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Today I’m delighted to be chatting with Tony Riches about Bess – Tudor Gentlewoman, the sixth and final novel in his acclaimed Elizabethan Series. Best known as the wife of Sir Walter Raleigh, Bess Throckmorton steps out of the shadows in this richly researched historical novel, giving readers the chance to discover the remarkable woman behind one of the Tudor era’s most famous men. Welcome, Tony!
Buy first, let's check out Bess – Tudor Gentlewoman
What first drew you to the story of Bess Throckmorton, and what made you decide she deserved to be the central figure of the final novel in your Elizabethan Series?
The third book of my Elizabethan series features the early life of Sir Walter Raleigh up to the death of Queen Elizabeth. During my research I became intrigued by how his wife, Bess, remained loyal, despite the constant challenges she faced, including being banished from court for marrying Walter without the queen’s permission - and being locked up in the Tower of London. Bess became the perfect choice to end the series, as she outlived them all to become the last true Elizabethan.
Bess is often remembered as Sir Walter Raleigh's wife, but your novel places her firmly at the centre of her own story. What did you discover about her during your research that surprised you the most?
Like most Elizabethan women, Bess only received enough education to run a household. I was impressed at how she did her best to overcome this, sitting in on her son’s lessons. She wrote many of her letters phonetically – but used them to cultivate a friendship with Robert Cecil, one of the most powerful men in England. She never forgot she’d once been the queen’s favoured gentlewoman of the bedchamber, and even tried to persuade King James to restore her property, which he’d given to his favourite.
Your novel takes readers deep into the court of Queen Elizabeth I. What aspects of life at court did you most enjoy recreating, and which proved the most challenging?
I decided to extend the Elizabethan series over six books was to reflect the complex personality of the queen. I chose three of her favourite men, and three of her ladies. Each of them saw her differently, and paid a high price for being close to the mercurial queen. I also enjoyed following the court on royal progresses, the extravagance of which could bankrupt hosts! One of the most challenging aspects to portray was the number of courtiers and ladies in waiting, so I had to be selective and choose a few to focus on.
Sir Walter Raleigh is one of history's most recognisable figures. How did you balance telling his story while ensuring Bess remained the true heart of the novel?
I spent months researching Bess so I could begin to understand how she thought and why she acted as she did. Although I continue to tell the second part of Walter Raleigh’s life, he becomes a secondary figure in the story of Bess, and is often away on expeditions, or imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Bess is forced to navigate loyalty, love, ambition and survival in a dangerous world. Which aspect of her character did you most enjoy exploring as a writer?
Bess reveals remarkable resourcefulness and resilience in everything she did. I enjoyed looking at events from her point of view, and hope readers will agree she deserves to be remembered. I was surprised to learn how many members of the gunpowder plot were related to Bess in some way, and how this put her family in great danger.
This novel brings your journey through the Tudor dynasty to a close. Looking back over the series, has your opinion of the Tudor period—or of any of its key figures—changed since you first began writing about them?
One of the discoveries was the extent to which the success of the Tudor dynasty depended on men like William Cecil and later his son, Robert Cecil, who kept a firm hand on the viability of the royal treasury. I was also surprised at how superstitious King Henry and Queen Elizabeth could be, making strategic decisions based on omens and predictions.
Your novels are known for their historical accuracy. Was there a particular source, location or historical discovery that proved especially valuable while researching Bess – Tudor Gentlewoman?
I like to track down primary sources, such as the original letters written by Bess and Walter, as these corroborate details and offer a sense of their voices, attitudes and personality. A useful research resource relied on throughout the series was 'The Elizabethan Court Day by Day', a treasure-trove of Elizabethan sources, including excerpts from diaries, letters, and account-books kept by the queen’s officials. I also enjoy visiting the locations used in my books, including Sherbourne Castle, and their cells in the Tower of London, to have a real sense of the places where Bess and Walter spent so much time.
Alongside your novels, your blog The Writing Desk and your Stories of the Tudors podcast have introduced thousands of people to Tudor history. Has interacting with readers and listeners influenced your fiction in any way?
Hilary Mantel once said, ‘In time I understood one thing - you don't become a novelist to become a spinner of entertaining lies. You become a novelist so you can tell the truth.’ I place great value on feedback from readers, and although some writers (and TV drama scriptwriters) enjoy ‘alternative history’, I feel I have a responsibility to remain faithful to the recorded facts while ‘filling in the gaps’ with the best research I can manage.
Having completed your Tudor novels, you're now turning your attention to the Stuart queens. What excites you most about exploring this next chapter of British history?
It seems a natural progression to look at what happened after the Tudors. I confess my starting point was not the best, as my history lessons at school focused on the English Civil Wars, and I didn’t learn much about the Stuart queen consorts. This makes my research even more interesting, as I’m now telling the stories of three fascinating and underestimated women in my new Stuart Queens trilogy.
If you had the opportunity to spend an afternoon talking with the real Bess Throckmorton, what would you most like to ask her—and what do you think she might ask you in return?
Great question. I would like to ask Bess about her early life, before her brother found her a place as one of Queen Elizabeth’s ladies. I’m sure Bess would love to hear how her surviving son, Carew, married Philippa Ashley, a wealthy young widow and influential cousin of George Villiers, two years after her death. They had three sons and two daughters, and Carew’s eldest son, named Walter, was knighted.
