Q & A with John Guy

Welcome to On the Tudor Trail Dr Guy! Why do you think readers are insatiable when it comes to the Tudor period?

It’s because the stories are so good and because the archives become so extensive after Henry VIII’s accession. By then they can support an almost unlimited amount of fresh research. 

What was the first book about the Tudors that you remember reading and enjoying?

I’d probably read something earlier, but the first book I remember was Geoffrey Elton’s England under the Tudors.

What inspired you to write The Children of Henry VIII?

I got fed up with people from tv companies or guides in stately homes trying to tell me that Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn came to visit X or Y places as a family, with baby Elizabeth in one or other of their arms. The royal children were brought up in nurseries set apart from where their parents were living, often many miles apart. The children were together only on a handful of occasions in Henry’s entire reign, and each was rarely able to spend much time with Henry or their mother.  I wanted to include Henry Fitzroy, the king’s illegitimate son, since he tends to be forgotten and yet he was an important part of the story in the earlier years. I also thought it could be illuminating to relate and position each of the children more precisely to one another, and that this might improve our understanding of the period as a whole, which turned out to be the case.

What do you think is one of the most common misconceptions about Henry’s daughter, Mary Tudor?

Mary was by nature generous, especially to her friends and supporters, but could also be generous to those who opposed her – after all, she had decided not to execute Lady Jane Grey until she learned of Wyatt’s rebellion and of Jane’s father’s role in it. She tended to give people the benefit of the doubt, but when I found how much she hated Elizabeth from the beginning and how this vendetta played out in Mary’s own reign, I was rather shocked. I was also surprised to discover the scale of Mary’s intransigence over religion in Edward’s reign – even when her cousin the Emperor Charles V told her to cease making her own houses symbols of resistance to Protestantism by having mass celebrated daily and inviting passers-by to attend, she wouldn’t stop. Charles thought it was enough that she had a licence to say mass herself – to satisfy her own conscience. He was too experienced a politician to think Mary should deliberately provoke the Duke of Northumberland. And he certainly didn’t want Mary to seek exile in his own dominions. I hadn’t realized just how intransigent Mary could be – something Philip was to discover fairly quickly when he married her.

What was the greatest challenge you faced when writing this book?

Juggling all the balls so that the narrative is smooth and not episodic. Also keeping in balance the details of the individual children’s experiences while not losing sight of the main events of the period that shaped them.

What is the most interesting or peculiar fact you’ve learnt about the Tudors in your research?

Undoubtedly it was when I found out that to bounce Elizabeth into signing the death warrant for Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1587, William Cecil connived with the French ambassador to pretend that a fresh plot to assassinate the queen had been ‘discovered’. It was an old plot, known for over a year and one that had never come to anything. Cecil then helped to foster a false alarm that the Spanish Armada had landed a year early in Wales in order to get Elizabeth to sign the warrant, telling her to double her bodyguards. After helping to foster the alarm, he obviously had to order the ‘hue and cry’ to be proclaimed in every county and the local constables put on alert. And yet, Mary’s execution had to be carried out in the strictest secrecy, since the day after signing the warrant, Elizabeth backtracked. She sent a messenger to order her secretary, William Davison, not to have the warrant sealed, nor was he to allow the document to leave his possession until he had spoken with her again. For this reason, Walsingham had to order Mary’s executioner to go in disguise to Fotheringhay, and make sure he concealed his axe inside a trunk! Walsingham even had to pay the executioner out of his own pocket.

You have written about many fascinating sixteenth century women over the years, do you have a favourite?

Mary Queen of Scots is probably the favourite – not because I think she was a better person than any of the others, she was not, but because her life was so eventful.

What are you currently reading?

The Spanish Ambassador’s Suitcase: Stories from the Diplomatic Bag, by Matthew Paris and Andrew Bryson. I’m enjoying it and am just waiting for someone to do the same for the dispatches of 16th century English ambassadors abroad!

Are you working on any other Tudor books?

Yes, I’m currently working on a short life of Henry VIII for the new Penguin Monarchs’  series and on a much bigger book on the last years of Elizabeth.

Share with us a little known fact about one of Henry’s children.

Despite the old myth that Edward as a royal child could not be beaten by his tutors and that Barnaby Fitzpatrick was his ‘whipping boy’, it turns out that Edward really was beaten. When in December 1544, Richard Cox found his pupil sulking and intractable, he gave him a final warning, and then, ‘I took my morris pike [i.e. staff used for morris dancing] and at will I went and gave him such a wound that he wist [knew] not what to do …. Me thought it [was] the luckiest day that ever I had in battle.’ It just goes to show. Henry Fitzroy also had a series of run-ins with his schoolmasters, but for those you’ll need to read the book!

 Visit the official website of John Guy here.

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Comments

  1. This book sounds so intriguing! I love learning new facts about the Tudors, and it seems as though there will plenty here. Can’t wait to read it!

  2. Denise Duvall says:

    I knew, that Henry Fitzroy was the illegitimate son of Henry Vlll, but know nothing about his life. I would love to read what you have discovered about him.

  3. christina chavarria says:

    I was very interesting what Mr. Guy was saying about Queen Elizabeth signing the death warrent for Queen Mary of Scots. Very interseting interview. Can’t wait what his next book he is working on will say.

  4. Bonnie M says:

    I’m really looking forward to reading this book! Can’t wait ’til it’s released.

  5. Lori Thomas says:

    Love reading anything about the Tudors, this sounds very interesting. Another book to add to my collection.

  6. victoria mcmillin says:

    think it answers questions that everyone has, and sheds light on history that is little is known think it could be a fresh look at old history looks very interesting

  7. patrice aka gaylen marie says:

    this looks like a very fascinating book. i would love to read it. i hope it is very successful for you.
    patrice.

  8. I think it’s going to be very interesting to read more about the children, especially more about the boys…since we know so much about his daughters already. I find it interesting that he found Mary, Queen of Scots the most interesting though, as she’s always portrayed as a “criminal” in so many other books.

  9. Christine says:

    I love to read all things Tudor. Look forward to reading about Henry Fizroy, I’ve read so little about him.

  10. Brenda Kerezsi says:

    This book sounds very informative. There is still a lot I hope to learn about these historical people . Link forward to learning more from this book .

  11. Malak Carrillo says:

    Can’t wait to read this book! Anything written by John Guy is a great read and highly insightful.

  12. Kim Tucker says:

    Finally I can learn more about the Tudor boys. We know so much about Mary and Elizabeth, but not enough about Edward and Henry. I hope I get a chance to get this book.

  13. tabitha leslie says:

    This book sounds really interesting 🙂

  14. Candice R says:

    This book sounds interesting, and one I would love to read.

  15. Kimberlee Moser says:

    Can’t wait for it to come out. Love everything Tudor!

  16. KC Russell says:

    Sounds like a great book. I cannot wait to add it to my collection.

  17. Mary Johnson says:

    Would love to read this book

  18. Natasha Hayes says:

    This book will be an interesting read for sure, just when you think you know Henry’s children another interesting fact comes to the surface, thanks John for sharing you discoveries with us tudor fans

  19. Sounds like a must-read! It’s great to see Henry Fitzroy included in a book about Henry’s children, there really isn’t enough written about him

  20. Kirsty Hibbert says:

    Wow! I can’t wait to read more! Only the other night on TV they were telling how the “Whipping Boys” took the brunt of punishment on behalf of their Monarchs!

  21. Sounds like a must read!! I never tire of reading about the Tudors, especially the children. This book sounds new and refreshing and I can’t wait!! Thanks for the interview tidbits. I’m definitely hooked!

  22. Would love to read this book. Sounds wonderful

  23. Sounds really fascinating!

  24. I’m adding this book to my never ending Tudor list!

  25. Ti Colluney says:

    Elizabeth I has always been a heroine to me. I have enjoyed reading the research and stories wrote about her. I would love to read more about not just her but about her siblings. You have to admit, Bess was an amazing woman. I shall add this to my Goodreads ‘to be read’ list!

  26. Pamela Kapustka says:

    This sounds so interesting! Especially in relation to Mary, I can only imagine how much all the religious turmoil of the times & her mother’s refussal to “bow-out gracefully” messed-with her mind! And to learn about Henry Fitzroy is also very intriguing! I can’t wait!

  27. The book sounds very interesting! I would love to know more unknown stories about Henry’s children!

  28. Kathi McGill says:

    The Tudors will never cease to fascinate. I am really looking forward to reading this book.

  29. This book sounds so interesting, I would love to win this to add to my Tudor collection!
    Thanks for the awesome giveaway! 🙂

  30. I can’t imagine that Elizabeth did take the decision to execute Mary easily. I’m sure this is a fascinating book. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

  31. Sounds like a must-read! It’s obvious that Mr. Guy still views his subjects as the complex individuals they were instead of the collection of facts they have become to so many historians.

  32. This is a fabulous interview and I cannot wait to get my hands on the finished product! Soo intrigued as to the details Mr. Guy can share regarding Henry and Mary…soo much has been written about Elizabeth already but of course I can never get enough!

  33. Anna Borukaev says:

    I have been obsessed with the Tudors since I was a teenager, I am really looking forward to this book, I love reading about them!

  34. I loved the interview and can’t wait to read the book. I’ve already bought and read many Tudor books but like others who are “addicted” I can’t get enough!!!

  35. This sounds very fascinating. I haven’t read much about Edward and even less about Henry Fitzroy so this should be fun.

  36. Really interesting – the idea of Mary giving people the benefit of the doubt! Thanks for the interview.

  37. Brandi Mckenna says:

    I can’t wait to read this! There is always more to learn when it comes to the Tudors.

  38. Carol in Maryland says:

    I know almost nothing about Henry Fitzroy and would enjoy learning more about all the Tudor children.

  39. Carol in Maryland says:

    I would enjoy learning more about all the Tudor children, especially Henry Fitzroy.

  40. I thought a knew a lot about Tudor history, but I didn’t know the bit about Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution. Very interesting!

  41. It sounds as though this book on Henry’s children will bannish a lot of myths that have built up about them through the centuries…..at last!! Will be an educating read.

  42. Ludmila Gonzalez says:

    Hi!, I´m from Argentina and I would love to win a copy of this book. Nowadays it is really difficult to find this kind of good books to read here. I´m a Pharmacist. but since I was a child my Mother encourage me to read, She is a History teacher, and we both love the Tudor period. Thanks for giving us the chance!

  43. Billijo Maynard says:

    I adore Queen Elizabeth I and would love to learn more about her childhood, If royal life was hard on Princes I can just imagine what Elizabeth and her sister Mary had to go through, Very interesting.

  44. Ines Eusebi says:

    Thank you for the chance you give us to win this book. I sometimes find it hard to get books from my library on the Tudors. I know almost nothing about Henry Fitzroy, poor boy, he is most of the times forgotten as Dr Guy says. This book would be a great new source to give my classes. I´m a High school teacher.

  45. Julie Marshall says:

    I’m really looking forward to reading this. I just learnt that Fitzroy translates as the kings son or son of the King, it’s titbits like this that really fascinate me. I can understand that Henrys ultimate drive was to have a legitimate heir & that’s what drove him to be so ruthless in his pursuit of women, sadly Edward & Henry didn’t live long, only Elizabeth seemed to be full of health & vigour. In an alternate history I wonder what our monarchy would be like now if Elizabeth had of become a mother……..

  46. Rosie Peacocke says:

    Sounds amazing! I’ve not seen any books like this, and I’m looking forward to reading it 🙂
    Rosie

  47. I think that this book is great. The royal children had not easy life. I had reading many books about the royal children in 16.th century Poland and I want to read about children in England.

  48. Jennifer Deguzman says:

    I would love to learn more about the Tudor children.

  49. Lina Andersson says:

    I’m really looking forward to read this book. The only book I’ve ever read about Henry’s children, covering their relations with each other, is Alison Weir’s book. Have any of you more suggestions?

  50. Erin Schwartz says:

    This sounds like an intriguing look into one of my favorite periods in history. I especially look forward to learning more about the personal lives and details of the royal family. Guy certainly provides some amazing insight. I will have to add this to my reading list!

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