Queen Catherine's Court

'A good story, embracing character, emotion and drama... refreshing.' THE TIMES

'A splendidly sympathetic and sparky portrait... Wittily written and rich in detail' Miranda Seymour

Catherine of Braganza - Boring? Plain? Ineffectual? Think again.


Charles II's wife was a trouser-wearing tastemaker who introduced tea drinking, popularised card games and championed baroque fashion and art. Her salon culture was infamous for its parties, theatricals and frequent trips to the pub. A Catholic queen in a strictly Anglican country, she was the diplomatic bridge between an unstable Britain and the European mainland, and carefully navigated the treacherous political landscape of Restoration England.


In this illuminating portrait historian Sophie Shorland brings Catherine vividly to life for the first time, revealing a woman who defied the limitations imposed upon her to have a profound impact on the world around her.

Previously published as The Lost Queen.