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By Elizabeth St.John
Publisher: Falcon Historical Press
Print Length: 428 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Dual-Timeline
History does not always tell us the whole story, particularly when those who left the records behind had good reasons to keep certain things hidden. 'The Queen's Tears' by Elizabeth St.John explores this fascinating idea through the lives of two women separated by centuries, but connected by a portrait, a missing jewel and the secrets of the Stuart court.
England, 1619. Queen Anna of Denmark is dying at Hampton Court Palace, and Barbara St.John Villiers, a member of the Queen's household, finds herself caught up in the intrigue surrounding the royal jewels. Her brother-in-law, George Villiers, Marquess of Buckingham, enjoys extraordinary influence over King James, and his interest in the Queen's possessions puts Barbara in a difficult position. Among the jewels is a remarkable brooch known as the Queen's Tears, whose disappearance will have consequences that reach far beyond the royal household.
In the present day, Julia Darke has returned to England following the breakdown of her marriage. A historian who now runs a second-hand bookshop in the Cotswolds, she is writing a historical novel in which Barbara Villiers plays an important role. When a portrait believed to depict Barbara comes up for auction, Julia is determined to buy it. She has spent so much time researching Barbara that the opportunity to own her portrait is difficult to resist. Unfortunately, the painting is being handled by Oliver Villiers, an art dealer she knew many years earlier and a man she had hoped to leave firmly in her past. When Julia examines the painting more closely, however, she begins to question whether the woman in the portrait is actually Barbara, for the sitter appears far too young.
Barbara is not a woman who is particularly easy to like, but she is certainly one who is difficult to forget. She knows the importance of family connections and is perfectly willing to use them to her advantage. Wealth, position and recognition matter enormously to her, and she is not inclined to accept disappointment gracefully. There are occasions when her behaviour is selfish, her resentment unreasonable and her determination to get what she wants rather alarming. Yet these qualities make her interesting. St.John allows Barbara to behave badly without continually providing excuses for her, while also showing how much she cares about her children and the future she hopes to secure for them.
Her relationship with Buckingham is particularly fascinating. His closeness to the King has brought the Villiers family wealth and opportunities that would once have seemed unimaginable, but his generosity is rarely without conditions. Barbara understands his ambitions and knows how to appeal to his vanity, although she is not always successful in getting her own way. Their exchanges can be wonderfully sharp, with neither particularly willing to concede an advantage. Buckingham may possess the greater political influence, but Barbara is certainly not prepared to be intimidated by him. Nevertheless, his decisions have consequences for the whole family, and she cannot always protect herself from them.
Ned, Barbara's husband, is a rather different character. His kindness and decency make him an appealing presence, particularly when compared with the more calculating members of his family. His marriage to Barbara is affectionate, although their differing expectations sometimes create difficulties. Barbara wants security, advancement and recognition, while Ned does not always share her enthusiasm for the opportunities offered by his brother. Their relationship has its disappointments, but it also has moments of genuine tenderness. These quieter scenes are important because they show a Barbara who is capable of affection and vulnerability, even when her pride makes those feelings difficult to express.
As the years pass, Barbara's circumstances change considerably. Motherhood, bereavement and the growing political divisions in England force her to confront situations that cannot be resolved through family influence or determination alone. Her concern for her children becomes increasingly important, and there is something rather sad about watching a woman who has spent so much of her life trying to secure their futures discover how easily those plans can be overturned. Barbara remains stubborn and resourceful, but she cannot prevent the world around her from changing.
St.John brings the seventeenth century wonderfully to life. The splendour of Hampton Court and the political manoeuvring surrounding Buckingham provide an engaging beginning, but Barbara's experiences extend well beyond the royal household. Her family's connections to Ireland and the upheaval of the Civil War introduce very different difficulties. The historical events are important because of their effect upon the people involved. Positions that once promised security become uncertain, loyalties are tested, and decisions made by powerful men leave families struggling with the consequences. Barbara's determination to preserve what she can feels entirely understandable, even when her methods are questionable.
Julia is a very different woman, although she possesses a stubborn streak of her own. Having returned to England after an unhappy marriage, she is trying to establish a life that suits her. Her bookshop provides some of the independence she wants, but it is her interest in the portrait that really captures her attention. She is convinced something is wrong with its identification, and the more she investigates, the more difficult it becomes to put the matter aside.
The historical research is particularly enjoyable. Julia follows documentary evidence, examines family connections and considers what the painting itself might reveal. There is real pleasure in watching her recognise the importance of a small detail or discover a connection that has previously been overlooked. Not every document provides the answer she hopes for, and some discoveries simply raise further questions. St.John makes the investigation convincing because Julia must work with what has survived, rather than conveniently finding everything she needs.
Oliver's involvement complicates matters. He and Julia have a history together, and their reunion brings back feelings neither has entirely resolved. Their relationship has warmth, but there is also resentment and the awkwardness of knowing someone well enough to remember exactly how they once hurt you. Working together gives them opportunities to reconsider the past, although their personal difficulties occasionally distract from the investigation. Their relationship is nevertheless an interesting part of the contemporary storyline, particularly because both must decide whether the mistakes of earlier years should continue to determine their futures.
One of the pleasures of the novel is knowing more about Barbara's life than Julia can possibly discover from the surviving evidence. Barbara is frequently concerned with protecting her reputation, securing her family's position and ensuring that certain matters remain private. Julia, meanwhile, is attempting to uncover precisely the sort of information that Barbara would have preferred to keep hidden. The contrast between them is fascinating. Both women are intelligent and determined, but their circumstances have given them very different ideas about what it means to protect themselves and those they love.
The portrait and the Queen's Tears bring their stories together, but the novel also raises an interesting question about how history is recorded. A letter may establish that something happened without explaining the reasons behind it. An inventory can tell us what someone owned, but very little about what those possessions meant to them. Even a portrait, apparently such a direct connection to the past, can preserve a mistaken identity for generations. Julia's investigation demonstrates how easily assumptions become accepted facts, while Barbara's story reminds readers that the people who created the evidence were not always interested in telling the whole truth.
'The Queen's Tears' is a wonderfully enjoyable novel, and Barbara is undoubtedly one of its greatest attractions. She is ambitious, proud, occasionally infuriating and capable of considerable affection. St.John makes her mistakes as interesting as her achievements, while Julia's determination to uncover the truth provides an absorbing mystery alongside the historical storyline. The movement between the two periods works particularly well as the significance of Barbara's decisions gradually becomes clearer.
Elizabeth St.John has written a fascinating story about family, ambition and the difficulty of separating historical fact from the versions of events people choose to leave behind. With memorable characters, an intriguing investigation and a wonderfully realised seventeenth-century setting, 'The Queen's Tears' is a must-read for fans of this genre.
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