The Waiting Game

The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens: A History

Nicola Clark

A colorful and authoritative narrative history of the often-overlooked—yet hugely influential—figures 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 María 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 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.

 Nicola Clark has a PhD in Early Modern History from Royal Holloway and is a Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Chichester. Her research focuses primarily on women's dynastic and political roles across the late medieval and early modern period. Her first book, Gender, Family, and Politics: The Howard Women, 1485-1558, was published by Oxford University Press. She has spoken about her research at events for Historic Royal Palaces, the National Archives, various schools, and academic institutions. She lives in England.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Clark mines the historical record to bring to the forefront the 'phalanx of pretty faces and velvet dresses ranged behind the queen' in Tudor costume dramas in this fresh, enlightening look at Henry VIII's reign. She flips the familiar narrative to the distaff perspective, examining the experiences of the upper-class women who served Henry's queens, uncovering the considerable soft power they wielded despite restrictive legal and social norms. Clark writes with well-researched authority, delivering a lively, accessible, and richly detailed read. The Waiting Game is nevertheless a notable addition to Tudor history." Booklist

"Written in a lively, accessible style, The Waiting Game is full of insight.” Suzannah Lipscomb, The Literary Review

"Abounds with names and careers 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, The Telegraph

"A compelling read, 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, author of The Lives of Tudor Women

"A fresh, thoroughly researched, and empathetic journey through the Tudor court from the perspective of the fascinating women who served there." Gareth Russell, author of The Palace

“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. A stunning, vivid read."?Joanne Paul, author of The House of Dudley Joanne Paul, author of The House of Dudley

"This well-researched new volume by Nicola Clark provides fascinating insights into the roles of these women." Country Life

"All too often ladies-in-waiting are the extras of historical drama, a glamorous but silent backdrop for the starring queens. Nicola Clark's fascinating narrative shows that once allowed a voice, they have all sorts of tales to tell us about a history we thought we knew, upending the conventional stories of the Tudor court." Catherine Fletcher, author of The Beauty and the Terror