Forgotten Tudor Women: Writing Women Back Into the Historical Narrative

Forgotten Tudor Women: Writing Women Back Into the Historical Narrative

“Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.”

Most British school children learn this rhyme to help them remember the fate of each of Henry VIII’s six wives. The names of Henry’s queens are well-known: Katharine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katheryn Parr. They are the heroines of the Tudor age.
There has been a great deal written about Tudor queens but less so about those women who surrounded the throne, who may have held even more power and influence than those who actually wore the crown.

The idea behind my Forgotten Tudor Women series was to shift the perspective and write about the lesser-known women of the Tudor court. By “lesser-known”, I mean lesser-known today because back then they exerted influence and wielded power. So far I’ve written three books in the series, covering the lives of the following women: Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond and Somerset; Mary Shelton; Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox; Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset; Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland; Elisabeth Parr, Marchioness of Northampton; and Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter.

In historiography, the focus is usually on men, so women are pushed to the sidelines. Aristocratic wives are usually just footnotes in standard biographies because their identities are subsumed by that of their husbands. Also, many of the sources of biographical information about women differ from those of men. Men were usually praised for their ambitions while women were scorned. Centuries-long misogyny is at play too.

The sixteenth century was a hazardous time to live in, especially so for women. Courtly life exposed them to the machinations of their enemies, executions were part of everyday life, death in childbirth was a real possibility and infectious diseases such as sweating sickness or the plague were sweeping regularly through the country, wiping out entire generations of families.

Readers are often surprised that there is so much to learn about these forgotten women. Indeed, the lack of their biographies on the market may suggest that there is little evidence to justify a full-length biography. This thinking is, however, far from the truth. They left visible traces of their existence in letters, wills, inventories, chronicles and other sources of the period. They were not merely ornaments of the court, silent witnesses to the most important events of the Tudor era. They were political players in their own right.

It is astonishing that some women, like my two personal favourites, Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, and Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, were confined to the footnotes for so long. There is a wealth of material to sift through and build a strong biographical narrative of their lives. They were involved in religious upheavals and schemes of the period. Their stories are tales of love and loss, conspiracies and plots, treasons and rebellions. Their husbands were executed for treason, but they survived. Their lives read like thrillers.

Sixteenth-century women’s lives revolved around influential connections with notable men. They are always someone’s daughters, sisters, wives or mistresses. They certainly owed great debts to their fathers, who made sure these women were educated to the extent that would allow them to become successful courtiers. They often made good marriages with respectable men and elevated their own social rank through such splendid matches. But to remain in the good graces of kings and queens required charisma, political savviness, the ability to make good judgments and also—sometimes—pure luck.

Hilary Mantel, author of the Wolf Hall trilogy of novels set in the Tudor period, famously said that “history is not the past (…) it’s the record of what’s left on the record”. Women have always been part of the historical record, although their achievements are often overlooked. They are there in the records; we just have to make the effort to try and find them. It is my purpose of being a historian, researcher and writer to move these fascinating women from the footnotes of history and into the spotlight, where they belong.

About the Author:

Sylvia Barbara Soberton is a writer, historian and researcher specialising in the history of the Tudors. She debuted in 2015 with her bestselling book The Forgotten Tudor Women: Mary Howard, Mary Shelton & Margaret Douglas.
Sylvia’s other bestsellers include Golden Age Ladies: Women Who Shaped the Courts of Henry VIII and Francis I, Great Ladies: The Forgotten Witnesses to the Lives of Tudor Queens, The Forgotten Tudor Women: Anne Seymour, Jane Dudley & Elisabeth Parr and others. Her new book is entitled Ladies-in-Waiting: Women Who Served Anne Boleyn.

You can find Sylvia on Goodreads, Facebook (@theforgottentudorwomen) and, Twitter (@SylviaBSo) and Instagram (@forgottentudorwomen).. She also blogs at https://sylviabarbarasoberton.blogspot.com/

Ladies-in-Waiting: Women Who Served Anne Boleyn

“An expertly researched and compelling story. Sylvia Barbara Soberton brings to life the court of Anne Boleyn through the women who served and accompanied her. Filled with fascinating detail, this is a must-read for anyone interested in Anne and the women who shared her life.” Dr Elizabeth Norton, Author of The Boleyn Women: The Tudor Femmes Fatales Who Changed English History.
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The aspects of Anne Boleyn’s life and death are fiercely debated by historians, yet her ladies-in-waiting remain an understudied topic. Much emphasis is usually put on Anne’s relationships with the men in her life: her suitors, her royal husband, her father and brother and her putative lovers who were executed on 17 May 1536. By concentrating on a previously neglected area of Anne Boleyn’s female household, this book seeks to identify the women who served Anne and investigate what roles ladies-in-waiting played in this Queen’s household.
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“A thoroughly well-researched, fascinating and necessary insight into the women who served Anne Boleyn. Essential for Tudor fans.” Amy Licence, author of Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire.

“Soberton skilfully weaves archival research into her narrative to offer fascinating insights into the familiar old story of Anne Boleyn’s rise and fall. Myths, hidden in plain sight, are gloriously debunked. Vivid, pacy and evocative, this book is a must read for Boleyn enthusiasts and scholars alike.” Barbara Parker Bell, Author of Inside the Wardrobe of Anne Boleyn.

“Well researched and well written. The perfect book to learn about the fascinating ladies in Queen Anne Boleyn’s inner circle. Highly recommended!” Roland Hui, Author of The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens.

“This well-researched book gives us amazing insight into Anne Boleyn and the ladies who served her. Soberton is a master at providing the evidence in a compelling narrative.” Rebecca Larson, Tudors Dynasty podcast.

 

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Category: On Writing