I really didn't know anything about Mary Tudor, Henry's sister so this was a great read for more. It had that element that I was looking for and thought everything worked as a nonfiction book. Amy McElroy has a strong writing style and had that historical element that I was looking for.

Mary Tudor, younger sister to henry VIII, either gets skipped over or hardly mentioned in both fact and fiction retellings of the Tudor era, which is a shame, because she had a fascinating life with a romance that ended much, much better than almost any other love story in the Tudor era.

McElory follows Mary's life, mostly through invoices and other housekeeping accounts, but also through high stakes international treaties, letters between kings, and popular ballads. We rarely get Mar's voice, but on the few occasions we do, her voice rings out clear, educated, and determined - this is a woman who knows what she is worth, what she wants, and she is going to get both what she is entitled to and what she wants.

So its no accident that she ends up with the man she wants AND with titles, properties, and jewels worth a king's ransom - even if quite a lot of those jewels are wisely given over to her brother to get his stamp of approval on her second marriage.

Mary might have played the damsel in distress when advantageous, but she was just as determined as any Tudor to get what she wanted, no matter hat the consequences.

McElory points out that, sadly, Mary doesn't live long enough to meet her granddaughter Jane Grey, but that Jane definite inherited a lot of her brains from her grandmother, a woman who understood the power of words and how to use them.

The life of a 16th-century princess is not all that it is cracked up to be. You can have jewels, and glamorous dresses, attend the glittering yet treacherous court, and have numerous homes. You must marry the person the king says you should marry to create strong alliances for the kingdom, so the concept of marrying for love is not in your vocabulary. You had to ensure your opinions were kept in line with the monarch’s views so you didn’t meet a disastrous end. In other words, the closer you are to the throne, the more scrutiny is forced upon you. No one understood this advice better than Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII and the younger sister of Henry VIII. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a queen, a duchess, and a mother. Her remarkable story is told in Amy McElroy’s book, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have read Amy McElroy’s previous books, “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era” and “Educating the Tudors,” and I enjoyed both books. When I heard that she would write her first-ever biography on Mary Tudor, I jumped at the chance to read it because Mary is my favorite of the children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

McElroy begins with a quick overview of the conflict that brought the Tudors to the throne, the Wars of the Roses. The marriage of Mary’s parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York united the kingdom and started the Tudor dynasty. Like any dynasty, it was important to have heirs, spares, and daughters who could be used essentially as pawns in the marriage market to create strong alliances. Mary’s eldest brother Arthur married Katherine of Aragon to form an alliance with Spain and her older sister Margaret married James IV of Scotland for another alliance. From a young age, Mary Tudor was a proposed bride for Charles of Castile, the son of King Philip the Handsome and Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon, who would become Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Unfortunately, this marriage plan fizzled, but another bride groom was waiting in the wing, King Louis XII of France.

Mary’s marriage to King Louis XII of France and her time as Queen of France did not last long because Louis died mere months after their wedding. Now Mary could have returned to England or stayed in France and waited for another royal match to happen, but Mary chose option number three. Mary’s heart belonged to her brother Henry VIII’s best friend Charles Brandon, and the two devised a plan to marry in secret. It was out of the ordinary and it did create quite the scandal, but at the end of the day, it was a love match. Charles and Mary had a family and were involved in court politics including the Great Matter, before Mary died on June 26, 1533.

I think what has impressed me about McElroy’s books, including this one, is her ability to reveal something new to the subject material. While I knew quite a bit about Mary’s life, it was the marriage negotiations and her inner circle that truly fascinated me. If you want a new book about the sister of Henry VIII with new insight into her life and the politics of marriage, I highly suggest you read, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France” by Amy McElroy.

Amy McElroy's "Mary Tudor" offers an accessible introduction to one of England's notable monarchs. As someone with only passing knowledge of Mary Tudor from European travels, I found this biography enlightening and well-structured. The book effectively balances historical detail with engaging narrative, providing valuable insights into both royal life and the broader context of 16th-century England.

While I can't compare it to other works on Mary Tudor, this biography succeeds in making the era and its key figure accessible to general readers. The author skillfully weaves political history creating an informative read for those interested in English history.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword publications for ARC, all opinions are my own.

Front and Center: The Mary Tudor

Amy McElroy stood out right off the bat by expressing her gratitude in the Acknowledgments as the first section of the book. It allowed me to appreciate the community of contributors and support it took to collect and assemble the story of Mary Tudor. It was refreshing for Mary Tudor to have the spotlight pointed directly at her.

Amy wrote the book in a very digestible manner that anyone can pick up and process the evolution of Mary Tudor. The tone of the writing was a far cry from the stereotypical stale and stiff historical timelines. There was a vivid picture painted of lineage of Mary’s ancestors and her own life. A friendly read that can intrigue those ranging from history intimidated to buffs.

This book includes a visual of her family tree, portraits and photos of core locations.

I think this book would make a great reference source for university classes, research papers and history minors or majors to have on deck.

I received a free copy of this book from Amy McElroy and Pen & Sword History. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

1/16/2025

Mary Tudor: Queen of France by Amy McElroy is a captivating exploration of one of Tudor England’s most fascinating figures, a woman whose life story often gets buried under the towering legacy of her infamous brother, Henry VIII. But Mary Tudor wasn’t just "the king’s sister"—she was a princess who married a king, defied another, and somehow managed to carve out a life for herself despite the political landmines of the Tudor court. McElroy’s account of her life gives Mary the rich, nuanced treatment she deserves.

Mary Tudor, often called the "English Rose," was celebrated for her beauty, but McElroy digs much deeper than the surface. She presents Mary as a woman of fierce independence and bold decisions—especially for someone living in an era when royal women’s choices were usually dictated by political necessity. Her marriage to the elderly King Louis XII of France was strategic, of course, but Mary’s next move—marrying Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, for love and without her brother’s permission—was the stuff of Tudor legend. It could’ve cost her everything, yet somehow she not only survived Henry’s wrath but kept his affection.

One of McElroy’s strengths is her focus on Mary’s complex relationship with Henry. As his favorite sister, Mary had more leeway than most people who dared cross him, but that didn’t make her immune to the pressures of his volatile temper and political ambitions. McElroy shows how their bond shifted over time, shaped by Mary’s decisions, Henry’s ego, and the tumultuous events surrounding the Tudor dynasty.

The book also does an excellent job contextualizing Mary’s marriages—not just as romantic dramas but as reflections of larger political tensions. Her brief but significant reign as Queen of France and her subsequent life as Duchess of Suffolk paint a picture of a woman who was both a player in the grand political chessboard of Europe and someone determined to pursue her own happiness in a world that didn’t exactly encourage personal freedom for women.

McElroy’s writing is engaging and approachable without losing the depth of historical analysis. She strikes a nice balance between personal anecdotes (letters, portraits, and court gossip) and the broader political events of the time. The result is a portrait of Mary that feels intimate yet rooted in historical fact.

If there’s a critique, it’s that at times the narrative slows when recounting some of the more peripheral political events—necessary for context, but they can momentarily pull focus from Mary herself. However, McElroy always brings it back to the heart of the story: a woman navigating an extraordinary life in the shadow of one of history’s most domineering monarchs.

At 4.5 stars, this is a must-read for Tudor enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by royal women who dared to live on their own terms. Mary Tudor’s life is often overshadowed by the dramas of Henry’s wives, but McElroy ensures that readers will see her not just as an accessory to Henry’s legacy, but as a complex, courageous figure in her own right—equal parts princess, queen, rebel, and survivor.

240 pages

4 stars

This book covers the history of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and his wife, Elizabeth of York. She was a sister of Henry VIII and Margaret who went on to marry King James IV of Scotland.

Unfortunately, not much was recorded about Mary’s early life. It is supposed that she was raised with Henry and Margaret with the aid of their mother and various nurses, tutors and maids.

Even at age three, offers for Mary’s hand in marriage began to appear.

Following several offers, contracts and machinations, Mary was finally betrothed to King Louis XII of France. Louis was in desperate need of an heir and it is supposed (perhaps), that the elderly King overdid his exertions with his very young bride. The marriage with King Louis XII did not last long.

Following the death of King Louis XII, Mary wanted to marry Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Intense negotiations ensued between Mary, Charles, King Henry VIII and the French delegation. Payments would be made and Mary and Charles would return to England.

All evidence shows that Charles and Mary had a happy marriage until her death in 1533.

This is a very good book. It is full of facts and interesting tidbits. The book is easy to understand and is easily comprehensible for any readers. I enjoyed it very much having not read much about Mary.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for forwarding to me a copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

I so enjoyed reading about Mary Tudor - she has so often been a character in other Tudor history books I have read, both factual and fictional, but has always been on the periphery. With Amy McElroy’s wonderful book she is now taking centre stage and the result is an engrossing and enthralling study of this fascinating woman. From Princess to Queen to Duchess and her roles as daughter, sister, wife and mother Mary takes the spotlight in this excellent book. I would not hesitate to recommend Amy McElroy’s latest work.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Pen and Sword books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3 ⭐️ I enjoyed reading this in depth look at the sister of King Henry VIII.

Most of what is known of Mary Tudor involves her romance and marriage to Charles Brandon, Henry’s best friend. This well researched biography gives a glimpse into Tudor life drawing on historical writings.
All the workings of the court, dowries ,clothes, jewels, marriages, births, deaths are all discussed.
Fascinating!

Thank you NetGalley and Pen and Sword History Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book is alright…I love reading about the Tudors but this felt a little repetitive. It might be the format because the ebook wasn’t separated into chapters. Just kept going without a break in between. It’s a good book but it just wasn’t for me.