La princesa de Éboli: Cautiva del rey. Vida de Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda (1540–1592) by Helen H. Reed and Trevor J. Dadson (review)

This book is a biographical account of the life and deeds of Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda (1540–92), Countess of Melito, Duchess of Pastrana, and Princess of Eboli. She is an interesting and controversial figure whose actual life has been mixed with legend, and who is easily identified in artwork from the period because of the patch she wore over her right eye – notably in the pastoral portrait by Sofonisba Anguissola that appears on the book cover. Ana was born during the reign of Emperor Carlos V (r. 1516–56), but her entire adult life, including her rise at court, political disgrace, and imprisonment, took place during the reign of Felipe II (1527; r. 1556–98). During her time at the royal court she was immersed in a vibrant culture and in the politics of the empire, and she witnessed or participated in some of the most important events of her time. This study is the result of the collaborative effort of two well-known Hispanists, Helen H. Reed and Trevor J. Dadson, who bring their erudition and deep knowledge of the culture of early modern Spain to this comprehensive and well-researched project. They cite archival documentation, letters, inventories, and a wide range of published material to bring the Princess of Eboli to life. Many of the letters they discuss and quote bring the voice of the sixteenth century to the reader. Most of these documents come from their previous collaborative work, the Epistolario e historia documental de Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, princesa de Éboli (Madrid, 2013) – an edition containing four hundred and twenty-eight documents and letters related to Ana de Mendoza dating from 1553 to 1592.

At 534 pages, La Princesa de Eboli is a very long book. After a prologue and introduction, the study is divided into ten chapters contained in four sections: "La heredera" (the heiress), "La esposa" (the wife), "La viuda" (the widow), and "La cautiva" (the captive), plus an epilogue that also serves as a conclusion. The first half of the book (including the prologue, introduction, and first two parts) addresses Ana's birth, upbringing, marriage, motherhood, and life at court while married. Ana belonged to an important aristocratic family; she was the only child and heiress of the unhappy marriage formed by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y de Cerda and Catalina de Silva Cifuentes. In 1552, by the time she reached age twelve, Carlos V had betrothed her to Ruy Gomes da Silva (1516–73), then already thirty-six years old. He was a Portuguese nobleman who arrived in Spain as part of the contingent of courtiers that accompanied Isabel of Portugal when she married Carlos V. Ruy was known as "King Ruy" because he was Felipe II's most trusted advisor and secretary (first as prince and then as king). Obviously, this position gave him great influence in politics—Reed and Dadson consider him Felipe's "favorite" and "friend." For her part, Ana got very close to Felipe II's queen, Isabel of Valois (r. 1560–68)—the monarch's third wife and the mother of his two daughters, Isabel Clara Eugenia and Caterina Micaela. This closeness to the king and queen made Ana and Ruy the power couple at court. Reed and Dadson do a very good job of reconstructing the networks at court and underlining Ana's relationships and correspondence not only with local figures such as family members, Prince Carlos, or Teresa de Ávila, but also with the international elite, including Catherine de Medici, the queen of France and Isabel of Valois's mother. Unlike that of Ana's parents, her marriage to Ruy seems to have been...