The Waiting Game cover art

The Waiting Game

The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens

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The Waiting Game

By: Nicola Clark
Narrated by: Karen Cass, Nicola Clark
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About this listen

 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 María de Salinas, who travelled 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-honour 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 wives, and changed the very fabric of the country's structure besides, these 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.©2023 Nicola Clark (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Women England Tudor Marriage King

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Critic reviews

A compelling read, Nicola Clark's The Waiting Game tells the story of Henry VIII's reign through the eyes of the women of his court, and gives a fresh new perspective on this most important and transformative period in English history (Elizabeth Norton)
A fresh, thoroughly researched, and empathetic journey through the Tudor court from the perspective of the fascinating women who served there (Gareth Russell)
The Waiting Game is a meticulously researched, fresh and evocative tale of the women who inhabited the Tudor court. Nicola Clark reveals their intrigues, desires, ambitions and machinations as never before. The Waiting Game exposes the deadly game played by the women usually relegated to the background and proves that hell hath no fury like a lady-in-waiting scorned. A stunning, vivid read (Joanne Paul)
Written in a lively, accessible style, The Waiting Game is full of insight (Suzannah Lipscomb)
Abounds with names and careers that will be unfamiliar to many readers, and dazzling little nuggets of court life. Clark's eye for detail, as well as her instinctive grasp of the 16th century's treacherous politics, makes The Waiting Game a refreshing tonic to costume drama cliches of the early Tudor Court (Dan Jones)
I found it all fascinating (Anne de Courcy)
All stars
Most relevant  
I enjoyed every minute of this excellent book. While being full of careful research it was also an intriguing and fascinating story. I found the narration was a great - a real bonus that added to my involvement and I loved the wry asides.

An enthralling new perspective on Tudor history

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An excelent book on Tudor history. Fascinating to see a diffrent side to the Tudor Household. I wish there were more books like this where we get to see history from the Ladies In Waitings Point Of View 10/10

Marvelous history of The Tudors!

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This is a really interesting book about the women in Waiting to the Queens of Henry VIII. I have read A LOT about this period and I found that I was learning so many new and interesting things about women whose names I knew, but their life was not known to me.
As put (brilliantly) by the author: 'women's history does not have to be exceptional to be relevant'. This book absolutely supports this wonderful and true statement.

Refreshing and interesting

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Really well researched, there was basic information that I knew already and this really helped add to my knowledge.
Narration was great

Great books

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This book was made all the more enjoyable by the excellent narration and clarity of all the facts dates and correct titles of all the ladies of the court

Clarity can

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If you love Tudor history, this book is a must read. It's insite using real letters gives a different perspective

A very interesting read

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I was deeply captivated by the different ways these women’s stories led them, and how they interacted with the world around them

A fascinating look into the lives of noblewomen

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One of the best Tudor books I have read, a must read/listen!! I want more books about these "background" people!

Excellent!!!

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if you come away with nothing else from this book, let it be this. Its so interesting, learnt a great deal more about courtly life and women's historh

women's history does not have to be exceptional to be relevant

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I really hoped this might branch out and cover the lives of the ‘waiting women’ in more depth. However, it’s a retelling of the lives of Henry VIII’s 6 wives told via the guise of being about those who served them. There are much better books on this subject already published. I will look into returning this.
As for narration, another stuffy, awkward, upper class woman reading history. Doesn’t suit the subject matter. Lacks gravitas and makes the work sound shallower than it is.

Nothing new here

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