Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile

by Julia Fox

The history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tossed aside in favor of her husband’s seductive mistress, Anne Boleyn. Katherine’s sister, Juana of Castile, wife of Philip of Burgundy and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is portrayed as “Juana the Mad,” whose erratic behavior included keeping her beloved late husband’s coffin beside her for years. But historian Julia Fox, whose previous work painted an unprecedented portrait of Jane Boleyn, Anne’s sister-in-law, offers deeper insight in this first dual biography of Katherine and Juana, the daughters of Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, whose family ties remained strong despite their separation. Looking through the lens of their Spanish origins, Fox reveals these queens as flesh-and-blood women—equipped with character, intelligence, and conviction—who are worthy historical figures in their own right.

When they were young, Juana’s and Katherine’s futures appeared promising. They had secured politically advantageous marriages, but their dreams of love and power quickly dissolved, and the unions for which they’d spent their whole lives preparing were fraught with duplicity and betrayal. Juana, the elder sister, unexpectedly became Spain’s sovereign, but her authority was continually usurped, first by her husband and later by her son. Katherine, a young widow after the death of Prince Arthur of Wales, soon remarried his doting brother Henry and later became a key figure in a drama that altered England’s religious landscape.

Ousted from the positions of power and influence they had been groomed for and separated from their children, Katherine and Juana each turned to their rich and abiding faith and deep personal belief in their family’s dynastic legacy to cope with their enduring hardships. Sister Queens is a gripping tale of love, duty, and sacrifice—a remarkable reflection on the conflict between ambition and loyalty during an age when the greatest sin, it seems, was to have been born a woman.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Royalty, Spain, Historical, Tudor Period

608 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Biography
Julia Fox was born in London. From a very early age, she set her heart on becoming a teacher and taught in a public and private schools in north London. She left teaching to concentrate on researching and writing 'Jane Boleyn'. Her interests include music, theatre, walking and cooking. She lives in London with her husband, the Tudor historian John Guy, and their three cats.

Reviews

[Lolly's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Queen Juana. Like many others who have had even the slightest interest in European history, I'd bought completely the story of her madness. How she kept her husband's moldering corpse with her at all times, how she periodically opened the casket to kiss it and embrace it. How her jealousy knew no bounds and even in death she kept every other woman away from 'Philip the Fair'. How she roamed around, mad as a hatter, and was confined most of her life to protect her and the Spanish countryside from her fits of mania. However, after reading Julia Fox's incisive and compelling account of Juana's and her sister Katherine's lives, I was astonished at how bamboozled I'd been. I'd should've known, though. After all, by whom has history been written? The victors, i.e. men, and the three men who wrote Juana's history--her father, Ferdinand, her husband, Philip, and her son, Charles--were three of the most manipulative and politically underhanded men to have ever roamed the chessboard of European politics in the 15th and 16th centuries. Though Juana may never have been entirely mentally stable, according to the story presented by Fox, it's quite probable she was never as unhinged as she's been so famously portrayed. Most definitely, her relationship with her husband, stormy enough when he was alive (and he was truly a complete shit, thoroughly deserving all her erratic behavior), wasn't at all as disturbed as the legends would have it when he died. Certainly she grieved and certainly her behavior wasn't understood by the masses. Yet, all she desired was to bury Philip at Granada, his right as king, and her cross-country pilgrimage to that city was hindered and eventually halted by those wishing to keep her under their thumb, "those" being her father and her son. Fox presents new and enlightening accounts of visitors who, upon meeting Juana and expecting to confront a madwoman, are astonished at her ability to converse sensibly, to show rational thinking and reasoning, and her mild mannered behavior. In fact, if it hadn't been for Juana's meekness and total brainwashing by her parents and husband, she might've actually been able to throw off her oppressors and rule for herself. However, to her dying day, she would hear nothing negative or derogatory spoken about any of the men in her life, men she always believed--even when presented with evidence to the contrary, even when she was abused and tortured by the jailers hand-picked by her father and son--that those men always had her best interests in mind. She had neither the will nor backbone, as her sister Katherine did, to strike back; her only forms of protest were childish temper tantrums and hunger strikes, making her madness all the more believable and her husband's/father's/son's job all that much easier.

Fox also presents a new angle to Katherine of Aragon. Through the years, when we're told the story of King Henry VIII's perfidy towards her, we're also presented with a picture of a saintly woman, a meek and mild woman who, though she tried to fight the divorce proceedings brought against her, was helpless to do anything to reverse the tide pulling her away from Henry's side. However, Fox shows that, as the daughter of the indomitable Queen Isabella of Castile, Katherine had more spirit and fire than what most people knew. In the early years of her marriage, she relished being the elder partner, the adviser to a young and inexperienced King Henry. This was a woman who could marshal forces and direct supplies in order to win at the Battle of Flodden, a massive win for England when Henry was away fighting in France. She was a capable regent and canny political manipulator, taught to dissemble by the best, her father. She was also stubborn and willful, and at times extremely naive, trusting those who weren't worthy and berating those who only had her best interests at heart. However, like Juana, she trusted implicitly her father and her nephew, Juana's son Charles. So when she was told that Juana had gone mad, she did not doubt them, as she hadn't spoken to or seen her sister in many years; when Juana was imprisoned, Katherine believed the lies. In this, she was ever being ever the dutiful daughter and servant of Spanish interests, believing and doing what was asked of her in order to promote Spain above all else, even when it put her in a precarious position and occasionally damaged her reputation and credibility.

In this, Fox has exposed the heart of what drove these two women and what eventually became their downfall: family loyalty. Juana and Katherine, though raised by a dynamic duo of rulers and educated to the first degree, lived in a world where women were little more than walking wombs. And though Isabella was equal to Ferdinand (in fact, his superior, her realm being much larger and richer than his) and their ruling partnership exactly that--a partnership--they were a rarity in that male-dominated world. In fact, after Isabella's death, Ferdinand showed his true colors by keeping his daughter, the true ruler of the Spanish territories, sequestered and powerless. As such, though Juana and Katherine had the ability and, in Juana's case, the right to rule as equals, those rights were stripped away by the men in their lives. Yet, as always, family loyalty kept whatever ambition either sister held in check as neither one demurred against these restraints.

I haven't read Fox's previous book, Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford; however, after reading Sister Queens I will be seeking it out. Julia Fox has a captivating and engaging writing style. She's able to present a depth of information in an immensely readable manner; this is certainly no ponderous academic tome, with dry-as-dust narration of facts and figures. The writing flows; it's lively and descriptive, reading almost like a novel. Yet don't be fooled; Fox is a true historian, not some jumped-up novelist pretending to be an expert, a la Philippa Gregory. And while you can tell she's definitely on Katherine's side when it comes to Anne Boleyn, she doesn't stoop to the popular trend of treating Anne as the embodiment of pure evil. (In fact, she clearly shows that some of the actions ascribed to Anne during that time were actually those of Henry.) In the end, Sister Queens is an in-depth examination of two women who tried to do their best as daughters, wives, consorts--or, as I like to call them, political pawns--always while being pulled in opposite directions.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Queens is the biographies of the two daughters of Isabel and Ferinand. It is the story of Katherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife and Juana Queen of Castile.
This book portrays the tragic lives of Katherine and Juana and how they both suffered at the hand of others even though they were Queens by right. We all know the story of Katherine and Henry, but I knew very little about Juana the Mad as they called her. Unfortunately this book had more details about Katherine than Juana.
It is beautifully written and researched. There are beautiful pictures in the middle of the book and extensive notes at the end.
Very interesting read

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about two sisters, the daugthers of Ferdinand and Isabella. Katherine of Aragon was the first of Henry VIII's six wives and queen of England, and Juana was married to Philip of Burgundy, and became queen upon her mother's death. Much of this history is fairly well known and doesn't need another recap, plus I'd rather not spoil for those newer to the history of these two sisters.

My thoughts? Katherine gets the greater coverage in this book, and with the glut of everything Tudor on the marketplace I was getting a lot of been-there done-that and almost gave up, but I am glad I stuck with it - things really picked up after Katherine wed Henry and the subsequent kerfuffle of the King's Great Matter. I liked the author's portrayal of Katherine and the battle she fought over the legality of her marriage. As for Juana, what a sad fate she had in store for her, and again I liked the author's ideas on whether she was mad or a victim of a ruthless parent. I was very much looking forward to more on that in the authors notes only to be sorely disappointed. Lots of author's notes telling us all about the reference materials used, nothing at all discussing her theories whether Katherine was capable of lying or whether Juana was as sane as the rest of us. Pooh.

The copy I had was an ARC, but from looking about I suspect the *live* edition will have lots of pictures, maps and all that stuff we history geeks love to see. The narrative was easy to read and I never felt weighed down with the dryness and heavy handed fact dropping common in some non-fiction books I've read.

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katherine of Aragon is known for suffering in the hands of Henry VIII or more accurately… because of Anne Boleyn. Juana “the Mad” is known for simply being crazy and spending 46 years incarcerated, resulting in us never knowing what the Spanish Empire had been like had she been able to rule in her right (at least her descendents spanned two centuries). There is more to these two sisters, however. Julia Fox attempts to show their characteristics and legacies in “Sister Queens”.

Fox’s “Sister Queens” begins in a very colorful and illustrated manner which can satisfy the reader whom doesn’t welcome overly-scholarly history books, however; it can also be perceived as too narrative and fictional. This is cemented by Fox’s tendency to describe thoughts and emotions more than annotated facts. For instance, as early as page 14, Fox asserts that, “Katherine shared her mother’s joy…” and on page 16 states, “Katherine and Juana would have seen…” These are comments which have no factual merit. Fox’s writing style is simply better suited for a historical fiction novel in which she could implore glitter and emotionally-packed statements. In fact, I could see it as a strong book…it just isn’t best used for history, per se.

“Sister Queens” is very fast paced which also relates to the historical fiction-like attributes. This results in an easy-to-read page turner. However, there is a veil between the reader and Katherine and Juana. Fox’s work is more of a historical re-telling of events than a strong biography/portrait and there is a blockage to become close to the sisters, as they are less in the fore-front of events in terms of their personal psyche. The essence of “Sister Queens” and Fox’s writing style is better targeted toward newer readers to the lives of Katherine and Juana. For those more versed: there isn’t any new information and the book is more of a light, refresher course.

Although seemingly minor, I was quite annoyed by the constant habit of beginning a sentence with the word, “and” and calling Margaret Beaufort the “King’s Mother” every time she was addressed. This then continued with calling Mary, Henry’s sister, the “French Queen”. The use of quotations with these names simply degrades their roles. Diving further on Fox’s language; it is oftentimes too flowery to take seriously. Plus, her vocabulary is rather narrow constantly using the same words such as “extant”. Fox suffers from learning a new word and trying to incorporate its use into every line.

Another annoying feature? Each chapter begins and ends with a character epitaph/eulogy. Fox tries much too hard to create a cliff hanger leading into the next chapter but in reality, the efforts are over-the-top.

As “Sister Queens” progresses, it sadly forgets about Juana. Clearly, there are more resources available regarding Katherine’s life but the book is supposed to be a duel biography and is not convincing. Juana barely received ¼ coverage and is hardly mentioned during the second half. Fox’s goal of presenting Katherine and Juana as strong but tragic figures fell short. In fact, they were almost desensitized. The major irony of Fox’s work was her attempt to show the sisters’ links to each other with not only their blood bond but through the events of their lives and yet, Fox stressed how they barely spoke or knew about one another’s trials and tribulations.

At least from an accuracy standpoint, “Sister Queens” wasn’t terribly ill-conceived. Although I did come across some small errors (mostly chronology/dates) and an error is an error no matter what its size; overall the facts were solid (although I do wish some new facts were unearthed). However, some minor views were aggravating such as Anne Boleyn’s coronation being portrayed as a happy feast for the Londoners when in reality, they weren’t that impressed and even joked about the “HA” look of Henry and Anne’s intertwined initials.

Although I would have liked more Juana facts, there were some Katherine areas which could have been more captivating, had they been further explored and executed (such as Fox’s interest in whether Katherine’s letter written to Henry during her final hours was indeed authentic or not).

The Notes were not up to my personal par, as they weren’t organized in an easily identifiable way and neither was the Bibliography split into primary and secondary resources like most books of this nature. But… that is just me nit-picking.

Despite my long list of complaints, “Sister Queens” isn’t terrible, as I did finish it and I did NOT skim. It is also much more enjoyable than Fox’s “Jane Boleyn”. Fox’s writing style and works are suggested for those newer to the topic or for a little breathing reprieve for the brains of the Tudor-obsesses. Just don’t expect hard-hitting, world-rocking facts.

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I read this a few years ago.
I liked it well enough but as I'm currently studying the Iberian continent: Al-Andalus, Grenada, Portugal, Castile, Leon, Asturias, Aragon, etc, I decided to brush up on specifics on Juana I.
The opening chapter about 1.3% into the ebook I ran into factual errors. I mean basic shit than can be checked with Wikipedia.
Below is the inaccurate history quoted from the book and followed by the actual history.

'Boabdil...in 1493, he sailed to Africa, much to Isabella’s delight. He died shortly afterward...Ironically, his half-brothers and his mother, sensibly bowing to reality, were baptized,'
First, 'Boabdil' is not his name. His name was Muhammad XII of Granada.
He died in 1533 or 1534, not 1493. Though he did return to Fes in Morocco in 1493 where he built a large estate in which he lived until his death.
His mother absolutely and unequivocally did NOT become a Christian. She was a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and if she had converted to Catholicism it would've been quite noteworthy. It also would've cost her her political power base as her family was obviously powerful and well connected.
I presume the author is confusing the mother of Muhammad XII, Aixa, with the mother of his half brothers, Isabel de Solis who was born a Catholic in Castile.
After the death of Muhammad XII's father Isabel took their sons and returned to Caatile where her sons were baptized and took their place in Castilian society.

Clearly this is poorly researched.
Yikes.

[Jemidar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accessible and easy to read biography of Katherine of Aragon and Juana of Castile. Like many of Alison Weir's bios this offering from Fox reads more like a novel than a bio and is pitched often in quite simplistic terms. There were several stylistic quirks that drove me nuts but on the whole it was a solid read even if Fox sometimes falls into the trap of stating as facts things that we cannot possibly know for sure. There's not a whole lot new here but it is presented from a slightly different angle than most other stuff about these two Queens which was nice.

Be warned though, the pages are not equally divided between the sisters with Katherine hogging the most space. If you are looking for a good book on Juana, this is not it.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won't read anything more by this author. Sadly, this is not good history; she makes far too many inferences that can't be verified and then refers to them later in the text as if they were established fact. She writes very readably but often seems unsure whether she is writing fiction or history (it is meant to be straight history), telling us how this one or that one was feeling or may have felt. She managed to squeeze in a reference to Prince Charles and Lady Di's wedding which I thought quite bizarre.

Fox is no trailblazer. She peddles a lot of uncritically repeated 'accepted history'. Yet another historian who describes Richard III as having usurped the throne and declared his nephews, controversially, illegitimate. How any historian writing today can present this as if it were fact astounds me. I know she is writing about Henry VII's reign but she doesn't have to use his propaganda! I refer the reader to Titulus Regius 1484 in which Richard was elected to the throne. This is on record and well known so it's pure sloppiness (at best) to refer to the 'usurpation'. My bee in the bonnet about Richard aside, she repeats a lot of 'accepted' stories. My main complaint is her telling us how someone felt when we actually have no idea of that person's internal life. That is not history, it is tittle tattle.

I would suggest she should become a gossip columnist. I find it amusing that the other book of hers I had planned to read was about Jane Rochford; hardly a woman of unblemished reputation with regard to gossip! I read Hilary Mantel's review of it just now and I think I will leave it alone. Mantel refers to Fox as a serious historian who is loath to make her books too light - I would think she could have done the opposite in this book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not much of one for biographies, despite the volume of European historical fiction that I enjoy reading. This is usually because every non-fiction novel I have ever attempted to read has been incredibly dull, overly complex and, most importantly, incredibly scholarly, but not readable at all. This brings me to Julia Fox's latest offering, Sister Queens, which I originally ordered thinking that it was a fiction novel. It wasn't until I received the book, that I realized I had made a mistake. However, I decided to give it a try anyway, and I was incredibly surprised.

Sister Queens tells the stories of Katherine of Aragon and her sister Juana of Castile, daughters of the famous Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain wrapped into tales of the entire families and the larger issues taking place in Europe at the time. Young Katherine and Juana are brought up with the greatest of schooling and the greatest of ambitions. Through careful negotiations, when the sisters were old enough, each was sent off to marry -and build politically advantageous unions. Katherine was sent to England to marry Prince Arthur, while Juana was sent to Burgundy to marry Duke Philip.

Though Katherine of Aragon's life has been well-explored, much of the focus on her was later in her reign, when Henry broke with the Catholic Church, divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. Through this lens, Katherine was always depicted as the wronged, strong-willed first wife of Henry VIII, but here, Julia Fox paints a detailed portrait of Katherine's young years, struggling with the sudden death of Arthur, the painfully drawn-out negotiations that eventually led to her marriage to Henry, and years as a powerful political figure, confident and beloved Queen -even though she never gave birth to a living son. Fox offers readers a glimpse into the life of a strong, intelligent and real woman who was more advanced than most women of her time.

Katherine's story is intertwined seamlessly with that of her older sister, Juana. Juana's story has been less-explored than that of Katherine, and she has been frequently portrayed as "Juana the Mad," a mentally unstable queen who spent much of her life imprisoned. Here, Fox sheds some light into Juana's younger years in Burgundy, and the complex politics that led to her unexpected position as the Queen of Castile, the most powerful kingdom in Spain. And, sadly, how her gender became her downfall. Juana's tale is a tragic, yet strangely compelling one that, in many ways, captivated me more than Katherine's tale. She was wronged by so many men in her life -her husband, her own father and even her own son, all labeling her as deranged and insane so they could take power in her place, though Fox (and many other historians) believe that the charges of insanity were fabricated.

Fox does an exquisite job of balancing scholarly discussion and accurate information with compelling readability that made this biography whiz by without even a hint of boredom. I read this book in just two days, and loved every education moment of it. Fox offers just enough well-researched detail to bring the period to life without bogging down the story with too much information (which tends to be an issue in much of the non-fiction I've attempted). Sister Queens has made me a believer in non-fiction.

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Queens, an insightful and engrossing dual biography, contrasts the lives of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII, and Juana, Queen of Castile, both daughters of Spanish rulers Isabel I and Ferdinand II who are best known for their patronage of Christopher Columbus and their establishment of the Spanish Inquisition. The boundaries of Europe were still very fluid and Catholicism was splitting apart when Catherine and Juana dutifully left their childhood home to strengthen Spain’s position in the world by marrying Henry VIII’s short-lived older brother Arthur and Phillip of Burgundy.


If you thought Catherine was weak, dull, shrewish and/or frumpy this book will change your mind about Henry VIII’s first wife, who comes across as intelligent, resourceful, strong and cunningly diplomatic. In the early days of Henry VIII’s reign she ruled England in his stead and led his armies against Scotland while Henry was dallying in a souped-up war with France. Juana who became a Queen in her own right nevertheless spent most of her adult life under the supervision of her husband, father and then son, Charles V, who was selected to be the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, because it served their own interests better if they pretended she was mentally ill. Though Juana is the less known of the two sisters and never wielded much power herself, her children and grandchildren sat on thrones in countries as far away from Spain as Denmark, Austria and Hungry while Catherine’s line ended with her daughter Mary's death after a short reign as England’s Queen.

Catherine and Juana come to life in this fascinating book set during a transitional time in Europe’s history.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the first-reads program from goodreads.This book tells the story of two remarkable women that were sisters who became the queen of England and the queen of Castile.The book covers more of Katherine of Aragon than it does Juana of Castile.Juana of Castile doesn't have as many historical records and accounts left for us today as Katherine does so I found that to not be the fault of the author.This book was well researched by the author and written more in the manner of a historical fiction than a dry history book.I truly loved this book and have read many books about Henry the VIII and Katherine of Aragon yet this writer still taught me a thing or two.I loved reading the parts about Katherine's wedding to Authur because the author painted a very vivid account of the grand scale of what was involved and who was present to the clothes they were wearing and the cost involved.Katherine and Juana came from an amazing and powerful family and in this book you get to learn about them as well.This book is not just about the sisters themselves but about the most powerful men and women ruling Europe during the time.I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves history,royals,or historical fiction.I have to say Julia Fox did an amazing job with this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.I give it 5 starts for the ease of reading and the research that went into this wonderful book.

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Julia Fox's attention to little details is meticulous, her book "Sister Queens…" is mis-titled. It's a lopsided historical account of Katherine of Aragon, with scant attention placed on her older sister, Juana of Castile.

It read to me like Fox intended to write a biography on Katherine and maybe came up a few pages short, so she crammed in some facts about Juana. They were sisters, both queens, treated cruelly by their husbands and then cast aside in vicious games of politics.

I figure 2/3 of the book pertains to Katherine, 1/6 to notes and pictures and the other 1/6 to Juana's life. It’s understandable to an extent, as Fox is an accredited expert on Tudor history, and there is so much known about Katherine and her marriage to Henry VII of England, a marriage that ended up fragmenting the Catholic Church and changing the face of Europe forever.

Sections pertaining to Juana's childhood and her marriage to Philp Hapsburg are frustratingly truncated. It’s understandable as Juana spent most of her life—well over 40 years—locked away at Tordesillas, kept prisoner by her beloved Father, then later her son. Not much happens when a person is shut off from the rest of the world.

Fox maintains the now commonly held position that Juana was never insane, and backs this up with accounts from respectable people who came in contact with the supposed Mad Queen.

While I agree that Juana would not be considered legally insane by modern standards, she did exhibit such emotional mood swings which could be diagnosed as bipolar or manic depression. Juana’s documented strange, erratic behavior is downplayed by Fox. Certainly Juana’s treatment was unjust and callous, but there is evidence that, for a while, at least after Philip’s death and then giving birth to her sixth child, Juana was not mentally capable or willing to fulfill her functions as Sovereign Queen. Worse, Fox speculates so often about what Juana felt or did and how we will never know certain truths as hard proof is lacking, that she rarely comes to any definitive conclusion about Juana. We’ll never know anything for sure, Fox frequently states, so then why write about it?

In contrast, the parts on Katherine were painstakingly detailed. From Katherine's grand entrance into London, her marriage to Arthur, then to his younger brother, Henry, each of her pregnancies and miscarriages, the death of her son, how she prudently ruled England while Henry was away at war with France, and then how valiantly she fought to save her marriage from divorce, these facts are all described in a well-annotated, scholarly manner, so replete with minute details of clothing, food and castles that G.R.R. Martin and Bertrice Small would be proud.

Katherine’s letters and actions are documented facts. Her character is fully analyzed, so Katherine becomes a fleshed-out human being before our eyes. There may be a few mysteries about her motives, but there is never a doubt about who she is.

Were this a book just about Katherine, I would have appreciated it much more, rating this at least a 4. I'd like to consider myself an amateur historian when it comes to the Trastamaras & Hapsburg Spaniards and I found the sections on Juana disappointingly sparse in comparison to Katherine’s. The only information new to me about Juana was the number of visits her grandchildren made to her while she was imprisoned (18 in 20 years).

It's unfortunate that this book is so uneven with much more written about Katherine than Juana. The parallel themes Fox attempts to draw about the sister queens' fates are not thoroughly convincing. If she had framed her book on a point by point basis, rather than writing this chronologically, perhaps she would have made a more definitive case. As it was, I’m not sure what her ultimate thesis was besides pointing out the obvious tragedies.

4 stars for the Katharine sections + 1.5 stars for Juana’s = 2.75

Rounded up to 3 stars overall.

[Marie Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaving no stone unturned, Julia Fox seemingly examines and discusses all the details that she unearthed from her research from the Spanish Archives and the chronicles of the times, as apparently there are many letters and accounts which still survive....



Review posted https://burtonreview.blogspot.com/201...-
queens-noble-tragic-lives.html

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. This was more Katherine's story than Juana's, perhaps because Juana spent so much of her life in captivity, and as a result I was familiar with much of the history, but I still found it fascinating. I will be buying this when the US edition comes out.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I normally find it reductive or even counterproductive to proclaim how far feminism has come in mere centuries when things like this still exist, after finishing Julia Fox's biography of two Spanish queens--Juana the Mad and Katherine of Aragon--I have to say, oh my GOSH, isn't it great how far feminism has come in mere centuries?

Because these women suffered. And even though sometimes their suffering equated to "I might have to sell my bejeweled golden plate because my prince husband widowed me and now my father-in-law, the King of England, won't pay for new dresses (#royalproblems)," they still suffered acutely simply because of their gender. But as I've observed again and again in pre-feminist times, women found subtle ways to fight back.

By examining the cases of these two sisters—the younger daughters of famous Spanish power couple Ferdinand and Isabella—we find many of the textbook sexist tactics used to deny women their personhood. From birth, princesses are told they ought to have been princes, a nasty bit of belittling caused by ridiculous male primogeniture laws. But no matter, princesses can also serve the kingdom by marrying foreign princes. They are raised as such, to recognize that their supreme role is to move to a faraway land, sometimes as young as 14, to marry a man, sometimes much older, that they’ve never met, and to abandon their home country likely forever and always.

It stretches the limits of my imagination to even consider that: packing up at age 14 saying goodbyes that will last forever.

Once married, the women must breed breed breed. Produce as many princes and princesses for the kingdom; princes are, of course, de rigueur, a job that Queen Juana does magnificently well as the consort in Burgundy and a job that Queen Katherine fails at miserably. The queens must watch as their husband inevitably chooses one of their ladies to be his mistress and must pretend not to be offended by any bastard children given titles.

Sometimes, if all the boys in the family happen to die (literally the WORST thing these people could imagine happening in the entire UNIVERSE—European royals of the sixteenth century are wonderfully dramatic), a queen will inherit actual power. Normally, however, one of her own relations—a male cousin, a father, even her own son—will attempt to wrench control of the power from her, as happens in the case of Juana, who is imprisoned and labeled “loca” to invalidate her claim to the crown. Calling a woman crazy to deny her autonomy…Sexist Playbook Rule #1, although the Hapsburg kings were not the first to use it nor would they be the last.

There’s a terrible amount of death. Dozens of miscarriages, perfectly healthy bridegrooms keeling over in under a week, heads rolling for questionable allegations of treason. Widowed queens marry their widower nephews. This time period is literally incomprehensible to me. Again and again throughout the story of these two tragic Spanish queens, I had to stop to wonder, “Why the hell did these people care? Who cares about ruling Castile when you already rule half of Spain, Navarre, Sicily, and Naples? WHY?”

This time period is incomprehensible to me, not only in terms of outdated gender ideologies but governmental and religious ideologies as well. It’s frustrating and confusing and crazy stupid fascinating, and I was so glad to try to understand it (for I will never actually understand it) via the stories of these two regal but oh-so-very-doomed women.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Queens by Julia Fox shows how historical non-fiction should be done.

Julia Fox is truly talented. She handled the nemesis of writing non-fiction where events or facts are disputed with finesse. When it could not be resolved whether or not something happened, she would state what is commonly believed and then follow it with something like "Maybe not". For me, this is so much better than arguing back and forth whether or not something is true. That information belongs in the notes not where it can slow down the pace of the book. From the skilled way that she wrote this book I ended up with trust in what she wrote.

I have wanted to dip into Tudor history for a long time and now I am intrigued enough to read more about the mother of these two sister queens, Queen Isabella of Castile and all the other wives of Henry VIII. The author clearly shows Queen Isabella's influence on the thoughts and actions of her daughters, Katherine of Aragon and Juana of Castile. Their mother deeply influenced their thoughts and actions.After this book. Their mother went to battle, held her convictions strongly, and was a very keen strategist. We see the positive and the negative sides of having Queen Isabella for a mother. We also understand why the two women reacted the way that they did.

There were many surprises for me. I did not know that Henry VIII was 6' 2' and athletic as a young man. And also, even at the time that he was highly praised by his country and other royals in different countries, he did not refrain from being extremely cruel. I had read a tiny bit about "Mad Juana" did not feel satisfied with the scanty details about her. Julia Fox covered Juana's life and lets the reader make their own decisions.

Just as the other girls of royal families at that time, both Kathryn and Juana were raised with one purpose in mind. To make a wonderful match for alliances and to produce children is the duty of the female royal. Why do this? It is their duty and purpose to their country. The entire fortune of a female royal depended on her fertility and ability to have male heirs.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and learned so much from it that I don't want to spoil it for you by revealing too much. This book was totally engaging. It was rich with details of clothes, the wedding preparations, even the books that the women read. From their training as little girls in the domestic arts, Latin, specially selected classics and religious writings to the detail of their burials, you will not want to lay this book done. Julia Fox can compete with an historical fiction in only truthfulness but also excitement. This is history done with excellence.

I recommend this book to anyone would loves history.

I received this book as a part of the Amazon Vine program and that in no way influenced my review.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catherine is well covered in Tudor literature. There is even fiction devoted to her plight (most recently in the The Constant Princess by Gregory). Juana, Queen of Castile, is usually referenced as a mother or grandmother, rarely as a Queen, and always as "mad". I chose this book from the Vine program to learn more about Juana, particularly why she met the fate she did. I was pleasantly surprised to learn a lot more about Catherine that was new to me.

Most of the text is devoted to Catherine; hers is the better documented life. The background on the negotiations for Catherine's second marriage is covered with more dimension and sensitivity than I've seen elsewhere. You see how her father, Ferdinand, all but abandons her in England and how she learns from this experience.

Other writers emphasize the gallant and thoughtful young Henry, Fox notes the execution of two of his father's ministers and his later beheading of the Duke of Somerset. She also reminds the reader that Henry's philandering life began well before his courtship of Anne Boleyn in 1526. Elizabeth Blount bore him a son in 1519.

This is the most I've read of Queen Juana and how easily she was pushed aside by her father and son. It seems that she is her own worst enemy. Her first bad decision was to return to her husband in Burgundy in early 1504. If she had stayed in Spain as her mother requested, she could have learned to govern, made contacts and been visible to her subjects. Following this up with unqueenly behavior such as hunger strikes, refusal to speak/pray, and an assault on her husband's mistress made her an easy mark. She misread her imprisonment and seems almost resigned to her fate.

I think Fox's opinion that she did this for her son to rule is not correct. It seems, from what was presented, she had no interest in ruling, or aptitude for it and allowed the situation to evolve as it did. In her visit to England, she, not Catherine had to power to push for more than 2 hours of visiting during her month long stay... there is no evidence that she did this, nor that she initiated contact before her mail was scrutinized. She did not know how to use the bad treatment of the Denias' to her advantage. She got no concessions from her son for her loyalty in the rebel affair. She may have been incurious, which made it easy to keep word of her father's death from her for 4 years.

It was a good idea to join the parallel lives of these two sister queens in this way. You can see how young princesses had no rights, and as queens they were in precarious positions. Their education, world experience and the ability to make connections (today we call it networking) was limited. The two seemed to accept their strategic separation, just as they did not judge their father's abuse of their respective positions.

[Carolina Casas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily my favorite biographies of Katherine of Aragon and Juana "the mad". The author does not shy away from putting the dark aspects of each queen and their characters, as well as how their environments might have shaped them -for the better and for the worst.
Juana has gone into legend as Juana 'la loca' -the mad in Spain. But the author gives many primary sources, evidence, which points to the simple conclusion -she acted spoiled and arrogant, but she was not crazy. Her outburst at the beginning of the 1500s while visiting her parents, when she gave birth to her second son Ferdinand (named after her father, Ferdinand II of Aragon); would later be used against her by none other than her own father who like Philip before him, sought to control her.
Katherine in a difficult position and not having had much contact with Juana since she left Castile to marry Philip 'el Hermoso' (the handsome),had no choice but to believe him. Whether she did or not, the author leaves it up to the reader to decide.
This is what a good biographer and historian, in this case the former, does, he or she does not tell you what you should think and gives bogus details to fit his or her agenda, but instead gives you a list of primary sources, draws conclusions based on them and the work of respected historians, but lets you decide for yourself if you believe it or not.
The funeral which was also used as to describe Juana as crazy, is explained in great detail by Fox as none other than a propaganda move by Juana, to protect her son's inheritance who ironically would later abandon her and use her as his grandfather did.

[Lise Petrauskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting if repetitive. The writing was fine, but the book seemed, paradoxically, both too detailed and too broad, overly padded with details of gowns and finery and "cloth of gold" one minute and then jumping ahead by several years the next. The link between the two sisters' stories frequently felt arbitrary and the attempt to create suspense got cheesy when chapters ended with sentences like "Or would it?" I haven't read a huge amount of history on the period, but my impression was that the research was thorough and the analysis competent, but that the stories of the two sisters, while interesting to compare, were not substantially benefitted from being told side by side. That said, I'm glad to have gotten the real dope on Juana's story. I had no idea to what extent she was manipulated and (literally) royally screwed over by the men in her life. In the case of Catherine, Fox convincingly demonstrates that she was a politically astute and determined actor in the drama rather than a passive victim and saintly martyr. I found her story benefits from knowing where she came from and how she reached the point in the story when most people join in—right at the point when she's the most helpless in the face of Henry's insecurity about the succession and his infatuation with Anne. Instead, Fox illustrates how Catherine's training as Isabella's daughter and the taste for political power she acquired early in her marriage to Henry set her on the path to being a major actor in the events that resulted in the Henry's break with the Catholic church.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Katherine of Aragon (Henry VIII’s first wife) and Juana of Castile (often referred to as Juana the Mad) were sisters, both daughters of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. Katherine went on to become first Arthur’s, then his brother Henry’s, wife and Mary I’s mother. Katherine was divorced by Henry (after he split from the Catholic Church) after she would not give him a son, so he could wed Anne Boleyn. Juana married Philip of Spain and had many children, but was ruled by Philip, although she was a queen in her own right after Isabella died. After Philip died, Ferdinand ruled while indicating to the world that Juana was insane after Philip’s death. When Ferdinand died, Charles (Juana’s son) continued to insist that Juana was crazy, so while she remained locked up, Charles was able to rule instead.

I listened to the audio, which overall, I’ll rate good. I have read so much about the Tudors, there wasn’t a whole lot new to me about Katherine. Though, the author did highlight some of the connections and interactions (few that there were) between Katherine and Juana. I’ve read only a little bit about Juana and it’s been a while, so she was a bit more interesting; however (and the author warns us of this at the start), there are a lot of years where there just isn’t a lot of information about Juana, while she is locked away.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, well-written account comparing and contrasting the lives of Katherine of Aragon (Henry VIII's first wife) and Juana of Castile (Joanna the Mad, mother of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). The author does a wonderful job of bringing the sisters to life, yet making it explicitly clear where the historical record is silent, unreliable, or mysterious.

Being an avid fan of Tudor history, I was well-acquainted with Katherine's marriage to Henry VIII, but knew nothing of her early life (aside from the marriage to Arthur), and even less about Juana. Having finished this book, I have a new respect for the indignities and punishments these two women endured in the name of power, passion, and faith.

Ms. Fox's writing style is eminently readable, and paints a vivid picture of what every day life must have been like for the sisters. Highly recommend this for any fan of Renaissance Europe history, but be prepared to want to visit these historical sites (Ms. Fox notes when objects or sites still exist today) immediately!

[Priscilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing book. She wants to argue that Juana was not "mad" but virtually omits mentioning any evidence of hereditary instability. She also wants to link the two sisters, then spends much time remarking on how little they thought about each other. Too much repetition of points with little to back her position up. Although Juana's husbsnd was probably a jerk of the first order, I cannot buy the position that all the men in Juana's life just hated her because she was female since her mother was highly respected. Juana deserves a better biographer.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I would have liked a bit more of Juana's tale - though I guess being imprisoned for such a long period of her life there wasn't much to write about whereas as Katherine's life is well documented. Enjoyable read nonetheless and great to see how the lives of the two sisters interconnected.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virtually any reader of Tudor fiction is familiar with the sad story of Queen Catherine, the lawful wife of Henry VIII who was not merely abandoned, but cruelly cut off from her own daughter Mary, after she refused to partake in the murder of her marriage to Henry. Less known is the equally sad story of Catherine’s family, and particularly her sister Juana -- who was likewise placed under house imprisonment and defamed as a lunatic. Sister Queens is a joint biography of Katherine and Juana which aims to plumb their full characters, however, not just the one aspect (“tragic wife”/ “tragic mad widow”) that plucks the heartstrings of readers the most. At times it wears a little heavy with all the details of court life -- dresses, draperies, that sort of thing -- but for those who know little about Queen Katherine and her family, Sister Queens is most accessible, and is a book which offers a look one of the most influential families in late medieval Europe.

Ferdinand and Isabella are known to American schoolchildren as the patrons of Christopher Columbus’s foolhardy but accomplished voyage across the Atlantic, but in Europe they were the Most Catholic Monarchs, the pair who united Spain and reclaimed it for Christendom against the armies of the caliphs. (And, tragically, by expelling Jewish subjects.) Their marriage was fruitful, producing five children: Isabella, Juan, Juana, Catalina, and Maria. Royal marriages were then the stuff of diplomatic alliances, and all four of the daughters would be married abroad. Tragedy would visit the family again and and again, claiming Isabella, Juan, and several children -- a theme that continued throughout Juana and Catherine's lives.

Most readers are aware of the general trajectory of Catherine's doomed marriage to the swine-king Henry, of the series of tragic child-deaths and miscarriages that convinced him that their marriage was cursed. Catherine was not merely the King's consort, however, hanging about in the royal chambers and waiting for babies. Catherine's diplomatic role didn't end in marrying into the English dynasty. She served as Spain's primary ambassador, attempting to keep English preferences aligned against France Her influence would wane sharply, however, after Henry began wondering if perhaps he shouldn't have married his brother's widow after all. Even there, Catherine proves herself a wily adversary, sending secret messages, defending herself in trial, and twisting even the Holy Roman Emperor's elbow for aide. It helped that Emperor Charles was her nephew, the son of Juana. Fox is somewhat less successful with Queen Juana, though not for lacking of trying; there's just so little evidence to go on about her life once she became a captive resident of Tordesillas. Fox argues that Juana's histrionics were a form of manipulation -- aimed first at her husband Phillip, and then at her captors -- in the hopes of effecting her own will. Her captivity was less a matter of illness than control, for after her mother's death Juana was the legitimate heir of the Castilian throne -- and through her name, her father and husband sought to rule Fox argues that the people who lived with Juana, namely her daughter Catalina, and those who visited her or exchanged letters with her never remarked on any instability. Only those who tried to control her -- Phillip and Ferdinand, and their agents -- encountered the desperate Juana, who would lash out in tantrums against them.

Unfortunately, there's so little information about the imprisoned Juana that I don't know if this book does too much for her. Having already developed an appreciation for Queen Catherine's character through other biographies and novels, I enjoyed Sister Queens most as look into the joined Spanish-Hapsburg dynasty that would create that pivotal character of the reformation, Charles V. (For more information, read Will Durant's The Reformation. Charles V holds a commanding position throughout.)

[Meow558 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia Fox had a difficult task ahead of her, trying to do two full biographies in one. And she did a good job. It’s not perfect, it flings the pov back and forth, but that would be hard to avoid. After the sisters are separated, they each have their own full chapters. Katherine’s life is far more talked about, but she also had far more happenings, especially initially. The author is also more familiar with English history. It has all of the usual good biography elements, with explanations of their immediate family history and a lot of details. In all the books I’ve read about Katherine, her marriage ceremony has never been more descriptive. It does talk some about Juana, though. She was imprisoned for 46 years, more than she spent outside of it. All because her family was cutthroat and wanted the throne. It’s amazing how nearly all the children had awful ends. And yet that line still lives on today, 500 years later. Crazy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at the life and times of two sisters who at first lead very different lives but at the end whose lives came to resemble each other much more closely. Katherine, fierce and loyal, was anything but the typical cast-off wife. And Juana, while perhaps less well-known, also showed great grit in the face of huge odds against her.

[Lisa B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! I just could not put it down. Ever since watching The Tudor’s on TV, I have been fascinated by this time period in European history. The author of Sister Queens has put together a very readable, fact filled explanation of the lives of Katherine of Aragon and her sister, Juana of Castille.
Juana was married off to Phillip of Burgandy. Upon the death of her mother, Queen Isabella of Spain, Juana should have become Queen. Unfortunately for her, her father, then her husband and finally her son wanted the power. To achieve this, they kept Juana secluded for more than 45 years. She had minimal contact with anyone, while stories about her madness were circulated to justiyt her disappearance from public life. So much for being “Queen”!
Katherine initially married young Prince Arthur of England, who died 5 months into the marriage. She spent numerous years in limbo, waiting for a decision to be made on her marrying Arthur’s younger brother, Henry. Tossed around like a pawn on a chessboard, her value as a strong marriage candidate changed as quickly as the blowing wind. Along with this was the much debated issue of whether she had consummated her marriage with Arthur. She and Henry were finally married, but Katherine was never able to provide a viable male heir, and this was ultimately her undoing.
What sounds like a simple outline on the lives of these two sisters has really been filled in with an amazing amount of detail by Ms. Fox. This had to be an incredible undertaking. Often, there was so much information given that I felt like I was right in the middle of some of the scenes. I really never felt comfortable trying to skim, so this is a book best enjoyed reading at a slow pace. And enjoyable, it was!
I want to thank Random House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for my unbiased review. The publish date is January 31, 2012.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have slightly mixed feelings about this book. Going into it I already knew I was going to get angry and really dislike several of the figures portrayed. Henry VIII and Ferdinand of Aragon are two of my least favorite people from history. I have always admired Catherine of Aragon and not too much is written on Juana, so I decided to give this a go. It is very easily readable, and I quite enjoyed the first half of the book.
I enjoyed learning more about Juana and her life before becoming Queen and being imprisoned. I wish she had been allowed to write more while imprisoned, as it might give us some clues as to her actual state of mind. As such, even though I learned more about her life, I was still left with many questions as to her motives for what she did. I believe she wasn't the raving madwoman she has been portrayed as, but neither do I believe now that she was entirely fit to rule either. We lose Juana's story halfway through the book though, except for one brief interlude, as there is very little she did while imprisoned.
I also enjoyed reading about Catherine's time in England before Henry decided to divorce her. Often most people only know of her as a middle-aged woman who couldn't give Henry his heir and was discarded for a prettier and younger woman. Obviously this is what happened, but there is more to her story than that.
My main problem with this book, and why I could not give it more than 3 stars, is the authors very obvious prejudice against people who opposed both Juana and Catherine. Now, yes some were villains (how else do explain a father and son who kept their "beloved" daughter and mother an impoverished prisoner so they could have her power), but some were caught up in circumstances beyond their control and had to survive. The most glaring prejudice was against Anne Boleyn. Even though I don't really care too much about her, the obvious dislike the author has for Anne really tainted my enjoyment of the book.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What sad, sad lives. What sad, sad endings. In fact none of the children of Ferdinand and Isabella fared well, most dying young or living unhappy lives. By far Juana was the saddest case of all. She was a highly emotional woman, fierce in her convictions, passionate in her feelings, and almost uncontrollable.

Except by her husband and father both of whom treated her in the most abominable way - to imprison her for her inheritance! She was the true heir of Castile and was raised to be a queen but the abject avarice of first her husband then her father (who legally could not inherit Castile)then her eldest son, kept her off the throne the only way they could, by declaring her insane and putting her under house arrest under the "care" of yet another avaricious couple who treated her in the worse way and stole her few meager possessions.

Yet she had some bright spots, her youngest daughter was allowed to live with her until it was time for her to marry and her eldest son and heir, while leaving her in the "care" of the venal couple made sure they understood they must treat her with respect and dignity or answer to him. Small mercies for a woman of great intelligence and runaway passions.

Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England, is almost an afterthought in this book. While she too suffered a cruel fate at the hands of Henry VIII, she lived most of her life in honor and splendor. She and Juana were only in minimal contact and only saw each other once after their marriages, but they did retain warm feelings about each other and remained in each others thoughts and prayers.

If you are a lover of history, of the time period, of women's lives in past times, of the history of monarchies, you will like this book. Sad though it is, it says many things about how women were able, like Isabella of Spain, to wield power, while other women like Juana and Katherine were not.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the author wanted to show that these two women were able to be powerful in spite of their sex in a male dominated society. If so, she failed. It is clear that at least Katherine was quite intelligent and wanted to keep her position and power. However, ultimately, she failed completely. She was buried as the Princess Dowager, widow of King Henry's older brother, not as a current queen of England. I don't necessarily agree that Juana was as intelligent as the author wanted her to be. She essentially spent the majority of her adult years as a prisoner, although officially she was queen of Castile which she inherited from her mother, Isabella of Columbus fame (and main reason for the nightmarish Inquisition which likely ranked as close to the worst event throughout history for Jews until WWII). The author maintains that Juana was crazy like a fox and that it was a way of manipulating people around her. She makes a good case for this belief, but it doesn't support her ultimate theme that this was a successful tactic. She does make a solid case that both women loved their children to the point of hurting themselves to protect them. It was only after her mother's death that Mary gave up and admitted the reality that she was no longer had the royal status that she had at birth. Ironically, this defeat may have been one of the best things she did to eventually attain ultimate royal status as Queen of England. Juana likely could have gotten out of prison if she had gone along with an uprising but it would have hurt her children's status so she didn't.

This book was interesting. I just didn't feel that she was able to make her case that these women were powerful figures in their own right.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine of Aragorn's place in English history is well-known to everyone: Henry VIII's first repudiated bride, Queen of England for eighteen years, thrust aside in favour of Anne Boleyn, mother of 'Bloody Mary'. Her history is indelibly caught up in the history of England's break with Rome, the Reformation, the turn from Catholicism to Protestantism. Less well-known, in fact almost neglected, is her role as a Spanish princess, as an important part of a family dynasty that reached across Europe, daughter, sister, aunt to Kings and Queens.

Even less well-known is her sister Juana, known to history as 'Juana the Mad', the woman who was supposedly so besotted with her husband that she refused to bury him and kept his coffin with her always. History has done a real disservice to Juana, and this book deftly overturns many of the myths surrounding her, shining a truly disquieting light on her 'madness'. Juana, like her sister, was the victim of political forces and intrigues beyond her control, imprisoned and betrayed, again like Katherine, by those she should have been able to trust: her husband, her father and her son.

This is marvellously written history, a book I could hardly put down, despite the fact that at least a part of it was very familiar to me, a book that brings to light just how powerless even royal women were, and how little ties such as blood and marriage seemed to mean to a Renaissance prince. I would have liked a more balanced approach, as much about Juana as Katherine, but that is no criticism of the author, merely the historical sources available.