The Queen’s Devotion

by Jean Plaidy

This is the story of Mary II of England and her consort William of Orange. Mary isn’t the most interesting monarch, in fact she has no spirit or desire to rule. She is conflicted her entire married life (from age 15) with whether to give allegiance to her Catholic father or her Protestant husband. Her decisions haunt her throughout her rule, as she cannot appease them both.

Perhaps it is why there aren’t a lot of novels on Mary, but she just is not a very admirable protagonist. She is kind and good, but has no willfulness to take charge of her life and lead a more desirable existence.

While I am always impressed with Jean Plaidy’s meticulous research, political detail and understanding of character and personality, this is not a gripping page-turner. It is, however, an excellent account of the life of Mary II and her role as niece to a king, daughter of a king and queen in her own right, as well as wife to a man she made king of England.