Ireland, 1152.
The King of Leinster, awaiting news of his newborn child, is disappointed to hear he has a daughter. Diarmait MacMurchada wanted another strapping son to shoulder a spear, wield a sword, and protect his kingdom. But from the moment Diarmait held the newborn Aoife knew she would be his most precious treasure.
1166.
Forced into exile, Aoife and her family find themselves at the mercy of Henry II. Aoife – aware of her beauty but not its power – intrigues and beguiles Henry in equal measure. For Aoife he agrees to help her father, an alliance that leads the MacMurchadas to the charismatic Richard de Clare, a man dissatisfied with his lot and open to new horizons.
Diarmit promises Richard Aoife’s hand in marriage in return for his aid in Ireland, but Aoife has her own thoughts on the matter. She may be a prize, but she is not a pawn, and she will play the men at their own game. For herself, for her family, and for her country.
The Irish Princess by Elizabeth Chadwick is published in paperback on 16 April, 2020.
Read Elizabeth’s Historia feature about William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, ‘the greatest knight‘.
Find out more about Richard de Clare and the Norman conquest of Ireland.
