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The Constant Princess (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.00) - 60,217 listener ratings
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Daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, Katherine of Aragon has been fated her whole life to marry Prince Arthur of England. The match becomes as passionate as it is politically expedient. But tragically, Arthur falls ill and extracts from his young bride a death bed promise to marry his brother Henry, become Queen, and fulfill their dreams and her destiny. Widowed and alone in the avaricious world of the Tudor court, Katherine has to sidestep her father-in-law's desire for her and convince him, and an incredulous Europe, that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated, that there is no obstacle to marriage with Henry. For seven years she endures the treachery of spies, the humiliation of poverty, and intense loneliness and despair while she waits for the inevitable moment when she will step into the role she has prepared for all her life.
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"I really like the way Ms. Gregory does her work. She does intense research, blends all the information, comes to her own conclusions, forms her own theories, and turns them into a really good read! In this story of Katherine of Aragon, we finally see Katherine treated as a vibrant, intelligent woman, not just a sad old woman as depicted in so many stories of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. I thought it got a bit bogged down and over-romanticized in her relationship with Prince Arthur, but who knows what really happened and it's certainly interesting to explore all the different possibilities! Very enjoyable to read a good novel that is also filled with fascinating historical info!"
— Nancy (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Gregory's story is as ambitious as its main character.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Philippa Gregory is a mesmerizing storyteller.”
— Sunday Telegraph -
“In her addictive new novel, [Gregory] turns her eye to Katherine of Aragon, a princess who became Queen of England—all by dint of a well-kept secret.”
— Marie Claire -
“When it comes to writers of historical fiction, Philippa Gregory is in the very top league.”
— Daily Mail -
“Gregory's skill for creating suspense pulls the reader along despite the historical novel's foregone conclusion.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“An excellent choice for historical fiction collections.”
— Library Journal -
“Philippa Gregory never disappoints…Riveting…This is a beautifully written book that will transport, entertain and amuse anyone with an interest in history.”
— Bookreporter.com
The Constant Princess Listener Reviews
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" My favorite of the series by far "
— Leigh, 2/18/2014 -
" Absolutly loved this book! "
— Heidi, 2/17/2014 -
" I love historical fiction, especially those on British kings and queens and think no one tells it best in a story format that Phillippa Gregory. That said...I listened to this book and it kept me interested and, altho it wasn't up to her normal riveting read, I enjoyed it nonetheless. "
— Grace, 1/28/2014 -
" I really wanted to like this, since I don't see too much about Henry VIII's first wife. I think my biggest problem with it was that it switched from third to first person. That was super distracting. I like some of Gregory's other books, but I didn't think this was her best effort. "
— Paula, 1/26/2014 -
" I was disappointed by this book. There wasn't much of a story, and to be honest the first half is just waffle - although the second half was much better. I think it's living on the success of 'The Other Boleyn Girl' which I thought was marvellous. Perhaps I expected too much from this one. It was ok, but couldn't say I'd particularly recommend it. "
— Issi, 1/22/2014 -
" can't wait to read the rest of the series "
— Casey, 1/20/2014 -
" I really enjoyed reading of Katharine of Aragon and her childhood in Spain, as well as her journey to the throne as Queen of England. It was a good read. It wasn't my favorite Philippa Gregory novel, but it was still worth reading. "
— Cari, 1/15/2014 -
" Actually, I quit after 70 pages, too slow moving. "
— Patty, 1/3/2014 -
" I loved learning about Katherine of Aragon. It was really interesting. I've loved every Philippa Gregory book I've read. "
— Rissa, 12/31/2013 -
" I do enjoy Philippa Gregory books but does she have to make everything so dark and lustful......I don't think it's needed. Think I'll stick with Alison Weir in future. "
— Kimberley, 12/23/2013 -
" The story of Katherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. This book was ok, but could have been much better. Philippa Gregory's writing is redundant and often dry - if she had a decent editor, this book would have been a short stories. "
— Bruce, 12/7/2013 -
" I've enjoyed all of her books in this genre. Easy to read and easy to get caught up in the story and feel like you don't want to put the book down! "
— Joan, 5/28/2013 -
" Lovely depicted and graceful end of book "
— Alyce, 9/14/2012 -
" Loved this book!!! Really gives background to maybe why she was such a strong woman and queen! A true queen. "
— Keely, 4/28/2012 -
" One of my favorite of hers! Of all the Tudor Queens-Katherine of Aragon is my favorite. "
— Ashleypaige, 2/27/2012 -
" Truth is stranger than fiction! Katherine lived an incredible life-- and had an incredible demise. The story of her rise (and later her fall) was fascinating. Though it read slow in some parts, definitely recommended for those interested in Tudor history. "
— Sara, 1/18/2012 -
" Pretty good - pity the book doesn't carry through to the end of her life as it was interesting to the very end. "
— Natalie, 11/3/2011 -
" this one was hard for me to rate. it was well-written but fell into the trap of a lot of historical fiction for me. it was devastatingly sad, even more so that i expected, since i knew what happened to her. i'd give the writing four stars, but my broken heart two, so i scored the average. "
— Lara, 10/9/2011 -
" I enjoyed this, but by the time I read it, I think I had reached some kind of 'Philippa Gregory Saturation Point' and I was a bit overwhelmed. That said, I had spent the first few books - particularly 'The White Queen' - admiring and wondering about Catherine of Aragon, so it was a good read for me. "
— Jayme, 9/3/2011 -
" I enjoyed reading this book and it highlighted how marriages during those times were never for love, it was all political. It was a bonus if you actually liked the person your parents married you off to. "
— Betty, 8/5/2011 -
" The story is not that great but it's pretty good to read. I enjoyed reading it. "
— desireest, 6/6/2011 -
" I loved this book! I'm a fan girl of Philippa Gregory and the whole time period, so this was right up my alley. "
— Devan, 5/13/2011 -
" I am a huge history buff and this is one of my favorite authors in the world! she brings history to life in her books! "
— Mandy, 5/5/2011 -
" i read everything of hers i can get my hands on this author got to me historical fiction which i had not liked before. love her "
— Sheri, 5/1/2011 -
" This is an excellent beginning to this series of books! I wish I would have read this first! "
— Leigh, 4/22/2011 -
" Meh. It dragged quite a bit and then it was over quickly. I mean, she complained about wanting to be queen for the whole book and then she's finally queen and the book's over. And Gregory totally skipped over the whole Henry wanting to divorce her part. It could have been better. "
— Kathleen, 4/22/2011 -
" I enjoyed reading about Katherine of Aragon, a strong female character, and learning a little more about the time of the Tudors. "
— Mari, 4/21/2011 -
" I actually liked this one more than The Other Bolyn Girl. But then again I like Katherine's character more, plus her story is so much better. If you are worried about inappropriate content skip page 49 last paragraph into page 50. Just pick back up at the italicized writing. "
— Leah, 4/20/2011
About Philippa Gregory
Phillipa Gregory is an internationally bestselling author of historical novels whose success extends to the United States as well, where she is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She earned her BA from the University of Sussex and a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from Edinburgh University, where she is a regent. Gregory is the author of the Wideacre trilogy, the Earthly Joys series, and the Plantagenet and Tudor novels, which include the enormously popular Other Boleyn Girl, of which there are over a million US copies in print. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction.
About Kate Burton
Kate Burton, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is best known for her work on Broadway in Hedda Gabler, The Elephant Man, The Constant Wife, and Spring Awakening, as well as on television in Grey’s Anatomy and Empire Falls. Her films include Big Trouble in Little China, The Ice Storm, Unfaithful, and Remember Me. She played the title role in Alice in Wonderland with her father, Richard Burton, on PBS.