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My Royal Story
My Tudor Queen: The Diary of Eva De Puebla, London, 1501-1513
Eva De Puebla comes to England as lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish bride of Arthur, Prince of Wales. Witness the pomp, plots and political wrangling of the Tudor court of Henry VII in her diary. In the MY STORY series.
176 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 14, 2010
I bought this for my 8yo daughter but I think it might be a couple of years until she will enjoy. The women in our family have a somewhat fascination with the Tudor era so I figured I may as well start her early :)
The book is a diary format and was an interesting look at life during the turmoil of the years following Catherine's arrival in England. There was a lot of political information which, while interesting, took away somewhat from the fact this was a diary of a lady-in-waiting. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more details about their daily lives. I have a similar one about Mary Queen of Scots which is next for me to read. I know less about her story so perhaps I will enjoy the political information more in that one.
The book is a diary format and was an interesting look at life during the turmoil of the years following Catherine's arrival in England. There was a lot of political information which, while interesting, took away somewhat from the fact this was a diary of a lady-in-waiting. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more details about their daily lives. I have a similar one about Mary Queen of Scots which is next for me to read. I know less about her story so perhaps I will enjoy the political information more in that one.
April 3, 2022
3.5 stars
October 24, 2009
This book is one in the My Story series. The books in this series are fictional diaries of young girls living during different periods of British, Scottish, and Irish history.
Sixteen-year-old Eva De Puebla comes to England in 1581 as lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess who is to marry Prince Arthur, heir to the throne of England. Eva has been chosen to accompany Catherine because she is her close childhood friend. But as the years go by, although the girls remain friends, their lives grow far apart. Arthur dies not long after the marriage, and though Catherine is eventually able to marry the younger brother and new heir, Henry, their marriage becomes strained as Catherine fails to produce a living child. Meanwhile, Eva has found happiness in love and marriage and having a child, but mourns for her dear friend's lost dreams.
This book is written in the form of Eva's diary from 1501-1513. I loved this book, especially since I really enjoy reading about this time period, but I did have one complaint. Since the book covered such a long period of time, I feel it could have been at least fifty pages longer. I still recommend it to young readers and teens who enjoy fictional historical diaries.
Sixteen-year-old Eva De Puebla comes to England in 1581 as lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess who is to marry Prince Arthur, heir to the throne of England. Eva has been chosen to accompany Catherine because she is her close childhood friend. But as the years go by, although the girls remain friends, their lives grow far apart. Arthur dies not long after the marriage, and though Catherine is eventually able to marry the younger brother and new heir, Henry, their marriage becomes strained as Catherine fails to produce a living child. Meanwhile, Eva has found happiness in love and marriage and having a child, but mourns for her dear friend's lost dreams.
This book is written in the form of Eva's diary from 1501-1513. I loved this book, especially since I really enjoy reading about this time period, but I did have one complaint. Since the book covered such a long period of time, I feel it could have been at least fifty pages longer. I still recommend it to young readers and teens who enjoy fictional historical diaries.
February 21, 2015
Eva de Puebla travels to England from Spain with her childhood friend and princess: Catherine of Aragon. During the turbulent times of Henry VII and Henry VIII’s reigns, Eva’s diary tells of her and Catherine’s story from 1501 to 1513, following romance and misery, joy and war.
This book was the first I had read of the My Story series. This series follows both girls and boys through different stages of history, such as the Blitz, the Irish famine of the 1840s and Roman invasions of Britain. They’re written as diary entries, which can be great reading for younger readers but also intriguing for older generations.
The story, as said in the summary above, follows fictional Eva de Puebla from Spain to England. The My Story series are historically accurate, and, whilst I know basics of the Tudor era, this book furthered my knowledge. For example, I didn’t know that Catherine of Aragon married Henry VIII’s older brother, Arthur, before being married to the King. And although Eva didn’t actually exist, I thought she was written very realistically.
I enjoyed reading about Eva, but she did feel a bit like a 2D character, and her writing wasn’t very enthusiastic. However, I did like her writing about her – again, fictional – partner, Michel Valjean. Their romance was just adorable. I liked how the romance fitted in with the ‘main’ plotline, too.
You may be wondering why I put ‘main’ in inverted commas. Well, there didn’t really seem to be a plotline. Sure, it followed history, but the novel covered twelve years in only 151 pages. Sometimes there were only 3 entries for one whole year! It’s clear that the author was trying to stay historically accurate, but I would have enjoyed a bit more detail, such as setting the scene etc. For me, there wasn’t enough detail, although I’m sure it would satisfy its intended audience, which are younger readers.
At the end of the novel was a timeline, a ‘Historical Note’ and pictures of personas such as Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII as well as photographs of paintings of palaces etc. I found these a pleasant added extra which really brought out the rest of the novel.
One thing that irritated me was the continued use of the word ‘Tudor’ to describe the period of time Eva was living in. In the 16th Century, the word ‘Tudor’ was seldom used so as not to associate the word with Wales, and the transition from Stuart to Tudor – it could have been used by Henry VII’s opponents. Even in Elizabeth’s reign, British citizens didn’t associate it with the Tudor era. According to Cliff Davies of Oxford University, ‘The word…is used obsessively by historians. But it was almost unknown at the time.’ This is a personal pet peeve because it suggests the author hasn’t done her research. If something is meant to be real, it has to be presented as such and having incorrect terms of phrase used when they were not used irritates me but also wrongly informs others and, if you suggest this to a younger reader who would be right to believe the history, they need to be informed that the word ‘Tudor’ was not actually used until the 18th Century to describe the dynasty. Source.
I would recommend this novel primarily for younger readers, 9+, or even as young as 7 or 8. Of course older readers can enjoy these too, but they may be too simplistic for some. An interest in the Tudors would be helpful to get the most out of the book – perhaps if they’re an area of study (in my primary school, at least, we spent a term or two studying the Tudors, and I would really have liked to have read this then). Whilst this wasn’t perhaps as detailed as I would have liked, I have always been curious about the My Story series but never read any, so I might try a couple more from periods of time such as WWII or Ancient Greece, Egypt or Rome, four areas of history which really interest me. That is the good thing about the series – there are plenty of books to choose from!
This book was the first I had read of the My Story series. This series follows both girls and boys through different stages of history, such as the Blitz, the Irish famine of the 1840s and Roman invasions of Britain. They’re written as diary entries, which can be great reading for younger readers but also intriguing for older generations.
The story, as said in the summary above, follows fictional Eva de Puebla from Spain to England. The My Story series are historically accurate, and, whilst I know basics of the Tudor era, this book furthered my knowledge. For example, I didn’t know that Catherine of Aragon married Henry VIII’s older brother, Arthur, before being married to the King. And although Eva didn’t actually exist, I thought she was written very realistically.
I enjoyed reading about Eva, but she did feel a bit like a 2D character, and her writing wasn’t very enthusiastic. However, I did like her writing about her – again, fictional – partner, Michel Valjean. Their romance was just adorable. I liked how the romance fitted in with the ‘main’ plotline, too.
You may be wondering why I put ‘main’ in inverted commas. Well, there didn’t really seem to be a plotline. Sure, it followed history, but the novel covered twelve years in only 151 pages. Sometimes there were only 3 entries for one whole year! It’s clear that the author was trying to stay historically accurate, but I would have enjoyed a bit more detail, such as setting the scene etc. For me, there wasn’t enough detail, although I’m sure it would satisfy its intended audience, which are younger readers.
At the end of the novel was a timeline, a ‘Historical Note’ and pictures of personas such as Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII as well as photographs of paintings of palaces etc. I found these a pleasant added extra which really brought out the rest of the novel.
One thing that irritated me was the continued use of the word ‘Tudor’ to describe the period of time Eva was living in. In the 16th Century, the word ‘Tudor’ was seldom used so as not to associate the word with Wales, and the transition from Stuart to Tudor – it could have been used by Henry VII’s opponents. Even in Elizabeth’s reign, British citizens didn’t associate it with the Tudor era. According to Cliff Davies of Oxford University, ‘The word…is used obsessively by historians. But it was almost unknown at the time.’ This is a personal pet peeve because it suggests the author hasn’t done her research. If something is meant to be real, it has to be presented as such and having incorrect terms of phrase used when they were not used irritates me but also wrongly informs others and, if you suggest this to a younger reader who would be right to believe the history, they need to be informed that the word ‘Tudor’ was not actually used until the 18th Century to describe the dynasty. Source.
I would recommend this novel primarily for younger readers, 9+, or even as young as 7 or 8. Of course older readers can enjoy these too, but they may be too simplistic for some. An interest in the Tudors would be helpful to get the most out of the book – perhaps if they’re an area of study (in my primary school, at least, we spent a term or two studying the Tudors, and I would really have liked to have read this then). Whilst this wasn’t perhaps as detailed as I would have liked, I have always been curious about the My Story series but never read any, so I might try a couple more from periods of time such as WWII or Ancient Greece, Egypt or Rome, four areas of history which really interest me. That is the good thing about the series – there are plenty of books to choose from!
July 29, 2014
As an ardent and avid lover of all this Tudor related, I was very excited about finding this book. The reading level was more for teens than a 21-year old woman, but occasionally I enjoy reading young adult books. However, I was unbelievably disappointed by this book. It spans 12 years in less than 200 pages; there is often no more than three "entries" per year! It took me weeks to read it because I was so utterly bored with it. Eva, the girl whose diary it is, is immensely annoying, constantly remarking how she really has no desire to keep a diary, no desire to write in it, etc. She gives the most basic descriptions of the events happening, and from the way the entires are written, it seems like she's burdened by the task of writing things down in her diary. There is no substance or anything interesting in this book, and I do not recommend it whatsoever. It is far too simple and boring for even a young teen, and you can honestly get more information from a Wikipedia entry than from this book.
May 19, 2009
Alison Prince has done a really good job with this book. The story is well written and captures life in Tudor times well. The images and timelines featured after the diary enhance the educational benefits too. Any young person who is finding history boring should grap a copy of the My Story diaries and may be plesantly suprised.
November 7, 2012
I really liked this book! It's about Catherine Of Aragon's earlier years before she got divorced and was stripped of her title. The persons who's diary it is is Catherine's childhood friend Eva who is also Spanish. Eva and Catherine are so loyal to each other even though Catherine is a princess and it shows in the book. By all means go ahead and read it!
September 23, 2014
A really good read and a way of enjoying history from 'behind the scenes' as it were through the life of one of the ladies of the court & her diary.Can't wait for Milly to read it now as she loves these type of books.
June 7, 2023
Another quick one that I could pick up and put down at a moment's notice.
This fictional diary of a girl in Catherine of Aragon's train as she comes to the English Court to marry Prince Arthur follows the same pattern as the rest of the books in the series. However, there is one small difference; this one actually links directly to another book. The main character in this one, Eva De Puebla, is the mother of the main character in the book I read yesterday, 'Anne Boleyn and Me' (although this book ends before Elinor is born). It's a nice addition, as you get the view of the whole of Catherine of Aragon's English life through the eyes of one family, and the narrative all ties together really well.
This one feels like it has more personality behind it though; I feel like I know more about Eva and her life and thoughts. The author has achieved more of the diary feel in this one, rather than just a simple recounting of events.
That being said, again it is stretched out over a long time period, and so there are some quite big omissions - very little is said about Catherine's marriage to Arthur; one moment they're married and the next he's passed away. Given that very little is known about that period, it does feel like an opportunity has been missed to weave a little tale into that gap. Likewise, the years that Catherine spends waiting for her fate to be decided are really only marked out by the effect of the various Spanish ambassadors, rather than by the daily struggles. I do wonder if this book would have been better focusing on these aspects and telling Eva's story, ending with the triumphant wedding of Henry and Catherine.
I'm not sure that this one would hold a child's attention as much as others in the series, but as an introduction to the 'did they didn't they?' question that leads to the King's Great Matter, it's a well written piece that goes into enough detail so that the reader can understand, but not so much that you wouldn't feel comfortable giving it to a child to read.
This fictional diary of a girl in Catherine of Aragon's train as she comes to the English Court to marry Prince Arthur follows the same pattern as the rest of the books in the series. However, there is one small difference; this one actually links directly to another book. The main character in this one, Eva De Puebla, is the mother of the main character in the book I read yesterday, 'Anne Boleyn and Me' (although this book ends before Elinor is born). It's a nice addition, as you get the view of the whole of Catherine of Aragon's English life through the eyes of one family, and the narrative all ties together really well.
This one feels like it has more personality behind it though; I feel like I know more about Eva and her life and thoughts. The author has achieved more of the diary feel in this one, rather than just a simple recounting of events.
That being said, again it is stretched out over a long time period, and so there are some quite big omissions - very little is said about Catherine's marriage to Arthur; one moment they're married and the next he's passed away. Given that very little is known about that period, it does feel like an opportunity has been missed to weave a little tale into that gap. Likewise, the years that Catherine spends waiting for her fate to be decided are really only marked out by the effect of the various Spanish ambassadors, rather than by the daily struggles. I do wonder if this book would have been better focusing on these aspects and telling Eva's story, ending with the triumphant wedding of Henry and Catherine.
I'm not sure that this one would hold a child's attention as much as others in the series, but as an introduction to the 'did they didn't they?' question that leads to the King's Great Matter, it's a well written piece that goes into enough detail so that the reader can understand, but not so much that you wouldn't feel comfortable giving it to a child to read.
January 7, 2026
This wasn't a proper highlight of the year for me, but it was still a good book. This book offers a fictionalized diary-style narrative that transports readers to the glittering yet treacherous world of the early Tudor court. Written from the perspective of Eva, a fictional lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, the novel begins in 1501 as the young Spanish princess prepares to leave her homeland and marry Arthur, Prince of Wales. What follows is a story woven with royal ceremony, cultural dislocation, and the quiet tensions of political alliance—set against a backdrop of looming personal tragedy. The author masterfully portrays the compelling story of a young Spanish woman adapting to a new and challenging royal court, providing a personal look at the early life of a famed queen. The novel vividly recreates the lavish settings, strict protocols, and restrictive roles imposed on women seeking power, drawing readers into a world of political maneuvering and constraint. Told through Eva’s sensitive and insightful voice, the narrative reveals Catherine’s strength, dignity, and unwavering determination, revealing the human side of a legendary figure. However, while the book is an enjoyable and accessible read, particularly for younger audiences or those new to Tudor history, it doesn’t quite reach the emotional or literary heights one might hope for. The prose is straightforward and at times feels overly simplistic, which may appeal to middle-grade readers but might leave older or more discerning historical fiction fans wanting more depth. The historical figures, especially Catherine herself, feel somewhat distant—seen through a veil of deference and restraint that keeps them from fully coming to life. In the end, 'Catherine of Aragon' wasn’t my favourite book—certainly not among the more gripping or memorable portrayals of the Tudor era—but it was a nice, undemanding read. It serves its purpose as historical fiction for younger audiences or casual readers seeking a window into a fascinating period, even if it doesn’t quite leave a lasting impression.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
Like others have said, I feel like a lot of liberty was taken with Eva as a character. I'm not entirely convinced that a sixteen year-old lady-in-waiting in the Tudor court would know so much about foreign and domestic politics, even if her uncle was a diplomat. The novel moves very quickly through historical events, with some major events like the deaths of major characters being over-and-done-with in a couple of lines of the diary. I feel like Alison Prince, in her rush to fit the events of 13 years of history into a 150-page novel, left a lot out, and it made Eva seem quite cold and apathetic. It's only towards the end of the diary, and the brief glimpses into her love life, that she shows any emotion.
The book is impeccably researched and serves its purpose in teaching young readers about Tudor history, but it's definitely not the strongest installment in the series. Prince's sequel, 'Anne Boleyn and Me,' is much better, if slightly longer.
The book is impeccably researched and serves its purpose in teaching young readers about Tudor history, but it's definitely not the strongest installment in the series. Prince's sequel, 'Anne Boleyn and Me,' is much better, if slightly longer.
March 27, 2024
This book is more favorable toward Catherine of Aragon, mostly because the main character is a lady-in-waiting to Catherine before she marries Prince Arthur. Now it was surprising that the main character (Eva) has a interesting view of Catherine. She thinks that Catherine is immature at times, and frivolous. A hard switch to what we usually hear about Catherine. It is a good story, tries to explain the political aspects of the time during Catherine's youth as a young bride to Arthur, her widowhood, and her marriage to Henry VIII. BUT! My only complaint is that the book is supposed to cover many years (12ish or so) but there are far too few entries. Still would read again for something nice and quick and nostalgic.
June 27, 2018
King Henry VII is a strange king he is kind sometimes and cruel other times. Henry VIII is strong brave and mean, but i think having Catherine as a wife is nice. There life has a really happy start. Eva is strong and brave. I hope Eva has a happy life to.
Favourite quote: "Dear Eva," she said. "I hope your future will be kind to you." Page 129.
Favourite quote: "Dear Eva," she said. "I hope your future will be kind to you." Page 129.
June 14, 2023
Wonderfully written fictional diary written about Catherine of Aragons childhood friend and about the time around her time prior to after Catherines marriage to Henry VIII. Though this was written as a book for children, I found it well written and a great way for children to learn about Tudor history.
April 23, 2019
Read as part of the Around the World in 52 books challenge
Week 10: A book featuring an historical figure
I loved the My Story series when I was younger, but never got to read this one. A descriptive story that focuses on a Queen, it is well an interesting read and well written.
Week 10: A book featuring an historical figure
I loved the My Story series when I was younger, but never got to read this one. A descriptive story that focuses on a Queen, it is well an interesting read and well written.
November 18, 2022
great interestingly book to read
A nice book about Catherine of Aragon and her friend Eva. And war and life’s of this decade. Eva and her family. She was a good friend to Catherine of Aragon.
A nice book about Catherine of Aragon and her friend Eva. And war and life’s of this decade. Eva and her family. She was a good friend to Catherine of Aragon.
September 18, 2017
Mostly accurate MG rundown of Catherine's life from right before marriage to Arthur to shortly after the Battle of Flodden. 3.5. Nice, but nothing standout.
November 27, 2017
I thought this was an amazing book. The characters were easy to understand and the storyline in general was very intriguing.
January 31, 2019
Really good
December 21, 2019
ITS ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY 👌😎
January 7, 2020
Brilliant book. Lovely to read. Brilliant way of getting history out there
May 30, 2021
In this series of My Royal story we get a glimpse of what life was like for the "normal" people living among the royalty. Great reads for young kids wanting to know more history.
August 2, 2021
An easy to read yet educational book about Catherine of Aragon as seen through the eyes of her Spanish intrepreter Eva De Puebla- her diary.
August 17, 2021
Nice book, poor Catherine :(
September 20, 2021
I loved this book but it was a bit sad tbh!!!
August 13, 2022
Having the story spread across a span of twelve years makes the plot feel rushed in places and can lead to confusion regarding the passage of time.
March 22, 2024
It covers the years 1501 to 1513 talks about Catherines life and what happens in her life with two marriages it's a good book to help younger teenages to see the start of her story.
July 18, 2025
I hoped for a great story, and that's what I got.
February 20, 2026
Good book, very interesting 😁
December 6, 2024
Heartbreaking but amazing and fascinating book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews