by Jeane Westin
Q. You suggest that as soon as Elizabeth died, her palaces were ransacked of valuable items and people scrambled to either leave the court or form alliances with the somewhat questionably appointed successor, King James of Scotland. Why was the succession so haphazard and chaotic, and was that true every time a king or queen died? When did the succession become more orderly, and how was that brought about?
A. Until modern times successions were often problematic. Brother killed brother, the little princes in the Tower disappeared after their uncle took the throne as Richard III, only to be killed later by Henry Tudor at Bosworth Field. Nobles chose sides and changed sides.
Though Elizabeth I was hounded to name a successor, she never would name one. Her young life had taught her how dangerous it was for a ruler to have a named successor. Plots and rebellions formed over and over with any disaffected or ambitious group. As Elizabeth grew older, many courtiers began to look north to James of Scotland, hoping for a place in his government. Robert Cecil even wrote to James offering his support. Remember, these were government people who depended on a grateful monarch for power and wealth.
Looting was really minimal, but ongoing. The palace was full of people who took what they could steal, whether the queen was there or not. Early in her reign Elizabeth charged William Cecil with reducing expenses and he achieved better control of expenditures, although graft never ceased.
Q. Can you recommend other books, fiction or nonfiction, about the Tudors?
A. There are so many that this must be a very select list:
I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles, a stunning, blow-you-away first-person novel, and Elizabeth I by Anne Somerset are two of my many favorites, as are any of Philippa Gregory’s Tudor novels. Nonfiction works are almost numberless. I have a bookcase of titles I have read and continue to consult: Besant’s History of London: The Tudors by Sir Walter Besant; Dissing Elizabeth edited by Julia M. Walker; Elizabeth’s London by Liza Picard; Queen Elizabeth I: Selected Works by Steven W. May; The Sayings of Queen Elizabeth by Frederick Chamberlin, and many out-of-print earlier works.
Q. Can you tell us a little more about your long career as a writer?
A. At thirteen, I wrote a class play and sat in the audience soaking up the laughter; and later a teacher gave me encouragement. It didn’t take much more than that to set me on the path of writing. As an adult, I had a job that allowed me to write speeches and work on a magazine, which led me to professional magazine and newspaper article writing. I quickly transitioned to nonfiction books and then, in the greatest leap of faith, to novels. I always read fiction, sometimes several novels at a time, and I determined to write one. After one, I couldn’t stop. Writing historical novels is a great escape into the past. I can get through deaths, family illnesses and disappointments by simply going deep into the people and places of another time. It’s the best therapy, writing or reading.
Q. You live in a Tudor-style home in California, which you’ve been refurbishing for many years. Can you share something about that project? Do you secretly wish you lived in England? A. I love Tudor architecture and gardens and have many books on the subject. My husband and I have enjoyed adding Tudor character to our home. Our latest project was a large leaded-glass window. I picked each hand-blown glass pane, looking for just the right imperfections to age it. I’m searching now for Tudor chimney pots.
I’m happy to be an American, but I’d love to go to England more often and stay longer.
Q. What’s next for you as a writer?
A. There are two books I’d like to write about more obscure areas of Elizabeth’s life. The first: the duration and power of her ageless, emotional love for Robert Dudley in their middle years and her amazing reaction to his death. She took his last letter and locked herself in her rooms alone for three days without food or drink, until her chief minister, fearing suicide, finally had her doors broken down. What did that letter say, and what did she remember during those hours?
The second book deals with Elizabeth’s love, jealousy, loss and revenge against her beautiful, scheming cousin Lettice Knollys, the last wife of Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester and mother of Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, the queen’s two great loves. Elizabeth called Lettice “that she-wolf” and eventually, after Robin’s death, bankrupted her and hounded her into obscurity.
READERS GUIDE
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Which female character in the novel do you find most interesting and sympathetic, and why?
2. How does Jeane Westin’s portrait of Elizabeth I differ from others you’ve seen in books, onstage and in film? Which aspects of her character most fascinate you?
3. What do you consider to be some of Elizabeth’s greatest strengths as a monarch? Her greatest weaknesses? Do you agree that she ushered in a “golden age” for England?
4. Which male character in the novel most fascinates you, and why?
5. There are many references in the novel to people who were executed by one monarch or another for treason. Discuss what might motivate someone to challenge the reigning king or queen, and what factors Elizabeth in particular considered when deciding whether or not to execute someone.
6. Given Elizabeth’s past, in which her father ordered her mother’s execution and her succession to the throne was often in doubt, do you think her fears of treason were justified? In her shoes, would you have acted differently?
7. Do you think Elizabeth should have married Robert Dudley? What might have happened if she had?
8. Discuss Elizabeth’s status as “the virgin queen.” What political purpose did that description serve? Do you think she was technically a virgin?
9. Discuss living conditions at Elizabeth’s various court palaces. Would you have enjoyed living there?
10. Lady Katherine Grey might be considered reckless, even foolhardy, in her pursuit of Edward Seymour despite the queen’s rejection of the match. What aspects of Kate’s upbringing and character might explain her behavior?
11. In contrast, Mary Rogers waits years to find fulfillment with John Harington. What in her background and character might explain such patience?
12. Which secondary character do you find most interesting, and why?
13. What do you think accounts for the current popularity of the Tudors?
