Guest Post by Daphne - Jean Plaidy's Covers

In 2006 I was introduced to historical fiction by (like many others) Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. I was fascinated by the fictional telling of real people’s lives and anxiously wanted to get my hand on more. It didn’t take me too long to discover the name “Jean Plaidy”. As the ‘grand dame’ of historical fiction, she tackled hundreds of years of English history as well as covering Catherine de Medici, Isabella of Spain, the French Revolution and Lucrezia Borgia. Sadly, most of her books were out of print, although her “Queen of England” series had recently been reissued in the US. I simply had to have her books and went on an obsessive ebay quest to find them. I currently own 44 Plaidys ranging from mass market paperbacks from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, hardcover book club editions and some of the newer UK releases which have gorgeous covers (which I have excluded from this post since you can easily see them on Amazon UK).

As I began my search I realized that her books had been published several times over the last 30 years and the variety of covers intrigued me. I began electronically collecting different covers for fun and it soon became almost an obsession of itself which led me to start a blog specifically for the purpose of highlighting book covers.

To help celebrate Historical Tapestry’s Jean Plaidy event, I am delighted to share some Plaidy covers. I hope you enjoy them!

1988 about Anne Boleyn


1952 about Jane Shore (mistress to Edward IV)


1970 about Caroline of Brunswick, wife of George IV


Unknown year about Edward I


1953 about Catherine de Medici




1981 about Henry V


1972 about Mary Tudor and her husband Phillip of Spain


1979 about the wife of Henry III, Eleanor of Provence


1989 about Katherine of Valois, Wife of Henry V



Unknown year about Lucrezia Borgia



Unknown year about William II and Henry I



1973 about Charles II

Late 1980’s about Edward III