A fascinating look at the queens and consorts who loved and hated the rulers of Scotland and forged an empire.

Stuart spouses focuses on the often disregarded by history consorts of the Stuart monarchs. I found it to be a well researched and fascinating portrait of people who were so important at one time in history but have been largely overshadowed by their spouses. I will definitely be adding this to my bookshelves and don’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in this period of history. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review..

I have once again turned to the Stuarts in my non-fiction reading! This has definitely been my Stuart year and I’m happy to be rounding it out with Stuart Spouses: A Compendium of Consorts from James I of Scotland to Queen Anne of Great Britain by Heather R. Darsie. I requested and received an eARC of this title via NetGalley. When thinking of the Stuarts, the first things that often come to mind are sex and tragedy. Charles II was known for his numerous lovers, James VI & I for his dalliances with men, Charles I for the end of his reign, and Anne for her numerous, devastating miscarriages and deaths of her children. The Stuart consorts have often existed in the background, but in Stuart Spouses, Darsie pulls them from the shadows and brings their stories to the forefront.

I think when looking at this title, due to my own silliness, I expected this to be a quick overview from Anne of Denmark to George of Denmark. Stuart Spouses starts much earlier, with the first Stewart monarchs in Scotland. This was an unexpected surprise and I found this material to be really interesting. Most of my nonfiction reading centers on the English monarchy, so I had many gaps in my knowledge here that were filled in as I read Darsie’s work. Darsie also chooses to include Elizabeth Bouchier and Dorothy Maijor, the wives of Oliver and Richard Cromwell. Although not much is known about either women, I really appreciated their inclusion. It helped to smooth the gap between Henriette Maria and Catherine of Braganza and was very interesting reading. I found Elizabeth Bouchier to be particularly fascinating. I think my favorite section, however, in Darsie’s compendium was the bit about Madeleine of Valois the “Summer Queen.” Her story is both somewhat romantic and tragic. I also found the sections about Mary of Modena and George of Denmark to be very informative, as these are both figures that I have frequently encountered in my reading but felt I didn’t know much about.

I really appreciated Darsie’s direct writing style. Everything is explained very succinctly and in a very straightforward manner. The author doesn’t offer character judgments of the individuals presented in the text, but rather allows the reader to make their own inferences from the facts and anecdotes presented in the text. As previously mentioned, without thorough investigation (you know, like glancing at the “James I of Scotland” in the title), I initially thought this book would be something slightly different. It certainly exceeded my expectations. Rather than simply reaffirming or deepening my understanding of the English Stuart monarchs and their consorts, it expanded it (clearly I need to read a bit more Scottish history!) In Stuart Spouses, Daisies weaves together a rich tapestry of history that is both accessible and immensely enjoyable to read.

I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the Stuarts, I know a lot about the Tudor era but not the Stuarts. It was written in a way that worked in this type of book and thought Heather R. Darsie wrote this perfectly. It had that history element that I was expecting and glad it was so well done.