Thursday, July 5, 2012

Isabella and Fernando: Love and Politics by C.W. Gortner ~ Blog Tour Guest Post: The Queen's Vow

Y'all may have caught my review last week of The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castille, which I named one of my top reads of the year! I am very excited to have author C.W. Gortner here today addressing the burning question I had after finishing the novel: were Isabella and Fernando really such a love match? Without further ado, please join me in welcoming C.W. Gortner to Let Them Read Books!

Isabella and Fernando: Love and Politics

One of the most interesting parts of Isabella’s life is her marriage to Fernando of Aragón. Isabella chose her husband in an era when almost no princess enjoyed the privilege; a random search of royal women born within ten years of Isabella reveals that none chose their husband, including Isabella’s own daughters. Royal marriages were arranged for dynastic advantage; these were political alliances between countries. The personal preference of those involved was rarely, if ever, taken into account.

Which is why Isabella’s flouting of convention is so fascinating. It is tempting, and not entirely inaccurate, to see her choice as romantic; as circumstances would show, this was a love match. However, first and foremost in Isabella’s mind must have been the advantages Fernando presented, as opposed to other candidates being foisted on her, as well as her own personal circumstances.

Spain at the time was divided, with the kingdom of Castile and León, to which Isabella was heir, being the foremost power. An independent northern realm, smaller and more vulnerable, Aragón was also war-torn and impoverished. Like Isabella, no one thought Fernando was destined to rule; he, too, was born of a second marriage (and was second-cousin to Isabella) between his mother, a daughter of a noble Castilian clan, and his father the king of Aragón. It is rumored that Fernando’s mother plotted to advance her son by poisoning his elder half-brother, Aragón’s crown-prince. Nothing can be proved, but whatever the case, Fernando became heir and rose precipitously in importance. So precipitously, in fact, that Isabella’s half-brother Enrique, king of Castile, prohibited her from entering into alliance with him. Enrique’s fear was that marriage to Fernando would propel Isabella—who was already proving quite a handful— to such acclaim that she would be his, Enrique’s, undoing.  To counter the threat, he was pushing to wed her to the widowed Portuguese king, which would have forced her to live across the border, in exile. To Isabella, of course, these were the very reasons why she must marry Fernando.

Popular history and extant documentation indicate that, at least officially, Fernando and Isabella did not meet in person until the night before their marriage. In The Queen’s Vow, I took the liberty of backdating their first meeting for dramatic effect; I felt it vital to their development as characters. And, indeed, I found no reason to think they might not have met earlier in their lives, only it was never recorded because at the time, no one thought it mattered. Regardless, the negotiations were carried out in utmost secrecy; when rumor leaked, Isabella had to flee pursuit and Fernando was forbidden to set foot in Castile on pain of arrest. It bears reminding that at the time Isabella was just eighteen and Fernando a year younger. They were teenagers, acting against the king’s express orders; they risked their lives to be together. And their determination sparked a civil war.

As we know, the marriage proved to be one of the most successful in history, though it was by no means perfect. What marriage is? Some modern historians have sought to portray Isabella and Fernando as partners of convenience, in which love was secondary to political interest. This may have been true at the start (though doubtful, given their natures); however, within weeks, their mutual love is evident in the extant words they’ve left from this troubled period of their lives, and, perhaps most compelling, in their stalwart defense of their marriage, even when under serious peril. Never were two people more committed to each other; indeed, in all their years together, come hell or high water, Isabella never wavered in her support of Fernando as her equal— even when he hardly deserved it.

We tend to want to pigeonhole Isabella in easy clichés, as we do every historical character; we forget that like all of us, she was a complex personality of her time. While a powerful monarch in her own right, who ruled when women rarely did, Isabella was also deeply conventional in her personal life. Despite having flouted tradition to marry Fernando, she believed in a sacred duty to husband and family. She is one of the few queens to personally raise her children, even bringing them with her on crusade. And though she championed women’s equality when it hardly existed as a concept, she was by no means a feminist. I believe it is important to remember this side of her and indeed to respect it, for in the end these are the very contradictions which make us human.
I sincerely hope you enjoy The Queen’s Vow. Thank you for spending this time with me. To find out more about me and my books, please visit me at: www.cwgortner.com

This giveaway is closed and the winner has been selected.
Check my sidebar for more great giveaways!



And now for the giveaway!

Not only is C.W. offering a copy of The Queen's Vow to one of my readers, but a lovely embroidered purse as well! To enter, simply leave a comment or question for C.W. along with your email address.

This giveaway is open only to those with mailing addresses in the U.S. and Canada, and ends at 11:59pm, Sunday, July 15, 2012. Winner will be selected at random. Thanks, and good luck!



The Queen's Vow is on a blog tour! Click here for all the details!



37 comments:

  1. Sounds like a really good read! Isabella is fascinating!

    ecriggs1990(at)aol(dot)com

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  2. What made you choose Isabella and Fernando when there have been so many great love stories in the history of man? And do you already have a new project?
    Liene @ LLucane at yahoo dot com

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  3. I read and enjoyed The Last Queen. It will be a treat to read this novel about Isabella. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. I can't get enough of historical fiction and C.W. Gortner is an excellent writer and researcher so I really want to read this book. I want to learn as much as I can about Isabella.



    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  5. Fantastic giveaway!

    Rachelhwallen@gmail.com

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  6. Thank you for the giveaway and interview. I'd love to read this novel.

    niteofblu at gmail dot com

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  7. In the very least, contradictions noted in this interview should make for an interesting read. Thanks for the chance to win.

    nanze55 at hotmail dot com

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  8. Thank you for hosting me. I'm always delighted to visit and I wish everyone the best of luck with THE QUEEN'S VOW giveaway!

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  9. I'm a huge fan of CW Gortner and I can't wait to read this one. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Michelle V
    lifeinreviewblog AT yahoo DOT com

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  10. Looking forward to reading the book! Great interview!
    y.acuna@att.net

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  11. I am sure this book will rock, just as all the others have. You are a wonderful writer; bringing your characters to life for your readers. Thank you. I look forward to reading The Queen's vow!
    missmarplestein@gmail.com

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  12. Have read all of mr. Gortner's other books.. Loved them and I'm sure this will be no exception! Please enter me I would love to have this, thanks
    Marci
    Radtek71@gmail.com

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  13. I am very anxious to read The Queen's Vow..but I have a question for C.W. Gortner. My own vision of Isabella is darkened because of her knowledge and participation in the expulsion of the Jews and the Inquisition during her reign. Did you have any strong negative feelings about Isabella before you began writing this book...and if so, after researching, were these feelings validated, or banished?

    Deniseincoralsprings@gmail.com

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  14. I love Mr. Gortner's writing style and look forward to reading this new book.

    lucayan7@yahoo.ca

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  15. I swear I just cannot keep up w/ my TBR pile!! What a problem to have!

    hartleyjennifer@ymail.com

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  16. Thank you for bringing history to life! I look forward to reading Isabella's story!
    PhoenixCarvelli at gmail dot com

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  17. This historical sounds fascinating. Many thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. thanks for featuring this wonderful author and his latest book which is intriguing. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  19. Can't wait to read this book!
    kim_cree@yahoo.com

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  20. I have been reading The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and greatly enjoying it. I hope to win this contest but, if not, The Queen's Vow will still be on my short list.

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  21. I've been wanting to hear Isabella's story ever since reading The Last Queen! Please enter me.
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

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  22. I have all of his books except The Queen's Vow. Love The Confessions of Catherine de Medici!

    ledmcgowan @gmailcom

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  23. :) ;) :D Count me in for the contest! Since the only other book of Queen Isabella I know of is "Jewel Of Castille" in the Royal Diaries series, I can't wait to read "The Queen's Vow"! Especially after reading "The Tudor Secret" and "The Confessions Of Catherine D Medici"! I absolutely *have* to read "The Last Queen" too!

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  24. I find it interesting that Isabella was able to choose her husband. Thanks for the giveaway!

    lag110 at mchsi dot com

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  25. Isabella is one of my favorite historical characters. Thank you so much for researching each and every one of your heroines with a passion for both the factual and sentimental characteristics. You are an amazing writer! Keep up the fantastic work!

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  26. I have just recently become aware of Mr. Gortner's books. I love his writing style. I'm looking forward to reading this new offering.

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  27. I am so excited to read this book! I am a *huge* fan of C.W. Gortner's books!

    lafra86 at gmail dot com

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  28. Good luck to everyone, and thank you for your kind words! In answer to Denise's question: "Did you have any strong negative feelings about Isabella before you began writing this book...and if so, after researching, were these feelings validated, or banished?" I did have strong feelings about her role in the Inquisition, yes, but my research really showed me the complexity of the issues Isabella faced and, though it did not validate or banish the fact that she did what she did, it did give me far greater understanding. My goal is to show her within the context of her era, not to excuse or justify her actions; I hope I've succeeded!

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  29. Thank you for the chance to win this book. I am looking forward to reading it.

    For C.W. - how long do you research before you start to write a book? I hope that question makes sense.

    griperang at embarqmail dot com

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  30. Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! I’m sure you had fun writing this article.

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  31. Wow, everything about this book screams fantastic! I adore historical fiction, especially about the royals.
    Lauren @ Mommabears Book Blog
    Lmackesy @ gmail.com

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  32. I love historical fiction, this book is on my TBR list. I agree with Delhi, this post was very entertained! I have a question, why did you choose to write about this genre? =)

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    1. forgot my email, lol..

      lissette_125 at hotmail dot com

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  33. Isabella sounds like a fascinating and complex peson.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

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  34. Thanks again for everyone's comments. In response to the questions, Angela, research can take years. But I've been researching many of my subjects since I was in high school, so some of the bulk research is already in my head. Lisette, I grew up reading historical fiction and loved it; when I decided to write my first historical novel, I was in my mid-twenties and just wanted to see if I could do it, if I could write the kind of novel I loved to read. Best of luck to all with the giveaway!

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  35. I have read a lot about this book, and it would be great to win it! Thanks for the giveaway.
    Emma @ Words And Peace
    ehc16e at yahoo dot com

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  36. Thanks for giveaway and interview. It made me want to read the book.Lomazowr@gmail.com

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