I’ve been taught a thorough history of England during Tudor times through the author’s Tudor Trilogy (Owen, Jasper, Henry) as well as Mary, Tudor Princess; Katherine, Tudor Duchess; and other characters populating the Tudor world (Raleigh, Warwick).
Here the author begins his exploration of the Stuart world, beginning with Anna of Denmark, wife of James I, king of England, Scotland and Wales, and son of Mary Queen of Scots. THe author tells us that Anna’s story began when the author researched Walter Raleigh’s herb garden at the Tower of London. Anna was a believer in the power of Raleigh’s herbal potions.
Anna is the daughter of Queen Dowager Sophie and sister to King Christian, who will reign over Denmark for almost 60 years. Her marriage to King James of Scotland is arranged when she is very young. When she reluctantly leaves her family to sail for Scotland, her ship is met by savage storms at sea, which force her to return to Denmark. When she finally reaches Scotland, after several attempts, she finds the country very strange, with its odd customs and a difficult native language. For several years, while she comes of age, she works to fit into the court, with its politics and paranoia, and tries to understand her husband, who has a deadly obsession with witchcraft. James believes he will be Elizabeth I’s successor, and the long wait until she dies is filled with tension. When James becomes King of England, Scotland and Wales, Anna once again finds herself in a glittering and dangerous court, where she must maneuver to hold her place as queen, exerting some influence on her husband’s reign.
Anna becomes a strong character as she grows up, having to develop mettle in the face of the King’s male favorites. She has thirteen children. Many die young, and particularly tragic is the death of Henry, Duke of Wales, who was trained to follow in his father’s footsteps, leaving only Charles, the ‘spare,’ to assume the throne after James. Her role in the court’s politics, partially through many masques created and designed by the renowned Inigo Jones and Ben Jonson, and starring Anna herself, dare to make political and personal statements.
I was particularly impressed by her commissioned building of Denmark House, also known as the Danish Pavilion, in 1706, which became her residence. I had to find pictures of it, because the author’s grand descriptions!
She dies at the young age of forty-four, in time to see her daughter Elizabeth begin her life as the ancestor of the Hanoverian dynasty through her thirteen children, but six years before her son Charles assumed the throne.
I always enjoy this author’s books because of their depth of characters and his rich and sparkling backdrop of life at court with the food, the dress, the manners, the games. The food is tempting and the dress alluring. He has also successfully managed to represent the army of ladies who attend a queen by picking a few on which to concentrate. His detail and depth of knowledge of court intrigue, both Scottish and English, is richly satisfying to anyone with an interest in this era.
Another book by Tony Riches to be highly recommended.
About the author:
Tony Riches was born in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, and spent part of his childhood in Kenya. He gained a BA degree in Psychology and an MBA from Cardiff University and worked as a Management Consultant, followed by senior roles in the Welsh NHS and Local Government.
After writing several successful non-fiction books, Tony decided to turn to novel writing. His real interest is in the history of the fifteenth century, and now his focus is on writing historical fiction about the lives of key figures of the period. His novels Warwick, The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses and The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham have both become Amazon best sellers.
Today Tony lives in Pembrokeshire, an area full of inspiration for his writing, where he lives with his wife. In his spare time he enjoys sailing and sea kayaking.
Visit Tony online at www.tonyriches.co.uk
