PUBLISHED ON MAY 21, 2026

Saints or sinners? Perfect princesses or difficult duchesses? Monarchy’s saviours or its destroyers?

They rank among the world’s most famous women – and the most misunderstood. Throughout history, royal women have been sanitised and sanctified by supporters, distorted and demonised by critics, embroiled in culture wars, pitted against each other, and misrepresented by the media of their day.

DIVIDE AND RULE: Royal Women and Their Battles, a groundbreaking new book from bestselling author and award-winning journalist Catherine Mayer, uncovers the extraordinary women behind the myths. Mayer’s portraits of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Victoria, Elizabeth II, Diana, Camilla, Kate and Meghan are fascinating, poignant, surprising and enraging, revealing them in all their complexity, charting their achievements, quirks, kindnesses, cruelties and profound influence.

An urgent and timely book, DIVIDE AND RULE draws on historical sources and unique insider accounts to lay bare the struggles of the embattled monarchy in a world of disinformation, rising populism and dangerous polarisation. Its survival rests with royal women – and their fate affects all of us.

Anne Boleyn versus Katherine of Aragon? Elizabeth I versus Mary, Queen of Scots? Diana versus Camilla? Kate versus Meghan?

You don’t have to choose.

Catherine Mayer is available for interview, please email for more info: Becci.Mansell@harpercollins.co