Royal family, royal lovers Book

Often reading like fiction, Royal Family, Royal Lovers offers a rare insight into the fascinating lives of the Stuart royal family: a cousin, denied marriage to the man she loves, dies locked away in a tower; a young prince, intended to be heir, falls prey to unexpected death; a princess marries a German prince, only to find herself a prisoner of European wars; a king-father, noted for his peacemaking, ensnares his country in a war as his life ends; a queen-mother, determined to nurture her young children, finds herself estranged from them.

Although other books have been written on King James of England and Scotland, this engaging biographical account, based on extensive research in primary materials, does what no other study has done. It brings together for the first time information on all the immediate members of King James's family in order to analyze and explore what it meant to be a royal family in Renaissance England.

With King James at its center, Royal Family, Royal Lovers examines his role as son, husband, parent, and lover, documenting his struggle to reconcile political responsibilities with familial demands. A special tension and poignancy run through the family's life, and Bergeron presents an extraordinary family portrait. General readers, along with historians, literary scholars, and those interested in biography and royal families will find here the story of a captivating group of people who, though divided by jealousy, neglect, and the violence of war, were inextricably united by the familial bonds of royal blood.