All the evidence suggests that Henry had a strong negative physical reaction to Anna of Cleves. He was even willing to state in public that he was impotent with her. Perhaps the chemistry was just wrong between them. And perhaps Holbein was not affected by the same elements. It is true, however, that what constitutes beauty changes from era to era. It is also true that three of Henry’s wives, the three Catherines, were all petite and had fair coloring with red or light brown hair.

8. How did King Henry’s ability to charge his subjects with treason, including those who used to be his closest and most commanding advisors, like Cromwell, affect his rule and life at Court? Was Henry’s power also self-destructive?

Henry VIII became increasingly paranoid and self-destructive as he aged. He was always supremely self-centered and capable of great self-deception. Truthfully, I feel sorry for him.

9. It is suggested in the novel that Anne Boleyn bewitched Henry. Was this a commonly held speculation at the time? How prevalent was the general belief in witchcraft during the Tudor era? Was witchcraft an ability (or curse) attributed only to women?

Almost everyone in the sixteenth century believed in the supernatural, including the miracles of saints as well as the power of witches. Witchcraft, however, was not a civil crime in England until the Elizabethan era. Men could be witches, but women were more likely to be accused.

10. In literature, film, and television, so much attention has been paid to the Tudor Court. Why is this time period in British history so popular among modern audiences? Were there royal kingdoms that existed elsewhere in the world during the Tudor reign that would provide equally entertaining material?

I’m not sure I understand the Tudor craze myself, although I’ve been fascinated by the era since I was a teenager. The court of Francis I of France was every bit as full of scandal and intrigue, but England seems to hold a special place in readers’ hearts.

11. What will the next book in your Secrets of the Tudor Court series be about?

Next up is By Royal Decree, the story of Bess Brooke, another of the three young ladies (along with Nan Bassett and Lucy Somerset) in whom King Henry took an interest at that banquet that followed Catherine Howard’s fall from grace.


SECRETS OF THE TUDOR COURT