The company of wolves

The 15th century is beginning to supplant the Tudor age in its allure for historians and novelists. It comes replete with regicide, civil war and — what seems a necessity to the modern market — a wealth of strong queens, or ‘she wolves’ behind every ruler.

Sarah Gristwood’s sensitive approach marks out Blood Sisters as much more than the narrative of an age, however. It is an exploration of what it meant to be a medieval queen. The author focuses on the interplay and interdependence of seven women. We have the formidable Margaret Beaufort, who gave birth to Henry Tudor at the age of 13 and worked tirelessly to beat a path to the Tudor succession; Marguerite of Anjou, who at times single-handedly led the Lancastrian cause; Cecily Neville, mother of Richard III; the unfortunate Anne Neville, his wife; Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII; Margaret of Burgundy, her aunt (pictured above); and Elizabeth Woodville.

Gristwood provides insights into the challenges and risks faced by these characters. Each became entangled in the bloody civil wars that tore their families apart. Husbands were killed in battle, sons were murdered and sudden exile became an everyday reality. The topos of the turn of fortune’s wheel — beautifully displayed in an illuminated manuscript owned by Marguerite of Anjou — is used as a theme for the entire book, demonstrating the pathos of how one woman’s triumph became another’s personal tragedy.

The Wars of the Roses, or the ‘cousins’ war’, as the conflict was known, is a hard enough story to tell at the best of times. In describing what these noble women had in common, Gristwood is able to paint a compelling portrait of this bloody age, complete with the heartbreak and triumphs that went with it.