19 February – Bloody, Brilliant Tudors: 100 Tales of Gowns, Gossip and Gory Ends
‘Did Henry VIII really plan to have Anne Boleyn’s beloved dog thrown out the window?
Was Elizabeth I secretly a man?
Who were the Grey sisters, and why is theirs one of the saddest Tudor stories of all?
From Henry VII to Elizabeth I, Bloody, Brilliant Tudors answers all these questions and more. Come with us as we delve into the people and places behind the world-famous Tudor myths and legends.
Through various tales exploring the whole of the glittering dynasty, we’ll learn about the lesser-known facts and figures behind these myths. Each reign serves up a wealth of fascinating historical stories to reveal the Tudor world in a new light.’
Further details – The History Press
Further details – Amazon.co.uk
13 March – Lost Heirs of the Tudor Crown by Neha Roy
‘Two commoners pretend to be royalty to bring down the Tudors. The long-awaited Tudor prince dies of the Sweat on his fifteenth birthday. The Queen of Scots is ruthlessly executed by the Queen of England. A seventeen-year-old ascends the Throne of England to rule it for a mere nine days. The last Plantagenet prince is put to death to facilitate a much-longed-for marriage alliance. From Mary, Queen of Scots, to Lady Jane Grey, from Edward, Earl of Warwick, to Arthur Tudor and on to Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, these were the Lost Heirs to the Tudor Throne. They were the ones who – had luck favoured them – could have ascended the Throne of England. With an overview of the lives of the Princes in the Tower and the Battle of Bosworth, this book delves into the lives of these commoners and royalty alike, who may have rewritten history had they ascended the throne.’
30 March – Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest by Sharon Bennett Connolly
‘Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters from the Conquest will explore the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. It will look at the world they lived in, and how their lives and marriages were affected by political necessity and the events of the time.
Almost as interesting as the marriages these girls made are the ones that were never realised. Many English princesses were betrothed, or proposed as brides, three or more times before they were married. Their failed marriage proposals demonstrated their influence and worth on the international royal marriage market, as well as the changing allegiances between countries and the making and breaking of international friendships.
Princesses of the Early Middle Ages will also examine how these girls, who were often political pawns, were able to control their own lives and fates. Whilst they were expected to obey their parents in their marriage choices, several princesses were able to exert their own influence on these choices, with some outright refusing the husbands offered to them. Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking.’
Further details – Pen and Sword
Further details – Amazon.co.uk
30 April – Royal Favourites of the Tudor and Stuart Age by April Taylor
‘Barbra Streisand sang about people needing people. Our sixteenth and seventeenth century monarchs needed trusted friends more than most in such uncertain times.
Among the people you will meet in this book is John Morton, so accomplished at gathering taxes for Henry VII; some pubs are named after him. Physician William Butts, trusted by Henry VIII, and sent to Hever when Anne Boleyn caught the sweating sickness. Barnaby Fitzpatrick, closest friend of Edward VI. Susan Clarencius, Mistress of the Robes to Mary I and her closest friend. Blanche Parry who rocked Elizabeth I’s cradle and stayed in her service until she died, causing Elizabeth ‘enormous sorrow’. Christopher Hatton, so devoted to Elizabeth, he never married. George Villiers, loved by James I ‘more than any other man’. Jane Whorwood, who did her utmost to help the imprisoned Charles I escape. Henry Jermyn, who became known as ‘the founder of the West End’. John Wilmot, an exceptionally clever man who ended life as a dissolute disgrace. Robert Harley, who built an incomparable collection of Saxon and Medieval texts now in the British Library. And not forgetting an accurate account of the life of Abigail Masham, devoted servant to Queen Anne.’
Further details – Pen and Sword
Further details – Amazon.co.uk
7 May – Lionessheart: The Life and Times of Joanna Plantagenet (paperback) by Catherine Hanley
‘Richard the Lionheart travelled to far-flung realms, went on crusade, met kings and popes, and exerted a great deal of influence on the world around him … and so did his sister.
The sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine have been the subject of much historical attention, but their daughters have been curiously overlooked. The youngest of them, Joanna, led a particularly extraordinary life full of adventure and danger – and not a little controversy – that was more than a match for those of any of her brothers, including the famed Lionheart himself.
Lionessheart is Joanna’s story, and also an exploration of the wider world of the twelfth century as seen through the eyes of a woman who was a princess and a pioneer, a warrior and a wife, a captive and a queen.’
Further details – The History Press
4 June – Regina: A New History of Women and Power by Kate Williams
‘In this enthralling historical journey, celebrated historian Kate Williams leads us into the world of queens, empresses, princesses, mistresses and ladies-in-waiting. Stories about royal women form some of our most foundational myths about femininity, and yet their legacies have been almost entirely constructed by the words and images of men.
From the ancient civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia to the opulent courts of the pre-medieval world, REGINA delves deep into the lives of these remarkable women, uncovering both their trials and triumphs as they navigate political intrigue, family rivalries and personal sacrifices. From Hatshepsut and Cleopatra, through to Tudor queens Catherine of Aragon and Lady Jane Grey, via Queen Victoria’s contemporaries Yaa Asentewaa of Ghana and Queen Lili’oukulani of Hawaii, and right up to Princess Diana, this is an unmissable history that unlocks why we think about women, politics and power in the ways that we do.’
15 July – Heroines of the Tudor World (paperback) by Sharon Bennett Connolly
‘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.
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. Studying regents, writers, nuns and queens, and taking in the likes of Elizabeth Barton, Anne Boleyn, Catherine de Medici, Bess of Hardwick and Elizabeth I, Sharon Bennett Connolly shines the spotlight on the women who helped to shape Early Modern Europe.’
Further details Amberley Publishing
