Treason

Treason is an historical novel set in the Tudor period, widely read in KS2 Renaissance history lessons as well as in the mass market. It deals with the intrigue, ambitions and fears in Henry VIII’s court, seen through the eyes of 11 year old Will Montague, page to the little Prince Edward. When Will’s father is thrown into Newgate prison for treason, Will has to take refuge in the streets of London. But he must save his father’s life!

PAPERBACK

EBOOK

Available from Amazon.

Published by Andersen Press, 2011, ISBN 978 1 84939 121 4.

It was also published as an audiobook, which is unfortunately no longer available, although you may be able to find secondhand copies.

This website contains affiliate links. If you buy items using these links, I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you.

King Henry stood for a moment to let us all gaze on his glory. His jewels flashed in the candlelight, his golden clothes shimmered as if they were made of the sun. He was the tallest man in the room, the biggest, proudest, fiercest man in Europe.

And I was there, standing in his court.

Excerpt from ‘Treason’, read by the author

My Tudor novel ‘Treason’

Treason takes us straight into the heart of a Tudor palace – Hampton Court. Will Montague is a page to little Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII, thanks to his ambitious uncle, Lord Carew. But he has an enemy, Percy Howard, whose own uncle is one of the most powerful men in court. Percy schemes to have Will’s father thrown into prison. Will himself is in terrible danger now. He runs away from the court, desperate and penniless, and wanders helplessly through the busy, dangerous streets of London. He is helped by a poor boy, Nick Drew, and together they brave death and imprisonment in a brave quest to save Will’s father’s life.

What matters most – your father or your king?

See my blog post A Tudor Childhood, featuring contributions from two Tudor experts, to find out how children in the courts and on the streets of Henry VIII’s England lived.

Why did I write ‘Treason’?

I felt I had to write Treason. I have always been fascinated by the Tudor period, especially during the reign of Henry VIII, who is himself one of the most fascinating kings in the history of England. England was scarcely out of the dark ages, yet on the brink of major exploration and discovery. Because of King Henry, the Church and the State were torn asunder forever. England was changing, and Treason sees the changes beginning.

When I first started to write Treason I thought I was going to write about a boy on a Tudor sailing ship. They were the most beautiful boats of all time, I think, with their tall masts and many billowing sails, their cannons and flags and pennants. I invented my character Nick Drew, a poor child who lives in a hovel, and his great ambition was to sail round the world. “I want to have adventures! I want to see everything there is to see: the monsters in the sea and the giants on the land.”

I started to write about him, but as I researched the period I became deeply interested in that other life, the wealthy life of the court, and the man at the helm of that tight ship who had so much power that he dared to defy the Pope – the infamous Henry VIII. So Treason takes us from one world to another, the glory of the court and the hovels of the back streets, and at the centre of them both, a boy in danger. Nick Drew appears in the second half of the book, and the ships I write about later on are the sailing ships that will escort Anne of Cleves to England.

What role did religion play in Tudor England?

England was a Catholic nation, and the head of the Church was the Pope in Rome. All church services were held in Latin. Henry VIII did not believe in Protestantism, and he believed in marriage for life. He was a devout Catholic. But then he fell in love with Anne Boleyn. The Pope would not allow him to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and so Henry VIII broke away from Rome and declared himself to be Supreme Head of the Catholic Church in England, so he could do as he pleased.

He was still a Catholic, but everybody had to do things differently. He wouldn’t allow the use of rosary beads to count prayers, which is why Will’s father is so worried when he sees Will using his rosary. He won’t allow the Mass to be said in Latin, or to have wooden statues to pray to, which is why Brother John had to work in secret. And he definitely wouldn’t allow anyone to say that the Pope, rather than Henry, was the head of the Church in England. And that was why Will’s father was thrown into Newgate prison.

What were the punishments in Tudor times?

To defy the king in any way was to commit treason, and to be punished. Punishments for treason were public hangings, executions, or being hung, drawn and quartered. Will Montague had a terrible choice to make. Who must he love most, his father or his King?

Research for ‘Treason’

I had to do a great deal of research. I visited many mansions, including the Palace of Hampton Court, where the boy prince Edward lived. I talked to many people who knew a great deal more than I did about the way rich and poor people lived in the early fifteen hundreds, the food they ate, the clothes they wore, the daily life. Writing about another time is like writing about another country – visually everything is different, and my job as a novelist is to recreate that time so the reader can walk through the stinking streets and the gorgeous halls of the Tudor period and feel at home there.

I am also indebted to writers such as:

• Peter Ackroyd: London, a biography and Thames, Sacred River
• Antonia Fraser: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
• Edith Sitwell: Fanfare for Elizabeth

and the guide books of many National Trust and English Heritage Tudor houses.

Questions children ask about ‘Treason’

Q Who was my favourite character in Treason?

A I think my favourite is Nick Drew. He’s plucky and funny, and he’s very loyal to Will.

Q Did Will Montague really exist?

A In fact there was a Henry Montagu who was executed for Treason in 1538! Will Montague isn’t related to him. In fact, he’s made up!

Q Did Percy Howard exist?

A In Treason I’ve taken the liberty of combining two real people into one made up one! (I stole their names. This is what creative writing is all about!) Lord Percy and Lord Howard were noblemen in King Henry’s time. Henry Percy was intended to marry Anne Boleyn, before Henry VIII fell in love with her. 

Thomas Howard was a very important nobleman in Henry VIII’s court. His niece was Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry.

And as you know, both Anne and Catherine were beheaded.

So, no, Percy Howard didn’t exist! But he could have done…

Q What were the Sweats in Tudor times?

A The Sweats were also known as the sweating sickness. It was a very infectious virus, usually attacking people who lived in crowded areas, and usually during the summer, which was why Henry VIII liked to go on holiday (his ‘Progress’) in the summer. It killed people very quickly once they caught it, usually within 24 hours. This plague  didn’t affect children though.

If you enjoyed reading ‘Treason’…

You may also enjoy my other historical novels.