Anne Hyde, Duchess of York

A concise biography reconstructs the life of Anne Hyde, following her family background and childhood, her arrival at royal courts, and the intimate documents that illuminate her voice, including a small handwritten notebook. It narrates her courtship and marriage to a royal prince, the practical and ceremonial duties she assumed as duchess, and the social and political tensions that shaped her household and alliances, notably episodes connected with the fall of a leading statesman and other turning-points in court life. The account concludes with the decline of her fortunes and her death, while assessing her personal influence and legacy through her children.