The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne

by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Mary, Elizabeth and Henrietta Anne, the daughters of King Charles I and his queen, Henrietta Maria, would be brought up against the background of the English Civil War. Mary would marry William, Prince of Orange, and be sent to live in the Netherlands. Elizabeth would remain in England under Parliamentary control. Henrietta Anne would escape to France and be the darling of the French Court. Yet none of the Stuart princesses would live to reach thirty. The Tragic Daughters of Charles I is their story. Chronos Books presents the latest in a series of historical royal biographies by Sarah-Beth Watkins, author of Lady Katherine The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, British Literature, Royalty

177 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2019

About the author

Sarah-Beth Watkins is an author, editor and publisher who has written for various publications over the past 20 years. Growing up in Richmond, Surrey she began soaking up history from an early age.

She is the author of Margaret Tudor: Queen of Scots, Catherine of Braganza, The Tudor Brandons, Lady Katherine Knollys and Ireland's Suffragettes. Her next book is due out in October 2018. She is currently working on another historical biography.

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction aims at telling the stories of lives of three daughters of Charles I, who are usually left a little in the background by historians concentrating mainly on the king, and, subsequently, his son restored to the throne. I found this book exrtemely informative and learnt a lot about the lives of women, the sisters and their mother and relatives of whom I knew almost nothing. The book is easy to follow and I recommend it to any reader interested in the history of England in the 16th century.
*Many thanks to Sara-Beth Watkins, John Hunt Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a relatively quick and comprehensive book on the lives of the (surviving) sisters of Charles II - who are so often overlooked when exploring the life of the monarch. It gives a solid introduction of the women - from their births and incredibly tumultuous upbringing during the English Civil War, to their subsequent marriages and lives abroad in France and Holland, culminating in their early deaths. I felt the text did a pretty good job all round of summing up a complex period of British history, and explained the various histories and major players in the women’s lives relatively well. It also gives a glimpse into Charles II’s early life as an outlawed king, and the various difficulties he faces before his return to England as monarch, which was a nice touch.

This is by no means a complete historical guide to the sisters and a large portion of the book centres mainly around Henrietta Anne, the youngest sister who would become Madame, sister in law to the great Sun King himself, Louis XIV. She in particular has an interesting life, often playing advocate and referee between Louis and her brother Charles in their quest for power and European domination. It’s also her children with Phillipe who would go on to dominate the European family tree.

I do think the author tends to play on the side of sensationalism as opposed to facts at times, referencing court gossip surrounding the Queen of France for drama instead of presenting the true life events, with no solid references to back up her claims. Large portions of the text are also taken up by primary sources, such as letters between Charles and Henrietta Anne, which could have been better spent in the index as they detracted from the ‘story’ at times. I also would have liked a bit more information on the day to day court life that Henrietta Anne experienced, as I know that the French Court at that time was at the forefront for fashion and often complicated and overly long daily rituals.

I’ve read better biographies of both Louis and Charles II which touch upon the sisters lives briefly in relation to these two powerful men, but I’ve never read a biography so dedicated solely to the women. For that, I can certainly appreciate this for what it is and hope there are more biographies to come of these forgotten women behind the men of the era.

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Nonfiction

I have read two historical non-fiction books written by Sarah Beth Watkins and this one is my third. I love her writing style and how she structures her books. The Tragic Daughters of Charles I is another great read from her. Again the story is narrated like fiction but is supported by historical letters and references which is really good. Her writing style is very easy yet it makes the book very interesting without resorting to any complexity. Another advantage is that she keeps her points precise and simple without the need to write unnecessary pages to explain one point or an event.

The book has ten chapters and each chapter concentrates on a particular themed story. In the beginning chapters, we get to know about King Charles I and his wife Queen Henrietta Maria and the problems they are facing with the English Civil War. In the later chapters, we get to know about their daughter (Mary, Elizabeth, and Henrietta Anne) and the miserable life they lived.

Don't be fooled by the length of the book because it is full of useful information. So if like myself you love historical books then you should not hesitate in picking up this. I give The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne a solid 4.0 stars out of 5.0.

Many thanks to the publisher Chronos Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a love of thorough history and having read each of Ms Watkins' previous books on the lives of historical figures, particularly those who have seemingly been neglected from most other historical accounts, it was a no brainer to pick this up. The author has an intense love of both the topic and period she is writing about and the historical characters involved, and her enthusiasm, which shines through, is infectious. As ever, SBW includes many primary sources, most of which are in the form of letters, and I must admit, some of them were rather tedious and longwinded to get through.

She seems to manage with considerable ease and aplomb the precarious nature and fine balance between providing enough interesting information but without overloading the reader; in my opinion, this is an aspect the author nearly always gets right, and this book is no exception. The meticulous research carried out is second to none and translates into a well rounded, believable history lesson. It's easy to read, engaging and accessible to everyone whether history buff or evader.

At under 200 pages, this is a concise introduction to the little known daughters of Stuart dynasty King Charles I. His reign was one of the most tumultuous in English history and whose intense unpopularity later ended in his execution. His daughters each can be said to have contributed to the legacy of England in their own ways despite their rather short lives. These troubled daughters were all-powerful and their stories are told in a coherent manner whereby they each come alive on the page. Many thanks to Chronos Books for an ARC.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this.
More than half the book was about Henrietta Anne.
I'd have given 4 stars if it was just labeled as a biography of Henrietta Anne🤷🏽‍♀️

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth, and Henrietta Anne
Author: Sarah-Beth Watkins
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the author Sarah-Beth Watkins and the publisher, Chronos Books, for sending me this ARC. I promise I will have the other review to you as soon as I can.

So, I have read a number of Sarah’s books over the past couple of months and I must say that I really do enjoy them. I like how she able to fit an entire story into such a small book. Most of her books are under 250 pages, which is nice if you are looking for a short weekend read. I know short history books make some people a little bit nervous, but don’t let that get to you. What Sarah does here, as in the cases of her other books, is that she makes each and every word matter. You don’t get that stuff that really doesn’t add to the story that she is telling. Everything flows and everything fits; she also does an amazing job with setting the scene and making sure that reader knows just enough to understand what is going on.

This focuses on the daughters of Charles I. Yes, the same Charles I who was kind of executed during the English Civil War. Now, a lot of people are probably expecting there to be a lot of information in this book on the English Civil War. I’m here to tell you that’s there’s not. This book is on just as the title says: the daughters of Charles I. Now, I knew about Mary, but I didn’t know about the other daughters. It was kind of interesting to read about them and their lives. Yes, they all had their happy moments, but for the most part, they really didn’t. It really is just amazing how hard life was back in the 1600s. It really makes me glad about all of the technology that we have now.

I know a lot of you are probably thinking: how can their story be told in such a short book? Well, it’s all there and it’s all told in a very well written manner. Again, there was a lot going on in this time period, but Sarah just focuses on the daughters. It’s a good change to focus on them. Like I said, I knew about Mary, but not the others. It’s just almost like main stream history has shoved them to the side and nearly forgotten them, which happens a lot to historical women.

So overall, a very well written book. It’s short, but to the point. This book will be released on April 26, 2019.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading about the wives of Henry VIi in the early 1500's and now about the daughters of King Charles I (himself executed in 1649), I marvel at the fragility of life in the Middle Ages, and wonder that sufficient individuals survived to even propagate the species. Not just poor health, malnutrition, lack of hygiene, and contagious diseases, afflicted the populace. Even the royals were subject to death or worse on a whim. This fascinating narrative examines the lives of Charles I, his wife, and their many offspring.

[Juli Rahel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love history, but reading about history is often more of a chore than a pleasure. History can't be changed, the outcome is set, and, depending on how old the history is, history isn't surprising. Or is it? What the best history books do, in my opinion, is show us the humanity behind the shadowy figures of history. And The Tragic Daughters of Charles I does just that. Thanks to John Hunt Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of the things that fascinated me about The Tragic Daughters of Charles I was the sheer amount of letters that Sarah-Beth Watkins showed and quoted in her novels. History can become dry very quickly when it is recounted coldly and impersonally. By quoting the princesses' letters to their brother Charles and others, we as the readers get a real sense of who they might have been, what their internal, emotional lives look like. For me personally, I loved seeing how smart these women were in how they handled the fraught times in which they lived. Both Mary and Henrietta-Anne were crucial in their brother's attempts to bring Britain back after its Civil War, juggling their responsibilities to their old and new homes. Mary consistently used her power to provide her brother with money and ships, while Henrietta-Anne used her considerable influence in the French Court to barter for peace. Reading the words these women wrote brings them to life in a way no amount of details and facts could.

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I focuses on Mary (1631-1660), Elizabeth (1635-1650) and Henrietta-Anne (1644-1670). There were two other daughters, yet neither survived childhood. Sadly none of Charles' daughters made it to thirty. Although I lived in the UK for a good few years, a lot of British royal history is actually a bit of a mystery to me, especially its Civil War. Much of Britain's history is contextualized in The Tragic Daughters which definitely helped me. Sarah-Beth Waters starts her book with the execution of Charles I as a defining moment in all of his children's lives, before backtracking a few years to describe each child's birth and first few years. Although his daughters are the main focus of the novel, his sons also play key roles. Perhaps the fewest pages are dedicated to Elizabeth, who spends most of her short life under control of Parliament and far away from her family. Mary, Charles I's oldest daughter, takes up the central part of the book, as Watkins describes her move to the Netherlands and her troubles as she tries to fit in. Although both Protestant countries, the Dutch monarchy is very different from the British monarchy, and Watkins describes Mary trying to find an even ground between helping her brother's attempts to regain his crown and settling into her new country. The final part of the book looks at Henrietta-Anne, who was smuggled out of Britain at age 2 by her nurse while dressed as a little boy. Rejoining her mother in France, she becomes an elemental part of the French Court of the Sun King. She is perhaps the most fascinating of the daughters, simply because she becomes crucial to the peace efforts between Britain and France.

Sarah-Beth Watkins infuses her historical protagonists with a lot of life. Whether it is the sibling love shared between them or their own separate trials and tribulations, they feel like real people. I think many of us still hold on to the idea of the princess as being mainly a bartering good for kings, whose sole goal is to provide heirs and then retire to convents when they become inconvenient. Watkins doesn't shy away from these truths, showing the unhappiness many of the princesses felt at being displaced and removed from their homes and families. She also shows how erudite, sharp and powerful these women could be, however, and how much the course of history relies on their behind-the-scenes work. In the end what Watkins really describes is a family torn apart by political strife, scattered across Northern Europe, but united by a common goal. The Tragic Daughters also drives home just how close and connected European countries are, just how entwined their histories really are. In the time of Brexit this is a very important message to bring back.

Although I went into The Tragic Daughters of Charles I not knowing who these women were, I came out of it feeling strangely connected to them. Watkins brings these women to life without burdening the reader with too much extraneous detail. Anyone interested in British history and women in history should absolutely pick up this book!

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France married in 1625 and they went on to have nine children together. Of their five daughters, three survived passed infancy; Mary, Elizabeth, and Henrietta. None of them would live to see their 30th birthday and they would go on to live very different lives.

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne by Sarah-Beth Watkins brings together their stories. The eldest daughter, Mary, was designated as Princess Royal in 1642. At the age of nine, Mary married William II, Prince of Orange but the marriage was not consummated until several years later. Mary was pregnant with her first, and only, child when William died of smallpox 1650. Their son, the future King William III of England, was born a few days after his father's death. Mary was not popular in the Netherlands and she spent a lot of time away. When her brother was restored as King Charles II, she returned to England where she too died of smallpox in 1660. She was 29 years old. It is Mary's image on the cover of the book.

Their second daughter was Elizabeth. She suffered the most under the political unrest and turmoil. She was just 13 years old when her father was executed and by then she had essentially been a prisoner for 7 years; being moved from place to place. In 1649, she requested parliament to allow her to stay with her sister Mary in the Netherlands. She died on 8 September 1650 and permission for her stay in the Netherlands arrived three days after her death. She was still only 14 years old.

Henrietta was born in 1644 during the Civil War. Shortly after her birth, her mother travelled to France - leaving her daughter behind - to ask for the French King's help. Henrietta was put in the care of Anne Villiers, Countess of Morton who managed to flee with the young princess to France when matters became worse. Henrietta grew up at the French court and in 1661, she married the King's brother Philippe, Duke of Orléans. Henrietta was pregnant seven times but only two of her daughters (Marie Louise and Anne Marie) survived to adulthood. She was part of the Secret Treaty of Dover and was finally able to visit England. Shortly after arriving back in France, she fell ill and died on 30 June 1670. She was still only 26 years old.

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne is well-written and finally makes their stories known to the wider public as they deserve to be. I always enjoy Sarah-Beth Watkins' style of writing and she knows her stuff. My only regret is that the book isn't any longer. 

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I: Mary, Elizabeth & Henrietta Anne by Sarah-Beth Watkins is available now in both the UK and the US.

[Kara Babcock]

Reader, I finished the first chapter but could not go any further. The writing (or maybe copyediting) of this book is atrocious.

I know that in this day and age commas are misunderstood beasts of punctuation. As someone very invested in eradicating comma splices from my students’ writing, I tend to lean on the side of using fewer commas when in doubt. Yet this book takes that position to the extreme. The result are torturous sentences sometimes confusing and very often run-ons.

Here’s one example where an overly long sentence requires extra parsing to really comprehend:

In the days leading up to their marriage he stayed in the house of the Earl of Arundel and visited her frequently at Somerset House with gifts of jewels using a key he was given to enter through the garden door.

A painful run-on with a misplaced modifier as a bonus:

Seasick and exhausted from their journey, the group were met by Prince William and his cousins on arrival who had planned to take them by barge to Rotterdam but Henrietta Maria could not bear another moment’s travel on water and they were taken by carriage to the palace at Honselersdijk to recover.

If one of my students—who are adults taking high school credits to finish their diploma—presented these to me, I’d correct these sentences in front of them and explain exactly why and how I was doing it.

This problematic punctuation is the most irksome part of the larger problem, which is that this book lacks a strong authorial voice. I just don’t really get a sense of Watkins coming through. We hear from primary source accounts. Watkins certainly interjects some opinion and perspective of her own, but the narrator’s voice is extremely clinical. It has the tone of a dissertation, whereas I prefer my history books to craft a more compelling, contextual narrative.

Maybe I’m being too persnickety here—it seems like everyone else is loving this one?—but I just can’t do it.

One more NetGalley eARC on the DNF shelf.

[Emilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book and I found it to be quite engaging. I don't tend to read much about the daughters of Charles I as most history books only tend to focus on the future Charles II and James II. It does tend to show more of Charles II's time as a wandering Prince, and later his early reign in reference with Henrietta Anne. Large chunks of the book are focused between their letters, which I did find a little distracting from the narrative. The book itself was skewed towards Henrietta Anne, and I would have liked a little bit more on Elizabeth and Mary, but overall the book was quite good.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I is a fascinating read. I recommend it for those who enjoy reading books involving English History. I give this four and a half stars.

[Andrea Zuvich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews to come on The Seventeenth Century Lady website and in the Royal Studies Journal.

[Elma Voogdt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was time to dive into history again. This time with a book about Charles 1’s daughters: Mary, Elizabeth and Henrietta Anne. The book is called: The Tragic Daughters of Charles I. The Title says it all, a lot of tragedy in the lives of these ladies. It is not a big book, it contains ten chapters, each chapter has its own time frame and topic.

In the book we get to know more about King Charles I and his wife Queen Henrietta Maria and the problems they are facing in that time of period. In the later chapters, we get to know more about their daughters Mary, Elizabeth, and Henrietta Anne and the misery life they lived. The most famous of these daughters to us is Mary.

Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange-Nassau, was the eldest daughter of King Charles I and his wife Henrietta Maria. Maria Henriëtte was the wife of Stadtholder William II of Orange. Mary Stuart was born in St. James’s Palace, London. Charles I gave her the title of princess royal in 1642, establishing the tradition that the eldest daughter of the British monarch would bear this title. Her father’s wish was to have her marry a son of Philip IV of Spain, this intention failed and she became engaged to William, the son and heir of Frederik Hendrik, the prince of Orange and stadtholder in the United Provinces ( The Netherlands), and to Amalia van Solms. The wedding took place on May 2, 1641 in the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Whitehall in London, but was not consummated for several years due to the bride’s young age. In 1642 Maria made the crossing to Holland. In March 1647 her husband William II succeeded his father as stadtholder. Maria Henriëtte had a miscarriage in the autumn of 1647. On November 6, 1650, William died unexpectedly of smallpox. The couple’s only child, William (later William III of Orange, the stadtholder-king), was born eight days later. In September 1660 she returned to England. She died of smallpox two months later at the age of 29 at the Palace of Whitehall and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

The other daughters are less known to us, which made reading this book very interesting. Elizabeth was very young when her father was executed and Elizabeth was put under parliamentary scrutiny. Just held as a prisoner. It was her wish to go to her sister in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, she passed away at a very young age and her wish remained unfulfilled.

Henrietta Anne was the youngest daughter of the English King Charles I and his wife Queen Henrietta Maria of France. In 1661 Henriëtta married Philip I, Duke of Orléans. Philip was the youngest son of King Louis XIII and the only brother of Louis XIV, king at the time. The two were married in the Royal Chapel in Paris on March 31, 1661. The marriage was a complete failure, and Henrietta’s husband preferred beautiful men to battle Henrietta for power. She openly cheated on her husband with the king, and got involved in political matters. She died suddenly in 1670 in unclear circumstances, so that poisoning was suspected. Later this suspicion was denied and it was considered an acute peritonitis as a result of appendicitis.

They are real tragedies, 3 ladies, 3 x died young and all the misery that came in between. Despite the fact that the book is short, the author knows how to give a lot of information about the lives of these ladies. This is partly due to the letters from Mary, Elizabeth and Henrietta inside the book. Not the not the easiest part to read, but very interesting. The book has a very well research. The author gives these unknown ladies a face. A really good thing, because their story must and can be told. A very interesting piece of history.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I, traces the lives of Mary, Elizabeth and Henrietta Anne from their births to their deaths. As I read the first part of this book, the thing that struck me most was the sad circumstances the children often found themselves in after their father was executed. Even the male heirs weren't spared with the passing of their father.

The youngest children Elizabeth and Henry seemed to have been the most unfortunate, as they were handed around to benefactors of the state, often their father's enemies. It seemed clear the new regime didn't quite know what to do with the pair. Mary and her brothers James and Charles, while not immune to the change in regime, were old enough to conduct their own lives outside of England. Mary was able to create an existence for herself as the wife of William of Orange in Holland, and offer assistance to her brothers James and Charles as they attempted to claim back the throne and their place in English history.

Henrietta Anne seemed to me the most interesting of Charles' daughters. She was whisked off to France to join her mother at the start of the English civil war where she was brought up as a Catholic among her royal cousins. By all accounts, she seems to have led a charmed life, especially after Charles II reclaimed the throne. Her marriage to the Duke of Orleans, brother of King Louis XIV, was greeted as a good match, but it was a difficult one. Nevertheless, she devoted herself to promoting peace and understanding between her two countries and the King of France and her brother Charles II.

This is a fascinating account of a family's history, especially the role of women within, who are so often forgotten by history. Not only is this account, well written, but it's also engaging and enjoyable. It is definitely one to read if you are interested in English history.

Thanks to Chronos Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

The period of the English Civil War has not historically been an area of reading interest to me; however, a number of fiction and non-fiction books have crossed my path over the last couple of years and my interest has been piqued. I will preface that statement by saying I was not unfamiliar with the historical aspects.

It is against this backdrop that Sarah-Beth Watkins, rather than focusing on the more famous sons, introduces us to Charles I's three eldest surviving daughters - Mary (1631 - 1660), Elizabeth (1635 - 1650), and Henrietta Anne (1644 - 1670). There were two other daughters, Anne (1637 - 1640), though she did not survive childhood (toddler-hood), and baby Catherine (b&d. 1639).

Watkins presents the lives of these young women in accordance with the chronology of Charles I. We are treated to a family history before we start with the elder of the daughters, Mary Stuart, and then each successive daughter, their lives intertwining, not only with each other, but also with their brothers and mother.

I have not in the past actively sought out books on any of the offspring of Charles I, though Watkins' book does collate the biographical information of the surviving daughters into one. Whilst I would have preferred each daughter to have her own dedicated chapter or chapters, combining them does cut down on the repetition of information, and the use of time markers as chapter headings does given us an idea of where they are placed in the chronology of both their father Charles I and their brother Charles II's reigns.

What I enjoyed, and what readers will enjoy, are the final chapters which sums up the genealogical legacy of Mary and Henriette Anne.

Full review here @ Melisende's Library

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enthralling and fascinating look at a tumultuous period of history, and I loved learning so much about the family of Charles I - it's books like these that make me wish I'd 'got' history at a much younger age as I used to think it was all just very boring and a list of dates! This book is far from that and it is a real life royal soap opera with all the goings on over the years!

Not only does it feature Charles I and all that he was facing, but it looks behind him to his young family and what happened to them when everything was kicking off between the royalists and the parliamentarians. It strips away the pomp and ceremony that normally surrounds a royal family, and you get to see the struggles and the squabbles that enveloped this family as they were torn apart and had to face a very uncertain future.

I loved the added depth to the story that the royal letters between various members of the family added and it was surprising how much the siblings shared in letters between one another - they were very open and honest especially not knowing if they'd ever see one another again as they were all living apart and in different countries.

With many scandals rocking England and France at the time it was just fascinating to have it all set out in chapters covering the various years, and seeing how the young girls grew up and what was expected of them in marriage, and in dealing with ill health made their stories so touching and often tragic and this book has helped me connect with these young women and I'm glad their stories are being shared in this way.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princesses are supposed to have bright futures of glittering balls, grand marriages, and dreams of ruling a country as queen one day. They are not supposed to be moving from place to place, worried about their family, and whether or not their

The three daughters of Charles I led sad and short lives. None of them lived long, and each of them faced different challenges in their lives. From their father being beheaded while they were young, to the struggle of their brother to gain the throne of England, these princesses led very different lives from some of their counterparts. Instead of having grand matches and large doweries, they were living on the generosity of others.

This book was amazing! I can't give it all away, you are going to have to read this one yourself. The sad and short lives of these princesses still evoke sympathy for their short and dramatic lives. Add this to your to read shelf now!

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: This review is based on an ARC I received from Netgalley:

"The Tragic Daughters of Charles I" is a group biography of three princesses. The stories have the potential to be juicy--Henrietta Ann, for example, was Louis XIV's mistress (and his brother's wife). But the problem is that potential doesn't play out here. This is possibly due to material: As we find out early in the book, all of these women had short lives; their siblings died even younger. Add in the uproar of the Civil War and potential for records to go missing, and you have a topic without a great deal of material.

To be fair, however, the brevity of coverage may also be a choice. It may also be just what interests the author, or not--the author's voice here is a dry one, sounding more encyclopedia than entertainment.

That said, there is little historical attention paid to these women (with the exception of Minuette, as mentioned), and so I was grateful for the effort Watkins put into carving this path for us.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third biography by this author and, as her previous offerings, it has been meticulously researched and converted into a very readable book.

The timeframe of the book spans the 1600s from 1630 onwards and it is a time period I actually knew hardly anything about and I have come away from reading this biography a little bit wiser as to what transpired at this time, which includes the reign of The Sun King, Louis XIV, and in fact much of Henriette Anne’s story plays out at his court.

This could have so easily been a very dry biography, but Watkins possesses the skill to convert facts consisting of letters and accounts into a coherent story of the life of these ill-fated Stuart princesses.

If you enjoy royal histories, you will probably enjoy this book and I would recommend checking out all of Sarah-Beth Watkins’ biographies

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s no doubt that this biography of the daughters of Charles I (Mary, Elizabeth and Henrietta Anne) is well-researched, informative and interesting, but it lacked heart for me. I never really felt that I connected with these three unhappy women who had to navigate their way through such turbulent times. It’s a relatively short book, with, for me, an overemphasis on primary sources, mainly letters, which are quoted at some length. Rather than conveying immediacy and authenticity, which I imagine was the aim, they simply slowed down the narrative and were quite tedious to read. A few extracts would have sufficed. I learnt lot, and for that alone I’m glad I read the book, but I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it as it felt rather dry and soulless. An often clumsy syntax didn’t help. Worth reading, though, and a valuable addition to royal biography.

[Francesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles I’s reign had been an extremely tumultuous period in the English history. Charles I was a very unpopular king that was accused by his Parliament of being a tyrant and was executed at Whitehall. Watkins makes a very remarkable description of Charles I’s daughters' troubled lives. They played a vital role given that they contributed to the restoration of the English monarchy and in particular, Henrietta Anne was vital in the signing of the secret Treaty of Dover that marked the end of hostilities between France and England. Therefore, she presents them as very powerful figures that, despite their brief lives, left a strong mark in the English history. Throughout the book we are given the opportunity to read several of the letters they wrote and it’s breathtaking to read how in many occasions they easily sacrificed their lives for the wellbeing of their countries.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The daughters of Charles I are not people that I know a great deal about - the same goes for a majority of the population I imagine! This book uses various resources including sections of letters & other quotes to tell their stories.
This was a most informative insight into these ladies' history. The book was obviously well written & researched. Like many non-fiction books it did get a bit dry & slow going in places but on the whole it was a reasonably easy read. I did enjoy the inclusion of source material - including many letters - but found that this did cause the narrative to head off at a tangent at times.
On the whole this was a good read & an interesting book.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy.

Three princesses, three countries, linked together at a dangerous time for the House of Stuart. The opening pages of the book describe the beheading of King Charles I, setting the scene for the fate and fortune that would await the royal family. Sarah-Beth Watkins gives the reader an in depth understanding of the period with brilliant research, bringing to life the three heroines and the part they played in history. There are tales of flight, courage, marriages and battles, but most of all the love the siblings held for each other. A powerful and poignant read.

[Jennifer Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second non-fiction books by Sarah-Beth Watkins that I have read. I really enjoy her writing style and how she brings history to life. Despite this, I was a little bit disappointed with this book. I was expecting stories about each of Charles I's daughters whereas they was virtually nothing about his first daughter, Mary and the book was mainly about his fourth daughters - Henrietta Anne - life. I also found some of the letters included tedious. I appreciate some quotes from letters to give us insight but many letters were too long and detracted from the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronos Books for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[San · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this book was not quite what I expected.

I'm always interested in the women behind famous men, their mothers, sisters and daughters - history rarely talks about most of them in more than born-married-children-death - dates.

The information (what there is of it) is there, but the run on sentences with little punctuation made it somewhat hard to read.and sometimes it read more like a novel than a biography (inclusion of feelings on relationships without primary sources, court gossip).

It felt to me as if the author found the data she had to dry and tried to glam it up and for a novel (and another editor) that would have been fine - I was not quite satisfied by this.

[M.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tragic Daughter of Charles is a well-named, and well-presented account of the daughters born to Charles I and his wife. The author, as ever, relies extensively on the letters her subjects wrote, and these are often presented in their entirety allowing the reader to understand the subjects well.
In some ways, it glosses over the Civil War and the Restoration of Charles II but this is because the focus is on the daughters/sisters and I believe the author manages to isolate them well from the greater backdrop of events, while also including the pertinent points.
A thoroughly enjoyable, short, read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tragic Daughters of Charles I by Sarah-Beth Watkins was a short, but yet informative read on the short lives of Charles’ wife, Henrietta Marie, and his daughters: Marie, Elizabeth, and Henrietta Anne.
The novel was factual, and demonstrated the sadness, and perhaps loneliness of being royalty. The greatest tragedy is mostly exhibited by the loveless marriages that the daughters were a part of as well as the difficulties navigating the waters of court life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronos Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. 3.5/5 stars.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Watkins has delivered a solid book on another spect of European History. The daughters of doomed Charles I of England either died young or made marriages that were difficult to navigate,. The author provides straight forward a narrative that is a pleasure to read, I always enjoy reading about the royal houses of Europe and how closely they were all entertwined. Any reader of history and women’s history will enjoy this latest contribution. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read exploring the three daughters of Charles 1 and their journeys through life.

The books tells their stories from their early lives in England through their marriages into the Dutch and French courts.

Full of intrigue and scandal this was a thoroughly interesting read which held my attention from start to finish.

ARC copy received through NetGalley.