1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . .
It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised
bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina.
There are hazards along the way – vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms, and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus.
England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . .
The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.
Acclaim for Carol McGrath’s ROSE trilogy:
‘Powerful, gripping and beautifully told’ KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose
‘A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters’ NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose
‘A beautifully narrated novel’ K J MAITLAND on The Damask Rose
Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London.
The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy.
Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020.
The Silken Rose, first in a medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022.
Carol is writing Historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022. The Stolen Crown 2023 and The Lost Queen will be published 18th July 2022. Carol lives in Oxfordshire, England and in Greece.
Find Carol on her website:
http://www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk.
Follow her on amazon @CarolMcGrath
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My thoughts: I don’t know a lot about Queen Berengaria, wife of Richard the Lionheart, she’s been relegated to a footnote in history books. Married overseas and rarely together, they had no heir and she didn’t come to England during Richard’s reign – to be fair he wasn’t exactly here much, leaving ruling to his mother Dowager Queen Eleanor (of Aquitaine).
The Berengaria in this book is strong willed, intelligent and brave. Travelling across Europe from her family’s kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain) to Cyprus and on to the Holy Lands, where Richard was once again on campaign in the Crusades, attempting to wrest Jerusalem from the grasp of the Muslim Sultan, Saladin.
This was really enjoyable to read, Carol McGrath is one of the historical fiction writers who really knows how to bring history and its people to life. Berengaria and her women, sister-in-law Queen Joanna and the fictional Lady Avelina (created to narrate their adventures and offer a different viewpoint) live in Palestine as the two armies seize and cede territory, exchange hostages and thrash out terms.
They brave pirates and squabbling rulers to travel to France, to Richard’s holdings in Acquitaine, given to him by his mother. Where Berengaria will live out her days after Richard dies during another battle, this time against his old enemy, the king of France.
She lived a long life, and while she never married again, and never sat on the English throne, she deserves her place in the annals of history, not consigned to a footnote.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 
This book sounds very interesting, I’d love to read it
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