Mary of Modena

The 1688 "Glorious Revolution" that toppled James II and VII also veiled his consortin propaganda. Mary of Modena: James II's Dazzling Queen reveals theextraordinary woman beneath. Lovely and spirited, Mary Beatrice Isabella d'Este isalso England's sole Italian queen. Her father came from an ancient line, while her mother was one of Cardinal Mazarin's seven famed nieces (the "Mazarinettes"). Mary Beatrice learned the rudiments of governance at her widowed mother's knee,and would one day act as regent of the Stuart court-in-exile-first for King James,then for their son, James Francis Edward. "The Queen over the Water" would shineas a beacon for the Jacobite cause. Once, Mary Beatrice longed to be a nun. Instead, the young woman had to accept a different mission-marriage to James Duke of York, heir to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Although James's conversion to Catholicism made their marriage possible, it set off a firestorm of controversy in the mysteriousnorthern realm. The story of the British Isles was romantic, but the reality was jarring. Thrown intothe frenzy of Restoration politics, Mary Beatrice met each fresh episodecourageously. Charles II adored his sister-in-law, but MPs strove to annul the "Italianmatch" before it could be consummated. She and James fell in love, but hisphilandering nearly broke her. Building on Este tradition, Mary Beatrice won over the common folk, inspired poetsand painters, introduced Italian opera, and drew talented ladies to court. She alsoattracted her flamboyant Mazarinette cousin Hortense Mancini to England, whereshe joined King Charles's harem. Ultimately, James and Mary Beatrice were coronated with great ceremony, but theirtroubles were only just beginning. For the first time in English history, it looked likethe birth of a healthy prince might actually destroy the monarchy instead of strengthening it?