Henri was bartered in marriage to Catherine de Medici, an unattractive commoner and despised foreigner who stood miserable by as Henri became Dauphin and later King, all the while growing more devoted to his famously beautiful mistress. Together Henri and Diane ruled France as one, their intertwined monograms appearing on everything from official proclamations to palace doorknobs. Only Henri's accidental death at the age of forty-tow ended his love for Diane - and Catherine's all consuming envy of her rival. Princess Michael of Kent, herself a descendent of both Catherine and Diane, imbues this seldom-told story with exquisite detail and an insiders grasp of royal politics. THE SERPENT AND THE MOON is a fascinating love story as well as a richly woven history of an extraordinary time.
- ISBN10 0743251040
- ISBN13 9780743251044
- Publish Date 28 August 2004
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 16 March 2007
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Simon & Schuster Ltd
- Pages 432
- Language English