William's Mary: a biography of Mary II 0241020107, 9780241020104

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ELIZABETH HAMILTON

$12.95

WILLIAM’S MARY Elizabeth Hamilton Very little has been written about Mary II as a queen in her own right; her name is almost always coupled with that of her husband, William of Orange, and a detailed study of her life, particularly during the years when William was abroad and she reigned alone, has long been sought by historians. Written by the author of THE BACKSTAIRS DRAGON, which Choice deemed “indispensable for all academic collections of British history,” this compelling biography of Mary II shows her as an attractive, artistic woman, beloved by her subjects, who wielded more influence over her husband than is generally realized. Married when Mary was only fifteen, after an unpromising start the *£OUple forged an affectionate relationship strong enough to survive the machinations of many plotters including her own father, James II, and later her sister, Anne. Although she was at the very hub of the Catholic-Protestant controversy of her time, and forced by circumstance to become a queen, Mary had “no heart for a kingdom.” A devout, charmingly simple person, notable for her patronage of Wren and other artists, she was happiest when watching the building at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace, or when arranging her pictures and collections of porcelain.

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