Chris Skidmore

The company of wolves

issue 03 November 2012

The 15th century is beginning to supplant the Tudor age in its allure for historians and novelists. It comes replete with regicide, civil war and — what seems a necessity to the modern market — a wealth of strong queens, or ‘she wolves’ behind every ruler.

Sarah Gristwood’s sensitive approach marks out Blood Sisters as much more than the narrative of an age, however. It is an exploration of what it meant to be a medieval queen. The author focuses on the interplay and interdependence of seven women. We have the formidable Margaret Beaufort, who gave birth to Henry Tudor at the age of 13 and worked tirelessly to beat a path to the Tudor succession; Marguerite of Anjou, who at times single-handedly led the Lancastrian cause; Cecily Neville, mother of Richard III; the unfortunate Anne Neville, his wife; Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII; Margaret of Burgundy, her aunt (pictured above); and Elizabeth Woodville.

Gristwood provides insights into the challenges and risks faced by these characters.

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