To celebrate the publication (on 20 January) of The Queen’s Lady by Joanna Hickson, Historia is giving five winners copies of both novels in her Queens of the Tower series to five winners. The first, Lady of the Ravens, came out a year ago. The giveaway is open until 11.59pm on 1 February, 2022. Each of […]
The Queen’s Lady by Joanna Hickson
Raven-haired and fiercely independent, Joan Guildford has always remained true to herself. As lady-in-waiting and confidante to Queen Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII, Joan understands royal patronage is vital if she and her husband, Sir Richard, are to thrive in the volatile atmosphere of court life. But Tudor England is in mourning following the death […]
Joan Vaux – child prodigy and lady-in-waiting to four queens
Joanna Hickson writes about the unusual life of Joan Vaux, child prodigy, second-generation immigrant, champion of the Tower ravens and lady-in-waiting to four queens, who is the subject of her latest novel, The Queen’s Lady. When I was researching the history of Joan Vaux I very quickly realised that her character and life were too […]
The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson
Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII. Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and all her senses, […]
The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson
Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, is now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII. Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, […]
Finding Joan Vaux, an unusual Tudor woman
Joanna Hickson’s latest novel, The Lady of the Ravens, is the first in a trilogy based on the life of an unusual woman of the Tudor age, Joan Vaux. Joanna tells Historia what drew her to write about this little-known yet influential figure. There is never a set way to find credible fictional plots based […]
Books to look out for in 2020
A new year, and new historical books, both fiction and non-fiction, to look out for, written by HWA members. The Second World War continues to be popular, and there are refreshingly different takes on the Tudor era. The medieval period makes a strong showing. There are new additions to well-loved series and second books from […]
What’s in a Date?
‘History is just a list of boring dates!’ Joanna Hickson considers the importance and meaning of certain dates in the life of Henry VII. We’ve recently had a royal wedding and millions cheered the happy couple – history in the making. But how many times do Historia readers hear people say, ‘I don’t like history, […]