This is the third and final book in The Norman Trilogy and tells the story of the last days of the reign of Henry I.

His son and wife are dead, and Henry hastily remarries a woman more than thirty years his junior in the hope of producing a male heir and securing the succession.

If he fails, the throne will pass to Matilda, and Henry fears that his nobles will not willingly serve a woman. But after his death this feckless daughter becomes the focus of a line of would-be kings and soon the country is plunged into a bitter civil war that only a child can undo.

‘Jean Plaidy, by the skilful blending of superb storytelling and meticulous attention to authenticity of detail and depth of characterisation has become one of the country’s most widely read novelists.’ Sunday Times

‘Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.’ Observer

‘Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama.’ New York Times

‘Outstanding’ Vanity Fair