Tony Riches – History… the interesting bits!

Guest Post: Anna of Denmark by Tony Riches

18/07/202627/07/2026Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

My dear friend and fellow author, Tony Riches, has a new book out! Tony is one of those authors who actively encourages his fellow author. He was one of the first people to offer to review my book, Heroines of the Medieval World, even before I had finished writing it. Even today, as I was congratulating him on the release of his new book, Tony was sharing posts on social media, celebrating the paperback publication of my own Heroines of the Tudor World. He will never know how much his support and encouragement has meant to me me over the last 10 years. Which is why it so great for me to be able to give a little of that back, by inviting Tony to talk about his new book. And it is the start of what promises to be a fabulous new series.

For the last few years, Tony has been concentrating on the Tudors with books such as Drake – Tudor Corsair and his fabulous Brandon Trilogy. Tony’s recent 6-part Elizabethan Series highlighted the likes of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and Bess Throckmorton. An accomplished historical fiction writer, Tony has a way of bringing the past to life, recreating the lives and experiences of the people of the past with his extensive research ensuring authenticity.

With Queen Anna, the first book in his new Stuart Queens Trilogy, Tony is continuing his established ability to retell the history in a thoroughly entertaining and engaging manner.

So, what is the story behind Queen Anna? Over to Tony….

Anna of Denmark

While researching my new book, ‘Queen Anna’, about the life of Anna of Denmark, I realised the significance of her unlikely relationship with Inigo Jones, the son of clothworker from Smithfield, London. Together, they led an artistic renaissance that transformed the ‘masque’ into an important diplomatic spectacle, laid the foundations of British classical architecture, and influenced the public perception of the Stuart dynasty.

Anna arrived in England after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 as queen consort of King James VI and I, she brought with her a bold, artistic sensibility that redefined the Jacobean court. Anna employed Inigo Jones as her stage designer, and found he was a visionary artist and aspiring architect who would become her ultimate creative partner.

Stagecraft and Spectacular Masques

Queen Anna was passionate about the court masque, extravagant theatrical spectacles combining poetry, music, dancing, and elaborate set design. Collaborating with playwright Ben Jonson, who probably recommended Inigo Jones as a set designer, Queen Anna transformed these performances into dazzling displays of royal majesty.

For landmark productions like The Masque of Blackness (1605) and The Masque of Queens (1609), Anna commissioned the works and took centre stage as a performer, ordering the late queen’s priceless gowns to be adapted as costumes. Inigo Jones brought her theatrical visions to life using innovative stagecraft he’d discovered while working in Italy.

He designed exotic, glittering costumes and introduced innovative, movable scenery, perspective stage sets, and hidden machinery that amazed the court. Through these masques, Anna asserted her independence and cultural authority, and Inigo Jones established himself as the master of illusion in England.

Redefining Royal Spaces: Denmark House

As their creative alliance deepened, Queen Anna entrusted self-trained architect Inigo Jones with grander architectural commissions. In the 1610s, Anna made Somerset House on the Strand her primary London residence and renamed it Denmark House to honour her Danish heritage.

She appointed Inigo Jones, by then appointed the Surveyor of the King’s Works, to modernise and remodel the aging Tudor mansion. Jones introduced classical renaissance ideas, remodelling the courtly apartments, designing a grand new cabinet room, and creating a sophisticated, continental venue where Anna hosted foreign ambassadors, literary figures, and intellectuals.

The Masterpiece: The Queen’s House at Greenwich

Anna’s most enduring legacy with Inigo Jones came in 1616, when she commissioned him to design a private pavilion at Greenwich. The site presented an unusual challenge, as the main road between Deptford and Woolwich cut directly through the royal grounds.

Inigo Jones devised an elegant, symmetrical ‘H’-shaped villa that bridged over the bustling road, connecting the royal gardens to the palace grounds. Inspired by the Italian Palladian style Jones had studied abroad, the Queen’s House featured white stonework and harmonious proportions.

Their Legacy

Queen Anna never saw her Greenwich palace completed. She fell ill and passed away in March 1619, leaving the building half-finished. Construction stalled for over a decade until work resumed under Queen Henrietta Maria, who saw Jones’s grand design realised in the 1630s.

The partnership between Anna of Denmark and Inigo Jones transformed English art and architecture. Anna provided the dynamic patronage, European ambition, and financial

backing, while Inigo Jones supplied the artistic and architectural genius. Together, they pushed Jacobean court culture into a brilliant new era and began a renaissance which endures to this day.

About the Book:

A crown won in the eye of a storm. A queen who refuses to be broken…

Princess Anna of Denmark sails for Scotland to marry King James VI, but storms ravage her fleet, igniting a deadly obsession with witchcraft in her new home. Arriving in a strange and paranoid court, Anna finds her new husband’s bed is a treacherous place.

Surrounded by whispering courtiers and shifting alliances, Anna refuses to remain a passive pawn. When the court takes her children to raise them away from her, the young queen draws her line in the sand. From the windswept castles of Scotland to the glittering, dangerous English court, Anna is restored to her rightful place in history.

Buy Queen Anna

About the Author:

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors. As well as his Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Elizabethan series. For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter @tonyriches.

Links: Website: Writing blog: Twitter: Bluesky: Facebook: Podcasts: Goodreads

My Books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop or the Contact Me page.

New releases in 2026:

New Hardbacks

‘My daughter wanted me to treat her more like a princess. So, I married her to a stranger to strengthen the alliance with Poland!’

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest and Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets tell the stories of England’s royal daughters from 1066 to the rise of the Tudors, from the last Anglo-Saxon princesses to the fall of the House of York.

Were they really pampered pawns sent off to marriages on the Continent, out of sight and out of mind?

Perhaps, there was different story, where a foreign marriage does not mean eternal exile, but a purpose in life, where a princess is a diplomat, an ambassador for England in her new country.

Where she is the bond between allies – most of the time.

Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking...

Heidi Malagisi: ‘This is another excellent book by Sharon Bennett Connolly. Extremely well researched and relatively easy to follow along, which is a great thing because there are so many Matildas and Eleanors in this book.‘

Tony Riches: “I challenge anyone with an interest in medieval Britain to not find something they will learn from this book.”

Anna Belfrage: “I just love how [Sharon] presents this huge cast of real life people in a casual, chatty tone that has me expecting the various female protagonists to suddenly pop their head up and add their own commentary.“

Buy now: Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest

Pre-order: Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets

New in Paperback:

OUT NOW! The momentous events of 1066, the story of invasion, battle and conquest, are well known. But what of the women? Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play during the Norman Conquest – wives, lovers, sisters, mothers, leaders. These are lives full of drama, pathos and sometimes mystery: Edith and Gytha searching the battlefield of Hastings for the body of Harold, his lover and mother united in their grief for the fallen king. Who was Ælfgyva, the lady of the Bayeux Tapestry, portrayed with a naked man at her feet?

Janina Ramirez said it’s ‘Excellent’!

COMING 15 July 2026: Heroines of the Tudor World focuses on the women who lived through the Renaissance and Reformation, examining the threats and challenges they faced and how they overcame them. 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.

Derek Birks: ‘An excellent account of the changing roles of women in Tudor society.’

Annie Whitehead: ‘What a treat this book was to read. Bennett Connolly has an easy, conversation style of writing which welcomes you from the opening pages and draws you into her story.‘

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Heroines of the Medieval World; Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest; Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England; Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey; King John’s Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye; Women of the Anarchy; Heroines of the Tudor World; Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From St Margaret to Margaret of Denmark; Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest (March 2026); Princesses of the Later Middle Ages; Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets (August 2026)

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.

All my books on Amazon and Bookshop.org . You can also order direct from my publishers, Pen and Sword Books and Amberley Publishing.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Ian Mortimer, Bernard Cornwell, Elizabeth Chadwick and Scott Mariani, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.

And Tony Riches was our first guest in A Slice of Medieval’s new series for 2026, A Slice of Medieval Goes Tudor!

Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

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 Twitter and Instagram.

Book Corner: Bess – Tudor Gentlewoman by Tony Riches

07/05/202505/05/2025Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

Today, it is an absolute pleasure to welcome Tony Riches back to History … the Interesting Bits for a little chat about his latest book, Bess: Tudor Gentlewoman, the sixth and final book in his magnificent, and enthralling, Elizabeth series.

Sharon: So, Tony, what made you pick Bess Throckmorton as the subject of your sixth and final book in your Tudor series?

Tony: The idea behind the Elizabethan series was to see the enigmatic Queen Elizabeth through the eyes of three of her favourite men and three of her ladies. Each had a very different relationship with the queen, as Drake was in awe of ‘Gloriana’, Essex was like the son she never had and Raleigh was the captain of her guard. I had plenty of ladies to choose from, and was intrigued by Essex’s sister Penelope Devereux (who he blamed for encouraging his ‘rebellion’). His wife, Frances, seemed an unlikely choice, but as I looked into her life as the daughter of the queen’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, I found she was closely involved with the key events of the Elizabethan era.

Bess’ story allowed me to complete the story of Walter Raleigh (which ended with the death of Queen Elizabeth), and I was intrigued at how she remained so loyal to Walter, even living in his cell at the Tower of London to keep him company. As my research continued, I found she lived until the age of eighty two – well past the end of the Tudors and into the Stuart era, making her one of the last true Elizabethans.

Sharon: Who has been your favourite Tudor to write about?

Tony: I would have to say Bess Raleigh, as she was a remarkable woman, (and I’ve been living with her every day for the past eighteen months), but if time travel is perfected I would love to visit Katherine Willoughby, as she knew every one of the wives and children of King Henry VIII, and must have a lot of secrets! I visited Katherine’s home at Grimsthorpe Castle during my research, and felt a real connection with her at her tomb in Spilsby parish church.

Sharon: Are there any Tudors you would still like to write about?

Tony: The ‘one who got away’ is Sir Philip Sidney, the fascinating and brilliant warrior poet. He features in three of my books, as he was the Earl of Essex’s mentor, Lady Penelope Devereux’s lover and Frances Walsingham’s first husband.

Sharon: Who is your favourite Tudor?

Tony: I never tire of reading about Queen Elizabeth I, who appears in seven of my books. Every time I think I understand her, I discover something new that makes me think again.

Sharon: And who is your least favourite Tudor?

Tony: The villain of the piece, Sir Richard Rich, who oversaw the trials of Catholic martyrs Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher, as well as the Protestant martyr Anne Askew. Richard Rich can never be forgiven for what he did to poor Anne Askew, who never betrayed Katherine Willoughby – even when tortured on the rack and burned at the stake.

Sharon: What’s next?

Tony: I am now researching the life of the first Stuart queen, Anna of Denmark, who I introduce in my last book, when she visits Bess and Walter at the Tower of London to speak with Walter about his herbal potions. Although I covered the English Civil War in my history lessons, the Stuart queens had only a brief mention, so I would like to help restore them to the place in history they deserve by bringing their stories to life.

About the book:

Bess: Tudor Gentlewoman

“A thrilling portrait of a remarkable woman who witnessed the key events of Elizabethan England.”

Bess Throckmorton defies her notorious background and lack of education to become Queen Elizabeth’s Gentlewoman and trusted confidante.

Forced to choose between loyalty and love, duty and desire, will she risk her queen’s anger by marrying adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh without permission?

Entangled in a web of intrigue, from the glittering Palace of Whitehall to the cells of the Tower of London, Bess endures tragedy and injustice, becoming a resilient, determined woman, who takes nothing for granted.

Can she outwit her enemies, protect her family, and claim her destiny in a world where women are pawns and survival is a game of deadly consequences?

This is the true story of the last of the Elizabethans, which ends the story of the Tudor dynasty – and introduces their successors, the Stuarts.

Buy the book

About the author:

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of Tudor historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors. As well as his Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Brandon trilogy, (about Charles Brandon and his wives). For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter @tonyriches.

Links:

Website: Facebook: Twitter: Bluesky: Instagram: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads: LinkedIn.

My books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.

‘Scotland’s Medieval Queens gives a thorough grounding in the history of the women who ruled Scotland at the side of its kings, often in the shadows, but just as interesting in their lives beyond the spotlight. It’s not a subject that has been widely covered, and Sharon is a pioneer in bringing that information into accessible history.’ Elizabeth Chadwick (New York Times bestselling author)

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

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. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available for pre-order from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows 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. 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. Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Michael Jecks, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved. Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

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 Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.

Guest Post: Frances – Tudor Countess: The History Behind the Book, by Tony Riches

11/06/202411/06/2024Sharon Bennett Connolly3 Comments

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: