Patience, Princess Catherine

Young Royals #4

by Carolyn Meyer

England anxiously awaits Prince Arthur's betrothed—the Spanish princess who will be its future queen. But when Arthur dies not long after the wedding, Catherine of Aragon's fate becomes uncertain. Will the king and Catherine's parents arrange a marriage with Arthur's brother, Henry, or will she return to Spain a widow? Through all this turmoil, the young princess's resolve remains unshaken. She will one day be England's queen . . . no matter how long it takes.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Tudor Period, Royalty, Childrens

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Carolyn Meyer is as versatile a writer as you will find. Along with historical fiction and realistic novels for young adults she has written nonfiction for young adults and books for younger readers on topics as diverse as the Amish, the Irish, Japanese, Yup'ik Eskimos, a rock band, rock tumbling, bread baking, and coconuts. And ten of her books have been chosen as Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. In her most recent historical novels she has dealt with the young lives of Mary Tudor, Princess Elizabeth, Anastasia, and Isabel of Castilla, Spain.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This used to be my least favorite of the three Young Royals novels I'd read (the other two being Mary, Bloody Mary and Beware, Princess Elizabeth). To twelve-year-old me, Catalina's life was boring by comparison because no one was trying to actually murder her - at least, not yet.

Catalina, Ferdinand and Isabella's youngest child, is sent to England to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales. But sickly Arthur dies a few months after the wedding. Catalina, now called Catherine, is now stuck in rainy England while her new family, particularly her father-in-law King Henry VII, try to figure out whether she should be sent back to Spain, having outlived her usefulness, or keep her around to marry Arthur's brother Henry when he comes of age. In the meantime, Catherine has to deal with running a household on a shoestring budget and keeping one step ahead of all the officials, both English and Spanish, who would like to undermine her.

Now I enjoyed the book a lot more. Catalina-Catherine emerges as a character who might not be particularly shrewd, but has a strong moral center, and is assertive without being aggressive. This poor woman gave her heart to her narcissistic husband and he eventually took everything from her.

Speaking of the narcissistic husband, Henry has a POV in this book - third person, granted, but a POV all the same. Unfortunately, he doesn't emerge with much of his own personality. He just seems like a nice boy with a crush on his brother's widow. At this stage in his life, he did indeed apparently have a crush on Catherine, but Meyer's Henry still seems far too nice a boy to grow up into the tyrant we all know he became. Perhaps the passages about him are meant to be Catherine's projections.

Meyer gives lots of details about clothes and food, which bring you into the story in ways few other things could. (That cockentrice!). Her narrators all have a certain dignity which makes them believably royal. Catherine might be the finest example.

Anyway, this is a very good book which I recommend warmly to all high-school and college girls who love European history. (I'd recommend it for boys, too, provided they don't break out in hives handling a book with the word "princess" in the title). Younger kids will probably be confused by all the court intrigues, and Catherine is repeatedly grilled about whether her marriage to Arthur was consummated (it wasn't) which might make awkward reading for a middle-schooler. I learned so much from this whole series.

[Emily Farrar · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching The Other Boleyn Girl, for some reason Queen Catherine just seemed to fascinate her, and that's one of the reasons I decided to read this book. Now I feel really, really sorry for Catherine.
She had many years of 'happiness' with Henry (according to this book) but she had such a ruff start, and a sad ending. All young girls dream of being a princess or queen, but for some reason I don't think that part never took really took quite the grip it did in other girls. When I played games I didn't care if I was a peasant or a princess (that I can remember). I guess it was because my older sister and I think sometimes my older brother kept telling how much it would stink to be royalty. This book reinforced that. It really would stink to be royalty from any country in Europe during this time.
Now I am off to read about Cattherine's (although that's not really her real name is it? It's Catalina or something) daughter Mary in Mary, Bloody Mary

[Carol Suraci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent young adult introduction to Catherine of Aragon, and a quick read for parents who might want to discuss the novel with their children.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Meyer that I read this year. The first was The Bad Queen. I wasn't as fond of that one as I am of Patience, Princess Catherine. I think Catherine of Aragon is one of the Tudor wives that gets pushed aside because Anne Boleyn is so much more interesting. This book is part of her Young Royals series, geared toward young adults.

Meyer really brought Catherine to life, and you really liked her and felt sorry for her, because she was a pawn in so many ways between the Spanish and the English.

This book also paints an interesting picture of the Henry, who we see first as the Duke Of York and then as the Prince of Wales when his brother Arthur dies suddenly. Henry is much more likable than I've found him when he became King Henry VIII. Meyer shows the sibling rivalry well and they come across as any other brothers, even though they are royals.

I like Meyer's writing style. As much as I love authors like Jean Plaidy and Phillipa Gregory, sometimes the story can become really dry. With Meyer that's not the case. She humanizes these historical figures, making them down to earth.

If you are interested in historical fiction and like a more young adult approach to writing, Meyer's books are definitely for you.

[Sensitivemuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story does centralize more on Catherine’s life before she became Queen. If you’re a Tudor fanatic the story isn’t anything new, but different style of writing and the way Catherine is portrayed is always something interesting to read. The way Catherine is written in this book is well done and shows her gracefully turning into the strong woman she would become later in her life. You do see glimpses of the young naive girl who was used to being loved, and coddled by her mother and father. (Which is nice to see, there are some novels I have read where Isabelle and Ferdinand don’t even play a role in her upbringing, or are being portrayed as cold blooded parents).

You immediately sympathize with Catherine and admire her strength to survive despite going into near total poverty and unable to provide for herself and her household - what I liked the most was although there were attempts of others trying to run her life, Catherine finally stands up for herself and says enough is enough and makes decisions on her own.

The other main Royal characters aren’t really that big of a central role in this story. You do see a little bit of Arthur and Catherine, however not as much as I would have liked. However, what I saw more of was Catherine and her relationships with her Duenna, and her ambassador, which I thought was an interesting read as in other books I have read, none of that was really the main feature. I might also add...the book doesn’t have the intrigue, and drama of court life that fans of historical fiction would expect. Then again this book is meant for teens and is really just a ‘starter’ book for those wanting to get into Tudor fiction. So if you like all the drama and action of the court, you won’t really find it here. It could actually be rather dry for Tudor fans.

Overall, it’s a great book for young adults who want to get started on their Tudor mania. Despite the way the order of the series is, I would actually suggest starting with Catherine as she was Queen first before the other Royals in the series.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I read about Henry VIII England I always feel bad for Queen Catherine. Between all of his wives the two Catherine's really got the short end of the stick. I knew that Catalina had to wait a couple of years between the death of Arthur to her marriage of Henry but I didn't realize it was seven years or that she basically lived as a beggar during those seven years because Henry VII was such a miser. She really lived up to her best known adjective, patience. She sat there in a foreign country for seven years with no money, no real friends or support system, and patiently waited for her marriage to Henry to happen. Even though on some level she must have known that there was little hope. She also had to live through the schemes that people around her were constantly plotting. I think any normal person would have left England to return to Spain after Arthur's funeral. In my humble opinion I think she would have been better off if she had returned to Spain and married someone else but that is just me. To add insult to injury the daughter that Catherine fought so hard for ended up burning all non-Catholics and receiving that terrible moniker that has stayed with her through the ages. Really kind of sad after all her mother went through to see that she inherited the throne, which of course was Mary's to begin with because she was Henry's only legitimate child, in my opinion.

[Natasha Hurwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read of the Young Royals series. I am very impressed by the narrative structure that Mrs. Meyer includes, which is that King Henry VII's story, along with his sons Arthur and Henry's stories, come in italics before the chapter's actual story of Princess Catherine of Spain. While much of Queen Catherine's historical story is told in terms of the end of her life, and her relationship with King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, this book continues to disrupt, and tells the story of her marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales, and the waiting period between her first husband and her second husband. This book was very interesting, but written towards a younger audience. I would recommend this book to anyone beginning their historical realistic fiction journey in this time period.

[RebelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging read.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. Patience, Princess Catherine is Carolyn Meyer's YA retelling of Catalina of Spain's early years in the Tudor Court, her marriage, teenage widowhood, and subsequent years-long struggle to see her promised betrothal to her one-time brother-in-law, Prince Henry, realized. Framed by chapters where an older Catherine, victim of King Henry's attempts to see their marriage dissolved, Patience, Princess Catherine is a diary-like reminiscence of Catherine's arrival in England, interspersed with brief passages from Henry's point-of-view.

Having just finished Philippa Gregory's The Constant Princess, I sadly found this fictional retelling of Catherine's life sorely lacking. While Meyers does an adequate job sticking to the historical record in that Arthur is viewed as weak and sickly, his marriage to Catherine left unconsummated, facts alone do not a compelling story make. Meyers' incarnation of Catherine is curiously lifeless -- there is no suggestion of the vibrant queen who reigned at Henry's side for over twenty years, who fought for her marriage and position. Catherine here is immature, easily swayed, and -- thanks to the diary-like format of most of the novel -- frankly boring as there is no well-formed narrative, only a dry recitation of events punctuated by fictional insight into Henry's psyche.

Given the inevitable tragic conclusion of Henry and Catherine's marriage, the insight Meyer's attempts to provide into Henry's youthful view of Catherine suggest -- in this context -- that Henry harbored a passion for his first bride. Whether or not this is in fact the case, Meyer's writes Henry with the voice of a man much older than ten years of age when the book opens. Not only does the tone feel off, but these passages in particular are riddled with distracting spelling and grammatical errors, with words misspelled, misused, or omitted altogether.

Patience, Princess Catherine is a textbook introduction to Catherine and Henry -- the research is there, but these larger-than-life characters are stripped of their life and vibrancy, left colorless, pale shadows on the page. Between the characterizations, awkwardly-executed narrative, and abundance of distracting editorial mistakes, I was left rather underwhelmed by this offering in Meyer's Young Royals series. Hopefully, subsequent volumes in the Young Royals series will succeed in bringing history to life on the page in a more vibrant, engaging manner.

[Saige Holcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think "Patience Princess Catherine" was a good book. I like how Catherine always looks on the bright side. My least favorite parts were when Catherine’s Mother died and the ending.

"Patience Princess Catherine" was about a young girl who moved to Spain to merry prince Arthur. A few years later Arthur becomes ill and dies. They then decide for Catherine to marry Arthur’s brother prince Henry. When Catherine had a miscarriage with her son Henry soon had a mistress. Catherine wanted them to stay together so she had a daughter Mary. Still Henry wanted a divorce. Catherine died a few years later and Henry got married to Elizabeth. Then Henry died and Marry became queen.

I recommend "Patience Princess Catherine" to teenagers. It can teach them the history about Catherine’s life and how it ended.

[Caitlinjoyful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patience, Princess Catherine, is such an interesting book, it shows Spanish Princess Catherine coming to England to be wed to the Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur, And when he dies it shows Catherine fighting for her life against the king of England.

This book series shows Strong female Queen's and Lady's fighting against male rulers and justice, for what they think is right.

[Dawn]

A typical Carolyn Meyer book - not New York Times material, but a really interesting light read. I read all of this one last night as it's pretty short. A good airplane read, I should think (unless of course you get airsick).

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

More easy reading on Elizabethan history. King Henry's first wife was a great lady who left home and family to marry King Henry and in spite of him kept her dignity and honor to the end.

[JL05 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book begins with Princess Catherine’s voyage from Spain to England. Not long after arriving in England, she and Prince Arthur get married at Saint Paul’s cathedral. Just 5 months after being married, Prince Arthur dies, leaving Princess Catherine’s future unsure. Eventually a second marriage treaty between Spain and England is signed, betrothing Catherine to Prince Henry VIII (Prince Arthur’s younger brother). However, her good fortune soon fades when Prince Henry is forced (by his father) to call off the treaty. After falling on hard times and not being able to pay the staff of her household, Princess Catherine is forced to ask the English King for help. However, he makes it clear that he dislikes her and therefore, is very unhelpful. As Catherine struggles to provide for her entourage, the king becomes ill and passes away. Prince Henry, being the only heir, is crowned and becomes King Henry VIII.

I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book because of the author's insightful and accurate descriptions of life in those times. Meyer clearly did a lot of research on Princess Catherine's life, while adding her own ideas. The story is not a 'sitting on the edge of your chair' type story but it does have a certain suspense to it. There is nothing about this book that I dislike.

Carolyn Meyers' writing style is educated, sophisticated and has an eloquence that makes it sound as if a royal is really speaking.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in English or Royal history.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is 4 stars book because of the drama action that occurs in this book. For example, Catherine’s husband dies so she must continue on. With the mystery of who will Catherine later marry. So does mischief when Henry betrays her with other women, “ These words echo in the dark chambers of my heart, echo again through the halls of moldering castle where my husband, the king, has made me a prisoner. How could he turn against me like this?” (Pg1 Meyer). The way her life is shows how tricky it is when she has lost a loved one, feels threatened, and when she loses her things etc. This is a good book that teaches a good moral of what to do about love since Catherine was about to be executed she got depression and her life was wild just because of who she married affected her life. This is a good novel showing how we can lose or win but we shouldn't try to fail.When she gets her daughter taken away from her then she feels depressed. Especially how this book teaches us that not all the things we plan turn out to be fine," One day all of you will return to Spain to marry, but I shall live in England for the rest of my life" (pg9 Meyer). Catherine (Catalina) had a strong life but we must learn who is the right person to marry. A good romantic book that fights for herself.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth installment of the Young Royals series by Carolyn Meyer, “Patience, Princess Catherine” follows the life Catherine of Aragon from her betrothal to King Henry VII all the way to her marriage to King Henry VII. It is the true and interesting story of how Catherine struggled to get her marriage to Henry VII allowed and to actually happen.

The story of Henry VII’s life is well known, so it was nice to see a different moment of his life covered. Most of history focuses on Henry VII when he wants to divorce Catherine, whereas “Patience, Princess Catherine” delves into the time before. Catherine has to struggle with the misfortunes taking place in her family and try to gain Henry VII’s hand.

Unfortunately, I have to say that this is probably my least favourite of the Young Royals series, so far. I felt that there was not a lot of intrigue to go with the tale. It dragged and made it so that Princess Catherine was not the only one who had to be patient. I understand that the story is about Catherine waiting to marry Henry VII, but that does not mean that the reader has to wait to. The story was not interesting and fell short, especially compared to the last novel in the series (Doomed Queen Anne).

I still find the Young Royals series interesting. I enjoy learning more about history, especially when it is filled with intrigue. The next, and last, three books of the series are not part of Henry VII’s life. I am looking forward to seeing how Meyer writes other times in history.

[Angi · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I have to say that I am a adorer of Catherine of Aragon. I mean which woman would stay in a Country whithout parents money or the understanding of the language? She endured it with patience even through it challenged her hard.
But I didn't really like the swipes the author made. I mean I thought the book was manly about Catherine but the swipes to Henry VIII weren't that interesing to me. I liked the friendship they build up in the beginning. it was kinda cute how Henry taught her little by little french. But all we might get is a teenage girl who cries because she has nothing (Yeah that's historical correct)but come on there was space for more!
for my point I would have liked if there were more conversations between Catherine and Athur or Henry at the beginning or with the princessess.

Since this book was out of the point by Catherine and a back telling (acutally the book takes place in 1533) it's acceptable. I enjoyed the read.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spanish Princess Catherine was sent to England to marry Princess Arthur Tudor, the future King. A few months after their wedding, Arthur died, but Catherine stayed in England. For many years, her future remained uncertain. Will she go home to Spain or marry Arthur’s younger brother Henry? Catherine must be patient while she waits, determined to one day be Queen of England.

This is a great middle grade adaptation of Catherine of Aragon’s life. It told her story leading up to her marriage to Henry VIII. Each chapter began with a passage about what Henry was doing at the time and what his feelings were towards Catherine. The story focused on the big events that happened over the eight years that Catherine was left waiting to be Queen.

Patience, Princess Catherine is a great middle grade story for readers interested in history.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of all of the books in this series, this is the only book that avoids the pitfalls common to works of historical fiction that deal with well-known historical actors. Unlike other books in this series from Meyer, Meyer confines the bulk of the narrative to the time when Catherine actually was a "young" royal. This fact, more than any other, kept me reading and intrigued.

Out of all of the books in this series, I recommend this one, and only this one.

[Gracie Knudson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not one of my favorites. While I enjoyed learning about Queen Catherine’s early days, the book dragged on at times. Just because Catherine had to wait years to marry Henry doesn’t mean the readers should have to wait for the plot to advance. While I learned more about Henry’s early days and his controlling father, his perspective didn’t add much to the plot. I’m hoping that the next book is more focused and plot-driven.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it! Learning her story and seeing it from her perspective was extremely enlightening. I was just left with this “Wow...” feeling from everything she went through. I felt her betrayal when Henry went to other women, and I mourned when Arthur died. Her determination and perseverance are incredible. There are several references to “the conjugal act” of marriage.

[Lindsay Bragg · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting (mostly true) story, but nearly half was told by and about Henry the Eighth and his feelings and private thoughts, which served to complete the story, but felt wrong in a story about Catherine.

[Betty Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book, and I spent the vast majority of it feeling bad for Catalina. She had so many terrible things happen to her and so many people take advantage of her or use her as a pawn, because she had no real power of her own. (P. S. Old English customs were soooo weeeeeird.)

[Celeste Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for students interested in the history of Henry the VIII. This book follows the perspective of Catherine (Catalina) of Aragon when she first arrives in England and the events that occur before she marries Henry.

[Etta Mcquade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine of Aragon becomes a teenage widow and lives a rough life in England until she marries her dead husband's brother who becomes Henry VIII. I felt the story of her widowed life was somewhat tedious, especially knowing what happens to her after her marriage to Henry and how he treats her.

[Claudia Staude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light reading on familiar historical topic. Caroline Meyer has a gift for immersing readers in the world of her characters. Catherine of Aragon has always been a woman whose strength versus the odds impressed me.

[Chloe :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, this one was just like all the others in this series. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but despite each book focusing on a different royal subject, they all read the same. Anyway, I did find parts of this book interesting, but I am not sure how much of it is based in fact.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Carolyn Meyer doesn't disappoint. Never too much fluff, and just enough details to keep it juicy!

[Diana Valdivia-Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the life of Catherine of Aragon in England and how would someday become queem of England. She has to be patient in order to become queen.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The early life of Katherine of Aragon told for a fairly young audience (10-14). Good but not terribly complex.