"Enthralling, Inspiring, Heartbreaking"

'The Graces' by Breeze Barrington, review

I began ‘The Graces’ by Breeze Barrington (released 16th July 2025 - buy her book here) with no preconceptions or, I may fully admit, interest in the women of the bawdy Restoration Court of Charles II and his brother James, Duke of York. However, I was keen to know more about the Duke of York’s wife, Mary of Modena (as she has come to be known) because I was sure there must be more to her story than; married the Duke of York, and had a baby boy which caused the ‘Glorious Revolution.’ Boy were my suspicions correct! Maria d’Este (her actual name) and her story is one which should, and I’m glad to say now has, been told in and of its own right. Through her we meet other extraordinary women who, through varying levels of wit, humour and talent, tried to navigate life at court during the 1660’s, 70’s and 80’s - some with more success than others.

Regular readers and viewers of mine with know I am not one to easily band around ‘patriarchy’ as if a set of rules and customs understood by all and which automatically mean the subjugation of women. Here though, in the supposedly carefree, anything-goes, party palaces of Charles II women really did have an uphill struggle to be seen as anything more than sexual playthings, even prey, for the men there. Many fell foul of empty promises of marriage, some played the situation to their advantage and others, such as the formidable Sarah Jennings (later 1st Duchess of Marlborough and ‘favourite’ of Queen Anne) flatly refused to compromise their honour, having seen too many of their contemporaries ruined. In the case of Sarah Jennings, this moral high ground on sexual matters did not extend to friendships however, and we meet Sarah throughout the book and watch as she (among many others) betray Maria d’Este who, for her part, seems to have been a genuine friend who in all innocence (a trait she seems to have maintained) or perhaps a wish to see good in people, thought her friendships were reciprocal. This extended to her relationship with her step-daughters, James’ daughters by his marriage to Anne Hyde, Mary and Anne, toward whom she took her role of step-mother seriously despite being only slightly older in years. Unfortunately they would also betray her, as they did their own father (neither are likeable characters), with Anne being a loud proponent of the rumour that the baby boy, to which Maria had given birth to in June 1688, was in fact a changeling smuggled into her chamber in a bed warming pan. This, despite Maria enduring the humiliation of a very public birth which was supposed to quell such rumours.

What becomes clear as the reader moves through the book is that the Restoration Court is anything but carefree! This is a dangerous place full of political intrigue, religious tension, false alliances and barely concealed enmity, and subject to the constant threat of plague and smallpox, which we see periodically coming in to sweep away children and adults alike. (Maria lost a daughter to the disease.)

Against this backdrop Maria did not falter in her encouragement and patronisation of female artists, poets and writers, and Breeze expertly leads us through their stories too. Among others, we meet Hortense Mancini, famous as one of Charles II’s mistresses but who we learn created a ‘salon’ in her rooms which became a place where all sorts of people came to debate religion, art, literature, philosophy and politics, and where women were treated as intellectual equals to the men. We hear the heartbreaking story on Anne Killigrew, a maid of honour to Maria in the 1680’s who’s promising ‘career’ as a writer was cut short when she fell victim to smallpox in 1685, aged 25 years. Anne was a gifted writer and painter and it is her work ‘The Graces,’ of Maria d’Este and her ladies, in an allegory of Venus, which fittingly gives its title to that of this wonderful book.

As I finished this book I reluctantly had to leave Maria d’Este who I found to be one of the most human characters I have ever read about. She may have lived over 300 years ago and in a level of society few of us can truly comprehend but her gentle yet quietly determined personality and nature reaches out and serves as an inspiration, if the reader allows it. Maria d’Este, one-time Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, endured levels of heartbreak and turmoil that no one would wish on anyone and yet she retained, throughout it all, grace.

Until next time, have fun!

Philippa 💜