Mistress of Mourning (41 page)
Read Mistress of Mourning Online
Authors: Karen Harper
Author’s Note
T
he two mysteries this novel probes are yet unsolved today and have grown in fascination over the centuries.
First, was Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, murdered or did he die of natural causes? Christopher Guy, Worcester Cathedral’s archaeologist, says there are puzzling questions about Arthur’s death. Why, he asks, was a man reputed to be in poor health sent to the cold remoteness of Ludlow? Peter Vaughan, of the Worcester Prince Arthur Committee, who researched Arthur’s funeral for its reenactment in 2002, believes there is evidence of foul play. In Vaughan’s words, “He wasn’t a strong character, unlike his younger brother. Could it be that his father was strong enough to see that the best interests of the Tudors were to be served by Henry, Duke of York, rather than Arthur?” (From an article by David Derbyshire, science correspondent for the
Daily Telegraph
, May 20, 2002.)
I find it difficult to believe that King Henry VII
intentionally had his own son done away with, but the “upstart” Tudors had so many enemies it is highly possible someone else murdered Arthur. And Francis, Eleventh Viscount Lovell, was repeatedly a thorn in their side.
Others have investigated Arthur’s death through examining his grave site. Ground-probing radar has been used to pinpoint his final resting place beneath the limestone floor of Worcester Cathedral. Professor John Hunter of Birmingham University has completed work on this investigation, although so far the current queen has not given permission for the exhumation of Arthur’s body to perform toxicology tests. Professor Hunter says, “Of course, if it’s discovered he was poisoned and shouldn’t have died, his brother, Henry VIII, would not have been king and subsequently we wouldn’t have the Church of England.” (See David Derbyshire reference above.) And so a small stone thrown in the pool of history can create many ripples and waves.
As for the tragic fate of the princes in the Tower, many theories about their disappearance and demise have been argued. It is strange that no search for their bodies was made after they went missing.
However, during the reign of King Charles II, in July of 1674, during some rebuilding in the White Tower, the bones of two children were found in an elm chest that was covered by rubble at a depth of about ten feet. This was under a staircase that led to the king’s lodgings. At King Charles’s request, these bones were interred in a white marble urn designed by Sir Christopher Wren and placed in the Henry VII chapel at Westminster Abbey, close to the tomb of their
sister, Queen Elizabeth of York. In 1933 the bones were medically examined by Professor William Wright, who concluded they were those of two boys, approximate ages twelve and ten. Were these the poor murdered boys their sister must have agonized over?
And did King Henry VII order the execution of those boys? I have given him the benefit of the doubt by his not making it a direct order, but their loss cleared his way to the throne just as surely as it solidified King Richard III’s claim. Tudor propagandists (like Shakespeare) blamed “hunchback Richard” and tried to clear Henry’s name. But why was Tyrell not allowed to make the customary death speech on the scaffold?
More than once, rumors were rampant in London that King Henry had been behind the princes’ deaths, as well as Arthur’s. Perhaps these were just vicious smear campaigns, for the king was hated by many pro-Yorkists. It was not until England fell in love with the handsome, athletic young king Henry VIII that the reign of the Tudors stabilized, and even then, Henry and his children were paranoid about the claims of others to their kingdom.
If King Richard was behind the boys’ murders, perhaps it is some sort of justice that, during the Reformation, his bones were thrown in the River Stour and his tomb was used as a horse trough and later broken up. Except for the eldest of the princes in the Tower, he is the only English king not to have a splendid tomb.
As visitors to Westminster Abbey have no doubt seen, the beautiful effigies and tomb of King Henry VII and his wife, Elizabeth of York, lie behind the altar in the Henry
VII chapel. The Tudors always did things with great pomp, perhaps because of their “inferiority complex” that they won the throne by might, not right, as many claimed. What partly inspired Varina’s “angel candles” in this novel is the fact that Their Majesties’ magnificent gilded effigies are surrounded by beautiful cherubs.
I must admit, as I watched on television the wedding service of William Windsor, the future Prince of Wales, to his bride, Catherine Middleton, I recalled the wedding of the Tudor Prince of Wales to his Princess Catherine of Aragon in long-ago London.
As in all my historical novels, I have tried to stay as factual as possible, even forgoing my temptation to call the long civil war that put the Tudors on the throne “the War of the Roses.” Many novels set in medieval times use this memorable, picturesque title, but it was not actually coined until 1762 in David Hume’s
History of England
, so the people of that day would not have known or used it.
Discrepancies in historical documents abound, forcing a modern writer to make frequent choices. I’ve read that Arthur’s body at Ludlow Castle was displayed in the great hall and in “his chapel.” Reports claim that Henry VII and his queen were at Richmond or Greenwich when they heard of Arthur’s death, but I have chosen to use Richmond. The one setting I did change was that, for purposes of the plot, I have the queen die at Westminster Palace instead of at the Tower of London, where she had gone into childbed.
Standardized spelling is also a challenge. The
Infanta
of Spain who married both Tudor brothers has her name spelled both as Katherine and Catherine; however, since her
Spanish name was Catalina, I have gone with the C spelling. I have also seen Frances Lovell’s name spelled Lovel, but as the family home was Minster Lovell Hall, I have gone with the double L. Francis Lovell is not to be confused with Sir Thomas Lovell, Henry VII’s chancellor of the exchequer and constable of the tower, whom I, fortunately, did not have to use in this novel. Two real-life villains Tyrell and Lovell (a song-and-dance team, a law firm?) were confusing enough.
Research for this novel sent me into quite a study of the merchants and guilds of medieval London. There is yet today a Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, which has had a hall at 6 Gresham Street (originally called Maiden Lane) in London since 1501. The current, beautifully furbished hall is the sixth on the site and is available for hire for banquets, parties, and ceremonies. The guild’s coat of arms is much as I describe, and their motto was, indeed, changed from Richard III’s “Loyalty Binds Me” to the current “Truth Is Light.”
Waxworking has a fascinating history, going back at least to ancient Roman times, and I was intrigued by the wax chandlers’ part in medieval embalming. As for wax funeral effigies, the one of Elizabeth of York was part of the collection of the wax or wooden figures at Westminster Abbey (in the Undercroft Museum there) for years. I toured this museum several years ago. The original waxen one of this Elizabeth had a rich crown, a gown of gold satin edged with red velvet with a square neck, splendid robes, rings on her fingers, a long, jeweled wig, and a scepter in her right hand. Evidently, the waxen parts of the effigy were later replaced by a wooden head and hands. It once had a leather body stuffed with hay. Now only the head remains.
One more interesting bit of Tudor trivia about this woman sometimes called Elizabeth the Good: It is said that the queens on decks of playing cards, even modern ones, are modeled after her beautiful face.
Minster Lovell Hall, like most of the important sites used in this book, can be visited today, although the manor is in ruins. It is in a section of the lovely Cotswolds somewhat off the beaten path. The fascinating thing is, as it is described on the Web site of this manor hall (
www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/minsterlovell.htm
), “It is said that, in the early 18th century [1708], during building work at the Hall, an underground room or vault was discovered. In this room was found a skeleton, sitting upright at a table, surrounded by books, paper and pens.” According to those who discovered the bones, when the air entered this space, the skeleton and papers turned to dust. Was this the eleventh Lord Lovell? Perhaps we will never know, as no underground room has ever been found since then, but Lord Lovell was famous for disappearing, and his body was never found anywhere else.
The Guild of the Holy Name of Jesus was closely associated with the Worshipful Guild of Wax Chandlers and did have a chapel in the crypt of St. Paul’s. Its remains survive under the paving around the apse of the present cathedral. One of the most fascinating, off-the-usual-track places I’ve found in London is the crypt of St. Paul’s, said to be the largest in Europe. It is chockablock with who’s-who memorials, such as Lord Nelson’s, the Duke of Wellington’s, and that of the creator of the current cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren, but also the antique tombs of many other, older unknowns.
I want to thank Dr. Barbara Hanawalt, professor of history at Ohio State University and author of the fascinating book
The Wealth of Wives: Women, Law, and Economy in Late Medieval London
(New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), for sharing information with me about merchant widows in medieval London. Several historical women in her research inspired Varina’s shop, home, and circumstances. Also of interest were
Medieval London Widows, 1300–1500
(ed. Caroline M. Barron and Anne F. Sutton; Hambledon & London, London 1994) and
The Gilds
[sic]
and Companies of London, 4th ed.
(by George Unwin; London: Frank Cass & Co., Ltd., 1963).
The best biography I found of Queen Elizabeth was
Elizabeth of York, the Mother of Henry VIII
, by Nancy Lenz Harvey (New York: MacMillan, 1973.) On
pages 190–195
the book contains a very complete account of the queen’s subjects’ mourning her death and of her funeral. The king’s biographer, Bernard André, wrote of the queen: “She manifested…devotion toward God; toward her parents…toward her brothers.…” From such an accolade I have expanded on her guilt and grief over her brothers’ deaths.
Thanks to my wonderful editor, Ellen Edwards, and the great support team at NAL. As ever, I appreciate the advice of agents Meg Ruley and Annelise Robey. Friend and fellow author Kathy Lynn Emerson generously answered questions and shared her knowledge of Tudor-era women. And always, to Don, proofreader and travel companion.
—Karen Harper
Karen Harper
is a national bestselling author whose novels, both historical and contemporary, have been published around the world. A former college and high school English instructor, Harper lives in Columbus, Ohio, and Naples, Florida, and frequently travels around the country to promote her books and speak about writing.
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Q.
Mistress of Mourning
is as much a novel of mystery and suspense as it is a novel of history and romance. What inspired you to go in that direction?
A. The subject matter drew me to the suspense and crime solving. In dealing with these first Tudor rulers, King Henry VII and his queen, Elizabeth of York, a writer immediately stumbles over murders that have long been debated. Who killed the boy princes in the Tower of London? (Or who absconded with them—highly unlikely, I think, despite some claims of that.) Did Prince Arthur, Henry VII’s heir apparent and older brother of the boy who later became King Henry VIII, die of natural causes or was he done away with? These mysteries are not only fascinating but they shape England and Europe for many years to come. For example, obviously Henry VIII would never have been king had Arthur lived. No six wives, no next three rulers: Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth. Perhaps no Protestant revolution…on and on.
There is a second key reason I incorporated strong threads of suspense in the novel. That is what I love to write. In a way, all fascinating characters have their secrets, no matter the genre, but I love to read and create whodunits and whydunits. I’ve written a nine-book mystery series in which Queen Elizabeth I (who was named for her grandmother, the Queen Elizabeth of this novel) is the amateur sleuth. I also write contemporary suspense novels, so the bent toward suspense is just the way I write, and I was able to give that free rein in this book.
Q. Varina’s chandlery business provides her with a fascinating background. How did you come to learn about the use of candles and wax effigies during this period?
A. Since I have written other novels set in medieval and Tudor times, I’ve always been aware of chandlery and wax effigies. In one of my visits to Westminster Abbey, I was fascinated by the Undercroft Museum, which displays death masks of British monarchs. These were used in their funerals and paraded through the streets of London. The idea of a woman who deals with death in an artistic way and solves a crime was too good to pass up.
Q. How common was it for a woman to inherit and run her own business in the early Tudor period?
A. My research shows that, sadly, about the only way a woman could have her own business at this time was to
inherit it at the death of her father or husband, or possibly her last living brother. There were exceptions in the “broidery” (embroidery) trade, but in general, it was not a period where women held financial power or were admitted to the powerful trade unions. Marriage meant economic and social control by the husband, a fact I tried to bring out in this novel. My Author’s Note mentions an excellent book on this subject, Dr. Barbara Hanawalt’s
The Wealth of Wives.
Q. Varina and Queen Elizabeth share a deep sadness over the loss of their young children. Most of us are aware that child mortality remained high until the twentieth century, but just how high was it during Tudor times? How did mothers (and fathers) cope with their grief?
A. Of course, this novel takes place in early Tudor times (the transition from the medieval era), not the high Tudor of the later rulers; however, mortality statistics during these years seem to be consistent. These are sad, indeed, and rather shocking. It is estimated that 25 percent of infants died in their first year; 12.4 percent of those remaining died between ages one and four, and 6 percent more between ages five and nine.
No doubt parents coped with these dreadful losses in every human way possible: resignation, depression, keeping busy, focusing on the next or remaining children. There are records of parents grieving greatly, so Varina and the
queen illustrate that. I would surmise that the religious faith of the day also kept some parents strong through such trials, especially the belief that their child was in a better place and they would meet him or her again someday in heaven.
Q. You describe a fairly complicated embalming process for the royal dead. How was the common man treated in death during this time?
A. Commoners were simply wrapped and/or put in a plain wood coffin and “laid to rest,” often in a shared grave. The wealthier the deceased, the higher their social class, the more embalming, altar candles, and formal grieving. And, of course, during plague or disease times, bodies were quickly gathered and dumped in mass graves, as I show in my novel
Mistress Shakespeare.
I think it’s especially fascinating that those who provided the funeral candles often worked with or as the embalmers.
Q. Nicholas Sutton works for the king and queen in hopes of reclaiming the land and position his family lost during what we now call the War of the Roses. Was royal patronage the only way to gain wealth and prestige during this period? What other avenues might he have pursued?
A. Royal approval and support was the main and quick path to recoup lost wealth and power under the Tudors.
Economic strength was the other major avenue to recovery, but that could take generations. An interesting point here is that the Tudors, since they had gained their throne by “might not right,” always tried to control who had power and who didn’t. They carefully watched and often pulled down those who became too popular or powerful. So it was of key importance in rebuilding one’s reputation to serve the ruler.
Q. Elizabeth of York has been portrayed in several recent novels. What particularly interests you about her?
A. I read an excellent biography of this queen (
Elizabeth of York, the Mother of Henry VIII
, by Nancy Lenz Harvey), but I have not read any of the novels, as I did not want them to influence my analysis of her character and personality. Above all, she was a strong woman—a survivor, yet she must have suffered greatly from the losses of her brothers and her children. What really interested me is that she is the mother of King Henry VIII, so what of her was in him? He evidently adored her. Those who think Henry saw women either as saints or whores always say that his mother was the ideal image in those opposing views of females.
Also, I was interested in Elizabeth of York’s marriage dynamics. Most records reveal that her husband was cold and calculating; yet these Tudors obviously had a strong marriage, unlike their son Henry. Was her
strong marriage possible only because of her good traits? She is a fascinating character, and I hope I have done justice to her. I always find that the bedrock traits of a person lie in his or her childhood, and her closeness to both her parents served her well. She knew she had been loved, so she was able to give love to her husband, her children, and her subjects, who dubbed her “Elizabeth the Good.”
Q. Will we ever know what happened to the princes in the Tower?
A. Never say never, because documents do turn up from time to time, but I think the question was answered when the bones of those two young boys were found. I believe they were smothered in their beds and interred immediately, but on whose orders? Ah, there’s the rub—and this novel’s researched but debatable premise.
Q. Most readers might best know Catherine of Aragon from a later period in her life, when Henry VIII sought to divorce her and marry Anne Boleyn. She is often portrayed during that time as obsessively Catholic and embittered by Henry’s treatment of her, but in
Mistress of Mourning
she is sweet and brave, and so very young. How did she go from one to the other?
A. Catherine’s life story begins as a fairy tale, crashes into her young widowhood and tough times for a while, then
turns to fairy tale again when the young, handsome King Henry VIII weds her. Her failure to produce a male heir is well-known, as are her later trials. But Catherine had a backbone of steel, partly from her strong religious faith, partly from the fact that she had powerful parents, partly just because she was built that way.
The set-in-her-ways, ultrareligious Catherine often portrayed in the Anne Boleyn stories does not do justice to how she was adored by the English people from the first. It does help explain, though, one reason the common people detested Anne Boleyn. They dared not blame Henry for his horrible treatment of Catherine, so Anne was the target. Catherine was a fascinating woman, but she had so many unhappy chapters in her life—which she handled as best she could—that most modern readers fail to understand or admire her. I would contend that, as the quote goes, that which did not kill her made her stronger. The tragedies of her life did not break her, so how did she go from one stage of life to the other? With great bravery, faith, and what modern people would call “class.”
Q. Are you getting tired of the Tudor period yet? Have any other periods captured your writer’s fancy?
A. I will be a Tudor maniac until I die, but I think the “high Tudor period”—Henry VIII and Elizabeth I—has been pretty well covered lately, not only in novels and nonfiction but also in movies and on TV. I was pleased to find these first Tudor rulers a bit fresher
ground to research and write. As for other historical periods, my second love is the 1930s and 1940s. I have written one novel set in Britain and Italy in that era already,
Almost Forever
, and may write more in the future. Time will tell.
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