Rivals In The Tudor Court

As Queen Catherine's maid and daughter of the Duke of Buckingham, the future seems bright for Elizabeth Stafford. But when her father gives her hand to Thomas Howard, third Duke of Norfolk, the spirited young woman must sacrifice all for duty. Yet Elizabeth is surprised by her passion for her powerful new husband. And when he takes on a mistress, she is determined to fight for her love and her honor. . . Naïve and vulnerable, Bess Holland is easily charmed by the Duke of Norfolk, doing his bidding in exchange for gifts and adoration. For years, she and Elizabeth compete for his affections. But they are mere spectators to an obsession neither can rival: Norfolk's quest to weave the Howard name into the royal bloodline. The women's loyalties are tested as his schemes unfold-among them the litigious marriage of his niece, Anne Boleyn, to King Henry the VIII. But in an age of ruthless beheadings, no self-serving motive goes unpunished-and Elizabeth and Bess will have to fight a force more sinister than the executioner's axe. . . Praise for Secrets of the Tudor Court "A beautifully written story with wonderful attention to detail. I loved the book." -Diane Haeger, author of The Queen's Mistake "Throbs with intensity as it lays bare the secret delights of Tudor court life and the sudden, lethal terrors. A tale of innocence and ruthless ambition locked in a love-hate embrace." -Barbara Kyle, author of The King's Daughter

'Rivals in the Tudor Court' is focused on Thomas Howard, and those around him who would fight for all they hold dear. The death toll during Henry VIII's England could be counted in the thousands, and Thomas Howard, Third Duke of Norfolk was well aware of his dangerous times.

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your family closest of all...

This book reveals the ways in which proximity to the throne dominated and frequently marred the lives of the Tudor cousins, sometimes contributing to their deaths. At almost any time, the Tudor succession might have been diverted to a descendant of one of Henry VIII's sisters. To be a Tudor cousin from the 1520s to the end of the sixteenth century was to live in constant uncertainty, wondering if 'fate' would offer crown and throne. There were times when the crown hovered just out of reach. The descendants of Henry VIII's sisters showed many of the traits admired or deplored in the characters of the Tudor monarchs. Their stories offer a new perspective on the Tudor monarchs' actions and policies. It is a dramatic one, containing conspiracy, rebellion, usurpation, treason, execution, and themes that are more often the stuff of fiction.

Produced and illustrated in the same style as The Paston Letters, this tells the story of the 16th century through the private letters of five leading noble families.

The first biography of Lettice Knollys, one of the most prominent women of the Elizabethan era, also examines the relationship between Elizabeth and Lettice's husband, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, within the context of his third marriage.

RELATED BY BLOOD DIVIDED BY LOVE Lettice Knollys has lived a long and interesting life, but it has not always been an easy one. Widowed when still young, she must raise four children in an age when a woman always needs a man to provide for her. Which isn't a problem for Lettice. Lettice is a woman who likes to have a man by her side, and in her bed. It is merely her misfortune that the men in her life have loyalties to another woman - Queen Elizabeth I - and Elizabeth doesn't like to share. One woman has absolute power; the other has only her wit and her beauty. And so begins a rivalry that will endure for both their lifetimes. Here, in her own words, Lettice tells her story of the men in her life and how Elizabeth Tudor stole them from her. Lettice Knollys also features in the historical fiction novels The Queen's Favourite and The Queen's Rebel, Books I and II in The Tudor Court series. Also available: THE QUEEN'S FAVOURITE (BOOK I) THE QUEEN'S REBEL (BOOK II) THE QUEEN'S SPYMASTER (BOOK III)

Mary Howard is ecstatic when she receives the news that she will be leaving home for the court of Henry VIII. But Mary soon discovers that she is a pawn in a plot devised by her father, and she must learn to play her part well in a dangerous chess game that could change her life and the course of history.

In this engrossing novel of historical suspense, New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir tells the dramatic intertwined stories of two women—Katherine Grey and Kate Plantagenet—separated by time but linked by twin destinies . . . . involving the mysterious tragic fate of the young Princes in the Tower. When her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days’ Queen, is executed in 1554 for unlawfully accepting the English crown, Lady Katherine Grey’s world falls apart. Barely recovered from this tragic loss she risks all for love, only to incur the wrath of her formidable cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who sees Katherine as a rival for her insecure throne. Interlaced with Katherine’s story is that of her distant kinswoman Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king. In 1483, Kate travels to London for Richard’s coronation, and her world changes forever. Kate loves her father, but before long she hears terrible rumors about him that threaten all she holds dear. Like Katherine Grey, she falls in love with a man who is forbidden to her. Then Kate embarks on what will become a perilous quest, covertly seeking the truth about what befell her cousins the Princes in the Tower, who may have been victims of Richard III’s lust for power. But time is not on Kate’s side, or on Katherine’s. Katherine finds herself a prisoner in the Tower of London, the sinister fortress that overshadowed the lives of so many royal figures, including the boy princes. Will Elizabeth demand the full penalty for treason? And what secrets will Katherine find hidden within the Tower walls? Alison Weir’s new novel is a page-turning story set within a framework of fascinating historical authenticity. In this rich and layered tapestry, Katherine and Kate discover that possessing royal blood can prove to be a dangerous inheritance. Look for special features inside and an excerpt from Alison Weir's Captive Queen. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more. Praise for A Dangerous Inheritance “Highly compelling [with] plenty to keep readers enthralled.”—Historical Novel Review “A page turner . . . too juicy to put down . . . Alison Weir’s strong suit as a fiction writer is making her novels living history.”—The Courier-Journal “With its evident in-depth research and creative twists, this tale of two women trying to make sense of the power of the English crown . . . is nothing short of riveting.”—Library Journal (starred review) “No one alive knows as much about the Tudors as Weir. . . . Any reader of Hilary Mantel’s excellent Tudor evocations will want to explore this book as well.”—Kirkus Reviews “Stunning . . . A richly layered cake of love, sex, danger, death, and mystery.”—Sunday Express (UK)

Originally published in Great Britain by Penguin Books Ltd., 2011.