The waiting game The untold story of the women who served the Tudor queens

Scholar Clark mines the historical record to bring to the forefront the "phalanx of pretty faces and velvet dresses ranged behind the queen" in Tudor costume dramas in this fresh, enlightening look at Henry VIII's reign. She flips the familiar narrative--six wives, anxiety for a male heir, religious conflict, mounting treachery--to the distaff perspective, examining the experiences of the upper-class women who served Henry's queens, uncovering the considerable soft power they wielded despite restrictive legal and social norms. "Confidantes" and round-the-clock "chaperones" to the queen, ladies-in-waiting had valuable knowledge and influence to leverage. Some explicitly spied; some, by choice or coercion, were complicit in the downfall of four of Henry's wives. In an increasingly dangerous and volatile environment, "vicious pragmatism" and submission to a "cultural script" of female weakness were means for survival. Clark writes with well-researched authority, delivering a lively, accessible, and richly detailed read. While some may wish for a deeper analysis of the undervalued power of "women's eyes and tongues," The Waiting Game is nevertheless a notable addition to Tudor history.

Historian Clark (Six Lives) paints a captivating group portrait of the "phalanx of pretty faces" who served as ladies-in-waiting to the six wives of Henry VIII from 1501 to 1547. As royal retinue, they routinely shared a room with the queen and, occasionally, with the king, Clark explains. Among them is Bessie Blount, who gave birth to the king's son Henry Fitzroy while his first wife Catherine of Aragon, mother of Princess Mary, struggled through a series of stillbirths--a fact that contributed, Clark notes, to Henry's relentless pursuit of a legitimate son by churning through five additional queens. Other subjects include the "immovably loyal" Maria de Salinas, who spied on Anne Boleyn for a soon-to-be-sidelined Catherine; and Jane Parker, who married Anne Boleyn's brother and then turned on him during Anne's downfall (she likely gave evidence that led to his execution). Throughout, Clark highlights how the queen's privy chamber served as a staging ground for plots and schemes involving marriage, sex, and high-profile gifts that were carefully designed to impact the affairs of state. It's an astute study of how the personal and political were deeply intertwined at Tudor courts. (Jan.)

This story of Tudor ladies-in-waiting during the reign of Henry VIII of England is a tale needing to be told. Often viewed as nothing more than decorative objects surrounding Henry's various queens, ladies-in-waiting were invisible at the same time as they undertook a very public and highly sought after role, one considered paramount in insuring that the unwritten social protocols of the English court would be followed. Their personal letters and their appearances in formal documents offer fascinating glimpses into the pressures and complexities of these women's largely unseen lives. Readers of this book hear them voicing their concerns and their fears, but also their beliefs and their priorities. With clear prose and straightforward analysis, Clark (early modern history, Univ. of Chichester; Gender, Family, and Politics: The Howard Women, 1485--1558) explains the volatility of the times they lived in, which became ever more perilous the longer the king reigned. Throughout these increasing perils, the women sometimes remained loyal to their mistresses, sometimes spied upon them, and sometimes inadvertently or deliberately caused further upheaval. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone interested in fresh perspectives on Tudor England.--Karen Bordonaro

Women of the queen's chamber illuminate Tudor England. British historian Clark takes a fresh look at the well-known history of Henry VIII by focusing on women chosen as ladies-in-waiting to each of Henry's wives. These women, enmeshed in intrigue, secrets, tensions, religious upheaval, and political machinations, serve as "intimate and underused witnesses to one of the most tumultuous periods of pre-modern history." The women's ranks corresponded to social status: "the 'ladies', usually peeresses; the 'gentlewomen', who might be the wives of knights or gentry; and the 'chamberers', the lowest status and most menial position, usually women of gentle but not aristocratic status." For most of the young women--such as María de Salinas, devoted lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon--their goal was to make a good marriage. For some, it was dealing with the lascivious attentions of the king. While a queen's ladies could be a comfort, "they were also a danger," Clark notes, when, "towards the end of a wife's pregnancy, the king's eye went roving." Functioning "as a connection between the queen and the world outside her privy chamber," they became astute observers of alliances and conduits of gossip. Some became proficient in spycraft, such as Elizabeth of Norfolk, who secreted a letter to Catherine under the peel of an orange. As Henry changed wives, the queen's ladies were pressed to choose sides. In Anne Boleyn's case, disloyalty proved fatal. The most noteworthy pieces of evidence about her adultery, Clark reveals, "were those provided by women." Clark conveys the sumptuous richness of Tudor life--banquet tables groaning under platters of meats, halls hung with costly tapestries, crimson gowns of velvet and satin--and also the risks--pestilence, miscarriage, childbirth, arduous travel, and betrayal. An authoritative and entertaining history. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.