The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

The Basics

Book Info: The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. In this novel, Gregory continues her work in the Tudor era.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot Overview: Mary, Queen of Scots, is often given a bad rap throughout history.  However, Gregory humanizes our perspective by giving us a view of her life during the years she spent in captivity with the Talbots of Shrewsbury.

Jumping In
Importance of the Title: “The Other Queen” refers to Mary, Queen of Scots. In a time when Elizabeth was so popular, Mary was still looked at by many as the true error to the throne. 

Point-of-View/Style: The Other Queen is written in 3 different points of view.  This style has become popular lately, as it allows us to see a story from multiple perspectives.  As such, we still hold sympathy with characters we might otherwise detest.  Gregory writes here in the perspective of George and Bess Shrewsbury, as well as Mary herself.

Themes: We see a lot about women here, and their role in society.  Often, we hear about women throughout history not making much of a difference, and not having much control.  In The Other Queen, we get a different story.  Bess of Hardwick (Shrewsbury), Queen Elizabeth, and Mary, Queen of Scots each have large roles in society and their households.  Bess has worked from the ground up to create a life for herself, and Elizabeth and Mary were each from royal blood (Elizabeth having been declared a bastard and then coming to the throne).  This is a great story for looking at women in power during the Tudor era.

Also, in a story like this, it’s inevitable that Gregory must write about marriage in Tudor England.  By writing in the perspectives of George and Bess Shrewsbury, we can see an intimate look at the politics of their marriage, and how the stress of having a royal “guest” impacted it.  Also, Queens Elizabeth and Mary have their own views on marriage that come into play here.  Of course, a discussion of marriage wouldn’t be complete without writing of love.  In Tudor England, marriage and love did not always go hand in hand. People married for political reasons, and hoped that a partnership at the least would come out of it later.  Additionally, there’s the aspect of “courtly love”, which is something else entirely, and also meant for political gain.

My Notes

Likes & Dislikes: This book often gets a bad rap from reviewers and readers alike. Many say Gregory phoned it in through her use of first person writing from three different perspectives. I disagree.  I think that this format worked for the plot, and the characters were well developed with distinct personalities.  To naysayers, I would just say that writing in a certain way just because it’s harder doesn’t necessarily make the story better. I feel like it was a good read, and I was engaged the entire time.

What Questions I’m Left With: Tudor England, by most accounts, ends with Queen Elizabeth.  However, Mary, Queen of Scots was Elizabeth’s cousin, and since Elizabeth had no heir, the throne went to James VI of Scotland (Mary’s son).  He became King James I of England.  It seems natural that Gregory would go on to write about this King whose Bible still remains in circulation today.

What this Book Makes Me Think About: If you trace my family’s lineage back (ok, WAY back), I’m related to Mary, Queen of Scots.  I’ve always been interested in this particular era, and the stories of Elizabeth I are fascinating.  Through the eyes of two of her loyal subjects, as well as her royal prisoner, we get a completely different perspective of Queen Elizabeth as well as Mary, Queen of Scots.