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Beatrix of Clare
With Illustrations by Clarence F. Underwood
- GenresHistorical Fiction
244 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 10, 2021
This 1907 novel is a tale of romance and adventure told against the backdrop of the great events of 1483 which saw the accession of Richard III to the throne of England and the failure of the Buckingham rebellion.
Our hero is Sir Aymer De Lacy, the son of a French mother and a father from an illustrious English family; he has just returned to England from many years serving as a soldier on the continent. We first encounter him walking in the Windsor park where he is accosted by outlaws. He engages in some repartee with their chief, but the latter’s courtly manners belie his criminal actions which leave De Lacy slightly wounded and stripped to nothing more than shirt and hose. In this embarrassing state of undress, he is rescued by a beautiful lady from the court who refuses to give her name.
De Lacy’s search for the lady is cut short when a few days later King Edward IV dies. He is recruited by the Duke of Buckingham on his own behalf and that of Lords Howard, Hastings, and Stanley to deliver a message to Richard of Gloucester in the north that they have determined that he should be Lord Protector. De Lacy does so, and pledges his fealty to Duke Richard, as apparently was his intention all along. He also discovers that the beautiful lady from Windsor is the chief attendant of Anne, Duchess of Gloucester. She is Beatrix, the Countess of Clare, who is the object of desire of almost every man she meets. Although Beatrix is a bit coy ( too much so in my opinion), it seems obvious to Richard and Anne that she and De Lacy are meant for each other and this pair seem intent on matchmaking.
The political intrigue takes a back seat to the romance, but the two elements become intertwined when Beatrix is abducted. Buckingham is depicted as not such a bad guy but one who was duped, and before his execution he gives De Lacy the clue to find Beatrix.
Richard III is also favorably portrayed—he is ambitious and a little more politically savvy than I think he was—but he is a just and kind man and ruler. (Be impressed. This book was published in 1907.) Who killed the princes? It was a murder/suicide. Edward V became despondent and stabbed his brother and himself. When Richard finds out, he notes he has two options—either publicly proclaim that the princes died of natural causes or say nothing. In either case, he believes he will eventually be blamed for their murders, so he opts for the latter course.
This is an Edwardian version of a chivalric romance and many may be turned off by the stylized conversations, and at times I even thought the bantering between De Lacy and Beatrix became a bit too precious. However, when De Lacy goes off on his adventure to find and rescue Beatrix, I was thoroughly captivated. Even over a hundred years later, I found this a very entertaining read.
Our hero is Sir Aymer De Lacy, the son of a French mother and a father from an illustrious English family; he has just returned to England from many years serving as a soldier on the continent. We first encounter him walking in the Windsor park where he is accosted by outlaws. He engages in some repartee with their chief, but the latter’s courtly manners belie his criminal actions which leave De Lacy slightly wounded and stripped to nothing more than shirt and hose. In this embarrassing state of undress, he is rescued by a beautiful lady from the court who refuses to give her name.
De Lacy’s search for the lady is cut short when a few days later King Edward IV dies. He is recruited by the Duke of Buckingham on his own behalf and that of Lords Howard, Hastings, and Stanley to deliver a message to Richard of Gloucester in the north that they have determined that he should be Lord Protector. De Lacy does so, and pledges his fealty to Duke Richard, as apparently was his intention all along. He also discovers that the beautiful lady from Windsor is the chief attendant of Anne, Duchess of Gloucester. She is Beatrix, the Countess of Clare, who is the object of desire of almost every man she meets. Although Beatrix is a bit coy ( too much so in my opinion), it seems obvious to Richard and Anne that she and De Lacy are meant for each other and this pair seem intent on matchmaking.
The political intrigue takes a back seat to the romance, but the two elements become intertwined when Beatrix is abducted. Buckingham is depicted as not such a bad guy but one who was duped, and before his execution he gives De Lacy the clue to find Beatrix.
Richard III is also favorably portrayed—he is ambitious and a little more politically savvy than I think he was—but he is a just and kind man and ruler. (Be impressed. This book was published in 1907.) Who killed the princes? It was a murder/suicide. Edward V became despondent and stabbed his brother and himself. When Richard finds out, he notes he has two options—either publicly proclaim that the princes died of natural causes or say nothing. In either case, he believes he will eventually be blamed for their murders, so he opts for the latter course.
This is an Edwardian version of a chivalric romance and many may be turned off by the stylized conversations, and at times I even thought the bantering between De Lacy and Beatrix became a bit too precious. However, when De Lacy goes off on his adventure to find and rescue Beatrix, I was thoroughly captivated. Even over a hundred years later, I found this a very entertaining read.
December 2, 2021
Fun medieval romance
April 15, 2023
There were a couple places that I chuckled at, it was a pretty good story. I'm not sure if the author John Reed Scott was on the side of Richard III or Henry Tudor.
July 4, 2016
So far, this is my favorite John Reed Scott. I've not read a lot of books set in early England, and it's always a treat to find a good one.
August 11, 2016
I actually read the 1907 version, not this one. I thought it was a fun story and it did a great job of weaving history into the story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews