Mistress of the Monarchy : the Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster

Carrie Benbow - Library Journal: Few royal mistresses have emerged from the historical pages of obscurity, and even fewer have made the transition from royal mistress to royal wife. Katherine Swynford (1350-1403), whose relationship with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340-99), spanned over 25 years, was the exception. In this meticulously researched and highly engaging biography, prolific historian and novelist Weir (Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England) shows that Katherine was a cultivated, intelligent woman who was able to hold the love and esteem of one of the most powerful men in England and eventually marry him. Their marriage was of immense dynastic importance: all subsequent English monarchs were descended from them. Because Katherine left no written records or correspondence, Weir relies on informed judgment to fill in some of the historical gaps. Few books have been written about Katherine, apart from Jeannette Lucraft's academic study, Katherine Swynford: The History of a Medieval Mistress and of course Anya Seton's famous historical novel, Katherine, which Weir admits inspired her to write this biography. Genealogical tables at the end of the book are a valuable point of interest. Recommended for both public and academic libraries.