Since his first novel, Owen – Book One of the Tudor Trilogy, Tony Riches has written many stories related to the Tudor dynasty. Of that novel, Tony said: “The idea for the Tudor Trilogy occurred to me when I realised Henry Tudor could be born in book one, ‘come of age’ in book two, and rule England in book three, so there would be plenty of scope to explore his life and times.”
Tony didn’t stop with one trilogy. He went on to write other novels featuring members of the Tudor family as well as novels featuring other historical times. His latest trilogy returns to the Tudor era – more specifically the reign of Elizabeth I and famous figures like Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. I’ve just finished reading Essex – Tudor Rebel and can tell you that it’s one of those wonderful novels that transports you in time and place.
And what a time it was! Wars, spies, palace intrigue, lovers, family feuds, conspiracies, and a monarch who capriciously alternates between approval and disapproval – the drama increases as Robert Devereux’s life unfolds. I highly recommend the story.
I asked Tony a few questions, beginning with why he’s fascinated with the Tudors.
Tony: I was born in Pembroke, South West Wales, a town dominated by the castle where Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII, was born in 1457.
I began researching his life and realised I’d gathered enough material for three books, which would cover his birth, coming of age, and becoming King of England. I’m pleased to say the resulting Tudor trilogy has become an international best seller.
Henry’s youngest daughter, Mary Tudor, cared for him in his last months, and I became intrigued by the story of how her brother (Henry VIII) married her off to the aging King of France. I decided to write Mary’s story as a ‘sequel’, continuing the story of the Tudors, and this became the Brandon trilogy, after she married the king’s best friend, champion jouster Charles Brandon. The third book in the trilogy is about Charles Brandon’s fascinating last wife, Katherine Willoughby, which took me right up to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
I decided it would be fun to tell the story of the last Tudor through the eyes of her favourites. As a sailor myself, I’ve always been interested in Drake’s adventures, and I really enjoyed sailing around the world with him on the Golden Hind. (I was able to visit the impressive replica on the Thames in London, which gave me a real sense of what it must have been like.)
Drake worked his way up, against the odds, and had no time for arrogant nobles, so was appalled when Robert Devereux, the dashing young Earl of Essex, commandeers a warship from his fleet to sail in the ‘English Armada’ and attack Lisbon.
Francis Drake knew Queen Elizabeth had forbidden Essex to join the expedition – and he had no experience of naval command or fighting at sea. With typical bravado, Essex leapt from his ship into deep water, causing many of his followers to drown in their attempt to do the same. He then led the forty-mile march to Lisbon, without waiting for supplies, and many soldiers died from hunger, heat exhaustion and thirst. The whole enterprise proved a costly disaster, and set the tone for Robert’s later adventures.
I was intrigued to understand how the queen’s favourite got away with such behaviour, then turned against the queen with his ill-fated ‘rebellion’.
Walter Raleigh was Robert Devereux’s rival for the attention of the queen, and was the obvious candidate for the third book, which I’m currently researching. I visited Raleigh’s cell at the Tower of London (where he was imprisoned three times!) and am looking for a new angle on his life. (Outside his cell is a herb garden, which was originally planted by Raleigh.)
What did you learn about Elizabeth I from your research?
Although her father tried to control the use of his image, Queen Elizabeth was ahead of her time with her strictly controlled branding as ‘Gloriana’. I found a troubled woman beneath the thin veneer, who could be manipulative and vengeful. A skilled politician and diplomat, she managed her parliament and even the most ambitious men of her court. I’ve developed my research on Elizabeth into a series of three podcasts, which can be found here:
- Queen Elizabeth Part I – the first of a series of three looking at the life of Queen Elizabeth the first, and is an introduction to the key events of Elizabeth’s life and challenging childhood
- Queen Elizabeth Part II – the second podcast explores the myths and rumours surrounding the life of Queen Elizabeth I
- Queen Elizabeth Part III – further explorations of Elizabeth I’s life
Many thanks, Tony. Wishing you all the best for Essex – Tudor Rebel. Other conversations with Tony Riches include:
- Inside Historical Fiction with Tony Riches – thoughts on successful historical fiction
- Owen – Book One of the Tudor Trilogy – the story behind writing this novel
- Exploring Actual Locations for Historical Fiction – a look at Tony’s research process
- Mary – Tudor Princess by Tony Riches – my review of the novel
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M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, PARIS IN RUINS, is available for pre-order on Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Kobo, and Barnes&Noble. An earlier novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.
