Mistress of Beauty

Mistress of Beauty

Mistress of Beauty is the story of Agnes Sorel, a

demoiselle at the court of Isabelle of Lorraine

who subsequently became a mistress of Charles VII

of France  was given the Castle of Beauty, also the city of

Vernon and other beautiful estates.  I enjoyed

reading this book for the wonderful descriptions of life

at the French court during the Valois era and the magnificent

pageantry of the knights and the colourful royal processions

in which even the horses were richly caparisoned in the colours

of the owners with rich braid threaded through their manes and tails.

This story is quite unique in its telling with the majesty of the royal

castles of the time, the story of Good King Rene and his mother, Queen

Yolande of Aragon, who lived at the Castle of Saumur and the various

members of the royal court and the courts of Lorraine and Anjou.  Styles

of dress, entertainments, jousting and the politics of the time are all

included in this epic story.

 Charles VII’s son, the Dauphin, who later became Louis XI

is a character in the book as is the well known merchant, Jacques Coeur, who

had his beautiful palace at Bourges.  The story of Agnes Sorel is quite poignant and

told from a unique perspective.  It is quite a beautiful story.  The King, Charles VII,

became a more assertive and stronger king more sure of himself from earlier times.

He also became successful and claimed territories from the English with

his new found confidence.

Mistress of Beauty is the second novel in a renaissance trilogy written by

Princess Michael of Kent.  The first book is the Queen of Four Kingdoms

the story of Yolande of Aragon, which I have not read as yet.  I have previously

read The Serpent and The Moon by Princess Michael of Kent which was set during

the time of Henri II of France and is the story of Diane de Poitiers and the king  and also

Katherine de Medici.  This book is also gives wonderful detail of renaissance France and

the life-style of the time.