The Poisoned Crown

The Poisoned Crown
Maurice Druon

“This is the original Game of Thrones.” George R.R. Martin.No man is impervious to the poisons of the crown…Having murdered his wife and exiled his mistress, King Louis X of France becomes besotted with Princess Clemence of Hungary and makes her his new Queen.However, though the matter of the succession should be assured, it is far from so, as Louis embarks on an ill-fated war against Flanders.Where his father, Philip IV, was strong, Louis is weak, and the ambitions of his proud, profligate barons threaten his power and the future of a kingdom once ruled by an Iron King.

‘History is a novel that has been lived’

E. & J. DE GONCOURT

‘It is terrifying to think how much research is needed to determine the truth of even the most unimportant fact’

STENDHAL

Contents

Cover (#ue8aa0643-3a22-55d8-9504-30c27f19bc9a)

Title Page (#u3f9d4616-ac41-56f7-8170-325c5b236be6)

Epigraph (#u18d73595-2ad3-50c2-b0f0-3b686490e662)

Foreword

The Characters in this Book

Family Tree (#u81bea321-1414-5061-876c-45da02a41b50)

The Poisoned Crown

Prologue

Part One: France Awaits a Queen

1. Farewell to Naples

2. The Storm

3. The Hôtel-Dieu

4. Portents of Disaster

5. The King Receives the Oriflamme

6. The Muddy Army

7. The Philtre

8. A Country Wedding

Part Two: After Flanders, Artois

1. The Insurgents

2. The Countess of Poitiers

3. The Second Couple in the Kingdom

4. A Servant’s Friendship

5. The Fork and the Prie-dieu

6. Arbitration

Part Three: The Time of the Comet

1. The New Master of Neauphle

2. Dame Eliabel’s Reception

3. The Midnight Marriage

4. The Comet

5. The Cardinal’s Spell

6. ‘I Assume Control of Artois’

7. In the King’s Absence

8. The Monk is Dead

9. Mourning Comes to Vincennes

10. Tolomei Prays for the King

11. Who is to be Regent?

Footnotes

Historical Notes

Author’s Acknowledgements

By Maurice Druon

Copyright

About the Publisher

Foreword (#u71088eb1-dddd-5c99-80b3-94530886ae2a)