Books 2017 -on sale now- In the Footsteps of the Six Wives of Henry VIII (paperback) by Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger


15th July 2017 – In the Footsteps of the Six Wives of Henry VIII: The visitor’s companion to the palaces, castles & houses associated with Henry VIII’s iconic queens (paperback) by Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger


(c) Amberley Publishing


‘This book provides a fresh perspective on the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives by embarking on a journey through the manors, castles and palaces in which their lives were played out. This journey traces their steps to the Alhambra in Spain, childhood home of Katherine of Aragon; to the very room at Acton Court where Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII publicly dined; through the cobbled grounds of Hampton Court Palace, which bore witness to both triumph and tragedy for Jane Seymour; into the streets of Düsseldorf in Germany, birthplace of Anne of Cleves; among the ruins and picturesque gardens of St Mary’s Abbey in York where Catherine Howard and Henry VIII rested at the pinnacle of the 1541 progress; and to Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire, where Katherine Parr lived as daughter-in-law of the irascible Sir Thomas Brough.

Each location is described in a fascinating narrative that unearths the queens’ lives in documents and artefacts, as well as providing practical visitor information based on the authors’ first-hand knowledge of each site. Accompanied by an extensive range of images including timelines, maps, photographs and sketches, this book brings us closer than ever to the women behind the legends, providing a personal and illuminating journey in the footsteps of the six wives of Henry VIII.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Amazon.co.uk


Posted in Books 2017 | Tagged | Comments Off on Books 2017 -on sale now- In the Footsteps of the Six Wives of Henry VIII (paperback) by Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger

Books 2017 – on sale today – 13th July


13th July 2017 – Cecily Duchess of York by J L Laynesmith


(c) A&C Black Advantage


‘This is the first scholarly biography of Cecily Neville, duchess of York, the mother of Edward IV and Richard III. She was said to have ruled Edward IV ‘as she pleased’ and Richard III made his bid for the throne from her home. Yet Cecily has been a shadowy figure in modern histories, noted primarily for her ostentatious piety, her expensive dresses, and the rumours of her adultery.

Here J. L. Laynesmith draws on a wealth of rarely considered sources to construct a fresh and revealing portrait of a remarkable woman. Cecily was the only major protagonist to live right through the Wars of the Roses. This book sheds new light on that bloody conflict in which Cecily proved herself an exceptional political survivor. Skilfully manipulating her family connections and contemporary ideas about womanhood, Cecily repeatedly reinvented herself to protect her own status and to ensure the security of those in her care.

From her childhood marriage to Richard duke of York until her final decade as grandmother of the first Tudor queen, the story of Cecily Neville’s life provides a rich insight into national and local politics, women’s power and relationships, motherhood, household dynamics and the role of religion in fifteenth-century England.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Amazon.co.uk


Posted in Books 2017 | Tagged , | Comments Off on Books 2017 – on sale today – 13th July

Queen of Bradgate Park Celebrations


The Queen of Bradgate Park celebrations begin tomorrow.



Full details can be found here.

I am looking forward to reading the eulogy at the Remembrance and Rose Petal Service on Sunday 16th July.



Posted in Festivals, Places | Tagged , | Comments Off on Queen of Bradgate Park Celebrations

Last year’s ‘Crown of Blood’ interview with Nicola Tallis


(c) Michael O’Mara Books


The paper back of ‘Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey’ by Nicola Tallis is published by Michael O’Mara Books today.


Interview with Nicola Tallis


(c) Joey Menghini



Posted in Interview | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Last year’s ‘Crown of Blood’ interview with Nicola Tallis

Books 2017 – on sale today – Crown of Blood by Nicola Tallis (paperback)


6th July – Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey by Nicola Tallis (paperback)


(c) Michael O’Mara Books


’Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same.

These were the words uttered by the seventeen-year-old Lady Jane Grey as she stood on the scaffold awaiting death on a cold February morning in 1554. Forced onto the throne by the great power players at court, Queen Jane reigned for just thirteen tumultuous days before being imprisoned in the Tower, condemned for high treason and executed.

In this dramatic retelling of an often misread tale, historian and researcher Nicola Tallis explores a range of evidence that has never before been used in a biography to sweep away the many myths and reveal the moving, human story of an extraordinarily intelligent, independent and courageous young woman.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Michael O’Mara Books

Further details – Amazon.co.uk




Posted in Books 2017 | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Books 2017 – on sale today – Crown of Blood by Nicola Tallis (paperback)