Keeper of the King's Secrets by Michelle Diener
By Michelle Diener
Thank you again to Natalie for having me back as a guest blogger. I know Natalie’s particular interest is Anne Boleyn, and while Anne plays an off-stage role in my Tudor-set Susanna Horenbout and John Parker series in the current books, Thomas Wyatt is a prominent secondary character in Keeper of the King’s Secrets, the second book in the series (released 3 April). Because Wyatt’s history is entwined with Anne Boleyn’s, I thought it might be fun to talk about Thomas a bit, and how I’ve portrayed him in Keeper of the King’s Secrets.
Wyatt is well-known for his poetry, and for the apparent unrequited love he had for Anne Boleyn. Their Kent family estates were close to one another, and it seems they grew up together. Wyatt is said to have behaved jealously in front of Henry VIII when Henry was pursuing her, making it obvious he was very interested in her, as well. My favorite story regarding this is the incident, recounted by Wyatt’s grandson, that Wyatt stole one of Anne’s lockets and refused to return it, no matter how often she asked. In retaliation, Henry took one of her rings. A few days later, Henry, Suffolk, Bryan and Wyatt were playing bowls and a dispute arose between Henry and Wyatt as to who was the winner. Henry pointed to Anne’s ring on his finger and said ‘I tell you, it is mine.’ Wyatt took off the locket, and used the chain to measure the balls, and said, ‘I hope it will be mine.’
Thomas Wyatt
Anne denied any feelings for Wyatt when Henry questioned her, and that does seem to be the case. Or in any event, there is no evidence she ever encouraged him.
The interpretation I’ve used in Keeper of the King’s Secrets is that while Anne and Wyatt are long-time friends, and Wyatt does have strong feelings for her, Anne has made it clear she will not be a married man’s mistress. And yes, the irony of Wyatt recounting Anne’s standpoint to Susanna and Parker, my main characters, given this is 1525 and really just months before Henry starts pursuing Anne, was delicious to write. 
Wyatt was married (hence Anne not being interested), very unhappily, and had one son. His wife was apparently very promiscuous, and in Keeper of the King’s Secrets, I’ve created the backstory of Wyatt being forced into a marriage he didn’t want, to a woman who had some feelings for him. As her handsome husband takes mistress after mistress, she retaliates in kind, until there is no hope of a reconciliation. His father was very distressed by Wyatt’s habitual infidelity, and I’ve used that in Keeper of the King’s Secrets to affect the job Wyatt has at court.
Wyatt’s father was Master of the King’s Jewels, and Wyatt was Clerk of the King’s Jewels. They would have been the keepers of the Mirror of Naples, the magnificent jewel Mary Tudor illegally took from the French Crown Jewels and gave to Henry as part of her apology for marrying Charles Brandon without his permission. As a large part of the plot of Keeper of the King’s Secrets hangs on the disappearance of the Mirror of Naples, this puts Wyatt firmly in the frame, and his rocky relationship with his father is part of the problem. I also use his infatuation with Anne as part of the plot.
Another reason Wyatt was a perfect secondary character from my point of view was his connection to the Duke of Norfolk. Norfolk is one of the antagonists in Keeper of the King’s Secrets (and in the first book in the series, In a Treacherous Court), but he also happened to be Wyatt’s sponsor at court, and the godfather to Wyatt’s son. Poor old Wyatt is caught between a rock and a very hard place, being played by men far more ruthless than he.
He seems to have much preferred country life and spoke very disparagingly of court politics and dramas. He obviously also thought Henry’s infatuation with Anne was a passing fancy, and when, in 1527, it became clear Henry was very serious indeed, Wyatt actually asked the King for permission to leave the country for a bit, and laid very, very low at court when he finally returned. He was probably seriously regretting teasing the King with Anne’s locket at that point.
It was a gift for me, as a writer, to have a beautiful, blond poet, all brooding with unrequited love, whose carelessness and self-indulgence, as well as his misplaced trust, put him in an incredibly tight corner. He is a wonderful foil to Parker, one of my main characters, who is dark, straightforward and has never been careless in his life.
I’d like to end with one of Wyatt’s poems, which is thought to be about Anne Boleyn, entitled “Of His Love, Called Anna”:
What word is it that changeth not,
Tho’ it be turned and made in twain?
It is mine Anna, God it wot,
And eke the causer of my pain,
Who love rewarded with disdain.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, whether you have an opinion on Wyatt, or not, and will be giving away a copy of Keeper of the King’s Secrets to a lucky commenter.
Conditions of Entry
For your chance to win you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage).
Then simply leave a comment after Michelle’s guest post between now and April 11.
Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email.
Good luck!
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I’m very excited to read this! I am a bit Anne Boleyn obsessed and have recently been trying to branch out and read more about other characters that were in and affected her life.
I love books on the Tudors, especially during the Boleyn period at court as history could not be more saucy than at this time, with intrigue romance and conspiracies. Who needs ‘hello’ when you have books like this to read?
It was certainly a very interesting time, Phillipa. LOL on that last sentence.
What if. Two little words that make an obession with all things Tudor interesting and fun. So much information has been lost to time an author can let their imaginations run away and fill in the blanks with all kinds of scenarios and plots. In historical fiction the author can stray away from the accepted theories and stir the pot to boiling.
It is now accepted that Queen Anne was innocent of the charges brought against her; but what fun to invent a conspiracy where she was guilty as charged and using her “Powers” to control men to try to usurp the Crown. Catherine of Aragon is held to be a Queen of dignity and religious peity – but could that not have been a well acted ruse to hide a secret love? Prehaps Princess Mary really did not even like her mother having found out about the many lovers and rebelled by taking a few herself? The “What If’s” are endless and make historical fiction so much fun.
The only problem is historial fiction can be mistaken for fact if the reader has not read respected articles, essays, and books by qualified historians. A case in point is “The Other Boleyn Girl”; many postings on the internet indicate there are those who believe the “what ifs” in this book to be true. I believe the historical fiction author has a duty to make it very clear where fact and fiction collide and when fiction parts company with fact and becomes speculation.
Saying this, I would love to have a copy of this book simply because I love to read historical fiction. I have many books on the Tudor era from respected historians such as Ives and Weir; I actually have few historical fiction books and would very much like to add more to my library. Thank you for the opportunity.
I forgot to put in my contact information! pannewolf7@comcast.net – My apologies.
Phyllis, when historical fiction is well-written, it is hard to distinguish what the author has made up with what is fact. I have a detailed author’s note at the end of each book, outlining which bits are my invention.
Thank you, Brittanee. I hope you enjoy it.
The book sounds really amazing! I’m looking forward to reading it! The story given through a different perspective is trully interesting! I’m very excited!
Thank you, Marianna. I love to hear excitement about my books
I love anything about the Tudors and this sounds like a great read!
Thank you, Christine.
It is always good to have another Anne Boleyn related book to look forward to reading. I`m sure this one won`t disappoint ,it has all the elements that hook us Tudor fans in .
Thanks, Elizabeth.
Wow…. I have never read any of this series. Sounds cool though. I actually came to Anne in a different way than most fans. Most people read books( a la The Other Boleyn Girl) or watched T.V ( The Tudors.) I actually discovered Anne reading through some book on church history my mother gave me. ( She’s a Baptist, I believe in Cartesian philosophy ) . That’s probably because I don’t read fiction………Much.
Jennifer, glad you’re here, no matter what path you took to get here.
I am really looking forward to reading Keeper of the King’s Secrets! The story of Anne’s fall from grace is so well known that it makes the pre-fall stories even more intriguing. After reading your guest post I am completely intrigued by Thomas Wyatt, so I look forward to becoming more acquainted with him via your novel.
Thanks for a chance to win a copy!
muse_in_the_fog@hotmail.com
Thank you, Svea. I hope you enjoy it when you do read it.
I am not only a huge fan of Historical ficiton & literature but i also adore the Tudors and would love to be able to read more on Anne Boleyn. Thank you for such a fantastic book giveaway that looks truly facinating & i would be most greatful if my name could be put forward.
Email: lfountain1@hotmail.co.uk (lfountain1(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk
From: Miss. Lucinda Fountain Xx
Good luck in the draw, Lucinda.
This sounds fantastic! We always hear about the main players & forget they were the few. So many peoples lives were effected by others actions. Sounds great. Thanks for a new insight!
Cynthia, thank you. I love writing about Susanna and Parker, because there is so little known about them, and Susanna in particular was really special for her time – a woman artist working at the the pinnacle of her profession, directly for one of the most powerful kings in the world – but she’s more or less unknown.
Moving these to the top of my must read list. There are so many interesting characters in Tudor history. It’s such fun to be able to get a view of that world beyond just the royal players.
Thank you, Sandy!
I’m participating in the giveaway, thanks for the opportunity! I would love to know more about Thomas Wyatt, for example did he have an affair with Anne Boleyn, or was it just a game of courtly love? I love his poems!
I forgot.. elizapol@hotmail.com
Most likely he didn’t, Eliza. Of course, there is no way to know for sure, but the evidence suggests he was interested but she didn’t encourage him, and that they were childhood friends.
It’s great to see all links to Anne are being explored and written about, it gives us all a wider picture of her life and the people in it, will look forward to reading it.
Thanks, Dawn.
Another book to be added to the TBR list!! (And even better that it’s another Tudor book that looks like it will be a great read)
Thank you, Nina. I hope you enjoy it.
An interesting book. This poet has always
fascinated me. Certainly death of Anne hurt him very
much. I very want to read this book. My email: magdalenamakowka@wp.pl
Magdalena, I have to admit I hadn’t really read many of Wyatt’s poem before I researched him for Keeper of the King’s Secrets, but they are very good.
Another book for my ever growing collection. There are not enough hours in the day for all the reading I want to do!
Judy, I love it when that happens!
Fascinated by all things Tudor and Anne Boleyn related. Can I get this book on kindle format too??xx
Alison, I’m happy to say you can
.
This Book sounds like a wonderful read! I have always liked any Story even featuring Anne Boleyn. I have always thought She must have been more sexy than beautiful as only her eyes are mentioned and her graces. How odd at the time Wyatt and Henry were competing for her they were both married! I have often thought Anne would have preferred Percy over either of them…
Marilyn (ewatvess@yahoo.com)
Hi there,
I am fascinated with English history especially the Tudor period, and try and resource information and books. This is on my wish list to add to my collection, can hardly wait!!
All the best, Andrea
I left a response to this last week & notice that it is not showing….
I too am very caught up with the Tudor history & more so with all things Anne Boleyn. I loved the Wyatt as portrayed in ‘The Other Boleyn Girl” he seems very devoted, gentile & kind, but of course it only touches him as a poet & as a person of unrequited love for Anne, so your book sounds fabulous in that it gives him a life of his own. Congratulations!
Marilyn, that may have been so. She was apparently furious with Wolsey when he informed Percy’s father of their interest in each other, and had Percy quickly married to his betrothed and Anne banished home. And when she had the King’s ear, Wolsey certainly didn’t last long.
Alas, another book to keep me from my never-ending household chores. . . LOL
I look forward to reading this book-it looks wonderful. The cover is BEAUTIFUL!!
Lisa, I know that feeling.
And thanks for the compliments on the cover. I love it, too.
cant wait to read another amazing book !!!!
Thanks, Jennifer.
I so love to read about anything Tudor related. It’s also so much fun to get into a book from another perspective, to see where the imagination of the author will go. It seems that no matter how many books I read on the subject, I am still constantly drawn to this fascinating era. I am so grateful to all of you who continue to write about these people !!
And us writers are so grateful readers like you keep wanting to read what we love to write!
This book sounds very interesting. What was Anne’s “power” over men? She could teach women a lesson or two today. Was Wyatt’s marriage an arranged one? I wonder how much internal turmoil Wyatt had knowing he could not compete for Anne’s love against the King. One wonders how deep Anne and Wyatt’s feelings for each other really ran and if Anne did love Wyatt for a period in her life, when did her love turn towards Henry. Was love or power Anne’s driving motive for hanging on so long to finally marry Henry? This definitely is an intriguing period in time/history ~ should be a reality show!!!
Thanks for another perspective of this time through the eyes of another key player! The cover is very beautiful and good luck on the book!!
I do believe Wyatt feel in love or lust with Anne on her return to Court after being in France. It would only have taken a competor for her heart of the Calabour of the King to shut him down. I think he took the posting to Italy & Vatican to get away before he really did his position some damage. It think it is easy to see references of past or unrequited love in his poetry as pertaining to Anne. But we can never know really. The big evidence of his regard & support is best demonstrated by his son so many years later in this polt against Queen Mary to put Elizabeth on the Throne. You feel that as a family supporting Anne was something they cherished.
There are so many unknowns, Vanessa, and that’s what makes writing fiction in this period so interesting.
Thanks, Cheryl. We’ll never know Anne’s feelings for Wyatt. She said she didn’t have any other than friendship for him, but that was to Henry, and she’d have been a fool to say anything else. As for Wyatt, yes, his marriage was arranged.
What an intriguing story line. I love reading about other people’s perspective during the Tudor era because it gives you a different view of what you know already about King Henry VIII and his wives. I surely would add this to my ever growing Tudor collection.
Thank you, Jennifer.
Thank you all for your lovely comments. Michelle Diener has randomly selected Nina C. as the winner. Congratulations Nina! I have emailed you and require your postal address. More giveaways on the way
Natalie, thank you so much for having me on On the Tudor Trail.
Thank you Michelle! Look forward to welcoming you back in the near future. Good luck!