Parr, William (1513–1571)
Queen Kathryn’s brother, he was married as a teenager and later divorced his first wife in order to marry Bess Brooke. The legality of this second marriage varied from reign to reign. He was an excellent diplomat but not a very good soldier. After Bess died, he fell in love with a young woman who was said to much resemble her, but this time Queen Elizabeth forbade remarriage until his first wife, Anne Bourchier, died. This did not occur until 1571. Parr himself died shortly after the wedding.
Seymour, Edward (1505–1552)
Earl of Hertford, then Duke of Somerset, he was the brother of King Henry VIII’s third wife and the uncle of Edward VI. He ruled England for the young king as lord protector until his unpopular policies led to his removal from power and his imprisonment. He was eventually executed.
Seymour, Thomas (1507–1549)
The lord protector’s younger brother, he courted Kathryn Parr before she married Henry VIII. For the next few years, the king kept him busy on diplomatic missions in other countries. After the king’s death, Thomas married Kathryn in secret and without a proper period of mourning. After her death, he schemed to marry Princess Elizabeth, but his fatal mistake was invading King Edward’s private apartments while armed. He was executed for treason.
Stanhope, Anne (1497–1587)
As Lady Seymour, Countess of Hertford, Duchess of Somerset, and the lord protector’s wife, Anne Stanhope was one of the most unpopular women in England. She was blamed for many of her husband’s bad decisions. Before that, she had been at court as a lady-in-waiting. When Kathryn Parr was queen, she had been one of Kathryn’s inner circle, but after Henry VIII’s death and Kathryn’s remarriage to Anne’s brother-in-law, the two women became bitter enemies. Following her husband’s execution, Anne married Francis Newdigate, a commoner. Later her son, Lord Hertford, provoked Queen Elizabeth’s wrath by eloping with Lady Catherine Grey, sister of the executed Lady Jane.
Warner, Edward (1511–1565)
As a member of Queen Kathryn Parr’s household and an evangelical, he was questioned about certain heretical books in the queen’s lodgings at court. Later, as lord lieutenant of the Tower, he welcomed Queen Jane and her entourage to the royal apartments there. By then he was the second husband of Bess’s aunt, Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt. He was a conspirator in what became known as Wyatt’s Rebellion and was arrested in his house in London even before his stepson launched his uprising in Kent. After being held nearly a year, he was released. He was restored to his post at the Tower of London when Elizabeth Tudor became queen.
Willoughby, Catherine (1519–1580)
The other Duchess of Suffolk (see Frances Brandon, page 344), she married Charles Brandon after the death of his previous wife, Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s sister). She was one of Kathryn Parr’s inner circle and an evangelical. She went into exile during the reign of Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s daughter). By that time she had married Richard Bertie, a commoner.
Woodhull, Mary (1528–1548+)
A kinswoman of and chamberer to Queen Kathryn Parr, she was with the queen dowager when she died. She married Davy Seymour, a distant kinsman of the Duke of Somerset.
Wyatt, Thomas the Younger (1521–1554)
The son of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, the poet, and his estranged wife, Elizabeth Brooke (later Lady Warner), he was the only one of the conspirators of 1554 to actually raise troops against Queen Mary. His delay to lay siege to Cowling Castle, for which history has no logical explanation, cost him dearly. By the time he reached Southwark, London Bridge had been dismantled to keep him from entering London. He was captured a few days later and was executed for treason.
GALLERY READERS GROUP GUIDE
Introduction
In the third book of Kate Emerson’s Secrets of the Tudor Court series, young lady-in-waiting Elizabeth (Bess) Brooke takes center stage amid the tumultuous times of Tudor-era England. As a young gentlewoman, Bess enters court life a naïve and inexperienced maid. But history, fortune, and love change all of that, as young Bess climbs the noble ranks and witnesses the volatile nature of England’s royal, political, and religious climate. Holding tight to her one true love, Will Parr, Bess learns just how dramatically a life can be affected by royal decree—and how precious each moment truly is.
Questions for Discussion
Under whose rule did Bess and Will’s love for each other flourish most? Consider Henry and Kathryn, King Edward, Queen Mary, and Elizabeth Tudor.
Would Bess have had a happier, easier life if she had married Harry or Jack?
As indicated in the author’s note, all but a few characters in By Royal Decree were actual historical figures. Which ones did you find most appealing? Which came to life off the page?
Were you surprised at Bess’s arrow shot during Thomas Wyatt’s siege on Cobham Castle?
Considering the time, was it right for Bess to marry Will, even with Anne Bourchier entitled to the Parr estate? Do you ever feel sympathetic to Anne? And should true love prevail over royal decree?
Discuss the various uprisings and religious controversies that occur over the course of the story. When was the threat of imprisonment/execution most palpable? Were you surprised at how quickly some courtiers changed their religious affiliations? (Consider especially Northumberland and Parr’s conversion to Catholicism while imprisoned.) Would you switch your beliefs under duress? How tightly should one grasp to what she thinks is right?
What did you make of Tom Seymour’s character? Was he nothing more than a lecher? How did you react to his ill-advised breaking and entering at King Edward’s palace?
Bess’s desire for a child remains unfulfilled by the story’s end. Should she and Will have fostered Mary Seymour? Do you think Bess is being honest with herself when she says that Will’s love is all she needs?
Which gentlewoman (besides Bess, of course) did you enjoy most? Can you trace the progress of her initial court mates through the story?
Enhance Your Book Club
Partake in Tudor-era sports like archery and tennis while dressed in your finest imitation of livery!
If you haven’t already, read the first two books in Kate Emerson’s Secrets of the Tudor Court series, The Pleasure Palace and Between Two Queens. How do they compare? Who is your favorite protagonist (Bess Brooke, Jane Popyncourt, or Nan Bassett)?
Emerson goes to great lengths to paint a very distinct picture of the era. Discuss the facets of the court that come to life the most. For those with artistic inclination, try to paint or draw one of your favorite scenes!
If you get the opportunity, visit the Tower of London and imagine what it must have been like for poor Will Parr!
Research and watch any number of movies depicting the Tudor era. How do they compare to each other in terms of bringing the time period to life? Does the visual rendering match the image that Emerson creates in words?