Neha Roy is the author of ‘Lost Heirs of the Tudor Crown’ which was published by Pen and Sword in March.
Neha is also the author of ‘Henry VIII’s Imprisoned Women: The Women of the Tower.’
Buy ‘Lost Heirs of the Tudor Crown:
Follow Neha on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/author.neharoy/
Many thanks to Neha for answering my questions.
Why did you choose this subject for your book?
Lost Heirs was actually a random idea! And it was to be my first book. I was reading Alison Weir’s Princes in the Tower and I was conceptualizing a short novella on an imaginary conversation between Edward V and Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick when Eleri from Pen and Sword contacted me. I pitched this idea but had to re-work it when I was told that P&S only publishes non-fiction. I then had to keep it on hold and decided to work on Henry VIII’s Imprisoned Women first before delving into Lost Heirs.
How does your book add to previous work covering this topic?
Although both books are set in the Tudor Era – Lost Heirs has the Plantagenet angle as well – hardly anything links the two books. Through Imprisoned Women, we get an insight to the volatile world of Henry VIII while in Lost Heirs, we explore England before Henry VIII through the chapters on the Princes in the Tower, the pretenders, and Edward Plantagenet…and even Arthur Tudor and also post Henry VIII through the chapters on Lady Jane Grey and Mary, Queen of Scots.
What surprised you most researching this book?
The twists and turns in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. I had a fair idea of her life after her return from France but getting to know about the hostilities she had to face in details was truly fascinating.
How did you decide which lost heirs to include?
It wasn’t really difficult as I was quite clear in my head that I would include heirs only from the late Plantagenet era and post Henry VIII era. So, the chapters on the pretenders, Arthur Tudor, Lady Jane Grey, and Mary, Queen of Scots were already finalized and outlined. I was in two minds about the chapter on Edward Plantagenet as I had written extensively about Margaret Pole in my earlier book but decided to include it as the events surrounding him were quite pivotal. The chapter on the Princes and the Battle of Bosworth were last minute additions. The chapter on Bosworth was more to lay a base for the main chapters.
Who was the most difficult heir to write about?
Undoubtedly, Mary Queen of Scots! Not only did I get all the events jumbled up but the names and titles almost had me shedding frustrated tears! I almost scrapped the chapter but decided to power through – I love such challenging situations when it comes to writing – and I am glad that I did.
