Why read The Secret Queen?

Book cover of The Secret Queen: Eleanor Talbot, the Woman Who Put Richard III on the Throne

Book description

When Edward IV died in 1483, the Yorkist succession was called into question by doubts about the legitimacy of his sons (the 'Princes in the Tower'). The crown therefore passed to Edward IV's undoubtedly legitimate younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But Richard, too, found himself entangled in the web…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Secret Queen as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Philippa Langley

Author

Following Edward IV’s death in 1483, his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was found to be bigamous and their children declared illegitimate. The crown then passed to Edward’s younger brother, Richard III, who was elected king. For centuries the story of Edward IV’s bigamy was believed to be a concoction. In this seminal work, John Ashdown-Hill brings to light the story of Eleanor Talbot, Edward IV’s legal wife.

From Philippa's list on Richard III by the writer who discovered his grave.