Inspired by Mary's life story, Gregory depicts the annulment of one of the most significant royal marriages in English history (that of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) and conveys the urgency of the need for a male heir to the throne.

[1] Reviews were mixed; some say the book was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others are troubled by the lack of historical accuracy.

In 1521 England, Queen Catherine of Aragon's failure to provide King Henry VIII a male heir has strained their marriage.

George reluctantly marries lady-in-waiting Jane Parker, and eventually admits to his sisters that he has romantic feelings for a man: Sir Francis Weston.

The Queen is banished, and Anne, now engaged to marry Henry, adopts Mary's son to ensure she has a male heir to the throne.

Anne suffers a decline in popularity during her travels abroad, culminating in the King and Queen of France, who do not tolerate her position, refusing to meet her.

Henry suffers an injury to his leg while jousting in 1536, and his time recovering stokes worries that public sentiment is turning.

Meanwhile, Anne grows increasingly paranoid, convinced she has lost the support of her family and the country and that Henry is in love with her lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour.

Mary attends Anne's execution, believing that the king will spare her sister and send her to a nunnery, but Henry does not appear and her sentence is not commuted.