Illegitimate royal children have been known to make an impact on history. Take Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, and Bessie Blount, whom Henry VIII acknowledged as his son. There were discussions about Henry Fitzroy becoming the heir apparent if Henry VIII did not have a legitimate son. But what about the illegitimate children that a king did not acknowledge? What might their lives have been like? The story of Mary Boleyn and her affair with King Henry VIII has been told many times, but the story of her daughter born during that time is lesser known. In her first full-length nonfiction book, “Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey, A Tudor Life,” Wendy J Dunn has taken on the task of discovering the truth of Catherine Carey’s parentage and how it impacted her life.
I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I just finished reading Wendy J. Dunn’s novel, “The Light in the Labyrinth” about Catherine Carey, which is the book that inspired her to research and write this biography. I wanted to see if Dunn could write nonfiction as well as she writes historical fiction novels.
Dunn begins her biography by exploring what life was like in Tudor England before diving into the main point of her book, that Catherine Carey and her brother Henry Carey, were the illegitimate children of Mary Boleyn and Henry VIII. This was a point that she made in “The Light in the Labyrinth,” but it is in this biography that Dunn is able to expand on her theories even further, including the theory that Catherine was in the Tower and on the scaffold when her aunt, Anne Boleyn, was executed as a young woman. It is a sad theory, but it might explain why she was so close to her potential half-sister, Elizabeth Tudor.
Dunn shows how Catherine Carey grew up in the shadows of Henry VIII’s court. It is there where she met and fell in love with Francis Knollys, whom she married in April of 1540. As an audience, we get to see Catherine become a mother during the last years of the reign of Henry VIII and Edward VI’s tenure as king. It was during Mary I’s reign that life became dangerous for Catherine, Francis, and their family as they were Puritans, so they fled to Germany for three years. It was not until the reign of her potential half-sister Elizabeth that Catherine returned to court to serve her queen until Catherine died in 1569.
I think Dunn does a great job of combining her knowledge of Catherine Carey with her writing style as a historical fiction novelist. It creates a unique reading experience. I think for a first try at a full-length nonfiction book, it is pretty good. If you want a full-length biography of Catherine Carey that is informative with theories that will make you question what you think you know about the Tudors, I would suggest you read “Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey, A Tudor Life” by Wendy J Dunn.
In a time when marrying for love was taboo, one woman took a stand to follow her heart no matter the consequences. Lady Penelope Devereux, the daughter of Lady Lettice Knollys and the step-daughter of Sir Robert Dudley understands how dangerous it is to defy the wishes of Queen Elizabeth I. Her mother and stepfather were banished from court for choosing to marry secretly, but this did not deter Penelope from pursuing love. A story spanning decades, full of love, intrigue, and plots galore, “Penelope- Tudor Baroness” by Tony Riches tells the tale of this remarkable woman and her family.
When we study the life of Queen Elizabeth I, the image of a virgin queen who never married tends to come to mind. Of course, she had a man who she favored above all others, Robert Dudley, but he married several times to Amy Robsart and Lettice Knollys. It was with Lettice Knollys that Robert Dudley was able to produce his heir, aptly named Robert Dudley Lord Denbigh, who unfortunately died at a young age. Robert Dudley was left without a legitimate heir, but he did have another son, albeit an illegitimate son, also named Robert Dudley. Julia A Hickey has decided to examine the life of the illegitimate Robert Dudley in her book, “The Son that Elizabeth I Never Had: The Adventurous Life of Robert Dudley’s Illegitimate Son.”
A man who was young and had charisma would attract the attention of the Virgin Queen herself, yet that attention came with a price. The young man could not do what he desired and was buried in debt. His anger could not be quenched and he would end up rebelling against the very queen who brought him so much glory and honor. This rebellion would lead to his execution. The man’s name was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and his story is told in Sarah-Beth Watkins’ latest bite-size biography, “Elizabeth I’s Last Favourite: Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex”.
Today, I am pleased to share my book review of the latest Elizabethan novel by Tony Riches as my contribution to his “Essex: Tudor Rebel” blog tour. Thank you to Tony Riches for sending me a copy of his latest novel, and to The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to take part in this tour. 
(Blurb)
Author Bio
The last Tudor monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, was known for many things, but her main legacy is that she never chose to marry anyone. She was the infamous “Virgin Queen”. However, there were those around her who manage to capture her attention and her admiration for a time. The most famous of these men was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. He was a massive supporter of the arts and the Protestant faith, gaining prestige and praise from his highly exalted monarch. Yet, his life and his relationship with his wives, his enemies, and Elizabeth I was full of dangers and numerous scandals. Who was this man who wooed the heart of the most eligible woman in all of 16th century Europe? Robert Stedall investigates the relationship between these two lovers destined to never marry each other in, “Elizabeth I’s Secret Lover: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester”.
The children of Henry VIII have been the center of historical studies for centuries. Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I were all considered Henry’s “legitimate” children and were able to obtain the crown of England. Henry Fitzroy was the illegitimate son of the king, but he was still able to gain titles and a good marriage before he died. They all had something in common; they were all recognized by their father, Henry VIII. However, there was another child who many believed to have been the daughter of the king. The name of this intriguing lady was Lady Katherine Knollys and her story comes to life in Sarah-Beth Watkins’ book, “Lady Katherine Knollys- The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII”.
The Boleyn family is one of the most notable families during the reign of the Tudors. When one thinks about this family, people like Anne Boleyn, Thomas Boleyn, and George Boleyn come to mind. However, another Boleyn and her family story have been emerging from the shadows of history in recent years. That is the story of Mary Boleyn, a mistress of King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn had a daughter named Catherine Carey, who married Sir Francis Knollys and was the mother of 14 children, including Lettice Knollys. Since Catherine Carey was a direct relation to the Tudors, what might have her life have been like? Adrienne Dillard wanted to give readers a possible view of Catherine Carey’s life in her book, “Cor Rotto: A Novel of Catherine Carey”. 
(Born November 8, 1543- Died December 25, 1634)
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 