When the tall, athletic Edward of York seized the English throne in 1461, he could have chosen any bride he wanted. With his dazzling good looks, few were able to resist his charm and promises. For three years he had a succession of mistresses, while foreign princesses were lined up to be considered for his queen. Then he fell in love.

Enter Elizabeth Woodville, a widow five years his elder. While her contemporaries and later historians have been divided over her character, none have denied her beauty. When she petitioned the king to help restore her son’s inheritance, the young Edward was immediately spellbound. This romance was not to be just another fling. Conscious of her honour and her future, Elizabeth repelled his advances. Edward’s answer was to make her his wife. It was to prove an unpopular decision.

Since then, Edward’s queen has attracted extreme criticism from hostile chroniclers, her actions interpreted in the bleakest of lights. In this enlightening book, Amy Licence reassesses the tumultuous lives of the real White Queen and the king she captivated.

• The

  true love story of the young king and the beautiful widow caught up in one of

  the most tumultuous eras of British history, the Wars of the Roses

• Huge

  interest in Elizabeth Woodville because of the phenomenal success of Philippa

  Gregory’s The White Queen

• Reviews

  in the national press to include the Guardian and the Daily Mail

• Reviews

  in history magazines to include BBC History magazine

• The

  author will actively promote the book through her blog and popular Facebook

  page and will be available for interviews