This three-volume work by Julia Pardoe, the author of other books on French royalty, was originally published in 1852. In remarkable detail the books describe the colourful and controversial life of Marie de Medicis, who in 1600 married Henry IV of France after his previous marriage to Marguerite de Valois had been annulled to make way for this dynastic alliance. The consort’s life both before and after her marriage was one of flamboyant living, political intrigue and gossip. The work is a complex biography, full of information on a redoubtable woman’s life at the centre of European politics. Each volume is illustrated and annotated with references to original documents. This first volume examines Marie de Medicis’ early life, Henry IV’s marriage to Marguerite de Valois, and the period of history from 1572 until 1607. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person\_id=pardju