Young Queens

Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power

The boldly original, dramatic intertwined story of Catherine de' Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary, Queen of Scots—three queens exercising power in a world dominated by men.

Orphaned from infancy, Catherine de’ Medici endured a tumultuous childhood. Married to the French king, she was widowed by forty, only to become the power behind the French throne during a period of intense civil strife. In 1546, Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Elisabeth de Valois, who would become Queen of Spain. Two years later, Catherine welcomed to her nursery the beguiling young Mary Queen of Scots, who would later become her daughter-in-law.

Together, Catherine, Elisabeth, and Mary lived through the sea changes that transformed sixteenth-century Europe, a time of expanding empires, religious discord, and populist revolt, as concepts of nationhood began to emerge and ideas of sovereignty inched closer to absolutism. They would learn that to rule as a queen was to wage a constant war against the deeply entrenched misogyny of their time.

Following the intertwined stories of the three women from girlhood through young adulthood, Leah Redmond Chang's Young Queens paints a picture of a world in which a woman could wield power at the highest level yet remain at the mercy of the state, her body serving as the currency of empire and dynasty, sacrificed to the will of husband, family, kingdom.

Praise & Reviews

Los Angeles Times Book Prize — Finalist (Biography)

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction

“Best Books We’ve Read in 2023” — The New Yorker

“Best Biographies of 2023” — Book Riot

“An exquisitely written biography of these three queens, tracing their stories from Renaissance Italy through Reformation France to war-torn Scotland and beyond. Chang tells a vivid, visual and compelling story, furnished with stirring details from the countless letters penned by and about these women. Not everyone can make such sources sing as this author does. This is a masterful, compelling and significant book.” — Joanne Paul, BBC History Magazine

“[A] thorough historical excavation . . . By using intimate, personal accounts gleaned from her extensive research, Chang transports readers directly into their world. . . A delightful historical study of women coming to the forefront in a world dominated by men.” — Kirkus (starred review)

“Redmond Chang expertly chronicles the lives and reigns of these three lives. Vivd and immersive…it shows with gripping detail that these queens truly marked history in their own right.” — Estelle Paranque, The Times

“An intriguing approach to 16th-century queenship. Chang delivers a murderously climactic final act, telling the story of Mary, Darnley and bothwell with aplomb. She equally delivers quieter, moving moments. For all that this is a history book, however, it has present-day resonances too.” — Catherine Fletcher, History Today

"Chang has provided a remarkable account of women’s place in power and their struggles and challenges. Each of these women experienced distinctly unique problems, while also undergoing familiar prejudices that still exist. Young Queens is a fascinating read for history lovers as well as those who enjoy political and courtly intrigue." ―David Arndt, The Free Lance-Star

“Young Queens takes us into the hearts and minds of three extraordinary women. Leah Redmond Chang’s meticulous research and engaging prose gives each of them their due, providing a rich and nuanced perspective on the challenges they faced and the remarkable legacies they left behind.” — Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

"Alluring, gripping, real: an astonishing insight into the lives of three queens, stepping out from the shadows of the patriarchy—we meet them on their own terms." —Alice Roberts, author of Ancestors and Buried

"This exceptionally brilliant book, deft of phrase and vividly realized, conveys the vitality of the past as few books do. It’s an enviable tour de force and marks the arrival of a wonderful new voice in narrative history." —Suzannah Lipscomb, author of A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England and host of the hit podcast Not Just the Tudors

“To be a queen in Renaissance Europe was a tricky thing: to have the power to shape the world, but also to be at the mercy of many forces--and to have to fight, even to survive. Young Queens is an ambitious book about three fascinating women, meticulously researched and vividly told.” — Louisa Thomas, author of Louisa, the Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams

"This exceptionally researched narrative successfully weaves together the stories of three of the most intriguing queens in sixteenth-century Europe, revealing them to be integral parts both of one another's lives and the complex worlds in which they lived. Leah Redmond Chang expertly navigates the tumultuous waters of the French, Spanish and Scottish courts, and in so doing brings these fascinating queens to brilliant and vivid life." —Nicola Tallis, author of Elizabeth’s Rival and Uncrowned Queen

“Young Queens binds intense and innovative scholarship to vivid writing. Leah Redmond Chang breathes life into three fascinating queens — of France, Spain and Scotland, and shows us the women behind these icons of royal power. She reveals how their lives, hearts, families and fates were interlinked and what joys and unbearable pressures this placed upon them. A rare and delightful book and a hugely rewarding read.” — Lucy Jago, author of A Net for Small Fishes and The Northern Lights

"Amidst the turbulence of the 16th century, the lives of a Queen Mother, a Queen Consort and a Queen Regnant became irrevocably entangled as they restitched the tapestry of Europe with the thread of five great houses. Both an evocative re-imagination of political history and a meditation on the nature of queenship, Young Queens is a tour de force of storytelling." —Nadine Akkerman, author of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts and Invisible Agents: Women and Espionage in Seventeenth-Century Britain