Sixteenth-century Europe: Renaissance masters paint the ceilings of Florentine
churches, kings battle for control of the Continent, and the Reformation forever changes
the religious organisation of society. Amidst it all, three young women come of age and
into power in an era of empires and revolutions.Catherine, Mary and Elisabeth lived at the French court together for many years before
scattering to different kingdoms. These years bound them to one another through blood
and marriage, alliance and friendship, love and filial piety; bonds that were tested when
the women were forced to part and take on new roles. To rule, they would learn, was to
wage a constant war against the deeply entrenched misogyny of their time. A crown
could exalt a young woman. Equally, it could destroy her.
Drawing on new archival research, Young Queens masterfully weaves the personal
stories of these three queens into one. |