Blurb
Scotland, 1594
Nineteen-year-old Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scotland, is thrilled and triumphant at the birth of a healthy baby boy, destined to reign as King of Scotland and, possibly, England.
But Anne’s enjoyment of maternal glory quickly fades as her husband King James, fearing his son will be politically manipulated against him as he was against his mother, the deceased Mary Queen of Scots, removes the child permanently from her care.
Outraged, Anne tries to regain control of her son, initiating a bitter marital struggle which sours what had been a loving and harmonious marriage.
Anne is haunted by the giant legacies of Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor on the thrones of Scotland and England, and is determined to make her own mark. And central to that ambition is securing the succession to the English throne from her husband’s cousin, the elderly and childless Queen Elizabeth.
Can Anne regain favour with the Scottish King? Will they join forces to secure the English throne?
Or will this daring Queen of Scotland fade into obscurity…?
My Review
It was refreshing to see a book about the almost invisible queen of James VI and I. I knew she was from Denmark, and in this book she and James had a loving relationship. It was sweet, until James put his foot down and insisted their heir, the infant Henry, was to live in a separate household. He didn’t consult her first, and Queen Anne felt betrayed and terribly hurt. What made matters worse was that the child’s guardians were to be the horrible Countess of Mar and her son the Duke, trusted by the king and hated by Anne. Things were never the same after this, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the bereaved mother, who suddenly understood that her feelings and wishes didn’t matter an iota, once her husband made a decision:
He stood across the table from me, his breathing strong with agitation, his expression angry in a way I’d never seen before. It also held a look of extreme surprise, telling me he hadn’t expected opposition to this extent. It gave me an advantage, and I took it. “It baffles me completely that you could even imagine I would consent to such an arrangement,” I said strongly. “You say we must do what is best for the prince, and certainly that would be for him to remain in proximity to the love of his parents. At least, until he is older.” Even in my anger I saw it had been a mistake to attack the Countess of Mar. “I am sure your friends have qualities to recommend them, but no matter how fine, nothing can compare with a mother’s love.”
It was his turn to laugh, but instead of harsh and loud, it was low and drawn out. Then he said vehemently, “Speak not to me, madam, of a mother’s love!”
Of course! We are reminded that the king’s mother was the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots, and this unfortunate circumstance also hung over their heads like a spectre. They even slept in the room where Mary’s secretary, David Rizzio, was murdered while a gun was pointed at the pregnant queen’s belly. Pregnant with James! Poor Anne learned to swallow her anger and she did her duty, patching up her differences with the king for the sake of their marriage and the country. There were several children ahead, some stillborn or died in infancy; others miscarried. A daughter Elizabeth and the fragile Charles survived and were placed into their own households. But the injustice of Anne’s separation from Henry never faded, and when it was time to move on to England after Queen Elizabeth’s death, the situation quickly came to the forefront. This is the first of two books about the royal family, and it didn’t delve into the the king’s close personal relationships with his male favorites. I kind of regretted this missing aspect. The focus of the story was about Anne’s love for her children, but I couldn’t help but wonder how the king’s behavior with other men would have impacted their marriage. Regardless, it was good reading and flowed well.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Cousin-Scotland-Raymond-Wemmlinger-ebook/dp/B0DXFQHQRB/
