Today, it is a pleasure to welcome my dear friend, Carol Ann Lloyd, to History… the Interesting Bits, with an article on the love life of Queen Elizabeth I. Carol Ann’s new book Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors is due to be released on 30 July by Pen and Sword. If it is anything like her first book, The Tudors By Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty, it will be a fabulous read!
“All the Queen’s Men: The Courtships of the Virgin Queen”
Carol Ann Lloyd
Elizabeth I, aged 14
It’s ironic that the child of the most-married English monarch ever is the only English monarch to rule as an adult and never marry! Elizabeth I, daughter of the famous (infamous?) Henry VIII never married. But it was not for lack of options.
The big question is “Why?” Did Elizabeth really want to marry anyone? What kept her from marrying? Did she ever intend to marry, or was she just keeping all her options open as she navigated the perilous landscape of European politics on her own?
I think there are many ways on answering this question. Let’s start at the beginning of her reign. Elizabeth was the least likely of Henry VIII’s children to come to the throne, and when she did everyone had the same question on their mind. As the Spanish Ambassador, the Count of Feria, reflected in the early days of the reign, “The more I think over this business the more certain I am that everything depends upon the husband this woman may take.” Elizabeth was questioned about her choice of husband by her council, ambassadors, and parliament. It was considered a public not a private matter, and the queen was repeatedly encouraged and counseled to get married and produce an heir for the good of the kingdom.
So, if everything depended on the husband her would take, what realistically were her options?
Some people might be surprised to learn that one of her first suitors was the husband of her recently deceased sister. Philip of Spain had been married to Mary I until her death, and the couple had no children. Still committed to bringing England back into the Catholic fold, Philip believed he could marry and control Elizabeth. I was surprised as I read his correspondence how convinced Philip was that Elizabeth was desperate for a husband and eager for his offer. Many Catholics never accepted the validity of the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, so Elizabeth’s hold on the throne was possibly tenuous. Philip believed he was the answer to Elizabeth’s problem. He thought she would jump at the chance.
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
Philip could not have been more wrong. Elizabeth knew very well that Philip would seek to involve England in Spain’s wars, as he had during Mary I’s reign. Using her skills in language, Elizabeth dallied with Feria and postponed giving a firm answer until it suited her. That answer was a definite “no.”
The offer from Philip was only the beginning. I discovered in my research that Elizabeth used the many marriage possibilities as a way of strengthening her position with the international community. She managed to keep several foreign leaders eager for an alliance with England and a marriage with her. Over the years, the king of Sweden, European dukes and archdukes, and even all three of Catherine de Medici’s sons in France were offered as possible husband. And that doesn’t take into account the Scottish and English nobles who wanted to marry the queen.
Speaking of men in England, was it really Robert Dudley who kept Elizabeth from marrying? He most likely was the love of her life, perhaps the only man she might have married if she had not been the queen. He was at the center of her life, from the day she learned Mary I had died, and she was queen. He became Elizabeth’s Master of the Horse, which meant he was always with her when she went riding, one of her favorite activities. And he was the only man in the kingdom with permission to touch the queen as he helped her onto and off horse.
Queen Elizabeth I
Even with Dudley’s favored position, there were a few problems in the way. For one thing, he was married. And then his wife died in very suspicious circumstances, making a future marriage potentially devastating for Elizabeth’s reputation. Dudley was unpopular among the council. And ultimately, I believe Elizabeth meant what she is reported to have shouted at him in anger: “I will have but one mistress here and no master.”
So, did everything depend upon the husband Elizabeth took? Yes, it turns out it did. I realized through the research that the one suitor that Elizabeth courted throughout her reign was the husband she had declared herself wed to when she became queen: her country and her people. Early in her reign, Elizabeth had responded to parliament’s request that she marry by responding that she was “already bound unto a husband which is the kingdom of England.” From the time she became queen, Elizabeth wooed her nation and her people, seeking their approval, favor, and love. That was the husband she took, and it meant everything to her.
About the book:
The many courtships of the woman who became Elizabeth I began when she was an infant, displayed before foreign ambassadors who considered her as a possible clause of a contract between England and France. From such an unromantic beginning, Elizabeth grew to see her father marry multiple times and experienced frequent changes in stepmothers and status in the family. Eventually, she became the most eligible woman in Europe. From start to finish, her marriage prospects were as much political as they were personal.
When she came to the throne in 1558, the primary question facing everyone from foreign monarchs to English nobles and ministers was which of her many suitors would finally win her hand. Through the longest Tudor reign, Elizabeth used courtship as a tool to consider foreign alliances, hold ambitious English courtiers in check, and navigate her role as a woman ruler in a world that considered her unnatural without a man at her side.
Elizabeth was, in fact, always the ‘Virgin Queen’, from the early days as a twenty-five-year-old presenting herself as a potential royal bride to her final years as an ageing and unmarried woman who was destined to end the Tudor dynasty. Ultimately, she became the only monarch in England to rule as an adult and never marry. Through it all, as friends and potential lovers faded away, she clung to the one true love of her life: England.
Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors is available from Pen and Sword and Amazon.
About the author:
Carol Ann Lloyd turned an obsession with the Tudors into a speaking and writing career. She shares her love of history with Smithsonian Associates, Royal Oak Foundation, Agecroft Hall, Folger Shakespeare Library and other organizations. She holds degrees in Literature and Education and hosts a popular podcast, _British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics_. She also offers workshops about using Shakespeare strategies to improve communication skills and is a member of National Speakers Association.
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My Books
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
OUT NOW! Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved. There are now over 40 episodes to listen to!
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Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
Frances and Henry Grey were married in 1533, at her parent’s residence of Suffolk Place in Southwark. As the eldest surviving child of Mary Tudor, dowager Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, Frances was fourth in line to the throne after the children of Henry VIII, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. When settling the succession, the king had instructed that his younger sister Mary’s line should be preferred over that of his older sister, Margaret. As a consequence, Frances was frequently at court.
The couple’s first child, a son, died young. They had three surviving daughters. The eldest, Jane, was born in October 1537, about the same time as her cousin Edward, the future King Edward VI; with the birth of the longed-for heir to the throne, Jane’s own birth went almost unnoticed. Jane would have been named after Henry VIII’s tragic queen, Jane Seymour, who died within two weeks of Edward’s birth.
Jane Grey would be known to history as the Nine Days’ Queen.
She was raised at the family home of Bradgate Park, near Leicester. Frances and Henry Grey are said to have been very strict parents who were not prone to expressions of love and affection; the children were used to sarcasm, cuffs and criticism. In her teenage years, Jane herself is said to have complained to the visiting scholar Roger Ascham:
‘When I am in the presence either of father or mother, whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand or go, eat, drink, be merry or sad, be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing anything else, I must do it as it were in such weight, measure and number, even so perfectly as God made the world; or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea presently sometimes with pinches, nips and bobs and other ways (which I will not name for the honour I bear them) … that I think myself in hell.’1
Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, Jane’s maternal grandparents
Jane enjoyed study and excelled in all fields, including Greek and philosophy. She was afforded a first-class education and from 1545 her tutor was John Aylmer. Aylmer had been sponsored through his studies at Cambridge by Jane’s father, the Marquess of Dorset, and was a brilliant academic. As a future courtier, Jane was given lessons in dance and music; probably including the popular instruments, the lute, spinet and virginal. In religion, Jane and her sisters were raised as ‘evangelicals’, the common word in the first half of the sixteenth century for Protestants. From the age of nine, Jane’s mother would have taken her to court from time to time, to familiarise her daughter with the court and her future duties as a Maid of Honour. Frances was at the time serving as a Lady of the Privy Chamber to the king’s sixth wife, Kateryn Parr, Henry VIII’s 6th and final wife.
In January 1547, King Henry VIII died and was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI. Jane and Edward were first cousins, once removed,and it is entirely possible – even likely – that Frances and Henry harboured hopes that Jane would marry the young king. It was Henry VIII’s will that shaped and dominated Jane’s future. More than ten years before his death, Parliament had granted Henry the right to bequeath the crown where he desired, rather than by strict primogeniture. In his final will, dated 26 December 1546, Henry excluded the Stuart line of his elder sister Margaret and settled the succession, should his children die without heirs, on the descendants of his younger sister, Mary, Duchess of Suffolk. Should Edward, Mary and Elizabeth all die without producing a child of their own, Jane would be queen; although Henry probably still held out hope that Frances would produce a son who could inherit ahead of the sisters.
Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset
The government of England was now in the hands of the boy-king’s uncle Edward Seymour, Earl of Somerset – soon to become duke of Somerset. Somerset and Henry Grey did not get along well and Grey, though he was the only marquess in England he was not appointed to the new king’s privy council. The younger brother of Somerset, Thomas Seymour, the Lord High Admiral of England and first Baron Seymour of Sudeley, having recently – and rather scandalously – married the king’s widow, proposed that he take on the wardship of Lady Jane. Henry Grey was reluctant, given the scandal attached to the hasty marriage of Queen Kateryn and Seymour just four months after the king’s death. However, Princess Elizabeth had already joined the dowager queen’s household and Seymour hinted at arranging a marriage between Jane and the young king when they were old enough, sweetening the deal with the offer of a payment of £2,000 for Jane’s wardship.
Joining the household of the dowager queen was a great opportunity for Jane, which would provide her with connections that would benefit herself and her family. And so, at ten years-old, Jane was given into the custody of Thomas Seymour and from then on was frequently in the household of Kateryn Parr, at Chelsea and later at Sudeley Castle. This was one of the happiest periods of Jane’s short life.
During her time in the dowager queen’s household, Jane got to know her cousin, Princess Elizabeth, better, though they never grew close. At thirteen, Elizabeth was too old to pay much attention to ten-year-old Jane. And despite her tender years, Elizabeth was rather self-contained and distant; she had already experienced the highs and lows of royal life, from being lauded as her father’s heir to being declared a bastard and knowing her mother was executed as a traitor. The princess had learned not to trust easily and to keep her own counsel. That Jane was, technically, Elizabeth’s heir, must have made the relationship more fractious in a world where one’s inheritance could be erased by an act of parliament.
Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk
Jane must have enjoyed living in a household of well educated, inquisitive women. One wonders, though, if she was aware of other goings-on in the household, as Thomas Seymour paid excessive attention to Princess Elizabeth. This caused tensions within the household, especially after the queen fell pregnant and began to fear that Seymour saw Elizabeth as a suitable replacement should she die in childbirth. Fearful for the princess’s reputation – and of her husband’s intentions – Elizabeth was sent away by Kateryn. Jane was now the most senior lady in the queen dowager’s household. And when Kateryn died a week after giving birth to her only child, Lady Mary Seymour, it was 11-year-old Jane who acted as chief mourner at her funeral, walking behind the queen’s coffin from the house to the chapel at Sudeley.
After the funeral, the queen’s household was broken up and Jane sent home to her parents. Within a few weeks, however, Thomas Seymour, now over the first stages of grief at losing his wife, given the blow to his finances and status the queen’s death had caused, realised that he could yet regain some standing if he resumed his guardianship of Jane. It took some persuading, but Seymour assured Henry and Frances that Jane would be well cared for and under the supervision of his mother. Although the late dowager queen’s women were still in Seymour’s household, the atmosphere had changed; and as Seymour’s ambitions came under suspicion from the Privy Council, it must have been an uncomfortable place for Jane to be. Amid rumours that Thomas Seymour was intending to marry Princess Elizabeth, he was arrested, as were Elizabeth’s servants. Elizabeth herself continued to insist that she would never agree to marry anyone without the Council’s permission.
Seymour was condemned for high treason by Act of Attainder and executed on 20 March 1549. On Seymour’s arrest, Jane had returned to Dorset House, her family’s London residence. Henry Grey may have seen his own hopes of advancement and Jane’s marriage to Edward VI disappear at Seymour’s arrest, but he must have been relieved that at least he had survived the affair with his head still on his shoulders. Besides, the wheel of fortune was about to turn his way. People were becoming increasingly disenchanted with Somerset’s rule and in the wake of Kett’s Rebellion in Norfolk, by 14 October it was Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who was lodged in the Tower under arrest. John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and future Duke of Northumberland, took the reins of government. Henry Grey was finally appointed to the Privy Council and received numerous rewards of office and grants of lands and lordships.
King Edward VI
Jane’s marriage was never far from the minds of those in power. Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset had wanted to marry Jane to his oldest son and heir, the earl of Hertford, also called Edward. Nothing had come of this plan by the time of Somerset’s fall. Before that, as early as 1541, the French Ambassador had proposed that she marry Charles, Duke of Orléans, third son of King Francis I, but the boy died in 1545. John Dudley initially favoured a marriage between Jane and the king. The children born of such a marriage would secure the succession and guarantee the continuance of the new religion within England’s borders. It would also resolve the problems associated with the succession of Mary or Elizabeth. Jane and Edward were good friends and corresponded regularly, but neither Jane nor Edward appeared enthusiastic about the suggestion and the idea was dropped, for the time being.
By February of 1553, the point was moot.
The young king was ill again, and it was becoming apparent that he was dying. Those around him started looking to the problem of the succession. The next in line was Princess Mary, a committed Catholic who would undo all the work Edward had done in advancing the Reformation. Edward could not pass over Mary’s claim to the crown in favour of Elizabeth, so chose to exclude all females from the succession and his ‘Device’ would leave the crown to ‘the Lady Jane’s heirs male’. As his health failed him, in June King Edward changed the wording of the Device to ‘The Lady Jane and her heirs male.’ Further arguments for excluding Mary and Elizabeth centred on their legitimacy – open to question after Henry VIII had, at various times, declared them both illegitimate – and the fear that they would marry outside of England.
Jane, on the other hand, was married to Lord Guildford Dudley, the fifteen-year-old son of John Dudley, now Duke of Northumberland and Lord President of the Council. Their parents saw the young couple as an alternative, Protestant king and queen to the Catholic Mary. The wedding had taken place in May 1553 in Dudley’s London home, Durham House. The young couple had been reluctant to marry and were bullied into it by their parents.
Edward VI’s ‘Devise for the Succession’
Aged just fifteen, King Edward VI died at Greenwich Palace on 6 July 1553. He was unmarried and left no heir. As the king lay dying Mary was summoned to the council, but instead rode to Kenninghall in Norfolk, with Robert Dudley despatched to intercept her with orders to take the princess to a place of safety. On 8 July, Mary heard the news of the king’s death and the following day proclaimed herself queen, despatching a letter to the Privy Council, ordering them to endorse her claim. She then moved to the formidable fortress of Framlingham Castle, where thousands flocked to her standard. Princess Elizabeth initially stayed away, pleading illness, watching and waiting to see how events played out. On 9 July the Privy Council summoned Lady Jane, recuperating from an illness at Chelsea, to appear before them. Dudley’s daughter, Mary Sidney, was sent to escort Jane by barge to Syon House, where she was greeted by two nobles who knelt before her, kissed her and informed her that Edward had nominated her as his successor. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and now father-in-law of the new queen, gave a lengthy speech, informing all present that King Edward’s wish had been for Jane to succeed him. Jane was left trembling and speechless before she fell to the ground, crying and declaring
I am insufficient to fill the role.2
Jane’s reaction to the proclamation of her accession to the throne suggests that she was not aware of the plans of Edward, Dudley and her father to make her queen. Though she was a clever girl and may well have suspected what was afoot. The next morning, dressed in the green and white of the Tudors and accompanied by her husband Guildford dressed equally splendidly in white and gold, Jane was escorted to the Tower in a procession of barges. There were no flags being waved, and no crowds lining the river to get a glimpse of their new queen. London was only just learning of the king’s death. Jane was greeted at the Tower by the Marquess of Winchester and Sir John Bridges, Lieutenant of the Tower, and various other civilian and military officials. Winchester knelt before the young queen and presented the keys to the fortress. John Dudley stepped forward and took them. Jane then made her ceremonial entrance into the White Tower and, with flags flying, a fanfare of trumpets and guns firing in salute, was seated under the canopy of state. The crown was brought to her, but she initially refused to wear it, only putting it on when Winchester persuaded her that he wished to see how it suited her.
Mary I
On one matter, Jane was adamant. She refused to make Guildford king: ‘If the crown belongs to me, I would be content to make my husband a duke. But I will never consent to make him king.’3 Royal blood flowed through Jane’s veins, not her husband’s. Apparently, Guildford fled the room in tears, but his parents were hopeful that Jane could be persuaded to change her mind. After all, they lived in a patriarchal society and no one expected that a woman could actually rule in her own right.
The Privy Council and leading judges declared Jane the new Queen of England.
That Sunday, at St Paul’s Cross, Bishop Ridley preached that as bastards, Mary and Elizabeth were unfit for the crown and that Mary’s Catholicism was a particular threat to the country, exposing it to foreign influence. A devout Protestant, Jane was seen as the symbol of continuity for the Protestant faith, untainted by any previous declarations of illegitimacy. However, there was no rejoicing and only the herald could be heard to shout ‘Long live the Queen!’
For 9 days, Jane was England’s first female monarch.
By 12 July, Mary and her supporters had gathered at Framlingham, Suffolk. Within days, the duke of Northumberland rode out of London with 3,000 men, promising to capture or kill Mary. Jane ordered the gates to the Tower be locked and the keys given to her. On 18 July, Jane began raising troops to be led against rebels in Buckinghamshire. But as Northumberland left London, everything began to fall apart. Rumours circulated that Mary had a force of 30,000. Londoners refused to rally to the duke’s army.
Northumberland’s coup collapsed.
On 19 July, Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, declared in favour of Mary. He entered his daughter’s chamber, where she sat at dinner under a canopy of state, and dramatically tore down the hangings. The next day, the Privy Council proclaimed Mary as Queen of England. And Jane went from being queen to a prisoner in the Tower of London; she was taken from the royal apartments to the Gentleman Gaoler’s lodgings. Her mother and ladies-in-waiting were allowed to return home, which they did without delay.
Mary was crowned on 1 October 1533, and Jane’s younger sisters Katherine and Mary became maids of honour to the new queen. Frances, too, was welcomed at court. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, Jane’s father-in-law, had been tried and convicted of high treason and executed on 22 August 1553. After just a few days in the Tower, Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, was pardoned and allowed to go home to his wife.
As for Jane, in November, she, her husband and two of his brothers were tried and convicted of high treason. Mary was willing to be merciful and spared their lives, for the moment. Jane was kept in comfortable confinement and may have hoped that she would eventually be released, had her father not involved himself in yet another plot…
Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I
Opposed to Mary’s proposed marriage to Philip of Spain, the Wyatt rebellion, led by Sir Thomas Wyatt, the son of the poet who was an admirer of Anne Boleyn, aimed to overthrow Mary. The intent was to marry Princess Elizabeth to Edward Courtney, Earl of Devon and a descendant of Edward IV, and put Elizabeth on the throne. As Wyatt raised an army in Kent, Grey was raising forces in the Midlands. However, Wyatt’s forces were overwhelmed as London closed its gates to them and Grey was arrested at his manor of Astley. He was taken prisoner, arraigned for his treason, condemned, and executed at the Tower on 23 February 1554, less than a month after his brief rebellion began.
Though she was in no way implicated in the rebellion, her father’s actions had already sealed Jane’s fate; her very existence as a possible figurehead for Protestant discontent made her an unacceptable danger to the state. The queen could no longer afford to be merciful, and Mary signed the death warrant for Jane and Guildford; the sentence for Jane was commuted from burning to beheading. She received a few days’ stay of execution while Mary sent the dean of St Paul’s, John Feckenham, to her to try and persuade Jane to accept the Catholic faith. But Jane remained steadfast, writing ‘Lord, thou God and father of my life, hear me poor and desolute woman, arm me, I beseech thee, with thy armour, that I may stand fast.’4
The night before her execution, aware that her father, by now also imprisoned in the Tower, was in great distress over her fate, Jane wrote a final letter to him:
‘Father, although it pleases God to hasten my death by one by whom my life should rather have been lengthened; yet can I so patiently take it, that I yield God more hearty thanks for shortening my woeful days, than if all the world had been given into my possession, with life lengthened at my own will. And albeit I am assured for your impatient dolours redoubled manifold ways, both in bewailing your own woe, and especially, as I hear, my unfortunate state; yet, dear father (if I may without offence rejoice in my own mishaps), herein I may account myself blessed, that washing my hands with the innocence of my fact, my guiltless blood may cry before the Lord, ‘Mercy to the innocent!’5
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche
At ten the next morning Guildford Dudley was taken from the Tower and escorted to Tower Hill for his execution. Jane watched him leave from her window. As Jane walked to her own execution, Guildford’s body was carried into the Tower’s chapel, St Peter Ad Vincula, for burial. Dressed in black, Jane mounted the scaffold by the White Tower. Speaking to the assembled crowd, she performed the traditional admission of guilt, saying that she had acted against the queen’s highness, though qualified it with:
‘Touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocence.’6
Having said her piece, and her prayers, Jane gave her gloves and handkerchief to Elizabeth Tilney and her prayer book to Thomas Bridges, the brother of the Lieutenant of the Tower. Jane then removed her gown, headdress and neckerchief as the executioner knelt to ask her forgiveness, which Jane gave willingly.
Jane knelt and, with her handkerchief tied over her eyes, she had to feel for the block and cried out ‘What shall I do? Where is it?’ when she couldn’t find it.7 One of those close by guided her to the block.
Her final words were ‘Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!’8
She was despatched with one stroke of the axe.
Notes:
1 .Lady jane Grey quoted in Jill Armitage, Four Queens and a Countess: Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Lady Jane Grey and Bess of Hardwick, p. 54; 2. Jill Armitage, Four Queens and a Countess: Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Lady Jane Grey and Bess of Hardwick, p. 68; 3. ibid; 4. Leanda de Lisle, The Sisters Who Would Be Queen, p. 146; 5. ibid, p. 148; 6. ibid, p. 150; 7. ibid, p. 151; 8. ibid, p. 152
Images:
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Sources:
Jill Armitage, Four Queens and a Countess: Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Lady Jane Grey and Bess of Hardwick; Leanda de Lisle, The Sisters Who Would Be Queen; Amy Licence, Tudor Roses; Amy Licence, The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women; Haynes (ed.), State papers, Vol. VI; Amy Licence, In Bed with the Tudors; Erin Lawless, Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I; David Loades, editor, Chronicles of the Tudor Kings: The Tudor Dynasty from 1485 to 1553: Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI in the Words of their Contemporaries; ODNB.com; Tracy Borman, The Private Lives of the Tudors; Sarah Gristwood, The Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty; John Cannon, editor, The Oxford Companion to British History; Arthur D. Innes, A History of England Under the Tudors; J.D. Mackie, The Earlier Tudors 1485-1558
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My Books
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
OUT NOW! Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell – and Tony Riches. We discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
*
Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais
I don’t usually start my articles with a disclaimer, but with this one, I think I will. The Princes in the Tower is always a hot topic, after all. So, I will warn you. Here, I am going to look into the life of Lady Katherine Gordon, rather than the veracity of the claim of her husband, Perkin Warbeck/Prince Richard, to being the younger of the two lost Princes. I am giving you the information and evidence that Katherine would have been presented with at the time, and not making any actual judgements. I will leave that to others who have spent much more time on the study of the Princes than I.
Lady Katherine Gordon was, by all accounts, a beautiful woman, with connections, though distant, to the Scottish royal family. She was the daughter of George Gordon, second Earl of Huntly, and his third wife, Elizabeth Hay. George Gordon had previously been married to Annabella Stewart, a great-aunt of James IV, meaning that Katherine was distantly related to the king by marriage.
Katherine first came to prominence in 1496, when she was given as a bride to Richard, Duke of York, the younger son of Edward IV and one of the Princes in the Tower. ‘Richard’ had recently emerged from hiding to claim the English throne, and after having spent some years on the Continent had been welcomed at the Scottish court in the autumn of 1495, probably simply to antagonise the English king, Henry VII, rather than in a genuine belief in his claim to be one of the lost princes. It would later be revealed that Richard was actually an impostor named Perkin Warbeck, from the Flemish city of Tournai. But that was by no means clear when he was residing at the Scottish court and several Continental royals, including the lost prince’s aunt Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy, had supported his claim to be Richard, Duke of York.
King James IV was probably hedging his bets as to Richard’s real identity when he offered Katherine Gordon in marriage. Katherine had just enough royal credentials to be a suitable bride for an English prince but was not too royal that King James would be embarrassed should Richard prove to be an impostor. And if Richard was successful in overthrowing Henry VII and claiming the English throne, James would have a friend as his neighbour in England. For James, it was worth the gamble and for Richard, it meant that he could count on Scottish support. The Scots king welcomed Richard to court with all honours due to an English prince. He treated Richard like an honoured royal guest, dressed him like a king, gave him a pension and took him on a progress through the kingdom. There is a letter purportedly written by Prince Richard to Lady Katherine in December 1495, just weeks before their wedding, which suggests he is highly enthusiastic about the match:
King Edward V and the Duke of York in the Tower of London by Paul Delaroche.
Most noble lady, it is not without reason that all turn their eyes to you; that all admire, love, and obey you. For they see your two-fold virtues by which you are so much distinguished above all other morals. Whilst, on the one hand, they admire your riches and immutable prosperity, which secure to you the nobility of your lineage and the loftiness of your rank, they are, on the other hand, struck by your rather divine than human beauty, and believe that you are not born in our days, but descended from Heaven.
All look at your face, so bright and serene that it gives splendour to the cloudy sky; all look at your eyes as brilliant as stars, which makes all pain to be forgotten, and turn despair into delight; all look at your neck, which outshines pearls; all look at your fine forehead, your purple light of youth, your fair hair; in one word, at the splendid perfection of your person; and looking at, they cannot choose but admire you; admiring, they cannot choose but love you; loving, they cannot choose but obey you.
I shall, perhaps, be the happiest of all your admirers, and the happiest man on earth, since I have reason to hope you will think me worthy of your love. If I represent to my mind all your perfections, I am not only compelled to love, to adore, and to worship you, but love makes me your slave. Whether waking or sleeping, I cannot find rest or happiness except in your affection. All my hopes rest in you, and in you alone.
Most noble lady, my soul, look mercifully down upon me your slave, who has ever been devoted to you from the first hour he saw you. Love is not an earthly thing, it is heaven born. Do not think it below yourself to obey love’s dictates. Not only kings, but also gods and goddesses have bent their necks beneath its yoke.
I beseech you, most noble lady, to accept for ever one who in all things will cheerfully do your will as long as his days shall last. Farewell, my soul and my consolation. You, the brightest ornament of Scotland, farewell, farewell.1
James IV, copy by Daniël Mijtens of a lost contemporary portrait
The marriage between the man claiming to be Richard of York and Katherine Gordon was celebrated on 13 January 1496. Richard was given a white damask ‘spousing’ gown for the occasion. Other gifts included a purple damask-covered suit of armour, six servants, two trumpeters and a French armourer. Richard was also awarded an annual pension of £1, 344.2 The ceremony was followed by a series of jousts in which the king of Scots himself participated, though there is no evidence that Prince Richard did; he probably watched the jousts in the company of his bride. Katherine was now referred to as duchess of York. The newlyweds then travelled with the king to the palace at Falkland in Fife to wait out the winter in anticipation of the campaigning season and Richard’s invasion of England to claim the throne.
James, too, was intent on invading England, despite pressure from both the Spanish and French monarchs. James insisted that the English had started the conflict by destroying his ships and cattle. In September 1496, James invaded Northumberland but returned to Scotland after only three days – no one in England had risen in support of Richard, Duke of York. As the year 1496 ended, Richard was no closer to invading England and was spending less time with King James, instead staying with his wife Katherine at Falkland Palace. In the meantime, King Henry VII’s spies had been at work on the Continent, discovering the true identity of Prince Richard.
King James IV’s priorities now changed. He was seeking peace with Henry VII, and a bride. In July 1497, James was negotiating with Henry to marry the English king’s eldest daughter, Margaret, though she was only eight years old at the time. Henry VII made one of the conditions of the peace that James ‘delyvere unto us Perkyn Werbek’.3 Although the Scots king was amenable to the suggestion, Warbeck was not available to be handed over to the English.
On 6 July, he and his wife set sail from Ayr after 19 months in Scotland. He left behind a brown horse, to be used to settle any debts that may still be outstanding. The ship, a French merchant vessel known as the Cukow, carried Warbeck, Katherine and 30 of Warbeck’s followers. Its hold was stocked with provisions including wine, bread, salt beef, mutton, cheese and fish. Although the king had not been present to bid them farewell, he had provided Katherine with some cloth to make a gown suitable for wearing aboard ship. What had spurred Warbeck to leave Scotland at this particular time is unclear. It may have been the burgeoning peace between James IV and Henry VII, or it may have been news of the Cornish uprising, which had erupted after King Henry had implemented a tax to raise funds for war against Scotland. It may be that Warbeck thought to join this rebellion.
Henry VII painted by an unknown artist
Katherine and her pretender-prince sailed first for Ireland, arriving in Cork on 25 July 1497. After spending a month in Ireland trying to raise troops to their cause, they sailed for Cornwall, making landfall at Whitesand Bay on 7 September with a small flotilla with just a hundred or so people on board. Warbeck’s first action after landing was to make his way to the parish of St Buryan, four miles inland, where he left Katherine to await news of his military campaign. He then headed further into Cornwall, recruiting along the way. It is estimated that by the time he reached Bodmin, Warbeck had an army of between three and five thousand men. After failing to take Exeter from the earl of Devon, Warbeck and his forces marched towards Taunton. The earl of Devon then set off in pursuit and cut off his line of retreat back into Cornwall.
Another royal army moved down from Oxfordshire into Somerset, reaching Glastonbury on 19 September, the same day Warbeck had reached Taunton – just twenty miles away. Warbeck was cornered and, losing his nerve, attempted to flee in the dead of night. With only sixty men, Warbeck sought sanctuary at Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire on 22 September. Where most religious houses that offered sanctuary could only provide it for a limited period of forty days, Beaulieu was one of those with an exemption, which meant those seeking it could remain in sanctuary there for the remainder of their lives. By early October, Warbeck had been persuaded to surrender and under strong guard was taken to face the king, who was now at Taunton.
16th-century copy by Jacques Le Boucq of the only known contemporary portrait of Warbeck, Library of Arras
The king and his prisoner then proceeded to Exeter where Perkin Warbeck was reunited with his wife. Katherine had been retrieved from St Buryan’s by a force sent by King Henry. When she was found, she was dressed in robes of mourning, which may suggest that she had already been apprised of her husband’s failure, or that she had recently lost a child. We do not know. As the young woman was presented to Henry VII, she was ‘ashamed and tearful’.4 The chronicler Polydore Vergil described the meeting: ‘When the king saw the woman’s beauty he promptly judged her worthy to be among the captive hostages of a general rather than a common soldier.’5 The king perceived Katherine’s nobility and resolved to afford her a more honourable status than he had previously planned. This meant, inevitably, that she would be separated from Warbeck.
Warbeck had been promised his life, but in the same interview the king insisted that Perkin Warbeck publicly admit, in front of his wife, the extent of his deception; that he was not, in fact, the duke of York, and that he was an impostor from Tournai. It may well be that Katherine was not wholly surprised by the confession. She must have heard the stories and accusations, but to hear the confession from her husband’s lips must have been hard to take. She was not duchess of York, she was Mrs Perkin Warbeck. The revelation put their very marriage in doubt. He had married her under a false identity, as Richard, Duke of York. Katherine put herself into the hands of the king.
Henry VII treated Katherine kindly, though he would not send her back home to Scotland. Instead, she was sent to London to serve in the household of Queen Elizabeth. The king purchased horses and saddles for her journey and presented Katherine with new clothes, including a satin gown and a black velvet bonnet. Katherine arrived at Sheen on 21 October and was presented to the queen, the woman she had believed to be her sister-in-law until Warbeck had made his confession. Katherine was given a position in the queen’s household and a pension, not as the wife of the pretender, but in her own right as a high-ranking Scottish noblewoman. When the king returned to London, bringing Warbeck with him, the two lived separately within the royal household. They were well treated but not permitted to sleep together. Katherine also resumed her maiden name.
Tower of London
In June 1498, in spite of the lenient treatment he had received from the king, Perkin Warbeck chose to abscond from Westminster Palace. He was recaptured within a couple of days, having only reached the Carthusian priory at Sheen, just seven miles from Westminster. Although he still escaped the executioner’s axe, the king was no longer minded to be so lenient and sent Warbeck, after a spell in the stocks, to close confinement within the Tower of London.
Katherine’s own situation does not appear to have been threatened by Warbeck’s recklessness and in June 1499 she accompanied the king and queen to Calais for a meeting with Archduke Philip and his wife Juana of Castile, the sister of their future daughter-in-law Catherine of Aragon. Later in the same year Perkin Warbeck, having tried to escape with fellow prisoner Edward, Earl of Warwick, was accused of conspiring against the king. And this time he was not going to get away with it. As it had been established that he was not noble, Warbeck was executed by hanging, not beheading, at Tyburn on 23 November 1499. Warwick was beheaded on Tower Hill five days later.
Katherine’s marital status had been ambiguous since the discovery of Warbeck’s deception, but she was now definitively free to remarry. We know not whether she was saddened or relieved at the execution of Warbeck. She may have felt nostalgic for the short time they had been together, or grateful that the man who betrayed her was no longer able to cast a shadow over her life and future; or both. We will never know. Katherine remained at court and as one of the queen’s ladies was present at the betrothal ceremony of James IV and Margaret Tudor, held at Richmond in January 1502. When the queen, Elizabeth of York, died in February 1503 Katherine was one of the chief mourners at her funeral, accompanying the procession from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey behind the queen’s sisters. And at the Abbey, she laid her pall on the coffin, again, after the queen’s sisters. After the queen’s death, Katherine remained at court, keeping the king company: she played cards with him, acquired medicines for him when he was ill and painted cloths and religious scenes to be held before him as he lay dying.
Fyfield Manor, Berkshire, Katherine’s home with her last husband
After Warbeck’s fall, Katherine Gordon had been taken prisoner, but her noble status had allowed her to be accepted at court as one of the queen’s ladies. Katherine never remarried in the lifetime of either Elizabeth of York or Henry VII. She was no longer a prisoner, but still not entirely free. Shortly before Henry VII’s death, Katherine was granted land in Berkshire, on the condition that she would not leave England. Following Henry VII’s death, sometime between 1510 and 1512 Katherine married James Strangeways, a Gentleman Usher of the King’s Chamber, but he died in 1516, leaving all his property to Katherine. The following year, Katherine married Matthew Craddock, a Welsh knight from Glamorganshire, obtaining permission to live with him in Wales; her promise to never leave England making such a request necessary. From 1525 to 1530, Katherine was employed in the household of Henry VIII’s daughter Mary as Chief Lady of the Privy Chamber. Katherine was widowed once again in 1531, with Craddock making her executor of his will and leaving her income from some of his Welsh properties in addition to 500 marks. Sometime before 1536 Katherine married for a fourth and final time. Her husband, Christopher Ashton, was a Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber. Katherine spent the last years of her life on her lands in Berkshire, at Fyfield Manor.
St Nicholas Church, Fyfield, where Katherine was buried
Survived by her last husband, she died on 14 October 1537, forty years almost to the day after Perkin Warbeck had been captured at Beaulieu Abbey. In her will she refers to all of her husbands, save Warbeck. She leaves bequests to Margaret Kyme, the daughter of Elizabeth of York’s sister, Cecily, to her servant, Philippa Hulls and to Alice Smyth, whom Katherine refers to as her sister.6 Perhaps she was a sister of one of Katherine’s husbands. There is no mention of any children and although there has been speculation that Katherine and Warbeck had a child, there is no evidence of this beyond a report by the Venetian ambassador Adrian Trevisano from September 1497,in which he says Warbeck had arrived in Cornwall ‘leaving behind his wife and children’.7 This may well have been a misunderstanding as there is no further mention of children from Trevisano or any other sources. Katherine was buried in the chancel of the church of St Nicholas at Fyfield. A tomb there, missing its brasses, is still referred to as Lady Gordon’s Monument.
Lady Katherine Gordon had survived the fallout from her first husband’s rebellions and conspiracies and made a life for herself at the English court. She appears to have been considered a dupe to Warbeck’s plotting, rather than a co-conspirator. Her position as the daughter of a Scottish earl and a distant relative of the king of Scots afforded her the chance to make a new life for herself as one of the queen of England’s ladies and she grabbed the opportunity in both hands. She went from being a royal captive to a trusted and loved member of the English court. Not all female prisoners would be so fortunate.
Notes:
1. ‘December 1494’ in CSPM pp. 72-79 quoted in Nathen Amin, Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders, p. 219; Nathen Amin, Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders, p. 220; 3. ibid; 4. Bernard André quoted in ibid, p. 269; Polydore Vergil quoted in ibid, p. 269; 6. Susan Abernethy, ‘The Life of Lady Katherine Gordon’; 7. Nathen Amin, Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders, p. 327
Nathen Amin, Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders; Susan Abernethy, ‘The Life of Lady Katherine Gordon’; Amy Licence, The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women; Amy Licence, In Bed with the Tudors; Erin Lawless, Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I; David Loades, editor, Chronicles of the Tudor Kings: The Tudor Dynasty from 1485 to 1553: Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI in the Words of their Contemporaries; David Ross, Scotland: History of a Nation; ODNB.com; Tracy Borman, The Private Lives of the Tudors; Sarah Gristwood, The Tudors in Love: The Courtly Code Behind the Last Medieval Dynasty; John Cannon, editor, The Oxford Companion to British History; Arthur D. Innes, A History of England Under the Tudors; J.D. Mackie, The Earlier Tudors 1485-1558.
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My Books
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
OUT NOW! Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell – and Tony Riches. We discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
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Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
In 2017, when I published Heroines of the Medieval World, it was a dream come true – to actually write and publish a book! I never imagined, then, that I would still be writing books 7 years later, nor that I would get the opportunity to write a sequel!
But here it is!
Continue reading for a chance to win a signed copy of Heroines of the Tudor World in my Publication Day GIVEAWAY!
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603.
These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love.
These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. Some famous, some infamous, some less well known, including Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Barton, Catherine de Medici, Bess of Hardwick and Elizabeth I.
From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
I am so excited to be able to announce that Heroines of the Tudor World is now available from – everywhere! Including Amberley Publishing, Bookshop.org and Amazon UK.
Publication Day GIVEAWAY!
For the chance to win a signed copy of Heroines of the Tudor World simply leave a comment below.
The draw fro the winner will be made at noon Friday 21 June 2024.
Competition Closed: and the winner is Andria van Buskirk!
Book Launch
Do join me for the Heroines of the Tudor World book launch, including a talk and book signing will be held at the gorgeous historic venue, The Lincoln County Assembly Rooms, Monday 24 June, 2024, at 7pm.
Tickets in-store or online from £7 – ticket with book deals available.
To reserve your ticket, call in at Lindum Books on Bailgate, Lincoln, or click here!
Reviews:
And the first reviews are in – and amazing!
Tony Riches was the first to give his views:
Heroines of the Tudor World is “is perfect for ‘dipping in’ at a random page or section – where you can be sure of discovering something interesting. I also liked the way some Tudor women pop up in several categories, highlighting the complexity of their lives. As with her medieval heroines, some of the categories are thought provoking, such as the idea of heroic mistresses and scandalous heroines, but this makes for a lively and engaging read.” Read the whole 5* review over at The Writing Desk.
And Medieval Madame, on Instagram, also gave Heroines of the Tudor World 5 stars:
“Automatically, when we think of the Tudor woman we tend to think of King Henry VIII’s wives, ladies in waiting or mistresses like Lady Jane Parker and Mary Boleyn. Yet so many women played a vital role, and they are lesser known but those who are more widely known don’t get enough recognition. Women, the weaker, frailer, gentler sex who should have a purpose: ‘stay at home, do embroidery, bear children – hope to survive!’ Not forgetting obey your Husband!
This book centres around women who, either by chance or decision, step out of the mould society cast upon them, even if it meant death. Remember, the Tudor World was one of the most vicious times in English history.
In this 12 chapter book, Sharon Bennett Connolly looks at many women from different backgrounds, and placed into chapters that’s what made their names live on. Take for example chapter 11 we see, “Literary Heroines,” here you can read about Margaret Roper, daughter of Sir Thomas More. Religious reformist, published, Queen Katherine Parr. Then French royalty who could well handle a quill!
Other heroines include: Caterina Sforza, Elizabeth Barton, Katherine Willoughby, Mary Queen of Scots, Anne de Vere and so many more – the list is vast! That is what makes an interesting read. Whether by religion, royalty, nobility or scandal.
Sharon has achieved another piece of thought provoking literature by shining a light on this enjoyable and contemporary read. As a sequel to her “Heroines of the Medieval World,” this certainly does not disappoint, and I enjoyed it equally.
For an in-depth view on many resilient, defiant and warrior women, who could very well be the first step to what we know in modern times as feminism. This is it! This is an excellent read, most certainly in the top three reads of the year. Sharon has crafted her creative writing once more for our educational enjoyment.
[Gifted] To Be Released 15 June 2024″
All About History
All About History magazine gave Heroines of the Tudor World 4 stars, highlighting that the book ‘reminds readers that the lot of women in this era was not an easy one, but in these fascinating stories she reminds us too that there have always been women who dared to challenge the status quo. Whether standing up for country, crown, family or love, the women who spring to life in these pages are richly deserving of their place in history.’
The first review on Amazon was from Helen Musson. It was short but oh so very, very sweet:
Brilliant!
And what an incredible review of Heroines of the Tudor World from Heidi Malagisi at Adventures of a Tudor Nerd:
“Connolly gave her readers a thrilling look into the 16th century….my only complaint is that it was not a longer book…”If you have enjoyed Sharon Bennett Connolly’s previous books and you are a Tudor nerd, I highly suggest you read, ‘Heroines of the Tudor World.'”
Interviews, podcasts and YouTube
You can find me talking about my choice of Heroines of the Tudor World on some of the best Tudor podcasts:
On Tudors Dynasty I may have mentioned to Rebecca Larsen that I don’t think much of Henry VIII. And I had a fabulous time, chatting with Natalie Grueninger over at On the Tudor Trail.
And I am on Books & Brews, over on You Tube, talking about my favourite Heroines of the Past. You can even watch the outtakes!
To Buy Heroines of the Tudor World
You can order signed, dedicated copies of Women of the Anarchy through my online bookshop. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available from – everywhere! Including Amberley Publishing, Bookshop.org and Amazon UK.
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Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:
Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. It is is available from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
*
Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
*You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
Today, it is a pleasure to welcome Tony Riches back to History…the Interesting Bits, with an article about the story behind his new novel, Frances: Tudor Countess. Frances Walsingham was the daughter of Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Francis Walsingham who married three times, including the soldier-poet, Sir Philip Sidney and, later, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex
So, over to Tony…
Frances – Tudor Countess: The History Behind the Book
The origins of my latest book can be traced to my birth in Pembroke, Wales, close to the medieval castle where Henry Tudor was born. I couldn’t find any books which brought his story to life, and was inspired to write the Tudor Trilogy, where Henry is born in the first book, comes of age in the second, and becomes King of England in the third.
The success of the Tudor Trilogy led to the idea of following the dynasty in a continuous thread to the end, with the death of Queen Elizabeth I. I enjoy studying the real history to understand the social, political and economic context, and like to offer readers an historically authentic ‘immersive’ experience.
Over the past ten years I’ve built an extensive reference collection of books on everything Tudor and Elizabethan, from medicine to recipes, childbirth to government, as well as numerous biographies of key players in the story of the Tudors. All this research provides the backdrop within which the real lives and relationships of my chosen subjects develop and evolve.
For my second trilogy I decided to write about the reign of Henry VIII as the ‘Brandon Trilogy’, from the perspective of his youngest sister, Mary, his best friend, Charles Brandon, and the woman who some say could have become his seventh wife, Katherine Willoughby.
This took me to the Elizabethan era, and the decision to explore the enigmatic queen through three of her favourite men, Drake, Essex and Raleigh. Each saw her very differently, as Drake was in awe of her, Essex was like the son she never had, and Raleigh became captain of her guard.
I found that most of what I thought I knew about these men was wrong or missing vital details. I discovered Drake strived to understand and help liberate enslaved people. The heroic failure of the Essex rebellion was more about his lack of emotional intelligence than political ambition, and Raleigh’s colonisation of the New World was conducted from the comfort of his home through the courageous sacrifices of others.
I also realised I would need to make the Elizabethan books a series of six, rather than a trilogy, and explore the complexity of Queen Elizabeth through the eyes of three of her ladies. I had plenty to choose from, but found the most interesting were Penelope, eldest daughter of the queen’s nemesis, Lady Lettice Knollys, Frances, the only surviving child of the queen’s spymaster, Walsingham, and one of her ‘Gentlewomen’, Bess Raleigh.
One of my favourite historical sources for the Elizabethan series is “The Elizabethan Court Day by Day” by Marion E. Colthorpe. A rich and varied collection of research, this is where I discovered such details as the queen’s chambers being infested with fleas, which accumulated at the windows, the lists of participants in Accession Day jousts, and actual menus for royal banquets. Most importantly, this resource enabled me to cross-check events on any day at the Elizabethan court with other sources to ensure historical accuracy.
Of the many biographies I’ve studied, an unexpected source I found useful was Daphne du Maurier’s work on Francis and Anthony Bacon, who became important advisors to Frances in her struggle to understand and influence events at court. I also collected the works of the late Professor David Loades, particularly on the lives of William and Robert Cecil, who provide a connection between the books of the Elizabethan series.
To anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the Elizabethan world, I also recommend Liza Picard’s Elizabeth’s London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London and The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer. There are plenty of well-researched books about the great events of the period, such as the Spanish Armada, but I was keen to develop a sense of how my subjects lived from day to day, what they wore, what they ate, and most importantly, how they thought about their world.
When I set out on this ‘journey’ to tell the story of the Tudors I had no idea how much I would learn about fascinating women such as Frances Walsingham, who witnessed the key events of the Elizabethan era first-hand, yet is so little known – until now.
To Buy the book:
Frances – Tudor Countess is new from Amazon in the United Kingdom and United States in eBook and Paperback, and an audiobook edition will be produced this year:
About the Author:
Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of best-selling Tudor historical fiction. He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the history of the Wars of the Roses and the lives of the Tudors. For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook, Twitter @tonyriches and Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyriches.bsky.social. You can find out more about his research on his popular podcast series, ‘Stories of the Tudors’
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell – and Tony Riches. We discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
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Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
Years have passed since the clash of shieldwalls echoed across the land. The Saxons are now the lords of Britain. And yet the bards still sing of Arthur – ‘In our darkest time, when we need him most, shall he come again.’
Yet old Beran has no love of bards’ songs. Nor of people, unless they are paying him to steal or kill. He is a mercenary, in the employ of the cutthroat Nabor ap Nabor, and he has been ordered to murder a boy fleeing a burning city. No ordinary boy either. No, this boy is the son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius. And he could be the hope of Britain…if he lives.
Betraying his companions and returning to a world he thought he had left forever, Beran gives his word that he will take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the Saxons: Camelot.
Crossing a hostile land, they will meet the runaway lovers, Tristan and Isolde. They will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes, who once rode beneath Arthur’s banner.
Hunted by Saxons, Nabor ap Nabor, and Queen Morgana, this unlikely band must fight for their lives and for each other. For if there’s to be any hope for Britain, Beran must deliver the boy to Camelot. But to do that, he must also face his own past…
Wow!
Every now and then, a book comes along that stands head and shoulders above the rest. It draws you in. You cannot wait to finish it.
And yet…
Finishing it leaves you bereft.
That is Giles Kristian’s Arthur.
It is the third book in a series that was only meant to be a duology. After Lancelot and Camelot came out, I asked Giles if there would be an Arthur and he said, probably not – that he had covered Arthur’s story in the other two. He wasn’t sure there was anything more to add. And how could he do it? He would have to go back a rewrite Lancelot, but with Arthuras the focus. I understood his dilemma but it was disappointing that there would be no book dedicated to Arthur.
But then, he must have found inspiration from somewhere, because we now have Arthur. Lancelot was fabulous. Camelot was gripping. Arthur is on a whole other level. The premise of the novel is inspired. Continuing the story into the next generation, with flashbacks to Arthur’s early life and career. The new story is cleverly woven into the old legends. Morgana is a villain trying to get her hands on the heir to the throne. The tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde is woven into the narrative, as are other parts of the Arthurian legend. And Beran, the old soldier, is the reluctant hero, who reluctantly finds himself in the role of Prince Erbin’s protector.
‘I’m hungry,’ the boy said.
‘I told you, I don’t have any food,’ Beran replied, looking for the stars to make sure they were still walking west. Two bats tumbled and flitted above, across a patch of dark sky.
‘But I’m hungry,’ the boy insisted.
‘What do you expect me to do about it?’ Beran growled.
The boy’s face clenched in thought. ‘You must be good at setting traps,’ he said. ‘You outlaws live here in the forest, don’t you?’
‘I can feed myself. Didn’t ask for another mouth to feed.’
‘I’m a prince.’
‘A mouth’s a mouth.’
Beran could almost feel the boy frowning in the dark from two feet away. ‘We could set a snare like my father’s hunters do. They catch hares and polecats and pine martens that way.’
‘Not any more they don’t,’ Beran said. ‘Look, boy, if we stop to set traps, we’re more likely to catch one of the bastards who’s after us. Or a Saxon. Or one of Queen Morgana’s spearmen. We’ve got to keep moving.’
‘So, we’re going to Camelot?’ the boy asked.
The name struck Beran like a blow to the chest. He stopped and the boy stopped with him. ‘Why in Ban’s name would we go to Camelot?’ he asked.
‘Because that’s where Mother was taking me,’ the boy said, looking up at him, and Beran realized he had not even considered where the fugitives from Caer Colun had been bound with their treasures and this heir to the kingdom. It made sense, of course, for where else was safe in Britain for the son of Constantine the Battle King? The man who had modelled himself on the Roman generals who once ruled in the Dark Isles, and who had waged war against the Saxons for the last sixty years.
‘Lady Iselle wrote to my mother many times since my fatehr died, begging her to go to Camelot where we would be safe.’
Another name, another blow. ‘So why didn’t you?’ Beran asked. Your mother must’ve known Caer Colun could not hold out for ever. Even if the great Constantine had still been alive.’
‘Mother said we would never abandon the people. Lady Iselle could not take all of them to live within Camelot’s walls.’
‘Well, your mother’s people are slaves now, or dead. Or living beneath the sky like us,’ Beran said.
‘How long will it take to get to Camelot?’ the boy asked.
‘We’re not going to Camelot.’
Giles Kristian’s Arthur is a beautifully crafted story from start to finish, with twists and turns that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat and reading late into the night. And so you should. With enemies old and new, Beran has to avoid his former gang, stay clear of marauding Saxons and protect his charge from Queen Morgana’s men, who are hunting them relentlessly,
I do not want to ruin the reading experience with spoilers, I promise, but I will say endings are often not as good as you want them to be. They fail to live up to the promise.
That is not the case with Arthur.
The ending is spectacular.
They are everything you would expect of the legendary Arthur.
You ride with him.
You fight with him.
You are screaming his name as you charge the enemy.
It is perfection.
If there is only one book you read this year, make sure it is Arthur by Giles Kristian.
Family history (he is half Norwegian) and a passion for the fiction of Bernard Cornwell inspired GILES KRISTIAN to write. Set in the Viking world, his bestselling ‘Raven’ and ‘The Rise of Sigurd’ trilogies have been acclaimed by his peers, reviewers and readers alike. In The Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury, he tells the story of a family torn apart by the English Civil War. He also co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. His contemporary survival thriller, Where Blood Runs Cold, won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. With his Sunday Times bestseller Lancelot, Giles plunged into the rich waters of the Arthurian legend. His epic reimagining of our greatest island ‘history’ continued in Camelot and draws to a breath-taking close with Arthur. Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire. To find out more, visit http://www.glieskristian.com. You can follow him on X @GilesKristian and Facebook/Giles Kristian
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My Books
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
*
Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
It is a pleasure to welcome Jo Willett back to History…the Interesting Bits with a guest post about the subject of her latest book, the Georgian actress Sarah Siddons:
The famous actress Sarah Siddons, the Muse of Tragedy and the Queen of Drury Lane as she was known, was an expert on what we would today call brand control. The characters she played on stage were almost without exception highly moral, upstanding and noble. So, it was important that Sarah’s fans were encouraged to see her in the same light. In an age where many of her contemporary actresses on the London stage were either former sex workers or the mistresses of wealthy men (or both) Sarah ensured that every opportunity was taken to project the message that she was, by contrast, a happily married woman and a devoted mother.
Sarah had met her husband-to-be, William Siddons, when he joined her parents’ travelling acting troupe. She was aged 11 and he was 23. Biographers have tended to gloss over how quickly it was before the two started having romantic feelings for each other, for obvious reasons, but her parents soon became aware that the two were in love. They were wary of the relationship, not because of the age difference – Sarah’s father was similarly several years older than her mother and they had also met when her mother was young – but because they could see that William was not a particularly good actor. The story of how Sarah’s parents attempted to separate the lovers bears all the hallmarks of having been romanticised by Sarah in later life. But whatever happened, Sarah’s parents eventually decided to give their reluctant consent, and Sarah and William Siddons were married in Coventry in November 1773, when Sarah was 18 years old. The Siddons would always affectionately refer to each other as Sal and Sid.
So, Sarah was a married woman by the time she acquired fame and fortune as the greatest tragic actress of her generation. She had a false start at Drury Lane in David Garrick’s final season, but then rebuilt her career and returned to appear on stage at Drury Lane again, this time with Richard Brinsley Sheridan as manager, in 1782. Her first night was said to be one of the greatest ever seen on the British stage and she continued for some thirty years as the highest paid performer of her generation, mobbed by fans wherever she went. By 1782 she was already the mother of four children.
Sarah Siddons as Euphrasia in The Grecian Daughter
Sarah’s success enabled William to give up acting and to become her manager. In this role he proved himself often to be over-zealous in his demands for the fees he asked for her. The more Sarah earned in performance fees as the star, particularly in the regional theatres she toured every summer, the less was available to pay other actors in the company. Inevitably resentments festered. This was made worse when it appeared as if William had got Sarah out of appearing in ‘benefit’ performances, where the night’s takings went to a deserving actor in the cast. Her reputation suffered as a result, and she earned herself the nickname Lady Sarah Save-All.
Even though Sarah was the sole breadwinner, everything she earned was legally in William’s name. There is no evidence she questioned this – it was just how things were at the time. But William was not always wise when it came to investing. One year, for instance, he lost nearly a third of Sarah’s annual earnings, speculating on a new building at Saddlers Wells. Sarah never complained but she did find herself increasingly exhausted by her punishing work schedule and her health certainly suffered as a result.
It must also have been difficult for William that Sarah had such star status, whilst he was relatively unknown. She became the darling of King George III and his wife Queen Charlotte, for instance, but no mention was ever made of William’s having been introduced to the king and queen. It was as if he didn’t exist. Perhaps inevitably, William began to seek solace elsewhere. A friend called at the Siddons’ house one day to find Sarah weeping as she burned some papers which had alerted her to the fact her husband now had a mistress.
In 1792, ten years after Sarah’s triumph at Drury Lane, Hester Piozzi, a friend of Sarah’s, wrote in a letter to a mutual friend that the famous actress’s recent bout of ill-health could be put down to the fact that William had given his wife a Sexually Transmitted Infection, probably syphilis. This was far from being an uncommon problem at the time, but without the wonders of modern medicine it was incurable. Despite this, the couple clearly patched things up between the two of them, as their final child, a daughter named Cecilia, was born the following year.
Sarah Siddons as Lady MacBeth
Sarah never seems to have mentioned her STI. The only hint at it remains to this day Hester Piozzi’s letter. She would have dreaded any news of it escaping into the public domain. Her reputation as a happily married woman, the essence of respectability, would have been dangerously undermined. She was attended by the Royal Physician, Sir Lucas Pepys, who advised her to spend time recuperating at a spa. From then on she often suffered from what her public were told was erisypelas, a condition of the skin. In my biography I suggest that this was a means of covering up the fact her syphilis was developing.
But this was not the only problematic area in the Siddons’ relationship. Their two eldest daughters both suffered from increasingly serious diseases of the lungs, from which both of them were to die, Maria in 1798 and Sally in 1803. Sarah was able to rush to Maria’s bedside to be with her daughter for her last few weeks of life. But when Sally began to sicken during what would prove to be her last few months, her mother was on a long tour of Ireland. William wrote to his wife assuring her that Sally was recovering. He urged her to extend her tour from Dublin to Cork, specifically because there were bills to be met at home. Family life in London was proving to be particularly expensive at the time. Inevitably, and tragically, Sally worsened and died before her mother could make it back to be at her bedside for her end.
Sarah was always exceptionally guarded in her personal correspondence about her feelings towards her husband, but she let her mask slip around this time. ‘I have suffered too much from a husband’s unkindness,’ she wrote, ‘not to detest the man who treats a creature ill that depends on her husband for all her comforts.’ Clearly she blamed William for what had happened.
But Sarah herself was not entirely blameless. During her tour of Ireland she had met a young Spanish fencing master, Philomen Galindo. At first she could persuade herself that she was equally fond of Philomen and of his wife Catherine. But as the relationship developed, Catherine began to feel increasingly excluded and paranoid. Infatuated with Philomen, Sarah did her best to procure acting jobs for the couple in the new company of actors Sarah’s brother, the actor/manager John Philip Kemble, was putting together at Covent Garden. But John Philip made it very clear immediately that the Galindos were not the sort of people his celebrated sister should be associating with. It is impossible to prove whether Sarah was having a sexual relationship with Philomen Galindo, but his wife clearly thought she was. And when, several years later, Catherine had a pamphlet published, arguing her case and making public her side of the story, Sarah declined to sue for libel.
Sarah Siddons as The Tragic Muse by Joshua Reynolds
How much William knew about this is again hard to know, but it was just a year after their daughter Sally’s death, and just as Sarah had encouraged the Galindos to come to London on the false promise of finding jobs for them, that William and Sarah Siddons finally decided to separate. Very little adverse comment appeared in the press about this. All Sarah’s biographers up until now have played the separation right down and praised the actress for the dignity with which she handled the end of her marriage. One who was writing during Sarah’s lifetime wrote that William ‘retained at all times the sincerest regard for his incomparable lady.’ But the truth remained that the Siddons could no longer live with each other.
William drew up his will at the same time. He had asked Sarah to tell him what she would like from it. But, as she herself put it: ‘I can expect nothing more than you yourself have designed’. Despite all her worldly success, her reputation as the greatest tragic actress of her generation, and her image as someone as morally upright as the tragic heroines she played each night on stage, in real life her future was just as in jeopardy as theirs, dependent for her security on the goodwill of the husband from whom she was parting.
About the book:
Sarah Siddons grew up as a member of a family troupe of travelling actors, always poor and often hungry, resorting to foraging for turnips to eat. But before she was 30 she had become a superstar, her fees greater than any actor – male or female – had previously achieved. Her rise was not easy. Her London debut, aged just 20, was a disaster and could have condemned her to poverty and anonymity. But the young actress – already a mother of two – rebuilt her career, returning triumphantly to the capital after years of remorseless provincial touring. She became Britain’s greatest tragic actress, electrifying audiences with her performances. Her shows were sell-outs. Adored by theatre audiences, writers, artists and the royal family alike, Sarah grasped the importance of her image. She made sure that every leading portrait painter captured her likeness, so that engravings could be sold to her adoring public. In an eighteenth-century world of vicious satire and gossip, she also battled to manage her reputation. Married young, she took constant pains to portray herself as a respectable and happily married woman, even though her marriage did not live up to this ideal. Sarah’s story is not just about rags to riches; this remarkable woman also redefined the world of theatre and became the first celebrity actress.
Sarah Siddons: The First Celebrity Actress is available from Amazon
About the author:
Jo Willett has been an award-winning TV drama and comedy producer all her working life. Her credits range from the recent Manhunt, starring Martin Clunes, to Birds of a Feather. Her most relevant productions include Brief Encounters (a fictionalised story of the first women who ran Ann Summers parties in the 1980s), The Making of a Lady (an adaption of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel _The Making of a Marchioness_), Bertie and Elizabeth (telling the story of the Queen Mother’s marriage) and the BAFTA-and-RTS Award-Winning A Rather English Marriage (starring Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Joanna Lumley, adapted from the novel of the same name by Angela Lambert). She studied English at Queens’ College Cambridge and has an MA in Arts Policy. She is married with a daughter, a son and a step-son. She lives in London. www.devoniaroad.co.uk.
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My Books
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
*
Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
It is a pleasure to welcome novelist G.K. Holloway to History…the Interesting Bits today, to talk about the research behind his wonderful series The 1066 Saga.
Norman invasion fleet, Bayeux Tapestry
Research for my books consists of mainly reading – books, magazines, academic papers, and blogs. It’s also good to get out a bit and visit and talking with experts, in my case locations of mainly locations of battles where I can talk with resident historians, reenactors and history fans, especially those with local knowledge.
Some of my reading consists of trawling around on the internet. It’s surprising what you can find, other than Wikipedia, as a source of material. And of course there are all sorts of groups on social media that specialise in my period in history. There are podcasts and blogs rich with information for recycling.
Books too, are an obvious place to look; the Doomsday Book is the first to spring to mind, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and the Ecclesiastical History of Orderic Vitalis are useful too. But reader beware, it’s often the case with original material that objectivity wasn’t a strong point of the authors. Academic papers are nowadays can be easily accessed, although the cost of some of them is prohibitive. I’ve had read papers that have shone light into the dark recesses of history I hadn’t dreamed about. This means I’ll able to surprise readers with fascinating snippets that can give a glimpse of life a millennium ago.
Norman cavalry at the Battle of Hastings
Thank heavens for You Tube. There is a wealth of information to be found here, and a lot of it from top quality presenters and historians.
It’s not just what you see but what you don’t see that can be important. A prime example of this is the Bayeux Tapestry. It’s the closet you’ll get to newsreel footage of events covering the Norman Invasion. The full horror of war is not shied away from, burning houses, screaming women, decapitated soldiers and a horse running amok amongst dead bodies, all in glorious colour. But just as in modern times, news can be censored and people and events can be ’air brushed’ out of history, so too, it was the case way back then.
What remains of the well preserved embroidery, that’s correct, it is not a tapestry, is a sight to behold and worth a visit to Normandy to see. It’s surprising how colourful it is even after almost a thousand years. The imagery is clear and easy to follow but some scenes are missing. The story is told accurately enough and details like the appearance of Halley’s Comet are included. However, the Battle of Stamford Bridge is nowhere to be seen. Could it be that King William didn’t want it know that the army he fought at Senlac was exhausted from several hundred miles of marching and a huge battle against the biggest Norse army ever to have set foot in England. There is no depiction of the Battle of London Bridge, or the violence committed by his rampaging troops during his coronation. History has been, ‘cleaned up a bit,’ to the advantage of the victors. Nothing new there then.
Death of King Harold in the Bayeux Tapestry
It’s always a good idea to visit key locations. It’s one thing to look at maps and photographs but when you find yourself looking across the lagoons at Bosham, wandering around the castle at Falaise, starring up at Clifford’s Tower in York, or watching a reenactment at Battle Abbey, a much more realistic picture forms in your mind about what it must have been like to live all that time ago. To boost one’s knowledge it’s always a good idea to talk to reenactors; most of them have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the time period and especially their character’s part in it. Whether it be as a soldier, arrowsmith or seamstress.
Doing all the above is a great way of researching the history, but if like me, you write historical fiction rather than non-fiction, you would do well to read a good book. One I could recommend if, Story by Robert McKee. He deals with scriptwriting but it’s quite easy to apply his ideas to novels. You could also spend a lot of money and quite a bit of time on a creative writing course, but you might be better off getting a good editor.
So there you have it. Use as many sources as you can, and you’ll find many a nugget amongst the raw material.
1066: What Fates Impose
England is in crisis. King Edward has no heir and promises never to produce one. There are no obvious successors available to replace him, but quite a few claimants are eager to take the crown. While power struggles break out between the various factions at court, enemies abroad plot to make England their own. There are raids across the borders with Wales and Scotland.
Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, is seen by many as the one man who can bring stability to the kingdom. He has powerful friends and two women who love him, but he has enemies will stop at nothing to gain power. As 1066 begins, England heads for an uncertain future. It seems even the heavens are against Harold.
In the Shadows of Castles
It’s the 1060s, and William of Normandy is establishing a new and brutal regime in England, but there are those who would defy him. As Norman soldiers spread like a plague across the land, resistance builds, but will it be enough to topple William and restore the rightful king to his throne? The English have the courage to fight, but the Normans, already victorious at Hastings, now build castles seeking to secure their tenuous foothold in these lands.
And what of the people caught up in these catastrophic events? Dispossessed but not defeated, their lives ripped apart, the English struggle for freedom from tyranny; amongst them, caught up in the turmoil, are a soldier, a thane and two sisters. As events unfold, their destinies become intertwined, bringing drastic changes that alter their lives forever.
Firmly embedded in the history of the Conquest, ‘In the Shadows of Castles’ is ultimately a story of love, hope and survival in a time of war.
About the Author:
1066 What Fates Impose, won the Gold Medal in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards – Adult Fiction.
G K Holloway left university in 1980 with a degree in history and politics. After spending a year in Canada, he relocated to England’s West Country and began working in Secondary Education. Later he worked in Adult Education and then Further Education before finally working in Higher Education.
After reading a biography about Harold Godwinson, he became fascinated by the fall of Anglo Saxon England and spent several years researching events leading up to and beyond the Battle of Hastings. Eventually he decided he had enough material to make an engrossing novel. Using characters from the Bayeux Tapestry, the Norse Sagas, the Domesday Book and many other sources. He feels that he has brought the period and its characters to life in his own particular way. Following the major protagonists, as well as political, religious and personal themes, the downfall of Anglo-Saxon England is portrayed by a strong cast.
Nowadays he lives in Bristol with his wife and two children. When he’s not writing he works with his wife in their company.
1066 is his debut novel was originally published as an ebook. It has received very positive reviews and this has encouraged him to publish it in paperback. Currently he is working on a sequel. One day he hopes to write full time.
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Out Now!Women of the Anarchy
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Elizabeth Chadwick, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
*
Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
The Woodville family are synonymous with the Wars of the Roses. While much has been published on the family as a whole, especially Elizabeth, wife of Edward IV, Anthony Woodville – the favourite sibling of Elizabeth – has been largely overlooked by history. He is famed for his arrest and execution in June 1483, but there is much more to learn from his life. Woodville was a man with an important cultural role. He was a knight, had a successful jousting career, and worked with the printing pioneer William Caxton. He was the printer’s only long-lasting patron in England and acted as translator for him, using the books printed by Caxton to educate Edward, Prince of Wales, the future Edward V.
This book seeks to bring Anthony Woodville out of the shadows of history, giving him the recognition he deserves and challenging the negative perceptions around him by investigating his personality and personal achievements in military, diplomatic and literary capacities.
I have always had the impression that Anthony Woodville would have stood out in any period of history. A Renaissance man, he championed the arts, patronised the printing press, was a renowned jouster and so well respected by his king that he was entrusted with the education and upbringing of the Prince of Wales – the future King Edward V.
I do think Woodville would have stood out in any generation, but it didn’t hurt that his sister was Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England.
Anthony Woodville, as the queen’s brother, was at the centre of events during the reign of Edward IV. He accompanied his brother-in-law into exile when Henry VI briefly reclaimed the throne in 1470-71. He appeared in tournaments to celebrate the marriage of the king’s sister, Margaret, to the future duke of Burgundy. He was a poet and writer and was a patron of William Caxton, the man who brought the printing press to England. Caxton printed and published Woodville’s English translation of The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers. So why is there not a larger body of work on him?
Danielle Burton has rectified this omission with her fascinating, in-depth study, Anthony Woodville, Sophisticate or Schemer? She delves deep into Woodville’s life, family, loves and career.
The Woodville family are often viewed as grasping and power hungry. This is true of some of the family members, particularly Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset, who was the eldest son of Anthony’s sister Elizabeth by her first marriage to John Grey. However, Anthony, while of course benefitting from the advancement of his sister to the status of queen, notably avoided meddling wherever possible. His interests in piety, tutoring Edward, the Prince of Wales, jousting, and translating books let him play a background role in the Wars of the Roses.
While Anthony Woodville may have been a secondary figure in political terms, it is clear that he had a significant part in transforming English culture, especially through his patronage of William Caxton, as well as his tutelage of Edward. Prince of Wales, who resided at Ludlow Castle for around ten years. According to Dominic Mancini, and Italian visitor who stayed in England between late summer 1482 and July 1483, Anthony Woodville was ‘always considered a kind, serious and just man’ who was ‘tested by every vicissitude of life.’ It was for this reason that he had been entrusted with the ‘care and direction’ of the prince. Further to Mancini’s description of Anthony, he purposefully contrasts his character with that of other Woodvilles, who were ‘detested by the nobles.’ There is a certain amount of truth in this, for unlike some other family members Anthony preferred to stay away from court life, favouring more academic and religious pursuits.
As a debut work, Anthony Woodville, Sophisticate or Schemer? is very impressive. It is clear that Danielle Burton has done her research, thoroughly, using primary sources where possible. She uses her extensive knowledge of Anthony Woodville to suggest reasons for his actions and to fill in the gaps of our knowledge, clearly indicating her theories and supporting arguments. There are some minor errors, which other reviewers have highlighted, but nothing that changes the thrust of the arguments nor detracts from the enjoyment of reading. They certainly do not devalue the biography as a whole and are more a sign of the writer’s inexperience of the editing process. I certainly would not expect it to put a reader off.
I suspect Anthony Woodville is Danielle’s historical crush, but this adds to the passion in her retelling of his story. We all fall in love with our subjects, just a little bit. You cannot spend years studying a person without doing so.
Danielle Burton’s arguments are balanced and do not present Anthony Woodville and some flawless super hero. Rather, he is an accomplished knight who had his flaws and would often look to his own advantage. Who wouldn’t? He was, however, loyal to Edward IV and his nephew, Edward V. And, having been the younger Edward’s guardian since his early years, was probably a great influence on the teenage king. This would Explain why Richard, Duke of Gloucester – the future Richard III – saw him as a threat. In Anthony Woodville, Sophisticate or Schemer? Danielle looks into the events of 1483 in great detail, examining the relationship between Richard and Anthony and analysing what went wrong and why. Anthony Woodville’s execution at Pontefract Castle is a tragic consequence of the power struggle that followed the death of Edward IV and accession of Anthony’s charge, Edward V.
All in all, Anthony Woodville, Sophisticate or Schemer? by Danielle Burton is a much-needed addition to the study of the Wars of the Roses, highlighting a man of great influence who is often overlooked in favour of his royal contemporaries. It is an impressive piece of work.
To Buy the Book:Anthony Woodville, Sophisticate or Schemer? is available from Amazon or direct from Amberly Publishing.
About the Author: Danielle Burton has had a keen interest in the Wars of the Roses from a young age, including being a member of the Richard III Society since the age of 9. She has presented aspects of her research into the life of Anthony Woodville at various academic conferences, and works in the heritage sector.
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My Books:
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Out Now!Women of the Anarchy
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Elizabeth Chadwick, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
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Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
Today, it is a pleasure to welcome debut author, Wendy Johnson, to History…the Interesting Bits as part of her blog tour to celebrate the launch of Wendy’s first novel, The Traitor’s Son.
Middleham Castle – Home to Kings and Kingmakers
Middleham Castle, North Yorkshire, bastion of the illustrious Neville family and home to both Richard Neville, earl of Warwick and his cousin, the future Richard III, is an evocative and fascinating place.
Eleven miles from the market town of Richmond, and a stone’s throw from Leyburn, the castle stands at the heart of Middleham, amid Wensleydale’s rolling hills. The visitor’s first impression, on approaching its cavernous gatehouse, is that these ruins have witnessed the very essence of history, and if only walls could talk, they would have a treasure trove of secrets to reveal.
An earlier castle once stood on nearby William’s Hill, but the present edifice began to rise in the 1170s. The fortress came into the possession of the Neville family when Mary FitzRanulph married Robert Neville in the thirteenth century. However, Middleham appears to have been considered less important than Robert’s other castles at Raby and Sheriff Hutton.1 Later Nevilles made a number of improvements – heightening the towers and creating a new and larger gatehouse – but it was in the later fifteenth century that the castle became the home of some of the most influential figures of the Wars of the Roses: the three Richards.
Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury; Richard Neville, earl of Warwick; and Richard Plantagenet, duke of Gloucester were each caught up in one of the most dramatic periods of English history, when the crown changed hands from Lancaster to York, York to Lancaster, and back again in the course of only ten years.
Following the fateful Battle of Wakefield in 1460, Salisbury was captured and executed. His son, the enigmatic and forceful Earl of Warwick, was largely responsible for helping Edward IV, the first Yorkist king, to win the throne in 1461.
Richard duke of Gloucester, Edward’s youngest brother, who ascended the throne as Richard III, spent much of his life at Middleham. Installed in his cousin, Warwick’s, household at the age of twelve, Richard embarked on his knightly training under the earl’s tutelage, learning the military and social graces required of a chivalric warrior. At the age of twenty, following his marriage to Warwick’s daughter, Anne, Middleham became Richard’s favourite residence.
My debut novel, The Traitor’s Son, re-imagines these early years. As a grieving and fatherless boy, Richard finds solace in the company of his cousin, the Earl of Warwick, whose paternal influence repairs the boy’s shattered life. The castle of Middleham plays an important role in the novel – representing a new and, at first, unnerving, part in Richard’s journey, as he wonders whether he is able to live up to the earl’s expectations. I have chosen to illustrate Richard’s early feelings for Middleham and for his formidable cousin in the following scene, when the boy has been summoned into Warwick’s presence.
‘Belly lurching, he follows the earl’s man down the tight spiral and out into the bailey. Kitchen boys are throwing out slops, bandying jests, sniggering. As he approaches, they fall silent, snatching caps and bobbing knees. The air is cool, pungent with the scent of verdure and horse dung, birds chirruping in the violet dusk. A solitary crow swoops from the keep, hops across the earth in the clumsy, jerking manner of his breed, then takes off again in the direction of the practice yard.
He should have fetched a cloak. It’s so much colder here in the land of the Nevilles, plagued as it is with a perpetual wind sweeping from the moors and striking like a whiplash. He shivers, wondering why Warwick has hauled him from what little comfort there is to be had on such a dismal evening. To draw conclusions on the day’s events? To tell him he has failed?
Torchlight bobs on towering stone as they mount the steps to the keep. Challenged twice in the ascent, he could be at Westminster, and Warwick a king at the heart of the labyrinth. Surely, he thinks, it’s the dread of the moment that gives this impression, the creeping suffocation of growing darkness, the brilliance of the wind-torn flames. Warwick is my cousin and my tutor; he is not my sovereign.
The Middleham known to both Richard and Warwick was larger than the ruined fabric we see today. In addition to the keep, towers and surrounding ranges, there would have been stables, an armoury, a blacksmith’s forge and many more domestic buildings all integral to the daily life of the castle, as well as to the role of its lord as upholder of his estates and a foremost figure in society. How magnificent that life was, can be gleaned by the splendour of the Middleham Jewel: a fifteenth century gold and sapphire pendent found in the vicinity of the castle in 1986. Current thinking is that the jewel belonged to a woman – the most likely candidate being Anne Beauchamp, Warwick’s countess, or possibly Anne Neville, Warwick’s daughter, and wife of Richard III. Although the original pendent is on display in the Yorkshire Museum, York, a replica has pride of place in the castle’s English Heritage shop.
I find that visualising the past can help stir the imagination, as one explores Middleham’s evocative and dramatic ruins. If you’ve never experienced Middleham’s magic for yourself, then try following in the footsteps of kings and kingmakers, you’ll not regret it.
“Exquisitely written. An evocative and thoughtful retelling of the early life of Richard III.” Philippa Langley, MBE
Synopsis:
Caught between a king and a kingmaker, young Richard Plantagenet knows he’ll have to choose…
1461: Richard Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place.
As the boy grapples with grief and uncertainty, his elder brother, Edward, defeats the enemy and claims the throne. Dazzled by his glorious sibling, young Richard soon discovers that imperfections lurk beneath his brother’s majestic façade. Enter Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—cousin, tutor, luminary—whose life has given him everything but that which he truly craves: a son. A filial bond forms between man and boy as they fill the void in each other’s lives. Yet, when treachery tears their world asunder, Richard faces an agonizing dilemma: pledge allegiance to Edward—his blood brother and king—or to Warwick, the father figure who has shaped his life and affections.
Painfully trapped between duty and devotion, Richard faces a grim reality: whatever he decides will mean a fight to the death.
In “The Traitor’s Son”, Wendy Johnson masterfully weaves a tapestry of loyalty, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of England’s turbulent history. Through the eyes of a young Richard III, readers are transported into a world where every choice is fraught with peril, and the bonds of kinship are tested to their limits. As Richard Plantagenet navigates the explosive tensions within his own family, readers are swept along on a journey of intrigue and passion that will leave them spellbound until the final page.
1) Middleham Castle from the Gatehouse (Wendy Johnson); 2) Middleham Castle: North Range (Wendy Johnson); 3) Middleham Castle: Towards the Gatehouse (Wendy Johnson).
About the author:
Wendy has a lifelong passion for medieval history, its people, and for bringing their incredible stories to life. Her specific areas of interest are the fifteenth century, the Wars of the Roses, and Richard III in particular. She enjoys narratives which immerse the reader in the past, and tries faithfully to recreate the later Middle Ages within in her own writing. She has contributed to a number of historical anthologies and was a runner up in the Woman and Home Short Story Competition 2008.
A member of the Richard III Society since 1986, Wendy is also a founder member of Philippa Langley’s Looking for Richard Project, which located the king’s lost grave in 2012. She co-authored Finding Richard III: the Official Account of Research by the Retrieval and Reburial Project in 2014, and in 2019 received the Richard III Society’s Robert Hamblin Award.
THE TRAITOR’S SON, volume one in a Richard III trilogy, is Wendy’s debut novel and she is currently working on the sequel.
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My Books:
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Out Now!Women of the Anarchy
Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.
King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Elizabeth Chadwick, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
*
Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitterand Instagram.
History... the interesting bits! 