The Queen of Four Kingdoms - Tapa dura

At the age of nineteen, Yolande, daughter of the King of Aragon, is sent away from her family, her friends, and everything she knows, to marry the young Duke Louis II of Anjou, first cousin of the King of France. Their marriage has been arranged to bring an end to a generation of bitter conflict between Aragon and Anjou for possession of the kingdom of Naples and Sicily, an inheritance they both claim. Despite waiting nine years for her fiancé to return to France from Naples, to Yolande's surprise their union becomes not only a great love story, but also sets in motion events which will change the course of history. As Louis spends more time and money fighting for his distant kingdom, Yolande is left alone with their five children and, as her husband's regent, to govern their vast inheritance. With her wealth, her subtle intelligence, charm and the clever use of her spies, she becomes the saviour not only her own territories, but also of France. Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent unveils this seldom told story, enriched by her insider's perspective of court life. This is an epic, sweeping novel which vividly recounts the true story of England's invasion of France in the 15th century, a dramatic and enthralling period in the history of both countries, witnessed by the captivating and complex heroine, Yolande, known as The Queen of Four Kingdoms.

HRH Princess Michael of Kent is the wife of the Queen of England's first cousin, HRH Prince Michael of Kent. Born in Bohemia, the Princess descends from ancient European aristocratic houses on both sides of her family. With so much history in her personal background, she was ideally suited to write three history books, all best sellers, and translated worldwide. It was the success of these two books that began Princess Michael's lecturing career. Her Royal Highness subsequently completed a further historical biography of Diane de Poitiers entitled The Serpent and the Moon. This book, like the others, has been translated into many languages and won the prestigious Prix L'Histoire in 2005 which was presented by the French Minister of Culture. Prince and Princess Michael lives at Kensington Palace in London with their black Labrador and her Siamese and Burmese cats.