Isn’t it great when you suddenly discover a
fascinating historical figure you really know nothing about? It doesn’t happen
very often, so when it does it’s quite special – and often unexpected. My
current WIP is set during the time of Katherine of Valois (the ‘forbidden queen’
of Anne O’Brien’s latest novel), so I’m very familiar with her story. No, the
big surprise was her hero, the impressive Owen Tudor, (or Owain ap Maredudd ap Tewdwr as he would have preferred to be called) who of course gave his name to the Tudor dynasty. (There is a theory
that the name ‘Tudor’ was actually a typo made by an English scribe who didn’t
know any better. We will never know if that is true, although I did read that Henry
VIII never described himself as a ‘Tudor’).
The awful way King Henry V treated his new
wife has been well documented but there was great secrecy about Katherine’s
relationship with Owen Tudor. This makes it all the more interesting, as we do
have to ‘fill in the gaps’. Anne O’Brien’s relaxed style does this sensitively
and convincingly through the eyes of Queen Katherine. Tricked by Duke Humphrey
of Gloucester into a life of widowhood, she slowly becomes aware of the real
man behind the role of ‘Master of the Household’. (His real title may have even
been ‘clerk of the wardrobe’!)
There is a fascinating postscript at the end
of the book where Anne discusses her inspiration for writing it. She says “I
decided that Katherine deserves a re-evaluation. I hope I have done her justice
in writing The Forbidden Queen,
allowing us to see the woman behind the façade.” Anne has certainly achieved that and more. I highly
recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what life may have
been like for this remarkable woman.
Visit Anne O'Brien's website http://www.anneobrienbooks.com/
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