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''The Boleyn Inheritance'' is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory which was first published in 2006.〔Phillippa, Gregory,(2006). ''The Boleyn Inheritance'', HarperCollins''Publishers''.〕 It is a direct sequel to her previous novel ''The Other Boleyn Girl,'' and one of the additions to her six-part series on the Tudor royals. (The other titles in the series are ''The Constant Princess,'' ''The Queen's Fool,'' ''The Virgin's Lover,and The Other Queen.'') *〔(The Official Philippa Gregory Website ) Retrieved 16 Aug..〕 The novel is told through the first-person narratives of – Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Jane Boleyn, who was mentioned in ''The Other Boleyn Girl.'' It covers a period from 1539 until 1542 and chronicles the fourth and fifth marriages of King Henry VIII of England. == Main characters == *Anne of Cleves – "The King's Beloved Sister" King Henry VIII's describes the portraits as “… (of a very comely woman )” and takes immediate liking of Anne of Cleves even before she arrives in the English court.〔Weir, Allison,(1993). ''Six Wives of King Henry VIII'', Grove Press.Pg. 415.〕 Upon arrival, Anne has heard of the fates of Henry's women before her: Catherine of Aragon (divorced), Anne Boleyn (beheaded), and lastly, Jane Seymour (died of childbed fever after giving birth to Prince Edward). But she has no choice but to leave her home country because her brother, the Duke wants a political alliance against the Catholic surrounding countries. Thomas Cromwell urges the match but later on paid severe consequences. Immediately after Anne's arrival in England, bad things start to unravel: the king is put off by Anne’s looks, claiming that she looks nothing like her portrait. Also, the king values sophistication and education in women; both of which Anne do not possess: she can only read and write in German due to her informal education. Due to her strict upbringing, she hasn’t learned to sing or dance but is very skilled in needlework. Nevertheless, the king marries her. Anne on the other hand, knows fully that the king is displeased with her so to find solace in her situation, she befriends Jane Rochford. *Jane Boleyn- I am innocent!〔Boutell, Charles (1863), A Manual of Heraldry, Historical and Popular, London: Winsor & Newton, p. 289.〕 Jane Rochford is the widow of George Boleyn and sister-in-law to Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn: both of whom were executed in 1536 for “adultery, incest, and plotting to murder the king.” 〔Phillippa, Gregory,(2006). ''The Boleyn Inheritance'', HarperCollins''Publishers''. Pg. 462.〕 She has been in exile for a while due to the disgrace of her deceased husband, but managed to inherit some of the Boleyn family’s wealthiest estates. Eager to come back to court again, she makes a pact with the Duke of Norfolk to be a lady-in-waiting at the court of King Henry VIII, wanting the duke to secure her a second marriage to any reputable bachelor in Europe. When Anne of Cleves is in distraught of her situation while being shortly married to the king, she advises her on several key decisions that will ultimately decide Anne's fate *Catherine Howard – "I die a Queen, but I would rather have died the wife of Culpeper"〔Phillippa, Gregory,(2006). ''The Boleyn Inheritance'', HarperCollins''Publishers''Pg. 505.〕 Katherine Howard is a lewd, pretty fourteen-year-old girl (the cousin of Anne Boleyn) living with her grandmother at Lambeth Palace when her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, instructs her to go to the English court to distract the king from his dissatisfying marriage with Anne of Cleves. Before then, she has conducted herself very lasciviously with Francis Dereham, as well as Henry Mannox. The king hasn’t taken long to notice Catherine when she does arrive at court. Completely infatuated, the king divorces Anne of Cleves on the grounds of her previously marital contract to be valid, implying that she was once “pre-contracted” to another man. Then, he quickly marries his “rose without a thorn”- Catherine Howard.〔Weir, Allison,(1991). ''The Six Wives of Henry VIII'', Pg. 461.〕 Delighted at her elevated status and wealth, Catherine faces the drawbacks of being married to a man old enough to her father. Her step-daughter Mary, frowns upon her frivolous personality while the king is sickly and overweight with an ulcer oozing pus on his thigh. Meanwhile, the king's courtier Thomas Culpeper catches Catherine's attention, as well as heart. Encouraged by her uncle and Jane Boleyn, she starts an affair with Culpeper. They carry out the deed with Lady Jane Boleyn guarding. However, the forbidden pleasure for Catherine is short-lived. Her past might be seen as unforgivable to the king if ever discovered. Or will Lady Jane Boleyn protect her from it all? 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Boleyn Inheritance」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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