Family Connections: Percy, Mortimer, – and Tudor?
Queen of the North The two main protagonists in my novel Queen of the North are Sir Henry Percy and Elizabeth Mortimer. For those readers who have a keen enjoyment…
Anne’s Blog
Twelve Facts you should know about Elizabeth Mortimer, Lady Percy
(And much that we do not know) Elizabeth was born in 1371 in one of the Mortimer castles in the Welsh Marches, probably in Usk where Roger her eldest brother…
Some thoughts: was Joan, Fair Maid of Kent, a beautiful woman?
I frequently receive comments on my posts and blogs that Joan of Kent must indeed have been an outstandingly beautiful woman. Do not the images of her, that can be…
Joan of Kent: not content with one scandalous marriage …
The marriage of Joan of Kent to Edward, Prince of Wales, heir to the English throne proved to be in some ways quite as scandalous as her previous marital adventures…
What is the Chronological Order of my Novels?
Frequently asked questions: What is the chronological order of your historical novels? In which order is it best for me to read them? Some readers, new to my novels,…
Anne O’Brien in The Times Review
As part of the excitement for the publication of The Shadow Queen, Anne was featured in a wonderful piece in The Times where she chooses her Six Best Queens. What…
Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent; a Woman of much Charm and Ambition.
All the medieval women I have written about in the past have been chosen by me because of the characters with whom they interacted and the story they had to…
Epitaph of Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales
Edward’s title, the Black Prince, frequently used in history, was not found in evidence until the Tudor period, and so it would be wrong to use it to assess either…
The Death of Joan, Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales, King’s Mother.
… the final days of a determined and ambitious woman. After a life which was nothing if not adventurous, Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent, died on 7/8th or perhaps…
The Last Will and Testament of Joan of Kent, Princess of Wales, King’s Mother.
… and the importance of a good bed. In the year of our Lord 1385, and of the reign of my dear son Richard, King of England and France; at…
Wooing By Proxy: A Medieval Love Story
In February 1400, Joanna of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany and newly widowed, wrote this letter, in her own hand, to King Henry IV of England. It was within…
The Witch of Leeds Castle.
What was life like for Queen Joanna, widow of King Henry IV, imprisoned for Witchcraft in Leeds Castle? In its beautiful setting, surrounded by water, Leeds Castle in Kent…
