When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Historical References
Pretty much everyone in this book is a real-life figure. Here are the most prominent ones:
- Anne Boleyn
- Henry VIII
- Katherine of Aragon
- Jane Seymour
- Mary I
- Elizabeth I (appears as a baby. Aww, what a cute little queen.)
These people are real, but historians known very little about them, giving Philippa Gregory lots of freedom to invent their stories:
- Mary Boleyn
- George Boleyn
- Madge Shelton
- Lady Jane Rochford
- William Carey
- William Stafford
Aside from the historical figures who are main and supporting characters in this novel, the following historical figures make cameos throughout:
- Martin Luther
- Thomas More
- Oliver Cromwell
- Cardinal Wolsey