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Description
'Impressively original and ingenious' OPHELIA FIELD, author of The Favourite
'Gripping . . . Brings us into the decadent Stuart court on the eve of a second revolution, told through the stories of its brilliant, overlooked women' GARETH RUSSELL, author of Queen James
'Illuminating . . . The Graces' focus on women and court culture is timely' ALICE HUNT, THE TIMES
'Refreshing, immersive and compelling' CLARE JACKSON, author of The Mirror of Great Britain
A spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and work of Maria of Modena and her 'graces', the extraordinary women who practiced art, poetry and politics within the misogyny of the Restoration court.
In 1673, fifteen-year-old Maria d'Este travelled from Italy to marry James, the future King of England, who was twenty-five years her senior. At the debauched Restoration court, Maria recreated the world she'd left behind – one in which women were highly educated, exercised power and celebrated art and artists with concentrated patronage.
From Sarah Churchill, keen politician and 'favourite' of Queen Anne, to revered poet Anne Finch and founder of a legendary literary salon Hortense Mancini, the women Maria surrounded herself with defied the conventions of their time. The Graces resurrects their lives, shedding light on a hidden world of female friendship, education and artistic endeavour.
Product details
| Published | 23 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Paperback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 9781526663764 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Circus |
| Dimensions | 198 x 129 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |

























