In the Shadow of Queens

Book excerpt: The complete SIX TUDOR QUEENS short-story collection by acclaimed historian and SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING author, Alison Weir. 'This brilliant series has brought Henry VIII's six wives to life as never before' TRACY BORMAN 'Detailed, immaculately researched and convincing' THE TIMES 'Lingers long after the last page is turned' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE --- Behind every great king stands a queen. And behind every queen, the whole court watches on... Over the years of his reign, six different women took their place beside King Henry VIII of England as his wife and queen. But the real stories of the six Tudor queens belong to those who lived among them. Played out in glittering palaces and whispering courts, these are tales of the people who loved and served these women, and those who lied and betrayed them. Collected together for the first time, In the Shadow of Queens reveals thirteen startling stories from the Tudor court, told by those at the very heart of that world. ALISON WEIR. Groundbreaking truth. Breathtaking fiction. --- PRAISE FOR THE SIX TUDOR QUEENS SERIES: 'Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life' Guardian 'A tour de force' Susan Ronald 'Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else' Barbara Erskine 'Well researched and engrossing' Good Housekeeping 'Hugely enjoyable . . . Alison Weir knows her subject and has a knack for the telling and textural detail' Daily Mail