The Serpent and the Moon by Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Michael of Kent was born on 15 January 1945, in Karlovy Vary (formerly Carlsbad), in then-German-populated Sudetenland, in what is now the Czech Republic, near the family estates of her Austrian maternal grandmother, Princess Hedwig Windisch-Graetz, prior to the defeat and the end of Nazi Germany and of World War II in Europe, and the following expulsion of the German population later that year. The Kents do not officially carry out royal duties, although they have on occasion represented Queen Elizabeth II at functions abroad. She also undertakes lecture tours, and supports her husband in his public work. Princess Michael is an author, and has published several books on the royal families of Europe. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V. Princess Michael of Kent (Marie Christine née Baroness Marie Christine Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945), is a German-Born member of the British Royal Family. The Serpent and the Moon is a fascinating love story as well as a richly woven history of an extraordinary time. Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent, herself a descendant of both Catherine and Diane, imbues this seldom-told story with an insider's grasp of royal life. Meanwhile, Catherine took as her secret motto the words 'Hate and Wait' and lived for the day Diane would die and she could win Henri's love and rule by his side. When Henri eventually became king, he and Diane ruled France as one. When Catherine met Henri on her wedding day, she fell instantly in love, but Henri could see no one but the beautiful Diane. At its heart is one of the world's greatest love stories: the lifelong devotion of King Henri II of France to Diane de Poitiers, a beautiful aristocrat who was nineteen years older than her lover.Īt age fourteen, Henri was married to fourteen-year-old Catherine de' Medici, an unattractive but extremely wealthy heiress who was to bring half of Italy to France as her dowry. Set against the stunning backdrop of Renaissance France, The Serpent and the Moon is a true story of love, war, intrigue, betrayal, and persecution.

The Serpent and the Moon by Princess Michael of Kent