Agnes Sorel: Mistress of Beauty

The Queen of Four Kingdoms is dead. Agnes Sorel, her beautiful and innocent fourteen-year-old pupil, soon catches the attention of the mourning court. As a trusted confidant of the deceased Queen Yolande, Agnes captivates all whom she meets, but none more so than the newly crowned King of France, Charles VII. Employed as a demoiselle to his wife, Queen Marie d'Anjou, Agnes finds herself firmly ensconced in the royal court, and in the midst of her duties discovers a burgeoning passion for the King that she can no longer refuse or deny. As their relationship deepens and Agnes's influence over the King grows, she is viewed with suspicion by the court. Plagued by guilt but unable to rebuff the King's advances, Agnes is forced to choose between her love for Charles and her duty to herself. In this extraordinary novel, Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent tells the little-known story of Agnes Sorel, the first royal mistress, and takes us into the heart of a woman who knew that the possession of knowledge proves to be the ultimate power. Praise for The Queen of Four Kingdoms: "Meticulously researched and powerfully evoked." (Philippa Gregory). "Takes the reader to the heart of this glamorous, dangerous world, and holds them spellbound. I loved it." (Julian Fellowes). "Riveting ...spellbinding." (Mail on Sunday). "A page-turning blend of epic battles, betrayal, seduction and heroism." (Hello).