Queen of the North

In 1399 Elizabeth Mortimer belongs to a family with a powerful hereditary claim to the English throne. Her husband, Sir Henry Percy—known as Hotspur—initially helps Henry Bolingbroke remove Richard II and become Henry IV. The new king’s dependence on the Percys gives the northern family influence, but disputes over reward, prisoners and the treatment of the Mortimer claim soon turn alliance into hostility.

Elizabeth’s loyalty is divided between her husband, the Percy dynasty and the young Mortimer heir whose rights threaten Lancastrian legitimacy. As Hotspur moves towards open rebellion and cooperation with Welsh resistance, political calculation enters the marriage itself. The novel follows the couple through the upheaval of deposition and revolt, showing how a contest for the crown transforms family affection into a source of danger and eventual tragedy.