Fortune placed Lady Mary, elder daughter of the Duke of York, in line for England's throne — and thrust this gentle beauty, at age fifteen, into a loveless political marriage with her cold-hearted Protestant cousin, William of Orange.

In her own poignant words, Lady Mary recounts her strange and haunting story: a happy childhood in merry England under King Charles II, her dark and lonely years in Holland, and the upheavals that brought her home once more as England's honored queen. Hers is a richly royal story, with kings and queens, princesses and princes, playing their noble or shameful roles upon Europe's brilliant stage. Among these towering figures Lady Mary's lot had been cast, among them she would grow strong or perish..