Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster [Paperback]

Acclaimed author Alison Weir brings to life the extraordinary tale of Katherine Swynford, a royal mistress who became one of the most crucial figures in the history of Great Britain. Born in the mid-fourteenth century, Katherine de Roët was only twelve when she married Hugh Swynford, an impoverished knight. But her story had truly begun two years earlier, when she was appointed governess to the household of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and fourth son of King Edward III. Widowed at twenty-one, Katherine became John's mistress and then, after many twists of fortune, his bride in a scandalous marriage. Mistress of the Monarchy reveals a woman ahead of her time—making her own choices, flouting convention, and taking control of her own destiny. Indeed, without Katherine Swynford, the course of English history, perhaps even the world, would have been very different. 
Weir brings alive the brilliant beauty whose descendants would sit on the British throne. —USA Today

For those interested in the rarified realms of medieval British royalty, its trappings, intrigues, excesses, cruelties, and sex scandals, Alison Weir's latest excursion will be gratifying. —Star-Ledger

One of history's greatest love stories . . . Swynford's colorful life played out against a backdrop of court life at the height of the age of chivalry. —Wisconsin State Journal

Weir has accomplished a seemingly impossible task [in writing a] biography about a woman who left behind not a single image and not a single written word. . . Weir's meticulous and scholarly research has unearthed details that help bring Katherine to life. —Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
 
Quite beguiling . . . Bowled over by this tale of true love, Weir recaptures its glow in a fluid, artfully assembled narrative. —Kirkus Reviews
 
The historical research is meticulous and seamlessly integrated into thelÓ+