History Literature / TheRoyalDiaries

* BookDumb: [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor Elizabeth I]]'s maid of the chamber, Mary Ward, has no desire to learn to read because she has risen as far as a servant can by serving a princess.

** Isabel's hated sister-in-law, Queen Juana, desires to defy this trope by making her daughter with Isabel's brother Enrique, Juana (nicknamed "La Beltraneja" because of rumors that her true father is the courtier Beltran de la Cueva), the heir to Enrique's throne. Isabel thinks this is ridiculously far-fetched because no queen has ever taken the throne of Castilla (ironically foreshadowing the fact that she became Enrique's heir instead).

** [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor Princess Elizabeth]] in ''Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor'' is her father's little princess and considered the true Tudor rose (at least until she makes him mad).

* MyBelovedSmother: In ''Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia'', Victoria chafes at the extremely restrictive, overprotective environment in which she's raised, in which she's not allowed to have her own bedroom, be left alone without someone hovering nearby (outside the door at a minimum) or even walk down a flight of stairs without holding someone's hand as though she were a toddler, all in order to protect her from some unspecified danger that supposedly lurks constantly.[[note]]In real life, it was later revealed that the rationale of protection was just a pretense; the real reason she was raised this way was all part of a scheme to make Victoria entirely dependant on her mother in order to preserve her mother's political power -- a scheme which backfired spectacularly, as the extreme restrictiveness only caused Victoria to resent her and to cut her out of her life the moment she was able.[[/note]]

** In ''Kristina: The Girl King'', Kristina is adamant that she will not marry or bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).
-->"I cannot imagine why any woman would ever consent to go through the terrible business of bearing children," I said, lengthening my stride. "I will not have a husband, and I will not bear a child, and that is the end of it."

** In ''Red Rose of the House of Tudor'', Elizabeth mentions how young her father's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was (Howard was only about 17 when she married Henry), noting that she considered Howard as more of a peer than a maternal figure because she was not that much older than Elizabeth herself. She also questions whether Catherine's youth may have contributed to why things went [[OffWithHisHead so poorly]] for her, wondering if she was simply not old enough for the responsibility that was placed on her.

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though she's only a child at the time the book is set, ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has a few hints scattered throughout that the eponymous protagonist is either a lesbian or asexual (helped by -- and likely a nod to -- the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was one or the other). The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in men or marriage (which by definition would mean "to a man" at the time); she ''does'', however, seem quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag[[note]]this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have pointed to Ebba as a potential lover[[/note]]. She is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).
-->"I cannot imagine why any woman would ever consent to go through the terrible business of bearing children," I said, lengthening my stride. "I will not have a husband, and I will not bear a child, and that is the end of it."

** In ''Red Rose of the House of Tudor'', Elizabeth mentions on a few occasions how young her father's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was (Howard was only about 17 when she married Henry), noting that she considered Howard as more of a peer than a maternal figure because she was not that much older than Elizabeth herself.

** In ''Red Rose of the House of Tudor'', Elizabeth mentions on a few occasions how young her father's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was (Howard was only about 17 when she married Henry).

* MyBelovedSmother: In ''Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia'', Victoria chafes at the extremely restrictive, overprotective environment in which she's raised, in which she's not allowed to have her own bedroom, be left alone without someone hovering nearby (outside the door at a minimum) or even walk down a flight of stairs without holding someone's hand as though she were a toddler, all in order to protect her from some unspecified danger that supposedly lurks constantly.[[note]]In real life, it was later revealed that the rationale of protection was just a pretense; the real reason her mother raised her this way was in an attempt to develop full control over Victoria in order to preserve her own political power -- one which backfired spectacularly, as it only caused Victoria to resent her and to cut her out of her life the moment she was able.[[/note]]

* MyBelovedSmother: In ''Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia'', Victoria chafes at the extremely restrictive, overprotective environment in which she's raised, in which she's not allowed to have her own bedroom, be left alone without someone hovering nearby (outside the door at a minimum) or even walk down a flight of stairs without holding someone's hand, as though she were a toddler rather than a nearly teenage girl, all in order to protect her from some unspecified danger that supposedly lurks constantly.[[note]]In real life, it was later revealed that the rationale of protection was just a pretense; the real reason her mother raised her this way was in an attempt to develop full control over Victoria in order to preserve her own political power -- one which backfired spectacularly, as it only caused Victoria to resent her and to cut her out of her life the moment she was able.[[/note]]

* OppositesAttract: Though the couple never interacts on-page, Cleopatra is shocked upon their first meeting to find out that the demure ProperLady Julia is married to the brutish warmonger Pompey. TruthInTelevision, as by all accounts they were HappilyMarried until Julia's death in childbirth (which helped to deteoriate Pompey's relationship with her father, Julius Caesar).

** For the first half of ''Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles'', the protagonist is referred to as Antonia. (This is [[TruthInTelevision historically accurate]]: Marie Antoinette was actually born Maria Antonia and only took the name Marie Antoinette when she married; at the time, it wasn't uncommon for royal girls who married into a different country's nobility to have their names changed to a variation native to their new country.)

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has a number of moments throughout her book where it's suggested she's either a lesbian or asexual (helped by the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was one or the other). The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in men or marriage (which by definiton would mean "to a man" at the time); she ''does'', however, seem quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag[[note]]this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have pointed to Ebba as a potential lover[[/note]]. She is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has aspects of these. (helped by the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was either lesbian or asexual). The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in men or marriage (which by definiton would mean "to a man" at the time); she ''does'', however, seem quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag[[note]]this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have pointed to Ebba as a potential lover[[/note]]. She is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).

* MyBelovedSmother: In ''Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia'', Victoria chafes at the extremely restrictive, overprotective environment in which she's raised, in which she's not allowed to have her own bedroom or even walk down a flight of stairs without holding someone's hand, as though she were a toddler rather than a nearly teenage girl, all in order to protect her from some unspecified danger that supposedly lurks constantly. (In real life, it was later revealed that the rationale of protection was just a pretense; the real reason her mother raised her this way was in an attempt to develop full control over Victoria in order to preserve her own political power -- one which backfired spectacularly, as it only caused Victoria to resent her and to cut her out of her life the moment she was able.)

* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: In ''Isabel: Jewel of Castilla'', King Enrique and Queen Juana's daughter Juana is nicknamed "La Beltraneja" because of court rumors that claim that her real father is Beltran de la Cueva, a nobleman in Enrique's service. Isabel considers the rumors plausible because she sees that Juana slightly resembles Beltran, and she later sees him with the queen. Historically, this uncertainty over Juana's parentage played a part in the War of the Castilian Succession between Isabel's and Juana's supporters, in which Isabel's side triumphed.

* LastRequest: Her Aunt Katrina's last wish to Queen Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina, The Girl King,'' is for her to marry her cousin Karl. Kristina, who never wanted to marry, can't bring herself to do it, but she does name Karl her successor and make him King when she abdicates, which allows her to fulfill the spirit of Katrina's last wish (that Karl become King of Sweden) if not the letter of it.

* MyBelovedSmother: In ''Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia'', Victoria chafes at the extremely restrictive, overprotective environment in which she's raised, in which she's not even allowed to walk down a flight of stairs without holding someone's hand, as though she were a toddler rather than a nearly teenage girl. (In real life, it was later revealed that the rationale of protection was just a pretense; the real reason her mother raised her this way was in an attempt to develop full control over Victoria in order to preserve her own political power.)

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has aspects of these. (helped by the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was either lesbian or asexual). The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in men or marriage (which by definiton would mean "to a man" at the time); she ''does'', however, seem quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag[[note]]this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have also suggested Ebba as a possible partner[[/note]]. She is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has aspects of these. (helped by the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was either lesbian or asexual). The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in marrying a man (which, of course, was the only form of marriage at the time); she ''does'', however, seem quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag[[note]]this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have also suggested Ebba as a possible partner[[/note]]. She is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has aspects of these. (helped by the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was either lesbian or asexual). While she never shows a hint of interest towards any man, she ''does'' seem quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag[[note]]this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have also suggested Ebba as a possible partner[[/note]]. The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in marrying a man; she is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).

* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=]CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has aspects of these. (helped by the fact that there's heavy historical speculation that the real Kristina was either lesbian or asexual). The only hint she gives is that she seems quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag (this again seems to be a nod to historical speculation, as some of those who theorize that Kristina was a lesbian have also suggested Ebba as a possible partner). The only thing that she makes clear is that she has no interest in marrying a man; she is also adamant that she will not bear children, and that she finds the whole process repulsive and horrifying (although it's also possible that her disgust for child-bearing is the ''cause'' of her aversion to marrying a man, rather than a symptom of it).

* LastRequest: Her Aunt Katrina's last wish to Queen Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina, The Girl King,'' is for her to marry her cousin Karl. Kristina, who never wanted to marry, can't bring herself to oblige, but she does name Karl her successor, eventually leading to him becoming King when she abdicates, so he still got most of the same benefits he would have if she had married him.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Kristina of Sweden has no interest at all in the idea of marrying a man, but finds herself quite fascinated by another girl named Ebba Sparre, a very beautiful daughter of one of the members of the Riksdag. (This does have something of a basis in reality; Ebba Sparre was a real person, and historians have long speculated that she and the real Kristina may have been lovers.) The story deliberately treads lightly, but the implications are there, particularly if you compare Kristina's writings on Ebba with the way that other protagonists in the series write about the men they're interested in.

* CelibateHero: Though only a child at the time the book is set, Kristina of Sweden from ''Kristina: The Girl King'' has vowed to be this to the point of appearing asexual (as with the aforementioned possibility of her being a lesbian (see AmbiguouslyGay), this is helped by the theory that the real Kristina may have been this). Kristina is adamant that she will not bear children, and it is clear that she finds the idea of the process of doing so disgusting.
-->"I cannot imagine why any woman would ever consent to go through the terrible business of bearing children," I said, lengthening my stride. "I will not have a husband, and I will not bear a child, and that is the end of it."

** [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor Mary I]] in ''Red Rose of the House of Tudor'', who is portrayed as devious, cunning, and hateful towards her younger siblings. While her relationships with Elizabeth and Edward certainly cooled later in life, during their childhoods, the much-older Mary acted as a mother figure, and was on record as being hopelessly naive and guileless. The enmity between her and Elizabeth didn't really kick into gear until after Mary became queen; it's not until she starts burning Protestants that she really deserves this. Perhaps more notably, she's also depicted as scheming with foreign lords to steal the throne when their father dies, despite the fact that in real life she never contested Edward's claim to the throne, only Elizabeth's[[note]]she refused to recognize Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn because by her standards, he was still married to her mother, Catherine of Aragon, at that time -- meaning that she considered Elizabeth to be born out of wedlock and therefore not eligible to inherit -- but she did regard his marriage to Jane Seymour as valid because Catherine had died prior to that marriage, so even by Catholic law, Henry was free to remarry[[/note]].

** A more sympathetic example appears in ''Kaiulani: The People's Princess''. Yes, as a royal, Kaiulani might be expected to react poorly to the suggestion of democracy in general, but given that "democracy" came to Hawaii by way of an invading army, she had a valid reason to be upset about that particular situation.[[note]]She wasn't the only one to think so; the vast majority of Hawaiians, regardless of social class or their feelings on the monarchy, opposed the coup -- which wasn't so much true democracy anyway as it was the army of a country that happened to have a democratically-elected government forcibly overthrowing Hawaii's rulers in order to insert their own -- and the United States itself eventually admitted wrongdoing and issued a formal apology to the Hawaiian people in the early 1990s.[[/note]]
* DidAnastasiaSurvive: The question is mentioned in the epilogue of ''Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess'', since the last two bodies had not yet been found when the book was published. The epilogue explains why people believe that this could have happened, details some of the common theories as to how she might have survived, and notes that one of the Grand Duchesses was unaccounted for when most of the bodies were found (the text states that experts couldn't agree on whether it was Anastasia or Maria). However, it also notes at the very end that whether or not Anastasia would've turned out differently from her parents is a mystery for the ages because of how suddenly her life ended, leaning definitively towards the answer of "No".

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: While all of the diaries are centered around people who actually existed, historical accounts don't contain the level of detail needed for a diary, meaning that much of the actual stories depicted are created by the authors. A few even have aspets that directly run counter to historical records, such as Mary and Elizabeth's rivalry in ''Red Rose of the House of Tudor'' (historical records suggest they were actually close during the time period the diary is set in) or Isabel being put off by Father Torquemada (history indicates that she was all-in on everything he professed from the first time they met).

** ''Catherine: The Great Journey'': Catherine suffers the losses of her baby sister Ulrike, who died months after the former left Anhalt-Zerbst with their mother, and of her mother, who is discovered to be a spy for [[UsefulNotes/FrederickTheGreat Frederick II]]'s court and is banished from the country. Despite this, she has become friends with her betrothed Peter, despite his PrinceCharmless personality, and is ready for her future as the empress of Russia.

* While it doesn't come to pass until the epilogue, Elizabeth in ''Red Rose of the House of Tudor'' is terrified of what will happen to her if Mary becomes Queen. The epilogue briefly details the cruelty of Mary's reign and the danger Elizabeth, who was closely associated with the reforms Mary was trying to reverse, was in during that time.