The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII

Not up to par

I was very disappointed after reading this book, and I've unfortunately become a little disillusioned with Diane Haeger. She was one of my favorite authors, and the first book of hers I read called "Courtesan" was just amazing. Unfortunately, her last few books that have been published have been steadily going downhill in terms of writing quality and story lines. This book was so incredibly boring and I had to force myself to get through it. It's almost like it's not even the same author writing it. It was just so lackluster, and I was so disappointed. "Courtesan" and "The Ruby Ring" were both very good, but this one was very poor quality.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

If you like stories about King Henry Vlll, you'll love this book. I really enjoyed this book because you don't really hear to much about this Queen Catherine. I have yet to read a book by Diane Haeger that I don't like.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Read!

Over the last couple of days I have been able to read a couple of very good historical fictions reads - as well as a couple of exciting new quilting books - so hang on!


I had actually started "Her Mother's Daughter" - the new book out by Julianne Lee, but when I picked up "The Queen's Mistake" I felt compelled to read it through. This book had been chosen as a Tudor group read over at Good Reads. I knew very little about Queen Catherine Howard so this was a nice, easy read to get me ready for some more nuts and bolts historical fact finding later on. I actually stayed up late each night reading this book - which in and of itself comes as a high recommendation from me. I need my 'sanity' rest more than most!


The most significant impression that I have been left with from the recent spate of historical fiction reading that I have been doing is the utterly deplorable women that women were treated. They were nothing more than pawns and chattles in the greater scheme of the male dominated politics. of the day. With no real power of their own, no property or monies at their personal disposals - their lives were lived at the will & whimsey of powerful men - most usually male family members. Love had nothing to do with marriage - alliances were all powerful. The one area where I have found, perhaps, some dissension about the laws of matrimony was possibly during the early years of Queen Eleanor Of Acquitaine. It appears that for at least a part of her reign, and possibly that of he mother and grandmother, Dangereuse, matrimony was a civil affair - not bound by the usual strictures of church sanctioned marriage - but that discussion must be for another day.

Catherine Howard was literally foist upon Henry VIII by her strong Howard relatives. Eager to redeem themselves from the taint of the diastrous marriage of Henry to Anne Boleyn (another Howard cousin) they were bound and determined to have Catherine front and center in the marriage dance. as Henry prepared to anull his marriage with Anne of Cleves. An enraptured Henry would mean greater glory for the Howard family as a whole. No matter that Catherine and a young courtier, Thomas Culpepper, had fallen madly in love, Catherine was made to do her duty with an aging and infirm King - all for the glory of family. I find it amazing really, reading many Tudor era biographies that young people then were as mature as they were. Of course life spans were so much shorter that it stands to reason that they had a need to grow up quickly, produce progeny and, if very lucky, have a second chance at a marriage for love. It was indeed, a very dangerous time to be alive. Catherine was a teenager when Henry noticed her and it is normal that teens of any era would be fond of experimenting and pushing envelopes. Catherine Howard was, I believe just trying to carve out a smal bit of happiness for herself with her lover, Culpepper. Of course, Henry being the maniacal whim murderer that he was, could see nothing other that infidelity. Cathrine never had a chance with him. He had called Catherine his "rose without a thorn" and, once his rose grew a thorn he felt that he had to choie but to excise it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was was crafted, built on some strong historical footings and kept my interest until the very last page. Highly recommended.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

fascinating biographical fiction

As she waits in the Tower for her death, Queen Catherine Howard wonders how her life could go from a euphoric high with her love for obese King Henry VIII to where he will not receive her plea for mercy or her innocence. She reflects back on her past; thinking of her older cousin Anne Boleyn, second wife of the monarch; as her fate will prove the same. Still young, she wanted a love of a lifetime, but her naive misunderstanding of backstabbing and her youthful flirting that the King used to cherish has led her to affairs of the heart as she was betrayed by those the inexperienced female trusted; they made known to her spouse and in late 1542, she and her lovers were executed.

Although the wives of Henry VIII have starred in many books and movies, THE QUEEN'S MISTAKE is a fascinating biographical fiction that portrays Catherine Howard as foolishly naive with her lovers especially of those of her age. By taking her peers as her lovers, she inadvertently insults the aging monarch who seeks to regain his lost youth with his young queen. Although not much new is provided in this look at one of the Tudor queens, fans will enjoy Diane Haeger's take on sixteenth century aristocratic permissiveness.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Verry nice

What a book indeed, it has been such a pleasure reading this book.
Diane Haeger is surely a lady that knows how to write history with her own "language", excellent book!

A new look at a queen

Haeger offers a new view of Catharine Howard, the second of Henry VIII's wives to have her head chopped off. The plot is believable, despite its divergence from what is usually said about Howard. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Review From One Book At A Time

I confess I don't much about Henry VIII's last 3 wives. I kind of became disgusted with the man after the first 3. But, they each have their own story to tell. This book made me feel for Catherine Howard immensely. She was a pawn from the start. Her family raised her to be naive but knowledgeable about sexual games with men. But, they never taught her the ways of the royal court, nor did she known what it meant to be the King's Queen. And especially what it meant to belong to King Henry VIII. She was denied what she truly wanted and her family feed her to the wolves for the own gain. The story was slow at first, but quickly built to what you know is coming. The story left me with the same opinion I've long had of Henry VIII. Catherine was left the victim, although if she truly was faithful while married to the King, only a few really know.

Good book, poignant and sad

If you know English history, you know how the story of Catherine Howard will end. She was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. The writer did a good job of dramatizing this story, and stayed as close to the historical facts as possible. This often reads more like a romance novel than historical fiction. The author dramatized the love affair between Catherine Howard and Thomas Culpepper, however, I am not sure how much in love they really were. Thomas Culpepper was her young lover, and Henry VIII was a fat, obese old man at that point in time. Catherine, being a young girl, most assuredly found him to be grotesque and unappealing. She was a woman with no options (she had to marry the King) and that was the reality of her time.

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