout with smallpox (very worrisome to the still childless Katharine, wouldn't you think?), the switch to an alliance with France, sealed by the marriage of Henry VIII's sister to Louis XII of France, accompanied by rumors that Henry meant to set aside Katharine and marry a French princess. Mary Tudor was a loyal friend to Katharine, and her dramatic secret marriage to Charles Brandon after being widowed (with Katharine perhaps pleading that they be forgiven?) is completely absent. Katharine nearly caused an international incident by persuading Henry to break his vow not to shave until he met Francis I of France. We miss the birth and rearing of Katharine and Henry's daughter Mary, the birth and ennoblement of his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, the rumors that he will replace Mary as Henry's heir. How can the life of Katharine of Aragon become so dull? I am not bothered by the assertion that Katharine and Arthur's marriage was consummated - when her marriage to the future Henry VIII was proposed, the English stated in their petition to the Pope that it was, and the Spanish claimed that it wasn't. (The Pope was not amused.) I'm willing to accept the premise as the basis for the story. It really only mattered because Henry later made the ad hoc claim that the Pope couldn't grant a dispensation in that case. There was some controversy at the time of her marriage to Henry, and apparently there were flaws in the dispensation, but only Henry's desire to leave the marriage made these significant. Manoel of Portugal married Katharine's sister Isabel; when she died leaving him a young son, he married her sister Maria, and that marriage stood. Yes, I know that Katharine was very pious, but so were Richard III and Margaret Beaufort - politics encourages convenient morals. And Katharine is supposed to have done this partly in order to continue the good works that she and Arthur planned, but we never see her generous support of education, her attempts to introduce new craft industries, etc. We never really understand why the English public supported her, no matter what Henry said about their marriage. In service to the vision of Arthur as Katharine's One True Love, Katharine's famous devotion to Henry VIII is discounted. I found Henry VII's coarse leering at Katharine tiresome and crudely written; I don't think there is any historical basis for it. Gregory tells us in her notes that she also wants to give a voice to the Moslems of el Andalus. She lays it on with a trowel. Katharine misses the privacy of the harem where woman can really trust one another and don't have to worry about their husbands cavorting with someone else(!?) Andalusia was a veritable paradise of refinement, learning and tolerance, her people pillars of virtue. Well, I've read that, but I've also read that the much vaunted tolerance was something of a myth, invented centuries later in order to shame Christian Europe into imitating it. I think she has seriously overdone it, and that sort of thing often backfires. I can only remember Jane Austen's assertion that pictures of perfection made her sick and wicked. In any case, if Gregory wants to give the Moors of Spain a voice, I suggest that she write a novel about them in all their human complexity, not simply tack them on as a romantic myth. Gregory says that el-Andalus has a lot to say to us as we struggle with tolerance and mutuality, but she never shows us how the Moors are supposed to have managed it. Katharine's attitude towards the Moors is not so much ambivalent as cognitively dissonent. She alternates between calmly explaining their glorious culture and history to Arthur and becoming nearly hysterical at the thought of Moors. This erratic vacillation undermines one of Gregory's themes, i.e., Katharine learning to think independently of her parents. Katharine tells Arthur that the Spanish royalty are very much Arabs in private, have adopted, rather than adapted, Arab customs. This while they are destroying all the centers of learning and driving out all the uniquely competent doctors as minions of Satan. Even if they did indeed take a great deal from Moorish culture, I doubt that they would consciously see themselves as becoming Arab. One can understand that Katharine is enthusiastic about Englishmen joining a Spanish crusade against North Africa, but Katharine spends a fair amount of time worrying about the threats posed to England by the Moors. I think it would be pretty obvious that England's most pressing foreign concern was not likely to be an armada of the Barbary pirates appearing off the white cliffs of Dover. Ferdinand and Isabella's determination to drive out the Moors didn't cause them to neglect European politics. I suppose that anyone who is a big fan of Philippa Gregory will want to at least try this. Those who like richly detailed recreations of the past and vivid imaginative constructions of historal people may be disappointed. Gregory's version of Arthur and Katherine's marriage is really the only interesting variation in this very familiar tale. I recommend two much better novels by Norah Lofts: Crown of Aloes (Isabella of Castile) and The King's Pleasure (Katharine of Aragon). The young adult novel Patience, Princess Catherine: A Young Royals Book (Young Royals) by Carolyn Meyer is a much more vivid picture of her life from just before her departure from Spain to just after her marriage to Henry. The story is bookended by Katharine's defiance of Henry after his marriage to Anne Boleyn many years later, but the historical notes are better.

[laurencita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Listened to it. Couldn't get into the book! Loved the CDs.

[marcierr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First off, I need to say that this book I enjoyed due to the subject matter and the fact that I am a huge fan of the Tudors. Second, I enjoyed it because it offered a glimpse into the life of Katherine of Aragon that does not exist in history. Even though this story is a stretch, I still think that it was a really an entertaining one.All of this being said, I thought that the book was sometimes wordy and over thought. Sometimes I had to remind myself that I loved this part of history and keep reading. I think it was worth it all being said and done, but I think it could have been cut short by at least a couple of hundred pages. Katherine talks a lot about her mother Isabella...and in a way, I think her story would have been more interesting and less annoying in her martyrdom. I would recommend you read this book and I will continue to read the series, but I do hope that it speeds up some....

[dslynn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Young lovers moving the reader steadily through their story as the author allows us to become part of two great historical families. From the voice of Catalina we understand the marriage of The Prince of Wales Arthur to Catalina Princess of Spain. An added bonus is an early glimpse of Arthur's brother, the very spoiled, Henry VIII which sets the tone for a broader understanding Henry's historical actions.Outstanding read for European historical and romance readers!

[dgmlrhodes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting view of Catalina (Katherine), Henry the VII's wife set aside for Anne Boleyn. This book talks a lot about her early years with Arthur (Henry's brother) making for an interesting perspective. It gets a bit rushed in the end, but it was an interesting read.

[arielmarie-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the first ever historical fiction book I have ever read. What a good one to start with. I came across this author, and these books because I really wanted to read The Other Boleyn girl. When I found that book it seemed they went in some kind of order, and this one was first so I read it. Pretty good book. I liked the way it was written as a history book, but it had subtle present day twists that did not make it seem like you were reading a school book. I loved the story behind it too. The king has a wandering eye, and although his queen knows she stands by his side. Partially because of her beliefs, partially because she has a love for the country she's been reigning over. Either way it had a very "stand by your man" feel to it. Whether that is good or bad, in this sense is up to ones own judgment. Regardless, it was a nice book to read.

[tlhelen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book follows the life of Catherine of Aragon. Her marriage to Arthur Tudor is documented as well as her consequent marraige to the now infamous Henry VIII. This book is highly inaccurate in terms of historical facts and should not be read for those studying history. However, it paints a very vivid story of Tudor England, and provides a basic outline of Tudor England providing that one filters the fact from fiction. I would recommend this to someone enthusiastic about Tudor England to read and have a laugh at.

[mvshamrock · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love Gregory and the work that she does. I listened to it as an audiobook and it became a bit drawn out, but it really did a marvelous job of entertaining while laying out the backstory for one of the most notable Queens of England. I liked that it ends at the point when anyone could pick up the story. I definitely felt connected to the characters and it was an enjoyable read.

[lindymc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Covers the life of Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, betrothed as a small child to Arthur, England's crown prince. Gregory's take on this is that Catherine loved Arthur, and their marriage was consumated. After Arthur's death, Catherine lives a fairly miserly, and miserable life, separated from her family while not yet a part of the English royal family, awaiting the promised marriage to young Prince Henry. An interesting side note (for me) was the descriptions of the palaces etc. of the Moors/Saracens of Catherine's childhood. These "infidels" were far more advanced from a health and hygiene standpoint than the English.

[amandacb_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's hard not to compare this to Gregory's finer works, such as "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Queen's Fool." However, "The Constant Princess" is a fine, solid historical fiction piece over one of the most intriguing figures in history, Catherine of Aragon.

[momei_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very fascinating story about Queen Katherine. I love to read books about that time period. It seems as if women had to be very smart, brave and one step ahead of very everyone at all time. The details were so good that I (at times) could get a vivid mental picture many things that were happening.

[greenefingers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the only reason this has 4 rather than 5 stars was because i was a bit disappointed with where it ended. Otherwise, yet another fantastic read.

[angelic55blonde · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book by Philippa Gregory. It is a historical-fiction book which has to be kept in mind by the reader. She does do some research for her books so some of the information contained in the book is pretty historically accurate. This book is about Queen Katherine (who married Prince Arthur of England who died). She eventually married the famous King Henry VIII who cheated on her with almost any woman he could get his hands on (Ann Boleyn most famously). This is a book through Katherine's eyes from the time she married Arthur, to her death. This is a great book, with some historical accuracy, and it definitely grabs the reader in.

[clueless_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Made me really respect Katherine of Aragon.On the weather; "It gets far worse than this," he said cheerfully. "Far colder, it rains or sleets or snows, and it get darker. In February we have only a couple of hours of daylight at best and then there are the freezing fogs which turn day into night so it is forever gray."Sure they're not speaking of Holland?On fake it 'til you make it?"We are all pretenders until we win. When we win, we can rewrite the history""True obedience can only happen when you secretly think you know better, and you choose to bow your head. Anything short of that is just agreement,"On a mother withholding approval and validation;I fold the letter carefully, matching the edges one to another as if tidiness matters very much. I think that if she knew of the despair that laps at the edges of my mind like a river of darkness, she would have written to me more kindly. If she knew how very alone I am, how grieved I am, how much I miss him, she would not write to me of settlements and jointures and titles. If she knew how much I loved him and how I cannot bear to live without him, she would write and tell me that she loves me, that I am to go home to her at once, without delay.I like being queen. I like having pretty things and rich jewels and a lap dog, and assembling ladies-in-waiting whose company is a pleasure.Well, duh.On enlightenment in the medical profession. Here she's talking about a Moorish doctor in Tudor times. But the same could be said of someone consulting an alternative practitioner today.They are prepared to think anything, to consider anything; nothing is taboo. These people are educated where we are fools, where I am a fool. I might look down on him as coming from a race of savages, I might look down on him as an infidel doomed to hell, but I need to know what he knows.What moors & Quakers have in common?"I was brought up to hate no one," he said gently. "Perhaps that is what I should be teaching you before anything else."On doing your own thinking;They were wrong, my mother and father. Finally, I say the unsayable, unthinkable thing. Soldiers of genius they may have been, convinced they certainly were, Christian kings they were called--but they were wrong. It had taken me all my life to learn this.A state of constant warfare is a two-edged sword: it cuts both the victor and the defeated.I think to some extent we use the tools we know. The whole idea that when you have a hammer everything looks like nails. Maybe the world is bigger than we can imagine.Words have weight. Something once said cannot be unsaid, meaning is like a stone dropped into a pool; the ripples will spread and you cannot know what bank they wash against.My goodness! Do I believe that! Many times someone has come up to me and said, 'Do you remember saying to me/telling me...?' I don't. But they were moved and changed by my throw away comments. How scary!

[conniejo_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked this a lot despite myself. I didn't actually enjoy reading it that much... I had to force myself through the first third because it has a slow beginning, and I really hated the main character, but I'm kind of a sucker for these sorts of romantic drama stories.A LOT of the book is spent waiting around for things to happen. After a long intro where you are waiting to see what happens between Katherine and her husband, there is a brief period where they are in each other's company before they are separated again. Then there's a long stretch where the Princess is waiting to see what to do, and then a long stretch where she is waiting for the events to happen. The drama comes from the suspense, but it was a really, really drawn out wait.I did dislike Katherine, I disagreed with a lot of what she said and I definitely disagreed with a lot of what was described about her family's involvement in the Crusades. A lot of that isn't really the story's fault, though. Katherine was a bit strong-willed for my taste as well.The romance was really well done. There are two and a half men during the course of the book, and each one plays out his role really well in her life. The main story ends on a happy note too, which I enjoyed since it's mostly a depressing read. There is a little snippet at the very end to remind you her life didn't end all that well, and I appreciated that reminder.It was the first book I'd read by Philippa Gregory, and I can't say it made me want to reach for another, but I did enjoy parts of it.

[readingrat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the way Philippa Gregory brings the Tudors to life. She never fails to bring depth and emotion to the historical figures she features in her books. This particular volume tells the story of Katherine of Aragon and concentrates solely on the years before she became acquainted with Anne Boleyn.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book starts when Katherine of Aragon is a young girl then makes a few jumps covering various time periods in her childhood and then stops when she gets to England to marry Arthur. In this work Katherine of Aragon becomes a lonely woman used by everyone, her parents, her husbands and her ladies in waiting. Although it isn't as though she never uses anyone her self, but the book has a very poor me tone that gets old after a couple hundred pages. Katherine comes across as the woman who makes herself the martyr by never accepting help from anyone because she feels she can't trust them, as in many of Philippa Gregory's books, everyone is manipulative and deceitful, there are no good people.