Book: THE QUEEN’S MUSICIAN
Character Name: Madge Shelton
We’d like to learn about you and your family, but let’s start with your most famous relative. Tell us about your cousin?
Well, yes. My cousin is Anne Boleyn, and nearly everyone in England is talking about her. His Majesty plans to marry her once he’s freed himself from Queen Katherine. He’s asked the pope to annul his marriage and sent the queen away. He waits, frustrated, while his counselors argue for the annulment. Cardinal Wolsey, for one, has already spent several years trying to persuade the pope. Meanwhile, my cousin sits at the king’s side, swathed in jewels and furs. She dines with him and hunts with him. Anyone who saw her would assume she’s already queen. I am one of her ladies-in-waiting.
And what about you? How old are you? What does a lady-in-waiting do?
I’m eighteen now, and I joined my mother as one of my cousin’s ladies about two years ago. Anne Boleyn’s father is my mother’s brother, although I didn’t know her when I was growing up—she was in France when I was a child. But serving her is an honor. I live in the king’s palaces and make sure the servants keep her rooms as she prefers. I also help organize her clothing so that her numerous garments are ready and waiting for her when the court moves from one palace to another.
For example, my mother and I will travel to Hampton Court or Richmond a few days before my cousin arrives with the king. I usually spend hours working with the servant girls hanging pomanders in wardrobes and tucking lavender bundles in drawers. We unpack and store my cousin’s nightdresses, chemises, underskirts, overskirts, bodices, gowns, hoods, and capes. I memorize the location of dozens of garments so I can be ready if my cousin asks me for “the chemise embroidered with rosebuds” or “the bodice with the green velvet ties.”
It must be exciting to be part of King Henry’s court. Tell us what it’s like.
I grew up in Norfolk on my family’s estate, far away from court. My life was comfortable, but not luxurious. The king’s palaces are sumptuous, filled with paintings, tapestries, and richly-carved furniture. They are surrounded by ornamental gardens and hunting grounds. Servants attend to your every need. I wear much prettier gowns now, and I love the music and dancing. From time to time, I’ve even danced with the king.
My mother reminds me daily of our good fortune. She’s always saying, “If your cousin becomes queen, you and your sister will marry very well. All the Boleyns will gain.” That’s the business of mothers, I suppose—finding landed, titled husbands for their daughters. My mother is devoted to this cause. She’s always saying, “Madge, your day will come soon,” and I immediately think, “Not too soon, I hope.” The men at court aren’t like the knights and princes I’ve read about in fairy tales. Many are tricky and selfish. Their main goal is getting additional favors from the king.
But there must be someone who’s caught your eye—a man you’re attracted to.
There is, but it’s a secret. My family would never approve. If I talked about him, there would be repercussions for both of us, although he would suffer more.
And what’s he like, this secret love of yours?
He’s handsome. He looks like a prince though he was lowly born. He has no title or lands, but he is gifted—a wonderful musician. I’m not the only one who is enchanted by his songs. I probably won’t have much choice about whom I marry—my parents will choose for me. This is the way in my world. But I can secretly love anyone I want to. No one has to know.
Do you have other secrets? Maybe one you can share with us?
Sometimes I sneak away to ride my horse, Starlight, alone in the countryside. I don’t have any particular reason or destination, just a desire to escape the gossip and chatter at court. When I ride in the soft hills and fields around Greenwich, I am never bored. I like having an hour or two when I don’t have to please anyone except Starlight and myself.
My ruse is to tell my mother I’m going to the market and walk down to the stables instead. Since the boys would never question a lady, I can take Starlight’s reins and lead him away from the palace grounds. Then I can mount and ride astride, just as I did as a girl. Starlight and I gallop and trot through leafy valleys, and I let my hair go free. When I return, I give the boys some coins to care for Starlight. Like him, they’re happy to keep my secret.
You said King Henry plans to marry your cousin, but are you sure Anne Boleyn will become queen. The pope hasn’t granted the annulment. Many oppose her. Some even say she’s a witch.
I believe she will. She’s clever and sophisticated, always thinking ahead. She understands politics as well as the king’s most seasoned counselors, and she knows how to play her cards. Over time, I’ve watched her cast her spell on His Majesty and many others, but no, she isn’t a witch. Even so, she’s not like the other ladies at court. Most women are modest and quiet, but my cousin is flirtatious and quick to speak her mind. She sprinkles her conversations with French phrases, which she speaks in a whispery, teasing tone. These traits seem to arouse the king, and other men as well.
But what you say is true enough. Many resent her, and others fear her rise. Some oppose her religious ideas and calls for reform. Among the common people, most are still loyal to Queen Katherine, who has reigned for over twenty years. Yet in the end, what the king’s subjects think really doesn’t matter. It’s what the king wants that counts.
A Novel
For fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir and Elizabeth Fremantle, an untold story about how the plot against Anne Boleyn entrapped a gifted young musician.
A glamorous queen, a volatile king, a gifted musician concealing a forbidden romance. Everyone knows Anne Boleyn’s story. No one knows Mark Smeaton’s.
On May 17, 1536, a young court musician was executed, accused of adultery and treason with the queen. Most historians believe both he and Anne Boleyn were innocent—victims of Henry VIII’s rage.
Mark Smeaton was a talented performer who rose from poverty to become a royal favorite. He played for the king in private and entertained at sumptuous feasts. He witnessed Anne Boleyn’s astonishing rise and fall—her reign of a thousand days. History tells us little about him, other than noting his confession and execution. The Queen’s Musician imagines his story, as seen from his perspective and that of the young woman who loves him. It all takes place amid the spectacle and danger of the Tudor court.
Historical | Literature and Fiction Literary [Spark Press, On Sale: May 27, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781684633104 / eISBN: 9781684633111]
Martha Jean Johnson is a writer of fiction and non-fiction and the author of a series of books and articles on public opinion and public policy. The Queen’s Musician is her debut novel. She also reviews trends in historical fiction and discusses her own love of reading and writing in her biweekly blog, Historical Magic. She currently divides her time between writing and her work with the National Issues Forums Institute, an organization that encourages civil discourse and nonpartisan deliberation on national and local issues. During a long public policy career, she analyzed and reported on American public thinking, working with noted social analyst and public opinion pioneer, Daniel Yankelovich. She has published articles in USA Today and The Huffington Post and appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. She is the author of a series of nonfiction paperbacks on major political issues, co-authored with Scott Bittle and published by HarperCollins. She holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Brown University, and Simmons College. She lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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