As one of my 2026 reading goals is to have at least 40% of my books non-fiction and another goal is to focus on books written by women, I have been on the lookout for history books written by women. (Women are still underrepresented in most non-fiction categories, including history- let’s change that!) Today we are diving into the Tudor world and exploring the stories of women who have largely been lost to history, until now. For this week’s Book Bite, we have The Waiting Game by Nicola Clark!
The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women who served the Tudor Queens, Nicola Clark
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.
Why You Should Read This…
This was a fantastic book, and it is the perfect choice for anyone who has wondered what life at court was like.
Clark explores the lives of several ladies in waiting who served Henry VIII’s wives. These women saw the day-to-day life of the king and queen, and everything that entailed- daily court events, diplomatic visits, and even executions. They were expected to deal with an ever-changing job, and to do so on the move (as the court continued to progress around the country). I loved the level of detail included, like where they would sleep, how did they get these roles, what did they do with their days.
I also think that Clark’s exploration of their lives after being a lady-in-waiting was fascinating. So, you landed that noble husband after meeting him at court? What happened then? There is no one set path for a lady-in-waiting, and I love that she covered a wide range of outcomes (both good and bad).And we were able to get an idea of how things may have been different or similar for foreign-born ladies vs those born in England.
My one tiny qualm is that I expected to learn about ladies-in-waiting for all of the Tudor queens, not only Henry VIII’s wives. I do wish the title was more specific.
Is The Waiting Game by Nicola Clark on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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