In this book, Princess Michael of Kent recounts the stories of five very different women, each of whom became a celebrated royal courtesan - Diane de Poiters, the paramour of Henri II of France, Nell Gwyn, the actress who became the mistress of Charles II, Mme de Pompadour, the chatelaine of Louis XV, Marie Walewska, the young Polish woman who became the mistress of Napoleon, and Lola Montez, the Irish woman who dazzled Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Cupid and the King

Michael, of Kent, Princess

Biographies & Memoirs

Circles Intl

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.

The Queen of Four Kingdoms

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

Beaufort Books

The Queen of Four Kingdoms is dead. Agnès Sorel, her beautiful and innocent twenty-year-old maid of honour soon catches the attention of the mourning court. As a trusted confidant of the deceased Queen Yolande, and despite her shyness, Agnès captivates all whom she meets, but none more so than the King of France, Charles VII, twice her age. Appointed a demoiselle to his wife, Queen Marie d’Anjou, Agnès finds herself firmly ensconced in the royal court, and in the midst of her duties slowly discovers a burgeoning love for the king that she can no longer refuse or deny. As their relationship deepens and Agnès’s gentle influence over the king is recognised, she is viewed with suspicion by the court. Plagued by guilt but unable to deny her feelings, Agnès is overwhelmed to find herself to be his first true love. Her emotion clouds her good sense and she embarks on a dangerous expedition that will prove her undoing. In this extraordinary historical novel, Princess Michael of Kent tells the little-known story of Agnès Sorel, the first official royal mistress at the court of France. It was the king’s own mother-in-law, Queen Yolande who trained Agnès to help him once she was no more, to use her knowledge as much as her famous beauty, as the source of her power to guide him.

Agnes Sorel Mistress of Beauty

The Queen of Four Kingdoms is dead. Agnès Sorel, her beautiful and innocent twenty-year-old maid of honour soon catches the attention of the mourning court. As a trusted confidant of the deceased Queen Yolande, and despite her shyness, Agnès captivates all whom she meets, but none more so than the King of France, Charles VII, twice her age. 
Appointed a demoiselle to his wife, Queen Marie d’Anjou, Agnès finds herself firmly ensconced in the royal court, and in the midst of her duties slowly discovers a burgeoning love for the king that she can no longer refuse or deny. As their relationship deepens and Agnès’s gentle influence over the king is recognised, she is viewed with suspicion by the court. Plagued by guilt but unable to deny her feelings, Agnès is overwhelmed to find herself to be his first true love. Her emotion clouds her good sense and she embarks on a dangerous expedition that will prove her undoing. 
In this extraordinary historical novel, Princess Michael of Kent tells the little-known story of Agnès Sorel, the first official royal mistress at the court of France. It was the king’s own mother-in-law, Queen Yolande who trained Agnès to help him once she was no more, to use her knowledge as much as her famous beauty, as the source of her power to guide him.

Agnes Sorel, Mistress of Beauty

Frank yet sympathetic, often surprising, Cupid and the King is a fascinating and entertaining insight into a controversial and neglected aspect of royal history..

Historical

Deodand Pub

Crowned in a Far Country

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Books by Michael, of Kent, Princess

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Michael, of Kent, Princess. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Cupid and the King

The Queen of Four Kingdoms

Agnes Sorel Mistress of Beauty

Agnes Sorel, Mistress of Beauty

Cupid and the King

Crowned in a Far Country