There was an act prepared but it was never passed (Joanna Denney Katherine Howard p246) IIRC, it wasn’t signed but the greal seal affixed and the legal phrase The King wishes this in French.

When Mary ascended the throne, she reversed some of the acts against her mother’s supporters and KH’s , since it wasn’t actually signed.

Olga: Henry and Will Somers freindship is a bit of a strange one to me. I rather think Will was perhaps sometimes the voice of common sence where Henry was concerned. I did find Will’s portrayal quite funny in the Tudors, and I sort of get the feeling it was possible it was like that in real life too.
Will was Henry’s shoulder to cry on, and used his humour to soothe Henry’s wounds. Where as Henry’s Yes men told Henry what he wanted to hear Will told Henry what he thought about a situation and what his opinion to a situation was.
In much the same way as Cecil’s relationship was with Elizabeth. Perhaps this is something that Elizabeth witnessed as a child and it made an impression on her.
Cecil and Elizabeth did have a volatile but constructive relationship, and many was the time that his temper towards forgien policy or some other diplomatic problem that occured made Elizabeth see reason and proceed with tact and diplomancy.

I really don’t understand how PG comes up with everything she writes about. It’s like she has this unknown unreliable source that she feels is the Holy Grail for Tudor history. She makes up characters and while your reading you think you’ve figured out the personality of the characters and then in some point of the book she completely twists everything around….like with Mary Boleyn, Mary was portrayed as this obeident, nice, unaware girl in TOBG then in The Boleyn inheritance I got the feeling PG wanted to make her look bad through Jane Parker’s eyes and therefore our eyes…I can’t clearly explain it but it’s like PG pretends to be so fascinated with Tudor history yet wants to make everyone have bad feelings towards it..(?)

Margaret Campbell Barnes wrote a great book about Will Somers and then there was Margaret George, of course.

Off the top of my head (so this probably needs checking out!) I remember that he was painted with Henry in Henry’s privy chambers for Henry’s psalter, which probably indicates they were close. Non-flattering portrait for the pair of them but it feels very cosy and domestic as Will listens to Henry playing the harp. He is also in the Tudor dynasty portrait which has Henry, Edward and Jane in the centre and Mary and Elizabeth to each side. I think he was also given a place of honour in Mary I’s coronation procession and he attended Elizabeth’s coronation. I got the impression that he was part of the furniture and that they couldn’t imagine life without him. Given how disfunctional a family they were I think that’s rather sweet.

Olga is right that fiction authors pick and choose what we use. It’s because there are so many arguments (because we don’t know) that you have to choose one – and sometimes the initial choice you make means you’re funnelled into later choices.

Olga, you might want to check out John Southworth’s Fools & Jesters at the English Court. It’s easy to get hold of.

Olga and Boleyn, also check out Anna Whitelock, author of “Mary Tudor England’s first Queen”. She has written an article on court fools of this period and is a well regarded Tudor historian. She also lists some books available on this subject (including Fools and Jesters..). A female fool, known as Jane the Fool is also depicted in the painting with Will somers, Henry and family and I believe Anna gives some backround to this as well.

Thanks, Boleyn, for the welcome! You and Olga might have seen this article already, but here it is just in case:

http://www.historytoday.com/su…..%99s-fools

P.S. Welcome to the forum, Susan. Many of us here like historical fiction and I’m sure you will provide us with a valuable insight into the historical research that goes into constructing a well written book on the subject. I look forward to reading your views and opinions on the many and varied topics that spring up on this forum.

Olga said

Thanks again Neil and Susan :).

Now speaking of Susan and historical figures and Francis Brandon…

Ok I have only read one other fictional book on Jane Grey and Francis Brandon besides her Highness the Traitor (such a brilliant book, thanks Susan) which was Weir’s Innocent Traitor. I didn’t mind it, but man was Francis an outrageous monster in it. I just read the first chapter of Weir’s latest book (I think I’ll get back to it later) and she’s got Francis shrieking and whipping Jane every three minutes again. It’s pretty OTT in this one too.
So when I started Susan’s book I was waiting for Francis to turn into Godzilla, and after 100 pages or so I was like “oooh” (it was quite funny really, I was almost perplexed)
I loved the portrayal of all the women in that book. I also loved that Jane was actually a bit of a brat in it (because really when we look at the actual history some of the things she did were pretty disrespectful) The whole spin of Francis feeling uncomfortable around her was fantastic, where Francis felt inferior to everyone, leading to her attraction to Stokes.
Does anyone remember the movie with Helena Bonham Carter? I saw it sometime last year but for the life of me I can’t remember what the parents were like in it.

If you want to way over the top and bang out of order fiction about the Brandon/Suffolk household. Read 5 Gold rings, by Norah Lofts? Somewhere in it where Jane says she doesn’t want to marry Guildford apart from being beaten almost senceless, by her mum, locked in the Attic for days on end and starved into submission, and her father rapes her as well just to make sure she will go through with the wedding!!!!! It’s a long time sice I read the book but if I remember it right her father said to her to her after he raped her I hope a child springs forth from your womb as a result of our coupling you are a comely wench I’m sure Guildford will be happy to share you..
Just as well it was a work of pure fiction, because if it was written by a expert Historian I’m afraid I would have had to track them down and make them eat their own buttocks, with neither grace or gravy..Followed by a book flambe.
Having said that I did quite enjoy the book.