The stories of the Queen’s ladies, gentlewomen and maids who, between them, served her from the cradle to the grave. From governesses to laundresses, this book features them all, with a comprehensive overview of the main positions of attendance accompanied by a biographical index of all the women known to have served the Queen over the course of her life and reign, from the matronly ladies who headed her nursery to the vivacious maids who dazzled her court with their wit and beauty.
I'm pleased to welcome author Heather Shanette to The Writing Desk:
How did this book come about?
For many years I have been interested in the remarkable women of Queen Elizabeth’s circle. History gives us the impression that she lived in a man’s world but this is something of a myth. From the moment she was born, until the moment she died, her private world was a world of women and even in public she was escorted by ladies and maids.
As to how my book came about, it was initially a commission by Pen and Sword. Five years ago they asked if I would be interested in writing a book about two or three of the Queen’s women. I suggested a book on all the Queen’s serving women instead as I felt this was long overdue.
What can we learn from your book?
My book explains, like never before, the position of women within the hierarchy of the Elizabethan court. I go into great detail about the various roles that women held and what these roles involved. You can also learn about the women who served Elizabeth pre-accession from governesses to the ‘Hatfield Flock’ who attended upon her in the dangerous years of Queen Mary.
What was Elizabeth like to work for? Are stories of her ‘meaness’ true?
I believe most of these stories have little foundation in fact and my book explains why. Indeed, I have an article in the appendix explaining why Nugae Antiquae, a very popular eighteenth century publication from where some of these stories come, is a problem source.
How many women attended Elizabeth over the course of her life and reign?
Hundreds! My book lists over 300 alone and this is not exhaustive as more women served than we will ever know about.
Do you have a favourite woman?
Of the Queen’s long-serving women, Kat Astley is my favourite. She was totally devoted to Elizabeth and suffered much for her sake over the years. She is also quite a character. However, she died very early into Elizabeth’s reign so of the Queen’s other long-serving women, I would say Blanche Parry and Mary Radclyffe are my favourites. Like Elizabeth they were unconventional women who defied social expectation by remaining single. This took courage in a world where women’s raison d’être was seen as marriage and motherhood.
Were most of the Queen’s women married?
Surprisingly, yes. Although old history books tell us that Elizabeth did not like her women to marry, in actual fact, most married – and with her blessing. Marriage was not the problem. The problem was scandal or political awkwardness. Although we might enjoy reading about scandals, and have some sympathy for the women embroiled in them, scandals were disastrous for the Queen and potentially deadly.
Which roles do you believe were the most and least demanding?
Pre-accession, the most demanding role was being Elizabeth’s governess. Not only was this demanding but dangerous. Post-accession, being Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber. Her duties were extensive and she was at the Queen’s beck and call 24/7. Being Mother of the Maids was also a demanding - and even risky - role. I personally would not have wanted to be responsible for the virtue of the Queen’s maids! The least demanding role was probably that of Lady of Honour. Most Ladies of Honour only attended the Queen occasionally and did not live permanently at court.
Those who have reviewed your book so far say it is very well-researched. Would you say research is your strength as a historian?
Definitely. I love researching. I love finding out something new or investigating a mystery. I also enjoy fact checking and wading through historical documents and old books to evaluate the truth of a story or the reliability of a source. I’ve learnt over the years that it is very important to trace a story back to its source because stories get twisted or embellished over the years, and stories from questionable sources get taken as truths. It takes time to do this, and slows down the writing process considerably, but to me is very important.
Has your research resulted in any new information on the Queen’s women?
Yes, and not just on the Queen’s women but on those who looked after Prince Edward too. For example, my research identifies ‘Mother Jak’, a somewhat elusive figure in Tudor history who was said to be the prince’s nurse, as Mistress Pakenham, sister of Lady Sidney who was his Lady Governess.
Would you say your book is a valuable resource for historical fiction authors?
Yes. My book lists the names and dates of all the women known to have served Queen Elizabeth, which can help fiction authors in choosing character names, and provides brief biographical information on each woman. My book also gives a detailed overview of every position of attendance, provides an insight into the layout and workings of the court, and contains a glossary of common terms. In this way, my book is as much a reference book as it is a biography or story book.
Heather Shanette
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About the Author
Heather Shanette is an author and historian who lives in North Wales. She has an M.Phil in Tudor history from Bangor University, where she spent a decade as a postgraduate researcher, and for over 25 years has been the webmistress of elizabethi.org. Her book ‘Elizabeth I’s Ladies, Gentlewomen and Maids: The Women who Served the Tudor Queen’ is her first history book. You can learn more about Heather on her website heathershanette.com and find her on Twitter and now on Instagram @heathershanette.
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