Best Seller
The Pretender's Wife
By Alison Weir
By Alison Weir
Hardcover
$33.00
Available on May 25, 2027 | 560 Pages
New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir brings to life the mysterious Lady Katherine Gordon, a beautiful Scotswoman who unknowingly marries a pretender to the British throne—and harbors a powerful secret of her own.
One of British history’s most tragic stories is the sad fate of two young princes, brothers aged nine and twelve, who were locked in the Tower of London by their ambitious uncle, Richard, in 1483. Having disposed of these royal rivals, Richard then stole the throne. The boys were never seen again.
But a dozen years after the boys’ disappearance, a young man named Perkin Warbeck appears, claiming to be one of the missing brothers and therefore the rightful heir to the throne. He soon finds popular support in Scotland, where he also falls in love with Lady Katherine Gordon, a beautiful young Scotswoman with royal blood of her own. Perkin Warbeck is well known to history lovers, but few know the fascinating story of his wife, Katherine.
Katherine adores her husband and believes in him wholeheartedly, though she knows that some call him “the Pretender.” She dreams that one day she will rule Britain alongside him—if he can overthrow his uncle, King Richard, the usurper. Having gathered an army of supporters, Warbeck invades England and proclaims himself king. Meanwhile Katherine waits, longing to be called to London to take her place beside him as England’s rightful queen—and yet doing so would threaten everything she holds dear.
Katherine’s story takes her from the magnificent Highlands of Scotland to London’s Tudor court and to Wales, where she is determined at all costs to prevent anyone from discovering the secret she keeps hidden there. Steeped in mystery, The Pretender’s Wife is an extraordinary tale of passion, ambition, tragedy and intrigue—and of a remarkable woman torn between love and doubt about the man she loves.
One of British history’s most tragic stories is the sad fate of two young princes, brothers aged nine and twelve, who were locked in the Tower of London by their ambitious uncle, Richard, in 1483. Having disposed of these royal rivals, Richard then stole the throne. The boys were never seen again.
But a dozen years after the boys’ disappearance, a young man named Perkin Warbeck appears, claiming to be one of the missing brothers and therefore the rightful heir to the throne. He soon finds popular support in Scotland, where he also falls in love with Lady Katherine Gordon, a beautiful young Scotswoman with royal blood of her own. Perkin Warbeck is well known to history lovers, but few know the fascinating story of his wife, Katherine.
Katherine adores her husband and believes in him wholeheartedly, though she knows that some call him “the Pretender.” She dreams that one day she will rule Britain alongside him—if he can overthrow his uncle, King Richard, the usurper. Having gathered an army of supporters, Warbeck invades England and proclaims himself king. Meanwhile Katherine waits, longing to be called to London to take her place beside him as England’s rightful queen—and yet doing so would threaten everything she holds dear.
Katherine’s story takes her from the magnificent Highlands of Scotland to London’s Tudor court and to Wales, where she is determined at all costs to prevent anyone from discovering the secret she keeps hidden there. Steeped in mystery, The Pretender’s Wife is an extraordinary tale of passion, ambition, tragedy and intrigue—and of a remarkable woman torn between love and doubt about the man she loves.
Author
Alison Weir
Alison Weir is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous historical biographies, including The Lost Tudor Princess, Elizabeth of York, Mary Boleyn, The Lady in the Tower, Mistress of the Monarchy, Henry VIII, Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Life of Elizabeth I, and The Six Wives of Henry VIII, and the novels Anne Boleyn, A King’s Obsession; Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen; The Marriage Game; A Dangerous Inheritance; Captive Queen; The Lady Elizabeth; and Innocent Traitor. She lives in Surrey, England, with her husband.
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