The Loves of Charles II The Wandering Prince, A Health Unto His Majesty, and Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord

Stuart Saga #4-6

by Jean Plaidy

From princesses to country girls to actresses…the loves of Charles II come to life.

Ten years after Charles I was deposed and executed, his son, Charles II, regains the throne after many years in exile. Charles is determined not only to restore the monarchy but also to revive a society that has suffered under many years of Puritan rule, when everything from theater to Christmas festivals was illegal. As king, Charles II throws himself into the gaiety of court life, becoming a patron of the arts and a consummate lover of women. He first secures a strong dynastic alliance by marrying Catherine of Braganza, a shy, plain Portuguese princess who falls in love with her handsome husband and brings him great wealth, but can never give him the son he longs for. For many years, his “untitled queen” is a bold and sensual older woman—Barbara, Countess of Castlemaine—whose husband is routinely paid to look the other way. But when the politically ambitious Lady Castlemaine becomes too powerful, she is replaced by Louise de Kéroualle, a baby-faced French noblewoman who may have been sent to Charles’s court as a spy. His other great love, and Louise’s rival, is Nell Gwyn, a stage actress who rises from the streets of London to become the king’s favorite and a hero of the working class.

Court intrigue and affairs of the heart weave together in this unforgettable page-turner. Includes The Wandering Prince,
A Health Unto His Majesty, and Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord.

Genres: Historical Fiction, British Literature, Fiction, Historical, 17th Century, Stuart, Royalty

608 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 1972

About the author

Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very comprehensive look at the reign of Charles II, beginning at his "wanderings" around the courts of Europe during Cromwell's government and ending at his death. This book is actually a collection of 3 Plaidy novels about the Merry Monarch- each focusing on two of the women he loved, which, when added together, gave a good sense of his amorous, laid-back style. The first story, The Wandering Prince, focused on his sister Henrietta (Minette) and his first long-standing mistress Lucy Water, the mother of his son James the Duke of Monmouth. The second story, A Health Unto His Majesty, detailed the lives of his Portuguese wife Catherine and his infamous mistress Barbara, Countess of Castlemaine. The final story, Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord, was concerned with the end of his reign and his final two main mistresses, Nelly Gwyn and Louise de Keroualle.

[Kait Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever read on Charles II and the women in his life and I was pleasantly surprised by it. A well researched novel that Jean Plaidy manages to weave together and gives us an insight into the scandalous lives of these courtiers. She is able to bounce between so many characters with great ease and still keep true to their individual voices. This has to be one of my top five books of Jean Plaidy and I would highly recommend to readers who want to learn more about the lives of Charles II and his court to give this a shot. Again, it is a very detailed and well researched account of this merry monarch's life. 4.5 stars

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Loves of Charles II was originally three, separate novels, covering the span of his reign and the women he loved throughout it. Of course, for Charles, love takes many forms. In the beginning, we meet Lucy Waters, his first mistress and the mother of his beloved yet turbulent son Monmouth, and his younger sister Henriette. The middle has his unfortunate wife Catherine of Braganza and his notorious mistress Barbara Villiers, aka Lady Castlemaine. The final third is from the perspective of Nell Gwyn and Louise de Keroualle. While there is some overlap between the stories, the tight focus of each keeps the story fresh despite the repetition.

Through these women, Charles II's portrait is of a man who is unfaithful, loving, indulgent, and stubborn. The women in his life chart his rise to the throne and through all of the ups and downs of his reign while adding their own color.

The final part - A Health Unto His Majesty is the strongest entry. Both mistresses have strong personalities, are clever, and avaricious. Their journeys are intertwined because, as one rises, the other must fall. Watching their tug-of-war over Charles is the most entertaining part of the whole book.

In the other books, there's one strong and one weak character. For The Wandering Prince, Lucy is weak of character and weak of characterization while Henriette has a full yet tragic arc. Henriette is also our window into the French court. In fact, her story very rarely features Charles but rather Louis XIV and how her love for these two men almost tear her apart.

As one would expect, Barbara is the forceful personality of her book while Catherine of Braganza is merely a shadow of a character. Her defining characteristic is that she's pining for Charles who is kind to her out of pity. Meanwhile, Barbara schemes, shouts, and pushes her way to prominence. She is a unique woman who demands complete loyalty from her servants and her relatives while being one of Charles's longest lasting mistresses.

While the overlap gets a little repetitive, the different perspectives keep things interesting. The stories center women while the dynamic Charles II weaves in and out of them, grounding the disparate narratives. Altogether, they give a romantic yet dramatic view of the Restoration. This book is highly worth reading and is plenty entertaining in the process.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the ancestors of Charles II was Margaret Tudor, the older sister of Henry VIII. Although Charles was as much of a licentious libertine as his distant relative, at least Charles was affable, charming, and tolerant instead of tyrannical, homicidal, and a serial groom.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Plaidy does an excellent job of bringing these characters to life. I will be reading more by this author.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a little more than others. I think that is due to the women themselves...Barbara Villiers is a compelling person.

[Martha Mandrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by English royalty, and these books explored the life of one of the most interesting.

[Nicky Koon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan.... too dense and too many people with the same name. Didn’t actually finish it

[Mandy Moody · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Loves of Chrles II is three of Plaidy's works combined into one volume. First is The Wandering Prince, which is much less about Charles than about his sister, Henriette. It is also about his first mistress and the mother of James, Duke of Monmouth, Lucy Water. I enjoyed this story, until the end, when I felt it began to drag a bit. I would rate it 3 stars.
The second book is A Health Unto His Majesty, about Charles wife, Catherine of Braganza, and his favorite mistress, Barbara Villiers. I did not like the way Plaidy portrayed either woman, but her Barbara was especially offensive to me. I rated this one just 2 stars.
The final book, Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord, was about Nell Gwyn and and Louise de Keroualle. I liked this book best and felt like Nelly was the only woman in all 3 books (with the possible exception of Minette) that was portrayed in a positive way. In sharp contrast to the other 2 books,t he ending of this one was quite poignant and stayed engaging. I would rate this one 4 stars.

[Cheryl a.k.a Poptart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by Jean Plaidy. I would recommend this book to someone who likes tedious historical reads. This book is actually three books in one. 1. The Wandering Prince 2. A Health Unto His Majesty 3. Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord. Basically book 1, The Wandering Prince is the story of Charles II from his younger sister's point of view and later his wife's. In book 2, A Health Unto His Majesty, is about the life of Charles II from his own perspective. And finally, Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord, is about the life of Charles II from the perspective of his mistresses. So again, if you like tedious reads about royalty history, this is the book for you.

[Kellirina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read - kept me entertained on many a T ride home. Very historical. More of a history book than historical fiction. I liked reading all of the novels in one book, because the bouncing around of character points of view kept me interested. A little bland, but not bad by any means. It did prompt many a jeer on the train, however - as the book is 768 pages and mildly resembles a large phone book - so this book is not for those not equipped with a VERY large bag to carry it in. ;)

[Vanessa Tillery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Historical fiction book follows the life of King Charles II of England. Charles is forces through many years of Exile during the Puritan rule of Oliver Cromwell before he is able to gain the throne. Charles is a man of love and loves many.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the 1st section which focused on Charles' little sister Henrietta, who grew up in the French court and married Louis XIV brother. 2nd section focused on Charles many affairs & Portugese wife Catherine. Not as fun. Didn't read the 3rd section.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always a sucker for English history and I found this to be an interesting story. Not one that you hear about very often (unlike Henry VIII and his many wives). I did find her writing to be a little slow moving at first, but once I got past the first couple of chapters the story picked up speed.

[Marita · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is in 3 parts and the stories overlap so much that I felt like I was reading the same stuff over and over again. Irritating.

[Roni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be my FAVORITE historical fiction! Charles II was quite a playboy and juggled many women at a time-and he could because he was king! Well written-couldnt put it down!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to know more about the Stuarts even if it was fiction and this book of 3 novels was a perfect beginning.

[Melissa Higby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite swarthy king. I read these stories, there are 3 in this compilation, many years ago and have re-read them several times. I just fell in love with this era, this man, and his world.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for British historical fiction, yet this one couldn't hold my interest.