Inspired by watching Mary Queen of Scots film, any historical novel recommendations?

[DavidRose]

I just finished watching the Mary Queen of Scots film on Netflix and really enjoyed it but it hammered home to me how embarrassingly little I know or understand of history. Any history. It wasn't really taught to any great extent at my school and I've not read much around the subject.

I'm looking for any recommendations of historical novels, preferably fairly accurate. I don't really mind what period of history as I'm equally clueless about everything but the Mary/Elizabeth story did seem interesting.

If it centres women I'm particularly on board - the historical fiction books I have read are My Dear Hamilton (his wife's life story) and The Red Tent.

Nothing too intellectual for which I'm using Covid as an excuse - escapism wanted!

Thanks!

I recently read "Hamnet" by Maggie O'Farrell. It's fiction but she did a lot of research about that period and she really brings it to life.

I love a good historical fiction. I don't mind a bit of straying from the actual events, but I do end up googling a lot to see if something really happened!
I enjoyed Philippa Gregory's War of the Roses series The White Queen, The Red Queen and the Kingmaker's Daughter, but the one I enjoyed the most was The Lady of the Rivers about Elizabeth Woodville's mother Jacquetta - that was really good. The rate she churns new books out now, does make me wonder if the quality has gone down a bit.

Another vote for Katherine by Anya Seton.
@Broceliande I am reading The Summer Queen now - really enjoying it.
Alsion Weir has a series called the Six Tudor wives - I have really enjoyed those as well.

Not particularly female character focused but another vote for Pillars of the Earth, and the others by Ken FOllet.
Also the Shardlake series is very good, it's about a tudor lawyer, fictional but the historical backdrop is real and actual people are in it regualrly, inc Henry VIII and Elizabeth (Before she was Queen)

Oh I'm going to enjoy my reading this year! (It will take me all year to get through this amazing list)

I had forgotten all about Hamnet despite having read every other Maggie O'Farrell book - putting that at the top of the pile.

Thanks everyone!

Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series, then her Niccolo one. Lymond is easier to get into than Niccolo but they're both worth it. And Lymond is a good follow on from watching Mary Queen of Scots as she's in them as a child.

Must re-read those...