The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage That Forever Changed the Fate of England

“A rich and riveting read,

a jewel in the crown of

historical fiction.”

—Brandy Purdy, author of

The Boleyn Wife
and

The Confession of Piers Gaveston

The

tolen

CroA wnoveln

It was a secret marriage…

one that changed the

fate of England forever

S U S A N H I G G I N B O T H A M

Praise for
The Stolen Crown

“
The Stolen Crown
is a rich and riveting read, a jewel in the crown of historical fiction.”

—Brandy Purdy, author of
The Boleyn Wife
and
The Confession of Piers Gaveston

“The aftermath of the Wars of the Roses. A new King with a secret Queen; love and tears, loyalty and turmoil. With a single stroke, Susan Higginbotham transports her readers into a vividly portrayed past, where the turbulent lives of her characters become very real. Probably her best novel yet!”

—Helen Hollick, author of the Pendragon’s Banner trilogy “The Wars of the Roses come spectacularly to life in Susan Higginbotham’s compelling new novel about Kate Woodville, sister to Queen Elizabeth of England. A sweeping tale of danger, treachery, and love,
The Stolen Crown
is impossible to put down!”

—Bestselling author Michelle Moran, author of
Cleopatra’s Daughter
“A fascinating and compelling look at a tumultuous era. Susan Higginbotham writes the perfect blend of historical fact and fiction.”

—Elizabeth Kerri Mahon, creator of the Scandalous Women blog “A tale of love, palace intrigue, and betrayal…Susan Higginbotham draws the reader under her spell, her characters vivid and real: their voices, their loves, their losses. She brings the dead to life.”

—Christy English, author of
The Queen’s Pawn

The

tolen

S Crown

It was a secret marriage…

one that changed the

fate of England forever

s u s a n h i g g i n b o t h a m

Copyright © 2010 by Susan Higginbotham Cover and internal design © 2010 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Cover image © Bridgeman Art Library

Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious and used fictitiously. Apart from well-known historical figures, any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Higginbotham, Susan.

The stolen crown : it was a secret marriage… one that changed the fate of England forever / Susan Higginbotham.

p. cm.

1. Woodville, Katherine, 1457 or 8-1497—Fiction. 2. Elizabeth, Queen, consort of Edward IV, King of England, 1437?-1492—Fiction.

3. Edward IV, King of England, 1442-1483—Fiction. 4. Great Britain— History—Edward IV, 1461-1483—Fiction. 5. Richard III, King of England, 1452-1485—Fiction. 6. Great Britain—History—Richard III, 1483-1485—Fiction. 7. Great Britain—History—Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3608.I364S76 2010

813’.6—dc22

2009039226

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To those who died in 1483

Characters

All the named characters in this novel are based on historical figures. I have listed all of them below, except for a few, like some of Edward IV’s daughters, who appear only fleetingly. I have also listed several historical figures, such as Eleanor Butler and Elizabeth Shore, who never make an appearance but who are mentioned by the other characters.

The House of York

Edward IV (“Ned”), King of England.

Elizabeth (“Bessie”) Woodville, his queen.

Elizabeth (“Bess”), their eldest daughter, later queen to Henry VII.

Cecily, one of their younger daughters.

Edward, Prince of Wales, their eldest son. Later Edward V.

Richard, Duke of York, their younger son. Married to Anne Mowbray.

Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. Mother of Edward IV.

Anne, Duchess of Exeter, sister of Edward IV. Married to Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, and to Thomas St. Leger.

Elizabeth, Duchess of Suffolk, sister of Edward IV. Married to John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.

George, Duke of Clarence, brother of Edward IV. Married to Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence.

Edward, Earl of Warwick, their son.

v i i i s u s a n h i g g i n b o t h a m Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV. Married to Charles, Duke of Burgundy.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, brother of Edward IV. Later King Richard III. Married to Anne Neville, Duchess of Gloucester.

Edward, their son. Prince of Wales during Richard III’s reign.

John, out-of-wedlock son of Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Katherine, out-of-wedlock daughter of Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

The House of Lancaster

Henry VI, King of England.

Margaret of Anjou, his queen.

Edward of Lancaster, Prince of Wales, their son.

The Staffords

Henry (“Harry”) Stafford, second Duke of Buckingham. Married to Kate Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham.

Anne Neville, Duchess of Buckingham, widow of Humphrey Stafford, first Duke of Buckingham. Later married to Walter Blount, Lord Mountjoy.

Grandmother of Harry Stafford.

Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Stafford, widow of Humphrey Stafford, first son of Anne Neville and Humphrey Stafford. Mother of Harry Stafford.