Here are some well-known historical fiction books and court-centered novels that fit royal life in England, France, and Spain roughly from 1400–1800 AD grouped by country and period
England
- The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, set in Henry VIII’s court and centered on Anne and Mary Boleyn’s rise and fall at the Tudor court.
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, about Catherine of Aragon navigating the English court after coming from Spain.
- The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman, set in the court of James I and focused on palace politics and suspicion around a healer.
- Henry VIII and His Court by L. Mühlbach, an older historical novel that directly dramatizes Tudor court life.
France
- Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund, a novel of Marie Antoinette that brings Versailles and the late French court to life.
- Farewell, My Queen by Chantal Thomas, told from the viewpoint of a court reader during the collapse of Marie Antoinette’s world.
- The Josephine B Trilogy by Sandra Gulland, following Joséphine through the French Revolution and Napoleonic court circles.
- Count Hannibal: A Romance of the Court of France by Stanley John Weyman, an older court-intrigue novel set in France.
Spain
- The Spanish Queen by Carolly Erickson, about Catherine of Aragon from Spain to her life as queen in England.
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory also works well for Spain-to-England court life because it begins with Catherine’s Spanish background and court training.
- For a broader Iberian court feel, look for novels on the Habsburg and early Bourbon courts, though fewer are as widely known in English translation than Tudor or Versailles fiction.
Dangerous Liaisons is a classic French novel about two aristocrats, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, who manipulate and seduce other people as part of a cruel game of revenge, power, and control. It is told through letters and is often described as a psychological story about betrayal, sexuality, and the moral decay of the French elite before the Revolution.
Some historical references to Mary Queen of Scots apart from TV Series Reign
- Mary, Queen of Scots: In Her Own Words is a documentary-style approach and is much closer to historical reality than a dramatized soap-opera version.
- The Virgin Queen includes Mary as a major figure and is usually treated as more historically grounded in its portrayal of the Tudor-Stuart world.
- Gunpowder, Treason & Plot is not centered on Mary for the whole series, but it handles the wider political-religious history more seriously.
Books by Jean Plaidy
Jean Plaidy wrote a lot of historical fiction, mostly about European royal families, especially the Tudors, Plantagenets, and Stuart queens. Here are some of her best-known books and what they’re about.
Tudor books
- To Hold the Crown — the rise of Henry VIII and the early Tudor court.
- Katharine of Aragon: The Wives of Henry VIII — Henry VIII’s first marriage and Katharine’s struggle to remain queen.
- The King’s Secret Matter — Henry VIII’s break with Katharine and his desire for Anne Boleyn.
- Murder Most Royal — Anne Boleyn and the dangerous politics of Henry VIII’s court.
- The Lady in the Tower — Anne Boleyn’s fall and execution.
- The Sixth Wife — Catherine Parr and the final years of Henry VIII.
- The Thistle and the Rose — Mary, Queen of Scots and her early life.
- Mary, Queen of France — Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII.
Mary, Queen of Scots books
- Royal Road to Fotheringay — Mary’s life leading toward imprisonment and downfall.
- The Captive Queen of Scots — Mary’s captivity in England.
- The Fair Devil of Scotland — another Mary, Queen of Scots novel focused on the later part of her story.
Other royal series
- Madame Serpent — Catherine de Medici’s rise in France.
- Queen Jezebel — the continuation of Catherine de Medici’s story.
- Castile for Isabella — Queen Isabella of Spain and her rise to power.
- The Plantagenet Prelude — the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginnings of that royal line.
- The Sun in Splendour — the Yorkist court and Richard III’s era.
Her books usually focus on queens, royal marriages, succession struggles, and court politics rather than battlefield action. They’re generally straightforward and character-driven, which makes them popular with readers who like history told as a dramatic story.
William Shakespeare wrote ten historical plays focusing on the lives of real English monarchs who ruled between the 12th and 16th centuries.
The Major
Trilogies & Quadrilogies: Henry IV, Part 1 & Part 2 – Covers the
rebellion against King Henry IV and the wild youth of his son, Prince Hal.
Henry V –
Chronicles Prince Hal becoming king and leading England to victory against the
French at the Battle of Agincourt.
Henry VI, Parts
1, 2, & 3 – Details the weak reign of Henry VI and the bloody civil wars
known as the Wars of the Roses.
Richard II –
Focuses on the downfall of a weak, poetic king who is overthrown by his cousin.
Richard III –
Portrays the villainous, power-hungry rise and fall of England's most notorious
hunchback king.
Standalone History PlaysKing John – Depicts the troubled 13th-century reign of
the king who signed the Magna Carta.
Henry VIII – Focuses on the king's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and the birth of the future Queen Elizabeth I.
