The Hands of Fate (Deadly Inheritance Book 1)

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I savored this book. I read slowly and found myself digging deeper into the history of the characters and their motivations. There were several places where I found the author repeating herself but they did not detract from my enjoyment of the work. I look forward to more from this talented author and historian. The ability to take history from what is often a dry recitation of names, dates and events and weave it into a vibrant and compelling story is not easily done. Tallis manages the task with aplomb. Jan 25, Caroline rated it liked it Shelves: If you love the Tudors and don't know anything about Jane Grey, this might be for you.

Or if you are someone who doesn't mind the "nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition" style of writing. At the end of every chapter and sometimes several times in between, we are told that someone couldn't have imagined what was going to happen or what had just happened and I got sick of it. Otherwise, not badly written. But if this is a subject you already know a little about, and you don't need your hist Meh. But if this is a subject you already know a little about, and you don't need your history premasticated and delivered like a novel, read Eric Ives' book instead. Abandoning it to read something with more heft.

Jul 06, J. Brayton added it Shelves: Well written and informative. Jeesh- those Tudors were a nasty bloody bunch. Be glad you are a Commoner. Mar 10, V. The title of this book, 'Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey', says it all about the short and extremely tragic life of the famous 'nine days queen' it was actually thirteen days.

When it became obvious in early that the boy king, Edward VI, was dying, the throne was effectively up for grabs: Henry's n The title of this book, 'Crown of Blood: Henry's niece, Frances Brandon, was a legitimate and Protestant heir but there was one problem - no one thought much of her husband, the bumbling and naive Henry Grey.

John Dudley, chief adviser to the fading king and a shrewd politician, saw an answer to the succession problem in the person of he Greys' eldest daughter, the superbly educated and thoroughly Protestant Lady Jane. The king agreed with him, whether willingly or not we will never know, and he named Jane as his heir. From that moment onwards, she was doomed. Nicola Tallis, an exciting new name in the pantheon of Tudor historians, has done a fantastic job in outlining the unravelling of all Dudley's plans and the inexorable path to the scaffold that he, Jane, his own son Guildford, and Jane's father were on once the scheme failed.

We are also taken through Jane's childhood, her much debated relationship with her parents, and the Protestant faith that formed the core of her character. Those parts of the book are very well done. The only possible criticism I could make of 'Crown of Blood' is that Guildford Dudley, who was as much a pawn on the chessboard as Jane was, gets his usual sullen, mummy's boy portrayal, although Tallis does try to mitigate this a bit by pointing out his youth and probable immaturity.

Overall though, this book is a must read for all those interested in Jane's story and the extremely dangerous times in which she, all too briefly, lived. Dec 06, Stephanie Tracy rated it it was amazing. Five stars might not be enough for this book, which was absolutely the best nonfiction work I've read in as long as I can remember. Lady Jane Grey, while tragic and fascinating, is not necessarily my favorite Tudor figure to read about. However, Nicola Tallis paints the most engaging, beautiful picture of Jane in this flawless book, and her level of detail and description is commendable.

I read this for six hours straight - unable to put it down - and walked away having learned new things about Five stars might not be enough for this book, which was absolutely the best nonfiction work I've read in as long as I can remember. I read this for six hours straight - unable to put it down - and walked away having learned new things about the time period difficult to do, since I've read so much about the Tudors and sixteenth-century England.

I certainly gained a new appreciation for Jane and her family, and feel, overall, more acquainted with her story. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't get enough.

I'd recommend it without hesitation to any lover of history - whether they love the Tudors or not. Mar 19, Carolyn Thomas rated it really liked it. But as he lay dying at the end of things obviously looked a little different. Edward was still to remain his undoubted successor, followed by Mary and Elizabeth who still remained legally illegitimate and any heirs that they might produce. But what if there WERE no heirs?

For reasons known only to himself, Henry decreed that if all three of his children were to die childless "the imperial crown Jane, a remarkable young girl of great intelligence who seemed to find her only joys in studying and in her Protestant faith, had no idea of the plans that were being made for her. We read her story now in absolute horror at the callous indifference with which calculating men some of them members of her own family coerced her and then abandoned her.

A fascinating and worthwhile read. My review on Crown of Blood: I enjoyed this book and found it well informed and for sure a lot of work has been put into it. Some people may disagree? Al My review on Crown of Blood: Also I like how the importance of the people around her is cover too, giving you a better understanding on how them people affected her life and why. Rundown The writer opens the door for you to pick what you want to believe by giving you what she as found, but never saying it is fact but give you both points of view on what she has found.

Her points of view on some subjects are more agreeable then some other works out there. The flow of this book and how it was put together kept me engaged. It can be a heavy book? But for me it did not feel so. For the subject, the work that was put into it and the flow I have to rate this high. May 20, Gillian rated it really liked it Shelves: This book is heart-shattering - but in the best possible way. I was first introduced to Lady Jane Grey when I was in the sixth grade and at the very start of a life-long obsession with all things Tudor.

I wish I remembered the name of that book, but all that I remember is that it was a historical fiction told from Jane's POV and, having read Tallis' book, was remarkably accurate. Crown of Blood is well-researched and well-written: Tallis is an This book is heart-shattering - but in the best possible way.

Tallis is an engaging writer who humanizes her subjects and reveals the truth behind the legends. While Jane is inevitable the heroine of the story which seems to just be the fact of the matter and Northumberland is undoubtedly the "villain", both are fairly portrayed as humans with strengths and flaws who made fatal mistakes. Even Queen Mary, who is so often represented as an evil queen, is given a sympathetic portrayal.

The story is fast-paced and never dull. You could easily be mistaken in thinking it a piece of fiction rather than the non-fiction it actually is. At no point does it feel like a dry recitation of dates, names, and facts. If you are a history buff or a Tudor fanatic, this is the book for you. Mar 25, Angela Powell rated it really liked it. This book was so thoroughly researched and I commend the author for including such a hearty Notes and References section, appendixes, and bibliography. As a "Google reader", I tend to pause my reading to look things up I want to know more, and every paragraph of this book had several notations that added more at the back of the book.

For good reason, there was plenty in this book. Lady Jane Grey, the 9 Days Queen, was a victim of several bad circumstances. If she would've been the second born, o This book was so thoroughly researched and I commend the author for including such a hearty Notes and References section, appendixes, and bibliography. If she would've been the second born, or Princesses Mary or Elizabeth wouldn't have been illigitimized, if Edward wouldn't have gotten consumption, if her arranged marriage would've been to someone else, if her father wasn't an idiot She spoke something like 8 languages, fangirled over receiving mail from her favorite religious leader, loved to read, and was pretty snarky And Tudor men seemed to make a lot of dumb moves that caused Tudor women to lose their heads.

A great read, well put together. A very complete and mild look to the life and death of the Nine Days Queen. Since I started to develop interest for History and the Tudor era, I was curious about the forgotten ones: Much less about his cousin Jane, who only ruled for nine days days. Her story is indeed a very tragic one and I liked that this biography w A very complete and mild look to the life and death of the Nine Days Queen. Her story is indeed a very tragic one and I liked that this biography wouldn't focus only in her death, but also on every aspect of her life prior to becoming queen.

The information is so vast and yet so easy to read. I've read biographies that were extremely dense and hard to keep reading, but this wasn't the case. I can't think of a better book about who was Jane Grey. Jun 06, Tessa Buckley rated it really liked it Shelves: How did she come to be crowned Queen at such a young age, and why did she end up losing her head? Of course, as with much Tudor politics, in the end it all came down to differences of opinion about religion.

Jane, who was well-educated for the times, and ferociously intelligent, espoused the protestant religion, while her cousin, Mary Tudor, was a fervent Catholic. A sad story, well-told. Jun 20, Katherine Hetzel rated it liked it. Having spent many happy times in Bradgate Park, how could I not read this after meeting Nicola Tallis?

It's a book choc full of research, and I found it interesting to see just how much of a pawn Jane Grey was in other men's plans. In the main, I enjoyed it, but I did get a little fed up towards the end, where every chapter seemed to finish on a 'but worse was yet to come' or 'little did Jane know' kind of note. It's well written, and not too heavy if you're not used to reading about historical f Having spent many happy times in Bradgate Park, how could I not read this after meeting Nicola Tallis?

It's well written, and not too heavy if you're not used to reading about historical fact. Does it give us new information about Jane Grey? I think it does - it certainly doesn't paint her as the completely helpless victim history has made her out to be, and it gives insights into Jane's character that indicates she was a strong young woman.

And she could have lived, had her own father not rebelled. Like I say, interesting reading. Jul 09, Jonathan rated it it was amazing. The Crown of Blood: The deadly inheritance of Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis is a fast enjoyable read bc the author keeps the focus on Jane with few tangents. The power hungry John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland convinces Jane's weak-minded father Henry Grey perhaps the stupidest man one will ever read about in their life to marry his daughter Jane off to Northumberland's son Guildford while Northumberland conspired with Edward IV to displace his ha The Crown of Blood: The power hungry John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland convinces Jane's weak-minded father Henry Grey perhaps the stupidest man one will ever read about in their life to marry his daughter Jane off to Northumberland's son Guildford while Northumberland conspired with Edward IV to displace his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth from the thrown in preference for Edward IV cousin Jane.

The result is a tragic but riveting story full of detail without being overwhelming.

Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis

The last four chapters are a world-wind and impossible to put down which is saying a lot bc the book is full of intrigue. What a fun read! Sep 02, Manda rated it liked it Shelves: The short, tragic life of Lady Jane Grey is more often than not overlooked in Tudor biography, so it's good to see her get her due as a Queen of England - albeit briefly - and as a well-known intellectual of her day whose fate served as a cautionary tale to the Lady Elizabeth, as the future queen was then known, not to press her own claim too strongly as long as Mary Tudor still lived. Tallis rightly supposes that much of the fascination with Jane is that she is the queen of "what if".

Her short The short, tragic life of Lady Jane Grey is more often than not overlooked in Tudor biography, so it's good to see her get her due as a Queen of England - albeit briefly - and as a well-known intellectual of her day whose fate served as a cautionary tale to the Lady Elizabeth, as the future queen was then known, not to press her own claim too strongly as long as Mary Tudor still lived. Her short life and tragic death means that we can only guess what she might have gone on to accomplish had she been allowed to live out her days to their natural end, or had she retained the throne and started her own royal dynasty.

Nov 25, Eline rated it it was amazing Shelves: Lady Jane Grey has been a mysthical person, of royal blood, for almost years but thanks to Tallis you can finally have a grasp on the person that was devoted to her religion, her person, her family, who was a brave and courageous young woman who was dragged into the evil plans of her parents and parent's in law. The young girl who did not even wanted the Crown has been punished for the crimes the adults around her had commited. She did inherited a crown of blood she paid with the loss of her Lady Jane Grey has been a mysthical person, of royal blood, for almost years but thanks to Tallis you can finally have a grasp on the person that was devoted to her religion, her person, her family, who was a brave and courageous young woman who was dragged into the evil plans of her parents and parent's in law.

She did inherited a crown of blood she paid with the loss of her head. Sep 14, Loz Mallett rated it really liked it. A non-fiction book I can barely put down is always a great find: It's amazing that this work of fact, being as enjoyable and exciting as a work of fiction, was Tallis' debut. So I think it's great that there's a book that isn't heavy reading; that brings her tragically-true story to light. Jun 25, Rachel rated it really liked it. I've been interested in Jane Grey since visiting the Tower of London as a teenager. I've read briefly about her in various histories about the Tudor era but this is the first extensive study of her I have read.

The book focused on her studies and religious convictions which as it turns out were very impressive for someone so young. Rather than portraying Jane as just a victim of her time and place which she certainly was , Tallis shows her strength and attempts at real agency in her future.

She probably would have made a good Queen had circumstances been different. This is an incredibly sad story. I cannot imagine how a woman, at 17 years old, could have carried herself with such grace under such horrific circumstances. No wonder the Protestants held her up as a martyr.

I liked the idea of a mystery with a supernatural theme, possibly a timeslip. I wanted to find a new way in which to explore the fate of the Princes in the Tower, and I needed a love story to replace that of Perkin Warbeck and Katherine Gordon. I also wanted to write a sequel to Innocent Traitor. It occurred to me too that writing about Richard III from the point of view of the daughter who loved him would be a novel approach.

Eventually, all these ideas came together — after many nights spent lying awake wondering how to meld them! The character and actions of Richard III loom very large in this book.

He fascinates, if not obsesses, people of that time. People love a mystery, and they also love conspiracy theories. Yes, Richard fascinates — and many become obsessed, which concerns me. As a historian, I feel I must be objective and not emotionally involved. There is a lot of compelling circumstantial evidence that Richard had the Princes murdered, and that he was a ruthless operator. If there was convincing evidence to counteract all that, I would go with it. But nothing I have read has changed my view.

Do you think that they did indeed discover the body of Richard III this year? The body was in the right place, the scoliosis ties in with the hostile descriptions of Richard, and the wounds could be consistent with those he received at Bosworth. I await the DNA results eagerly. Have you always thought of them in this way or did research for the book form newer evaluations?

In some historical fiction written today, a year-old girl who wanted to consummate her marriage would be treated as an abused victim but you did not make that choice. Was it difficult to write that part of the book? No, I just wanted to portray things as they were. Girls were permitted by the Church to be married in childhood and to cohabit at twelve. Life was shorter then.

But I was very much aware of modern sensibilities on the subject, and you may have noticed that there are no overtly sexy scenes involving characters that we would deem under-aged. Can you tell us about your next book? But the historian and author, who visited the University recently to deliver a public lecture on Queen Elizabeth I, still remembers that day with fondness, because it was the moment she acknowledges that her life changed forever. When Weir entered that library, she ignited a passion that burns to this day. She emerged with a spicy for its time - it was the mid s - volume called Henry's Golden Queen , a romantic novel about Katherine of Aragon.

It was not perhaps the choice of reading matter her mother had in mind, but it had the desired effect. Comics were forgotten and though Weir says the book was trashy, it was a book — and it was about history. Weir studied history at college and trained as a teacher, and then raised a family. Throughout, history was her hobby and she continued writing about it.

But she saw little or no chance of escape from her civil service job — the repeated rejection slips from publishers had taken their toll. The years of painstaking research in reference libraries, transcribing chronicles and calendars had finally paid dividends. Weir has never looked back and she has now written 15 popular histories while her three novels are all based on historical themes. Both her fiction or non-fiction output rely on extensive research. The sheer scale of her research is impressive by any measure, but the popular histories that ensue have resulted in criticism in some academic quarters that she is a lightweight.

But Weir defends her narrative approach as entirely legitimate. Where would we be without them? We just present it in different ways. Every book, she says, represents a learning curve. Nevertheless, she regards herself first and foremost as a historian. So what is next? She is also writing a biography of Elizabeth of York, the sister of the Princes in the Tower, who was a pivotal figure at the end of the Wars of the Roses. York is not unfamiliar territory to Alison — the late Ron Weir, doyen of the Department of History and Provost of Derwent College, was her brother-in-law.

She attended a private event in Derwent during her recent visit. What inspired you to study history, and your particular interest in the Tudors? I am appalled at the way history is taught in schools. When I was running my own school in the nineties, I realised that textbooks were being dumbed down, and that inaccuracies were common. There seems to be an aversion to teaching pupils the overall sweep of our history.

And why do educationists fight shy of monarchs, dates and prominent historical figures? We need to know the political framework as well as the social history. What makes for a good historian? A good historian approaches their subject objectively, having cleared their mind of all previous perceptions. They trawl exhaustively through original sources evaluating each judiciously. Only then will they look at secondary sources and assess what other historians have written. All historians study the same sources: Tell us about your next book.

My next book is a novel entitled A Dangerous Inheritance. Both young women risk much for love, and to uncover the truth - and both court a tragic fate. Edited and corrected version. Alison Weir is the No. She has sold more than 2. Weir is also down-to-earth, maternal, and laughs as delightedly as a first-time author when I tell her that three generations of women in my family enjoy her books.

Weir randomly plucked out a racy read about Katherine of Aragon - and was hooked. I thought, 'Did they really go on like that in those days? She amassed a home library and filing cabinets filled with research. It was far too long, I know now, but I was very naive then.

I did a lot of projects after that and never finished them, but I've still got all the research and I've used a lot of it. Britain's Royal Families was published in when she had two children and was teaching them at home. Her son had a learning disability and, because the local schools could not cater for his needs, she later set up a private school in her garage for him and others like him. At the same time, she wrote Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses , Children of England: In the past 23 years, she has written 15 popular histories.

In she published her first historical novel. Her fourth, A Dangerous Inheritance , is out this month. Like many of her books, it's about women's lives. There was a perception that women weren't important. And it's true, women were seen historically as far inferior to men. It's only in very recent times that women have become emancipated, and it's interesting to be able to focus on them at last, because they were virtually ignored unless they were famous, like Elizabeth I or Eleanor of Aquitaine. The two Katherines are linked by history's most famous unsolved mystery, the disappearance of the young Princes in the Tower, and by having forbidden lovers.

A Dangerous Inheritance is Weir's most ambitious historical novel to date. Though it stands alone, it can be read as a sequel to her first novel, Innocent Traitor , the tragic story of the accomplished Lady Jane Grey, propelled to the throne after the death of Henry VIII's son, Edward. The Tudors have gripped our imagination for centuries and Weir is no exception. She gives talks and takes tours and explains why that period fascinates her. There are three annulments, a queen for nine days who is beheaded at the age of 17, and you've got the first female ruler as well.

Power attracts, power is sexy, and these are the outward manifestations of power. It's very, very exciting. There's so much documentation of this period, so much visual evidence. But does it really matter that there is the wrong kind of costume in the top-rating, sexy TV series The Tudors , or the wrong kind of dog in the lovingly dramatised Elizabeth: Sir Walter Raleigh, as played by Clive Owen, for example, [defeating] the Spanish Armada almost single-handedly when he wasn't even there. I was asked to review it by The Guardian and I took my mother, who is a film buff.

She had to tell me to shut up and stop laughing. It really was sloppy. When we see a very romanticised view of Henry VIII's wives, this is seen as history, and so it becomes history. We've got some, but nowhere near the extent we have about the Tudors. It took eight years for her to convince her publishers she could produce her brilliant biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

It's a different kind of biography. I put forth the evidence and try to infer what I can from it. Beyond that, you're in the realm of speculation. I used to read ghost stories, I was fascinated by them, and I knew they'd frighten me and of course there I was at night wailing and my mother saying, 'You're not reading them' when she found them. Why don't they want good history? Wouldn't you prefer to know the truth, rather than the legend? I was born and raised in London, U. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? At twelve, a ballet dancer, because I was in love with the romance of it.

At thirty, I wanted to be a mother and a published author, in that order. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now? Too many to mention! I was a very opinionated teenager. What were three works of art — book or painting or piece of music, etc — you can now say, had a great effect on you and influenced your own development as a writer?

There are too many examples to mention, but three stand out.

A Dangerous Inheritance

The music was the Pavane la Bataille by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London, which instantly transported me back to the magnificence of sixteenth-century courts. Considering the innumerable artistic avenues open to you, why did you choose to write a novel?

I was already a published historian. I wrote it just as a leisure project, but quite liked it, so I showed it to my agent. It tells the story of two beautiful, tragic heroines, linked both by kinship and by supernatural bonds. In her short life, Lady Katherine Grey has already suffered more than her fair share of tragedy. Eight years before, her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, was beheaded for unlawfully accepting a crown that was not hers. Now she has defied her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, by marrying a man who is forbidden her. In , Kate is brought to London for the coronation of her cousin, King Edward V, and her world changes dramatically.

Kate loves her father, but all is not well at court, and soon after her arrival, she senses sinister undercurrents and hears terrible rumours that deeply disturb her. Soon, she embarks on what will prove to be a dangerous quest, covertly seeking information that can throw light on what would become one of history's most enduring mysteries. Katherine and Kate find out that incurring the wrath of princes is a dangerous game, and that being near in blood to the throne is a curse rather than a blessing.

Both young women will risk much to for love, and to uncover the truth - and both will court a tragic fate. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work? A sense that they have read about authentic history in an authentic setting — and also that they will have enjoyed the experience and gained new perspectives.

Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey

Whom do you most admire in the realm of writing and why? I admire many writers for many different talents. My favourite novelist is the late Norah Lofts, whose work I admire for the integrity of her writing, her characters, her insights, and the sinister undercurrents in her books. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What advice do you give aspiring writers? How did you get the idea? I had long wanted to write about Lady Katherine Grey, whose story is so poignant, but I wanted to add a twist to the story — and I wanted to include a mystery with a supernatural element.

The Tower of London provided inspiration, as Katherine was imprisoned there; and her story called to mind that of the Princes in the Tower, who had probably been murdered there eighty years earlier on the orders of Richard III. Hence my two storylines — the entwined tales of these two tragic girls, each of whom have good reason to need to discover what really happened to the Princes.

What's the most surprising or unexpected thing that happened while writing or promoting this book? Decades later, in my novel, Katherine Grey tries to track these ladies down and find out what they knew. That was an exciting coincidence — one I had not thought to find — and a tangible link between my characters. What research did you do for this book? My novels have all been based on research I have done over many years, and I know the Yorkist and Tudor periods very well, but I had not written to any extent on Katherine Grey, so I did have to do some original research on her.

As for Katherine Plantagenet, she is only mentioned in four sources, so her life is a blank canvas — a gift to a historical novelist. If you viewed documents where did you go and how did you find them? A lot of the sources I use are in print or online now, but I have researched from documents in the National Archives, the British Library or local archive offices.

What other books or other writing have you done? Have you won any awards for this book or other books? My biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine won the U. Good Book Guide award for the best biography of , as voted for by readers in countries. Susanna Porter is my commissioning editor at Ballantine. What's the most challenging part for you working with your publisher? Not being able to get together with her to discuss the editorial process as often as I would like, as I value her advice and her creative input. How did you meet them and what's their editorial process?

I first met Susanna when she came to London and we had tea together. I liked her enormously, and have enjoyed working with her over the years. She is always very supportive. She and my U. I do whatever is agreed, then Susanna may come back with further suggestions. The copy-edit is done in the U.

A Novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower

How did you find your agent? I was recommended by a publisher who rejected a book but thought that my work had potential. What are you currently working on now? Do you have a website? Upcoming book signings or events? I have a website for my books — www. I use Facebook fairly regularly, and Twitter occasionally. But I do enjoy them. I love meeting fellow history enthusiasts. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Writing about Richard III from the viewpoint of a daughter who wanted to believe the best of him proved a challenging experience, because in I published a book entitled The Princes in the Tower , in which I investigated the ancient but still highly controversial mystery of their disappearance, and concluded that the evidence strongly suggests that Richard III did order their murder.

The illustrations show the ruins of the Minories in the late eighteenth century. No trace of it remains today. Botolph in by the brother of Edward I, Edmund earl of Lancaster, for enclosed nuns of the order of St. Clare, or Minoresses, as they became known. The first members of the convent were brought to England by the earl's wife Blanche, queen of Navarre, probably from France.

From the earliest foundation the house enjoyed important privileges, but the house seems at first to have been richer in privileges than in revenue. From the time of Margaret de Badlesmere, who was living in the nunnery in , well born widows found a retreat from the world at the Minories. His house adjoined the conventual church, and the abbess and sisters allowed him to make a door between the two buildings so that he could enter the church as he pleased.

His Duchess died in the nunnery, and one of their daughters, Isabel, who had been placed in the nunnery at a very youthful age, chose to remain as a nun, and became abbess. This connection with the royal family accounts for the favour shown to the Minoresses by Henry IV, who confirmed privileges granted to them by his predecessors, and decreed that no justice, mayor, or other officer should have any jurisdiction within the precinct of the house except in the case of treason or felonies touching the crown. In Edward IV granted the Minoresses property 'on account of their poverty'. And at that time the convent enjoyed the charity of Elizabeth of York, who was related to the Abbess.

In twenty-seven of the nuns died of some infectious complaint, so that there could hardly have been less than thirty or thirty-five before the outbreak. The abbey was dissolved in March, The old convent buildings were destroyed in a fire in , and their remains demolished.

However, to give readers a flavour of the book, some of the cut passages now appear here. Pleading that she was hot and needing to go indoors to get a drink, Kate sought out Mattie, finding the little maid in her bedchamber, mending a hem. Kate sat tight-lipped as he predicted, mark his words, that the Duke was bent on seizing the throne.

He had Lord Hastings put to death, and sure it is Hastings was murdered because of the truth and fidelity he bore to the King. And look at the poor Queen, in sanctuary and in fear for her life. What is the world coming to? Kate had never been to Westminster, and when she passed through the great stone gateway by the river, she was awed at the huge complex of stately buildings surrounding her. There was a long armed chain of them encircling a massive church that Mattie said was Westminster Abbey, and all were armed with swords and staves.

Crowds of people were standing at a safe distance, watching, held back by more armed men. They would be inconspicuous in here. The place looked reasonably clean, and smelled deliciously of baking bread and roasting meat — although these aromas could not quite mask the whiff of unwashed bodies and stale sweat. Resolutely ignoring that, she quickly purchased two small hot manchet loaves filled with slices of steaming roast beef, and sat down with Mattie at a table away from the window to eat them.

From here, they had a good view of what was going on just across the road. There were many men in armour milling about, so sometimes the view was obscured, but they were able to observe the Duke conferring with a very elderly man in the red silk robes of a cardinal, then saw the venerable father nod, bow and make his way towards the far end of the abbey, where he turned a corner and disappeared; with him went many important-looking lords and clergymen. She had no love for the Queen.

The Duke and his colleagues, amongst whom Kate recognised the Duke of Buckingham, remained where they were, their restlessness betraying their impatience. All this for the sake of one small boy, though! Kate had heard the Duchess Anne speak of it several times. Then she paused, troubled, because she was coming to realise that there had been a growing coldness between her father and stepmother of late, a coldness that had never been evident at Middleham. It had begun, she was certain, on that evening when her grandmother had been present, and her father had shouted at Anne after Anne had questioned the legality of his proceedings.

Since then, Anne had held herself a touch aloof from him, observing the proper courtesy due from a wife to her husband, but little of her former warmth. Yet surely Anne could not but approve of the measures the Duke had taken to ensure his safety and prevent the Wydevilles from seizing power? Not so long ago she had been in desperate fear for him, but now it seemed as if she was doubting him and paying heed to vicious gossip, which was not like her; and Kate was sure there was something that Anne was not telling her.

Dare she ask her what it was? It might not be seemly to touch upon such personal matters. A man waiting at the counter began loudly voicing his opinions. Why else has he brought them? She sat there unspeaking, furious with the man, and with herself for speaking out. Kate nodded, and looked out again, resolutely ignoring the guffaws of the men at the counter. At length, they lost interest in her and returned to their talk. He had the Duke of Somerset and other Lancastrians dragged out of the abbey to summary execution.

I served on that campaign. There was no trial, nothing. The Duke said it was his right as Constable of England. I am not a sanctuary breaker. But she knew very little about the privileges he enjoyed as Constable of England, so she kept her mouth firmly shut. If he had said he had the right, then he must have had. Yet she could not help recalling that the Duchess had seemed to be unconvinced, and she remembered wondering if Anne knew something that she did not. Something was happening at last. A cleric came hurrying from the direction of the sanctuary, bowed to the lords, and spoke to Gloucester.

He then beckoned the rest, and led them off towards the palace, where they disappeared into Westminster Hall. Then the Cardinal and his party emerged from the sanctuary, and with them they had a small, fair-haired boy. Kate knew that it was her cousin, the Duke of York. She had never met him, but she could see that he was a beautiful child, and that he seemed quite merry, skipping along beside the elderly primate. Certes, her father had been right, and the boy was no doubt delighted to be out of sanctuary and away from the cloying company of his mother and sisters.

The Cardinal led his charge into Westminster Hall, and then the soldiers began to disperse, only a few remaining on duty near the sanctuary. The crowds evaporated too, now that there was nothing more to see, and Kate and Mattie got up to leave. There was no point in staying, and Kate wanted to be home before her father returned.

I recall in painful detail — how could I not? They had to drag my little boy from my arms, I screaming and wailing, and the child roaring with fear and fury. He was but two years old! And I have never set eyes on him since. They left me my younger son, a babe in arms. They took me, all downcast and bereft, to the house of my uncle, Lord John, at his house, Pirgo, in Essex — he who is also owner of the Minories. He could never abide me, having no time for educated women, and I have no doubt he took great pleasure in following official orders to the letter.

I was, throughout my hateful stay under his roof, treated as if I were in custody, and not allowed to write letters or speak to anyone but my guardian. It was part of my punishment, I was told.

For a long time, he did as much for me as he had to, and no more. I was housed and fed, but in nothing like the state I had been used, even in the Tower. I can recall the grovelling words I wrote, my abject plea for the obtaining of her most gracious pardon and favour towards me, which, with upstretched hands, and down-bent knees, from the bottom of my heart most humbly I craved. There was no reply.

Seeing me sobbing continually, and ailing because I was pining for my husband and child and could take little food in my distress, even Lord John took pity on me. Come now, there is no cause to weep again. But for my lord and children, I would to God I were dead and buried! So I marshalled all my courage and scribed a letter to the Queen herself. I acknowledge myself a most unworthy creature.

My misery and continual grief teaches me daily, more and more, the greatness of my fault, and your princely pity increases my sorrow that I have forgotten my duty to your Majesty. This is my great torment of mind. Seeing my anguish, my good uncle permitted me to write to my lord to tell him of my petition.

And of course, I swooped on the chance, for now I could assure my dear love that my feelings for him were as strong as ever, and that our long parting had not made any difference to that. I beg God to give you strength, as I doubt not he will. Neither you nor I can have so much comfort in this lamentable time as the assurance of good health in us both. Though of late I have not been well, yet now I thank God I am recovering, and long to be merry with you, as you were with me when our sweet little boys were begotten in the Tower.

You were my naughty lord then! Could you not have found it in your heart to have pity on me, giving me more pains for more brats, so fast, one after another? I was only having regard to resting my bones! I should remember the blessing of God in giving us such increase of children, although we are forever beggared.

I should have been glad to have borne a great deal more pain, than accounted it too much trouble to bring them into this world, so much is my boundless love to my sweet bedfellow that I was wont with joyful heart to lie by, and shall again, I know it. Thus most humbly thanking you, my sweet lord, for sending to see how I do, and also for your money, I most lovingly bid you farewell. I bid you farewell and always good health, my good husband. Your most loving and faithful wife during my life, Katherine. Days, then weeks passed, and no word came.

See a Problem?

I wrote again, pleading, to Mr Secretary: I wish to God to be buried in the faith and fear of Him, rather than live in this continual agony. Lord John came to me in concern. He begged me to get up, or at least cease my crying, but I could not. He said he could not sleep in quiet for worry about my health. He saw me coughing up phlegm, and trembled in case I might be suffering from consumption.

I suspect he feared I might die in his charge. But Lord John was hauled off to the Tower for showing me too much favour and exhorting the Queen to forgive her enemies. And thus it was that I and my child were moved, all in a hurry, to Ingatestone in Essex.

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