NEWS


NEW NON-FICTION

ALISON WEIR 'S NEXT HISTORY BOOK WILL BE A LIFE OF ELIZABETH OF YORK, THE FIRST TUDOR QUEEN, WIFE TO HENRY VII AND MOTHER OF HENRY VIII

 

In this book, Alison returns to the period spanning the Wars of the Roses and the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, filling the gap in her histories between The Princes in the Tower and The Six Wives of Henry VIII.  In it, she will tell the poignant, suspenseful and sometimes tragic story of Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Yorkist King Edward IV (reigned 1461-1483), and sister of the Princes in the Tower, a lady whose life was inextricably caught up in the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses and the establishment of the usurping Tudor dynasty.

Elizabeth of York was a princess of prime historical importance. After enjoying a glittering childhood at the brilliant court of Edward IV, she was declared a bastard on the usurpation of her uncle, Richard III, in 1483.  Notwithstanding that, she soon came to be regarded by Richard's opponents as the true heiress of the royal House of York, and the exiled Lancastrian pretender, Henry Tudor, vowed to conquer England and wed her.

Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and became the first sovereign of the royal House of Tudor. In 1486, he married Elizabeth. Their marriage was a successful one, and Elizabeth became greatly beloved by the people of England, but her role as queen consort was overshadowed by her powerful mother-in-law, the Lady Margaret Beaufort, who ruled the court as if she herself were queen.

Elizabeth bore Henry seven, possibly eight, children, including the future Henry VIII, before dying in childbed in 1503 on her thirty-seventh birthday. She remains an enigmatic figure, who perhaps enjoyed a liaison with her uncle, Richard III, who certainly wanted to marry her; and she may have plotted against him when he rejected her. Later, she is said to have been kept in subjection by Henry VII. Yet contemporaries, including Sir Thomas More, had nothing but good to say of her.

Alison says: "The idea for this book grew not only out of my extensive research on Elizabeth of York (the sources for her life are rich), but also from research for an unpublished book entitled The Last Plantagenets, about how the Tudors systematically eliminated their dynastic rivals, most of whom were Elizabeth's close relatives. What was it like to be the wife of the King who brought them to ruin? How did she view the pretenders who threatened Henry VII's throne by claiming to be her murdered brothers? And what influence did she exert upon her famous son, Henry VIII, who was grief-stricken by her early death? Moreover, given that she had a better claim to the throne than her husband, what sort of ruler might she have made?
  
"Elizabeth lived in colourful but dangerous times, and her Yorkist blood and her claim to be the rightful ruler of England would have rendered her a serious threat to the Tudor dynasty, but for the fact that she was a woman and therefore not considered a serious contender for the throne. Yet she was inescapably caught up in the high politics and intrigues of the age, and the ruthless power struggles for the crown - but she survived them all. She deserves a more prominent place in the history of the English monarchy."


KENSINGTON PALACE RE-OPENS

 

As an official Champion of Kensington Palace, Alison is delighted to announce that the transformed Palace will be re-opening on 26th March 2012, in good time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and a new exhibition, "Victoria Revealed". Anyone interested in royal history will find much to admire in this fabulous restoration.   


MARY BOLEYN IN PAPERBACK



The U.S. paperback of Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings will be publishedon 4th September 2012.

MEDIA NEWS

Alison Weir's article about Mary Boleyn appeared in the 24th November edition of The Daily Telegraph. The correct text of this article will appear on this website soon. 

Alison was a guest on Sky Arts' "THE BOOK SHOW" with Mariella Frostrupp at 8pm on 24th November. Also appearing were Ken Livingstone and Benjamin Zephaniah.

Alison Weir was among the guests on B.B.C. Radio 4's "START THE WEEK" with Andrew Marr on Monday, 14th November. Also appearing were Peter Englund, Boris Johnson and Norman Davies.




Alison's ghost story, The Anniversary, is included in The Best Little Book Club in Town, a paperback anthology of short stories published by Orion Books in association with Woman and Home magazine. For every copy sold, £1 goes to Breast Cancer Care.


U.S. RADIO INTERVIEWS

**On 12th October, Alison Weir discussed MARY BOLEYN on National Public Radio's "TALK OF THE NATION". Here is a link to the segment: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/12/141276812/mary-the-great-and-infamous-other-boleyn 

**On 13th October, Alison was interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio's programme, "TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE". Here is a link to the interview: http://ttbook.org/book/alison-weir-mary-boleyn-was-she-failure 



 MARY BOLEYN: 'THE GREAT AND INFAMOUS WHORE' was published in the U.S.A. on 4th October and in the U.K. on 6th October. 

    

In this book, the first full-scale, in-depth biography of Henry VIII's famous mistress, Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne, his second queen, Alison Weir explodes much of the mythology that surrounds Mary Boleyn and uncovers the truth about one of the most misunderstood figures of the Tudor age. Her extensive, forensic research has facilitated a new portrayal, in which she recounts that: 

* Mary, as the elder of the Boleyn sisters, was soon overshadowed by the more accomplished Anne.

* Mary's mother may have deserved her dubious reputation.

* Mary had two other brothers, besides George Boleyn, who probably lived almost into adulthood.

* Mary was more beautiful than Anne, but there is no authentic portrait.

* Contrary to popular belief, Mary did not gain a notorious reputation at the French court.

* Mary probably spent ten years of her life living abroad.

* Mary was never officially employed in Katherine of Aragon's household.

* Mary's first husband, William Carey, was not an insignificant and complacent nobody, as is often claimed, but an important man - a cousin of the King whom he physically resembled - whose star was rising fast at the English court. 

* Henry VIII forced Mary to become his mistress, and there is evidence to suggest when their affair began.

* Mary's affair with Henry did not cause a scandal, and his queen, Katherine of Aragon, did not know about it.

* The paternity of Mary's two children can now be established, thanks to new and overlooked evidence. One was almost certainly fathered by Henry VIII.

* Mary was entirely undeserving of her reputation as a great and infamous whore, or the calumny that was later heaped upon her. 

Watch out for Alison's article revealing more about Mary, which will appear in the Daily Telegraph in the firat week in October.



GOOD READS

Discover Alison's favourite books about royal mistresses at  http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/619.Alison_Weir?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Oct_newsletter&utm_content=weir  



LISTENING BOOKS MINI LIBRARY INITIATIVE

Listening Books provide audiobooks for people who find it difficult to read due to illness or disability through an online and postal service. They are launching a brand new project this September and Alison Weir wishes to lend her support to it, as they  have many of her books in their library. Through this new project, they are expanding their service to offer audiobook mini libraries to hospices throughout the U.K.. The mini libraries are completely free of charge to the hospices, and comprise a fantastic range of fiction and non-fiction titles by bestselling authors and the biggest names in the publishing world. Listening Books are creating a web page about their hospice project, so anyone who is interested in supporting it can find out more at http://www.listening-books.org.uk/hospice-project.aspx.  


ALISON'S VISIT TO THE ISLE OF MAN, DECEMBER 2010

 

Alison visited the Isle of Man for an event in support of the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind. Listen to Alison's interview with Geraldine Jamison (above right) at http://www.manxradio.com/blog.aspx?id=49543&blogid=14864.

The report below is from the Isle of Man Examiner, 21st December 2010.




 

 
'THE BOOK SHOW' ON SKY ARTS

Alison was filmed in her library at home, where she works, for 'The Write Place' feature for The Book Show on Sky Arts, which was broadcast on 18th November 2010.  You can read a transcript below.



Historian Alison Weir reveals secrets of her writing process and ornaments and pictures that provide inspiration...

'I’m sitting in my house in Carshalton in Surrey; it’s a lovely peaceful place in which to work. It’s wonderful to have a room like this, as for the first time I have all my books in one place. This is my history library, all the books are filed around the room in chronological order and most of them are history books about the British monarchy. Reference books are by my desk, behind there are art books, costume books, records – I’m a collector of rock music and memorabilia - and DVDs and videos. This is not just a library, it's a family room, and I have to say there is a lot of competition for using it.

Around the room are many pictures and ornaments, nearly all of them have some sentimental or historical significance for me. For example, statues of the six wives of Henry VIII: people might think they’re rather twee, but I think they’re lovely. Pictures of my children are all around; there's a portrait of my mother at 19, and the six wives of Henry VIII on Royal Doulton plates. The relief of Richard III up there reminds me of a lovely outing to Middleham Castle in Yorkshire, I’m passionately interested in that particular period; I wrote a book on the Princes in the Tower. Everywhere I look in this room there’s probably a story behind every object.



I’ve been doing historical projects for many years now, this is the first (see photo above) and it is one I am often asked about. It is a biography of Anne Boleyn and it was written when I was 15; some of it is based on original sources. It was all written by hand; some pictures are now falling out - that’s one of the old fourpenny postcards from the National Portrait Gallery. There’s an appendix with a letter said to be from Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII, and from Anne to Wolsey. I even did an index. But it's certainly not suitable for publication!

I work rather differently now from the way I used to. My book Katherine Swynford came out in 2007 and these two lever arch files are the research for it. There are reams and reams all under date headings, so it’s roughly researched into draft and that used to be normal for any book that I wrote. Sarah Gristwood, a very good historian friend of mine said to me, ‘Why do you do your books that way? I do my books in a different way. I write a skeleton outline of the story on a word processor and add in research, and build it that way.’ And since then that’s the way I do my history books.

When I’m writing, I’m gone, I’m absolutely lost in it. The world disappears and I live it, I’m there and I’m involved in it; I’m on a journey with my subject and it’s literally going into the unknown.’


**BOOK NEWS: FORTHCOMING BOOKS**

A DANGEROUS INHERITANCE



Alison has now finished her fourth novel - a sequel to Innocent Traitor with an unusual sub-plot (2012), which tells the story of two beautiful tragic heroines, Lady Katherine Grey (above) and Katherine Plantagenet.

The Tower of London, 1562. Queen Elizabeth I sits insecurely on the English throne. The Queen's cousin, a young woman of twenty-two has just been arrested. Will Elizabeth demand the full penalty for treason?

This young woman is Lady Katherine Grey, and in her short life she 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. And Katherine suffered too, as a result of Jane`s fall... Now she has defied the Queen.

  

Intertwined with Katherine's story is that of her distant kinswoman, Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of King Richard III. In 1483, Kate is brought to London for the coronation of her cousin, King Edward V, and her world changes dramatically.

Kate loves her father, and she has been treated as a daughter by his wife, Anne Neville. But all is not well at court, and soon after her arrival, Kate senses sinister undercurrents. Before long, she hears terrible rumours that deeply disturb her. And, like Katherine Grey, she is in love with a man who is forbidden to her. Soon, she embarks on what will ultimately prove to be a dangerous quest, covertly seeking information that can throw light on what would become one of history's most enduring mysteries. But time is not on Kate`s side - or Katherine's either.

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.



THE MEDIEVAL QUEENS OF ENGLAND

Alison has been commissioned by Jonathan Cape and Ballantine to write two more non-fiction books: Elizabeth of York (2013) and a major work telling the epic story of England's Medieval Queens, from Matilda of Flanders to Anne Neville (2015). 

               


Alison has also been commissioned by Hutchinson and Ballantine to write a sequel to The Lady Elizabeth (2014), the synopsis of which is as follows:

THE QUEEN AND LORD ROBERT (working title)

 

Their affair was the scandal of Europe. From the time of her accession in 1558, the young Elizabeth I – already reinventing herself as the Virgin Queen – and her dashing but married Master of Horse, Lord Robert Dudley, cast caution to the winds in pursuing their passion for each other. Many believed them to be lovers in the fullest sense, and Elizabeth soon became aware of proliferating rumours that she was no virgin at all, and that she had secretly borne Lord Robert children.

The young Queen was also aware that she was regarded by most of Christendom as a bastard, a heretic and a usurper, and knew her hold on her throne to be desperately insecure. She was conscious that she was a female ruler in a male-dominated age that regarded women as inferior beings and valued them chiefly for their domestic virtues. But Elizabeth, while appearing seriously to entertain the diplomatic advances of many a foreign prince bent on making her his wife, had no personal inclination to marry, bear children or render herself subservient to any man. Indeed, the prospect of marriage was anathema to her: she had compelling and deep psychological reasons for wishing to avoid it. It was the game of love that was the breath of life to her, the thrill of the chase, the lure of forbidden fruit. Given her precarious situation, she was knowingly playing a dangerous game with Lord Robert Dudley, a game she realised – almost too late - might ultimately cost her her crown.

For Robert was the son and grandson of traitors, and his growing intimacy with Elizabeth made him deeply unpopular: he was distrusted by her more sober ministers – notably William Cecil - and resented by her courtiers. All thought him inordinately ambitious and unscrupulous to boot. The affair between Dudley and the Queen quickly gave rise to rampant speculation throughout Christendom that they were determined to marry and were plotting the removal of Robert's sick wife, Amy. There was universal shock when, in 1560, Amy was found dead, lying at the foot of a staircase with her neck broken. 

In telling the captivating, tempestuous, often humorous and ultimately poignant story of this most extraordinary love affair, I will be continuing the tale that began in my earlier novel, The Lady Elizabeth, which covers the period from Elizabeth`s infancy until her accession to the throne, bert`s, and delving into the various mysteries that surround her relationship with Dudley.

The chief of these is, did they or didn`t they? Rivers of ink have been spilt in determining the answer to this question, and as a historian, I have my own strong views about it – not necessarily those that prevail in The Lady Elizabeth!  The other crucial issue is, of course, the fate of Amy Robsart, and this novel will offer a dramatised version of my own theory. It will be a book packed with all the colour and pageantry of the Tudor court, with intrigues, sex, plots, mysteries and tragedies. Above all, I want to focus on the psychological aspects of Elizabeth`s long affair with Dudley and the dynamics that enabled it to last for so long.

It`s been 26 years since the publication of Susan Kay's Legacy – the last novel to chart the full course of the relationship between Elizabeth and Leicester. Before that, there was Jean Plaidy's Gay Lord Robert (1955), Judith Saxton`s The Bright Day is Done (1976), about Amy Robsart, and Victoria Holt`s My Enemy the Queen (1978), about Lettice Knollys, Dudley's second (possibly third) wife. More recent fictional treatments include Robin Maxwell`s The Queen`s Bastard (1999), about Elizabeth and Leicester`s supposed son; and Philippa Gregory`s The Virgin`s Lover (2004), about the early course of the affair and the Amy Robsart mystery. Thus there is scope for a new, full-scale fictional treatment of the subject.

I want to bring to this story all the research I have done for the four non-fiction books in which I have written about Elizabeth I: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which documents her childhood; Children of England, which covers her youth up to her accession; Elizabeth the Queen, which tells the story of her reign and focuses on her character and personal life; and Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley, which explores her dealings with Mary, Queen of Scots. I want my readers to be able to trust me to use the facts where they exist and credibly to exercise my creativity where they do not. I have lived with Elizabeth for so long that I feel I almost know her personally. She was the most incredible woman, and there is a wealth of information that brings her character vividly to life. It requires therefore only a short leap of the imagination to actually get inside her head and relive this most extraordinary and controversial of royal love affairs.