As I am currently reading and loving Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd, I invited Sandra to answer some questions about her protagonist, Helena Snakenborg, a woman who has captured my imagination. Like all great historical fiction, this novel has inspired me to find out more about the historical figure behind the character – the Swedish-born woman who became a Marchioness and one of the highest ranking women in Elizabethan England.
Not only did Sandra agree to the Q&A, she also very kindly donated a wonderful prize pack, which includes:
1. A copy of Roses Have Thorns
2. An adjustable paste ring, Tudor Style
3. A pack of playing cards from the NPG
4. Essence of Oak Moss soap from the Mary Rose museum
Conditions of Entry
For your chance to win this fantastic prize pack 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 our Q & A below, between now and 16 July 2013.
This giveaway is open worldwide!
Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email.
Good luck!
This competition is now closed and the winner has been notified.
A Young Lady Aged 21, Possibly Helena Snakenborg, later Marchioness of Northampton.
Could you tell us a little about Helena Snakenborg’s background?
Helena was born in Sweden to Ulf Henrikkson (hence, her name was Elin Ulfdotter or Wolf’s daughter as well as Elin von Snakenborg, her hereditary name) and his wife Agneta Knutsdottar. Her mother was descended from the Norwegian king Haakon V, and Elin and her sisters served in some capacity as ladies or maids of honor in the Swedish court. At the time, their ruling sovereign was King Eric, son of Gustav Vasa, who had been a powerful king not unlike Henry VIII in many ways. Elin had been promised as one of six handmaidens to travel with Princess Cecelia from Sweden to England. When Elin’s father died, the princess assured Elin’s mother that she would take the best of care of her, and insisted she come along. That, as they say, was the day Elin’s world turned.
Elin would have been well educated as the royal family and its circle had many tutors, and she spoke English because her princess, Cecelia, was enamored with all things England. Cecelia learned the language, and made sure her ladies did, too. An interesting side note is that Helena’s mother went on to a daring second marriage with an Englishman as well!
Why did Helena make the journey from Sweden to England?
Princess Cecelia admired Elizabeth I from afar, I think for her strength and especially her independence, something not often available to princesses. Some years earlier there had been a bid for Eric, who was a prince at the time, to marry Elizabeth I. As we know, there were few who could vie for Elizabeth’s hand, but Eric was both royal and Protestant so it seemed a possibility! Kat Ashley even had a hand in sending envoys to Sweden to negotiate. The first effort came to naught, not surprisingly, but Cecelia wanted to try again, on her brother’s behalf. She was also under a cloud of shame in her own kingdom, for some earlier promiscuity, and I think she was trying to earn redemption.
There had remained in Sweden some tradesman, some diplomats, and Princess Cecelia took them along with her new husband and her six maids of honor, including Elin, to try and persuade Elizabeth to marry King Eric. The journey was harrowing – for ten months they were chased by the Danes (who were at war with Sweden), became trapped in ice, ran out of provisions and barely made it to England’s shores before Cecelia delivered her first child.
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
How did Swedish-born Helena become a Maid of Honour to Elizabeth I?
Among those high ranking persons sent to meet the Swedes was William Parr, Marquess of Northampton. He was a particular favorite of Elizabeth; his sister had been Queen Kateryn Parr, with whom Elizabeth had been close. Parr’s longtime love, Elisabeth Brooke, daughter of Baron Cobham, had died a year earlier of breast cancer. It was said that Elin reminded Parr of Elisabeth, but for whatever reason, he was instantly taken with her looks and personality and sought to keep her in England when the Swedish delegation returned home empty handed.
Parr had proposed marriage to Elin, but it was not quick nor easy. He appealed to Elizabeth and she arranged for Elin to stay in England as a Maid of Honor and then a Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber. It was truly unusual for a sovereign to interfere or “poach” a lady from another sovereign, so Elizabeth must have been motivated. She also, unusually, provided Elin with servants, a horse, and rooms at court. Elin, once having decided to remain in England, anglicized her name to Helena and set about serving the queen.
What do you think it was about Helena that endeared her to Elizabeth I?
Elizabeth I c. 1563 by Steven van der Meulen
My own opinion is that Elizabeth was fondest of those who were, in many ways, her personality foil. She was a strong and commanding person, and I think she craved vulnerability and warmth. Many of us would find that in a marriage, or with our children, but neither was available to her. When I consider Katherine Knollys, whom Elizabeth loved, Kat Ashley, and Catherine Carey, the Countess of Nottingham, I see women who were emotionally available. She chose her closest associates from higher born women of course, as would be expected, but also from those who did not have a claim to her throne in any way. That would leave out most of her Tudor relatives and those who wanted a Catholic queen.
Helena was witty, warm, and educated, plus she was known to have been unable to be bribed for either access or information. That was rare in a court where the common currency was ability to influence the sovereign or get her ear. I think Elizabeth was enough of a pragmatist to understand that access to her was being made available, but smart enough to see, and loyal enough to prize, a lady who refused to traffic in such.
Elizabeth valued loyalty, and long-term relationships, and Helena offered both.
What do we know of Helena’s relationship with William Parr, Marquess of Northampton?
We know that he was much older than she was – about 35 years older. But once he set eyes on her, he remained true to her until they could marry. The path to that marriage was not simple and it’s a compliment to both of them that they stayed the course.
Henry VIII called Parr, “My Integrity” and Parr was well known for his strength of character. He treated Helena well and ensured, to the best of his ability, that she would be well provided for after his untimely death.
Longford Castle in Wiltshire was originally built in the late sixteenth century by Thomas Gorges and his wife, Helena Snakenborg, as a triangular Swedish pattern castle on the banks of the River Avon. (Wikimedia Commons)
After William Parr’s death, Helena caught the attention of Thomas Gorges, a relation of Queen Anne Boleyn. How did Elizabeth I feel about the match?
Not happy, that’s for sure. Elizabeth didn’t take kindly to surprises of any kind, and with her extensive spy network, I suspect there was little that could surprise her. At the time that Helena caught Gorges’s eye, she was the highest ranking woman in the land after the queen, a Marchioness, and he was only a knight. Elizabeth had a keen sense of “rightness” in the ranking of matches and did not approve of this one.
But … Gorges was a Boleyn relative and he, too, was known to be loyal. So perhaps that helped soften the blow a bit.
How did Elizabeth I react when she discovered that Helena and Thomas had married secretly?
She exiled Helena and had Thomas thrown into the Tower. 🙂
Salisbury Cathedral (Photo by Ashley Pomeroy)
Was Helena and Thomas’s marriage a happy one?
Yes, I believe that it was. They had many children and Helena faded from public life once Thomas died. She also arranged for special charities to be given out on St Thomas’s day, and they are buried together at Salisbury Cathedral.
That’s not to say there were not problems – as in any marriage, there were difficulties. Those difficulties were made even greater by the danger of serving at the Tudor court. There’s a large gap in the years of their childbearing and Helena was very fertile – this suggests quite a bit of time apart. I wanted to explore the personal cost of serving at court. It was not easy, not for Helena, not even for a well-established English favorites like Katherine Knollys and her husband, Sir Francis.
Did Helena ever return to Sweden?
She never did. Her husband, Thomas, was sent there on a diplomatic mission, but Helena was kept home with the queen. Helena did correspond quite often by mail, with her sister, after the Danes left the sea routes alone!
What role did Helena play at Elizabeth’s funeral?
Helena was chief mourner at Elizabeth’s funeral. There’s sometimes a bit of confusion about what a chief mourner was. It was not necessarily the person who would miss the deceased the most, it was the highest ranking person immediately available, often of the same sex. That person “led” the grieving, due to rank. So, for example, the chief mourner for Queen Kateryn Parr was the young Lady Jane Grey. There were certainly more mature persons present, but Jane held the highest rank. Arbella Stuart could have had the role in Elizabeth’s case, but she refused, and James I was not yet in London. So the role fell, rightfully I believe, to Helena.
Now, that does not mean that the chief mourner did not mourn greatly. Because they did have that high rank, they were very often close to and in the company of the deceased, which was certainly the case for Helena. When Elizabeth died Helena had served her for nearly 40 years, longer than most marriages of the era lasted.
What became of Helena after the death of her second husband?
She mainly retired from public service. She was a fairly old woman for the time, though she lived to be eighty six years old. She and Thomas left some very important progeny, though! It’s fun to know that Thomas and Helena’s daughter Elizabeth eventually married the man who would be the first governor of the State of Maine; the current Duchess of Norfolk is also one of Helena’s descendants. Thinking upon Helena’s encounters with Norfolk in my book only makes that more satisfying!
Thank you Sandra!
Thank you for inviting me along!
Find out more about Sandra Byrd by visiting her official website here.
I love this kind of historical tudor fiction. I would love to read this book and I hope to win.
I have never won anything before!. I want this to be the first time!! I´m crossing my fingers
Thanks Natalie and Sandra for this giveaway!
I really want to win a copy of this book!!!!! I´m a great Tudor fan!!! and I love this site!!!
Great article about Helena. Never heard a word of her. 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity and keep on writting Natalie!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s such a sad loss to history that woman have been overlooked.
So many interesting women that we know little or nothing about, Thanks Sandra for bringing Helena alive with your book!
I´m so happy to have discovered this blog!!!! Thanks Natalie, hope to read your book soon!!!!!
A warm hug!!
Belu
I am fascinated with Tudor history and read everything I can lay my hands on, fictional or not.
Thanks Natalie for all the giveaways!!!! you are the best!!! 😉 and obviously to Sandra too!
Fascinating!!!!!! It would be great to win this book!!
Very interesting indeed. I love reading anything and everything about the Tudor Dynasty from it’s earliest beginnings. Thank you for taking the time to give us some insight into one of your most interesting of characters.
I just finished “Roses Have Thorns” and absolutely loved it-this really is a book that was hard to put down. I also read Sandra’s other books on Anne Boleyn and Katherine Parr and loved them.
She is a wonderful author, and I look forward to her other Tudor books.
I am so happy to have found this site!! I love history, and I love being able to ‘see’ the lives of these fascinating characters, thanks to authors who write such intriguing and captivating books!! My favourite people are Anne Boleyn and Richard III, both of whom have been much maligned by history, I feel. I love books that allow me to ‘be there’ and let me actually get to know the people being written about. I would dearly love to get behind the ‘hype’ and actually know the truth – and books like those written by Sandra Byrd and authors like her allow me to do just that!! Thank you very much, and please, keep up the good work!!
Oh I love this! I have not heard of this woman! I know Bess of Hardwick was a great friend and one of the most influential and richest women during Elizabeth’s reign but you rarely hear of her waiting women. I will definitely have to seek this book out as it is right up my alley!!! Thank you Sandra!!
Enjoyed this post. I was not familar with Helena’s story but it is quite fascinating.Inspires me to read the book!
I love everything about this blog and look forward to your daily posts on my facebook page! Cannot wait to read this book! Happy marriages were seldom in the day when marriages were arranged. I will look for it on amazon and audible! Thanks!
I am not very familiar with Helena and she sounds fascinating! Thank you for offering this great giveaway!!
Very interesting article. I really enjoying reading about real people, and I am so glad when I learn that there is a happy ending
Such a gret article! And a wonderful giveaway! xoxo
Sounds like a great read. Can not wait to get started.
So happy a friend recommended this site. I thought I was moderately knowledgeable of Tudor history, and I’d never heard of this woman. Her fascinating story demonstrates how unlikely history is. If this were written as a novel, no one would believe it. Also happy to find a new writer with a back list. Yes, what I need is more books to read! Too bad I just can’t resist. Off now to buy the book.
I am curious as to how a foreigner can rise to become the 2nd highest ranking woman in the land, above that of English born women of Royal blood. A Tudor breaking another rule? I shall have to read your book to find out!
I’m a bit ashamed to say that I’ve never heard of Helena, but thanks to this review I am looking forward to learning more.
She is one of the women mentioned in “Elizabeth’s Women” by Tracy Borman and I had not heard of her before this. So many fascinating characters are left in the background but it is good to learn more about them so they are not forgotten!
I’ve read her first book which I liked and I would like to read more from her.
It’s very interesting how someone from so far away can rise so high. And since Finland belonged to Sweden back then, it’s even more interesting!
Shame you guys don’t live in GB. I would love you to give a talk at Eastbury Manor House in Barking Essex. Which was built by Clement Sysley during the reign of Elizabeth I. It was originally in an isolated position, on rising ground with views of the Thames across marshland to the south. I work here as a volunteer. Hope I win the prize as I would love to read the book.
I just adore Sandra Byrd’s work, she brings her characters to life.
I just finished her novel To Die For and look forward to reading both The Secert Keeper and Roses have Thorns. Sandra is a truly exquisite writer.
Natalie, thank you for the many opportunities to share thoughts and the giveaways chances are a wonderful touch.
Take Care…I will be writing soon!!
A new fan of yours, Yanina Goncalvez.
Sandra`s books are so nteresting, you can`t put them down.
Enjoyed the review, would love to read more!!
Thx 4 the chance.
Keep the stories coming Sandra.
I just love all these juicy Tudor tidbits ! I have always been fascinated with this era of history and am also learning an awful lot along the way.
I just want to thank you for all the great information and for making it fun!
Thanks Natalie 4 the chance!!!!
This book sounds pretty amazing looking forward to reading it.
I have recently become a new subscriber to your blog.
You blog is really amazing.
Thanks Sandra and Natalie for the chance
Hi to all.
I am so glad that we have on the tudor . we all new about Anne and it is good to fine out more about other toudors the ones that still need to fine out about and other that sill are not talk about and sould be talk about. the this site and can not wait to ready more and the new books that are coming out soon.
Fran
Very interesting post. It has made me want to read Roses Have Thorns. Sounds like a very interesting book.
I am so excited about this book. I seem to get more and more entranced by Tudor history every time I read another book on them. Thank you so much, Natalie and Sandra for the chance to win this book!
Excellent article! Helena definately lived an interesting life! I love reading about people who lived in the Tudor era and are not royalty- not that roalty is less interesting!
This sounds like a great book ! I would love to win it. Helena sounds like she had quite an interesting life. Thanks for the chance to win ; )
Very interesting interview and great website. Hope I win!
Love the Tudor era, and different perspectives.
Definitely putting this on my “To Read” list!
Thanks for the chance!!!!!
The beauty of historical fiction is that it gives a face to the cold, hard facts of history. And British history fascinates us because it is so rich with intrigue and personal relationships filled with emotions that often mirror our own experiences. I hope I could win this excellent book, not just for me, but also for my girlfriend, we are both great fans of yours.
Thanks for the chance Natalie and Sandra!!!
Always a pleasure to recieve recommendations of historical authors I have yet to discover.
Sandra Byrd looks like a name to be adding to my list.
Thank you “On The Tudor Trail” for continued updates and fab tweets!.
Another new book I look forward to reading!
This book sounds terrific. It sounds so intriguing and interesting as does the author. I hope to win but love the whole concept of the characters
Love your website, blog, and more. All the various authors, books, historical details, comments from readers — it’s all so good! It’s great to have the advance notice of new books, and being able to order them in advance. I especially enjoy all the tidbits of information and history. I’d love to travel to England and visit all of Anne Boleyn’s places of residence. Can’t get enough of Sandra Byrd’s books–I read them immediately and am a great fan of Audible.com. Keep us the good work.
I have this book on my “To Read” list for when I finish Graduate School in one month! I love all things Tudor, and will probably be speaking with an accent any time now!
I would love to win this book!!!! I cannot wait to read it. Her books are phenomenal !!!
This seems like a great book, and one I’d definitely would like to read.
Hello, from South Brazil. I love History and to read biographies, specially from women that had a chance to change something in their environment. To follow your blog/facebook is a pleasure and also a virtual tour in England and Tudor places. Thank you so much
Fascinating tale of the life of a woman who left her homeland and found more fame and happiness than in her native land. That she lived to be 86 is a testament to her genes, her lifestyle, and her personal philosophy!
It’s been pure JOY to read all of these comments, and know that I am among fellow Tudorphiles. I can’t wait till Natalie draws the winner and I’ll get the gift box shipped out. Thank you for reading the blog post, and also for reading my books!
Would love to win this prize… I am loving learning all about Tudor history
Thank you for all your lovely comments! The competition is now closed and a winner has been selected randomly – congratulations…. Yani Goncalvez!! I have sent you an email, please forward your postal address to me as soon as possible. Natalie
Thanks very much Natalie and Sandra, I already send you my postal address, I hope you receive my E-mail, because where work I´m having some troubles with the internet. 🙁
Thanks again and keep on working on this excellent Blog!!!
What an amazing article..I never knew anything about Helena, what an interesting& brave women {to have married in secret} Thank you for the wonderful story & web site 🙂
Helena was the niece of my ancestor 🙂