
The Waiting Game
The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens: A History
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
A New York TImes Book Review Editor's Pick A colorful and authoritative narrative history of the often-overlookedâyet hugely influentialâfigures of the Tudor court: the ladies-in-waiting. Every Tudor Queen had ladies-in-waiting. They were her confidantes and her chaperones. Only the Queen's ladies had the right to enter her most private chambers, spending hours helping her to get dressed and undressed, caring for her clothes and jewels, listening to her secrets. But they also held a unique power. A quiet word behind the scenes, an appropriately timed gift, a well-negotiated marriage alliance were all forms of political agency wielded expertly by women. The Waiting Game explores the daily lives of ladies-in-waiting, revealing the secrets of recruitment, costume, what they ate, where (and with whom) they slept. We meet MarĂa de Salinas, who traveled to England with Catherine of Aragon when just a teenager and spied for her during the divorce from Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn's lady-in-waiting Jane Parker was instrumental in the execution of not one, but two queens. And maid-of-honor Anne Basset kept her place through the last four consorts, negotiating the conflicting loyalties of her birth family, her mistress the Queen, and even the desires of the King himself. As Henry changed wivesâand changed the very fabric of the country's structure besidesâthese women had to make choices about loyalty that simply didn't exist before. The Waiting Game is the first time their vital story has been told.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Note on Money, Dates, Names and Titles
- Cast of Main Characters
- Preface
- Part One: 1501â1529
- Part Two: 1529â1536
- Part Three: 1536â1547
- Epilogue
- Photographs
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Illustration Credits
- Copyright