Secrets of the Tudor Court
by Kate Emerson
From the beginning to the end I was captivated! I dare say that Kate Emerson has written a
classic historical fiction – a fictional account framed by hard historical
fact. This novel was a refreshing breath
of air for me. In The Pleasure Place, the first in Emerson’s Secrets of the Tudor Court series, the story comes from the point
of view of Jane Popyncourt, a name I recognized but knew little about. For me Emerson’s use of a real person, albeit
a marginal person within the Tudor court, made the story even more
engaging. Since little is known about
Jane Popyncourt the reader does not have an archetype in mind for the character
and can enjoy Emerson’s wonderfully crafted tale of her life.
Jane arrives in England from France with her mother, who
left the French court where she served Queen Anne immediately following the
death of King Charles. The pair are
welcomed to the court of Henry VII and while her mother is sent into service
with Queen Elizabeth, Jane joins the royal nursery at Eltham Palace in order to
converse daily with the Princesses Margaret and Mary in French. Jane is never quite sure of her position
within the court; feeling at times a servant and at others a member of the
family. Jane’s mother passes away
shortly following their arrival and Jane is left with many unanswered questions
about her family and the reason for the departure from France and subsequent
warm welcome at the Tudor court.
As Jane matures she is drawn to Princess Mary and eventually
becomes a member of Mary’s household, and serves the princess at the courts of
both Henry VII and Henry VIII. During
the early years of Henry VIII’s reign England is at war with France. During one of the battles the French noble,
duc de Longueville, is captured by King Henry and returned to England and await
payment of his ransom. He is a prisoner
but due to his rank he is also a guest at court. Jane is residing at the Tower with the
Princess Mary, as Queen Catherine is defending the northern border following a
Scottish attack, and finds herself immediately drawn to the duc. Unexpectedly, a childhood friend, Guy Dunois,
is among the men serving the duc and Guy’s presence prompts Jane to begin
inquires about her mother and her death.
Jane is unable to resist the charms of the duc and becomes his mistress
soon after his arrival. Eventually, she
comes to see the duc for the cad he is but King Henry urges her to continue the
relationship and serve as a spy.
What I found fascinating is that Jane Popyncourt lived and
was a member of Princess Mary’s household and was mistress to the Duc. The fictional twist that Emerson very
cleverly spins is Jane’s familial relationship to the Tudors. Emerson also presents a wonderful character
in Jane. She is not only likeable but
also intriguing and the “fictional” Jane is so wonderfully crafted by Emerson
that she emerges as a dynamic figure, in her own right, against the backdrop of
Kings and Queens and the dynamics of life at the Tudor court.
This was the first I have encountered Kate Emerson, but I
look forward, with anticipation, to the rest of this series. Kate Emerson is, in my opinion, as meticulous
with her research as she is clever and creative with her plot twists and
character development. The use of Jane
Popyncourt, the true details of a real person’s life enriched by a fictional
but plausible plot-line makes The Pleasure
Palace a wonderful engaging read and I recommend it without a moment’s
reservation.
This review qualifies for the following challenges:
Historical Fiction Book Review #10
Tudor Book Blog Reading Challenge #8
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