Please note that this event takes place at The National Archives in Kew and is in person only. It will not be streamed or recorded.
Adored only child of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, the young Princess Mary grows up as the sole heiress to the English throne. But her father wants a son, and soon Mary’s world begins to fall apart. With her parents' marriage – and England – in crisis, Mary is banished from the court and kept apart from the mother she adores. The King promises to restore her to favour, but first Mary must do something for which she will never forgive herself.
She seeks solace in her faith. But when her brother Edward VI dies, she finds herself fighting for the crown – and for her very life. Emerging triumphant, all seems fair for the reign of Queen Mary. And then, very quickly, things began to go badly wrong...
Alison Weir’s new Tudor novel, a tale full of drama and tragedy, tells the story of how a princess with such promise, loved by all who knew her, becomes the infamous Bloody Mary.
The event will last approximately one hour, followed by a book signing and an opportunity to view original records from The National Archives' collection.
Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and a leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than 30 books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide. Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history’s most iconic family - the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers. Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces.
