Penguin Books<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n (c) Paola Pieroni<\/p><\/div>\n Follow Elizabeth Fremantle on Social Media:<\/p>\n Elizabeth’s website: www.elizabethfremantle.com<\/a><\/b> Many thanks to Elizabeth for answering my questions.<\/p>\n (c) Penguin<\/p><\/div>\n Why did you choose the Grey sisters as the focus of the second novel in your Tudor trilogy?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n There are many reasons, not least because the three Grey sisters\u2019 lives are so very poignant and surprisingly little known, though they were lived at the very heart of the struggle for the Tudor succession. For me it was a natural progression from Katherine Parr\u2019s story, which I focused on in Queen\u2019s Gambit. Both Jane Grey and Elizabeth Tudor had been part of the Dowager Queen\u2019s household and shifting emphasis onto the Grey family for my second novel, enabled me to explore, from an oblique angle, the period of history when the English were forced to accept not one but two Queens regnant \u2013 a fascinating time that required unprecedented social adjustment. The trilogy as a whole charts, through the lens of different female protagonists, the rise and eventual demise of Elizabeth. In Sisters of Treason it is clear that Elizabeth\u2019s will was a pivotal factor in the lives of Katherine and Mary Grey. <\/p>\n Which was your favourite sister to write about?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Though Katherine\u2019s story is inherently more romantic and tragic, I\u2019d have to say Mary. Initially my idea had been to write exclusively from Mary\u2019s perspective as I had a strong desire to give voice to a woman living with disabilities. She was burdened with severe scoliosis and was very small of stature at a time when physical blemishes were thought to be the devil\u2019s work, yet she was manifestly not divested of spirit by this fact. This is bourn out by the defiance she demonstrated. For me she is the heart of the novel and a true heroine.<\/p>\n What gave you the idea to have Frances, Duchess of Suffolk and Levina Teerlinc witness Jane\u2019s execution?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n This was a key scene that made sense of all the later events and it was important for understanding the bond of friendship between the two women. Having Levina\u2019s close third person perspective also to gives the reader a visceral sense of the tragedy and heightens the impact, which might not have been the case had I employed a more distant, omniscient narrator. Her painterly eye allowed me to make the scene very visual, and the symbol of the gush of blood became a kind of refrain through the novel as if Jane was haunting the narrative. <\/p>\n In the novel you write from the point of view of Catherine and Mary. Which sister was it easiest to write as and why?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Katherine\u2019s voice seemed to arrive fully formed and Mary\u2019s was much more challenging. Mary is such a complex character and was only nine at the start of the novel and transforms greatly through the narrative, whereas Katherine\u2019s personality remains fairly stable. <\/p>\n Your portrayal and descriptions of Queen Mary are not very sympathetic. Is this because they are from the view point of Mary Grey?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Yes, absolutely! As each girl tells her own story from a first person perspective I felt it was essential to maintain their intimate opinions of those around them. Each has her own slightly differing vision of Mary Tudor. She is certainly an antagonist for all three protagonists and so comes off rather badly in the telling, I\u2019m afraid. My personal view is more nuanced and a little of that seeps into the narrative. Mary was driven by her faith and the over-arching belief that she had God on her side. I suppose she was a latter-day fundamentalist.<\/p>\n Other than as a witness to events, why did you make Levina Teerlinc a major character?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Levina offered the opportunity to see life outside the court. The girls\u2019 lives were so cloistered and so much of the context of the story needed to be established outside the confines of the royal palaces. I was intrigued by the idea of a woman working as a painter, as it was so unusual for the period, and Levina allowed me to visit the theme of \u2018women in charge\u2019, that I explored through the two Queens, from a differing perspective. It was also important to have a more mature overview of events as a counterpoint to the girls\u2019 limited and na\u00efve viewpoints; this is why her account is written in the third person, allowing a broader vision.<\/p>\n Mary Grey comments that, \u2018They are not so different, those sister queens, their spirits both woven through with ruthlessness.\u2019 Which court was the most dangerous for the Grey sisters? Mary or Elizabeth\u2019s?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n In the context of the younger Grey girls I believe it was Elizabeth who proved the greater adversary, but it is impossible to forget what happened to Jane at the hands of Mary Tudor. <\/p>\n Can you tell us any details about the final novel in the trilogy?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n The third novel is focused around the life of Penelope Devereux, her love affair with Sir Phillip Sidney and her involvement in her brother, the Earl of Essex\u2019s political coup. This gives the gist of the story:<\/p>\n The daughter of the Queen\u2019s nemesis, Penelope Devereux, arrives at court blithely unaware of its pitfalls and finds herself in love with one man, yet married off to another. Bestowed with beauty and charm she and her brother, The Earl of Essex, are drawn quickly into the aging Queen\u2019s favour. But Penelope is saddled with a husband who loathes her and chooses to strike out, risking her reputation to seek satisfaction elsewhere. Life at the heart of the court though, is not only characterised by the highs and lows of romance, there are formidable factions at work who would like to see the Devereux family brought down. It seems The Earl of Essex can do no wrong in the eyes of the Queen but as his influence grows so his enemies gather and it is Penelope who must draw on all her political savvy to prevent the unthinkable from happening.<\/p>\n Told from the perspective of Penelope and her brother\u2019s greatest enemy the politician Cecil, this story, wrought with love, hatred and envy, unfolds over two decades in which we see the last gasps of Elizabeth\u2019s reign, and the deadly scramble for power in a dying dynasty.<\/p>\n Elizabeth Fremantle is the author of \u2018Sisters of Treason\u2019 and ‘Queen’s Gambit.’ ‘Sisters of Treason’ is available to buy now in the UK and will be published in the US in July. To buy her new novel: Elizabeth Fremantle \u2013 … Continue reading
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