Royal historian’s Tudor tribute
Kate Chapman talks to Professor Tracy Borman OBE on the eve of the publication of her new book about Queen Elizabeth I.
It’s been a whirlwind time for historian Professor Tracy Borman, who has taken up a dream job, is going on tour to talk about her ground-breaking new book, and been honoured with an OBE for services to heritage.
Last year, Tracy was appointed chief historian for Historic Royal Palaces – the independent charity managing the UK’s unoccupied royal palaces, which include the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, The Banqueting House and Hillsborough Castle.
She had previously been joint chief curator since 2013, but has now transitioned into a more public facing role, which sees her focus more on telling the stories of the palaces and the people. And it’s a position she’s relishing.
“It’s an exciting new role, I get to spend my days researching and telling the stories of the palaces and the people who lived in them, as well as filming and giving tours. I spend my life immersed in history – it’s a dream job,” says Tracy, who grew up in Scothern on the outskirts of Lincoln.
“As before, my office is at Hampton Court, but I’m also spending a lot of time at the Tower of London where I’m recording the next series of Inside the Tower, which has been really popular for Channel 5.”
Book tour
Tracy spends a couple of days a week based at the royal palaces, which then allows her time to immerse herself in one of her other favourite roles – writing.
She has written many fiction and non-fiction books to date – including Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother & Daughter Who Changed History, which explores the previously hidden relationship between these two extraordinary women.
Her latest book The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty, is published by Hodder & Stoughton on 4th September, and Tracy is undertaking a nationwide book tour, starting in Scotland, to talk about her research and what it means.
“It’s quite exciting as we have some newly discovered evidence about Elizabeth I. For 400 years we’ve been led to believe that on her deathbed she left her throne to James VI of Scotland. But the main source for this has been proven to be fake.
“It was written on James’ order to make him King. It turns everything on its head, especially the smooth transition from the Tudors to the Stuarts.
“Hence the title The Stolen Crown – we’re now asking what did Elizabeth really intend for her succession? Who else had a claim? There’s lots of mystery, dark deeds and subterfuge.
“The book tells the whole story, questioning the succession, which was constantly on people’s minds – after all, she was the Virgin Queen who didn’t marry or have any children.
“The number one question on everyone’s lips was, who is getting the crown?” says Tracy, who studied history at the University of Hull, where she completed three degrees – focusing primarily on the reign of Elizabeth I – culminating in her PhD.
Fiction writing
As part of her book tour running from the end of August until December, Tracy will be returning to her hometown, preseting a talk in Lincoln on 8th October, in between working on more books. She explains: “For the next one, I’m going back to fiction with a novel about the Boleyn family. This has also been an amazing project to work on. I can’t say too much about it yet, but it’s a different way of telling the family’s story.
“I do love writing fiction, although I haven’t done any for a while, not since my trilogy about the Gunpowder Plot, The King’s Witch, which came out in 2018, as I have been focussing on non-fiction.
“I do tend to find non-fiction comes more naturally to me, but I have fallen in love with fiction – you can make things up and imagine scenes of what people would have said where you just don’t know.
“We have all of Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn, but none of her replies, so I’ve been imagining what she might have written in reply!” adds Tracy, who names the British Library as one of her favourite places to write.
Tracy’s next fiction book is due out in summer 2026 and she has two more novels and another non-fiction title already in the pipeline. She also has to fit her writing and research in around her filming schedule, which includes series eight of Inside the Tower. And she’s working on some more documentaries with series narrator, actor Jason Watkins. They previously worked together on Princes in the Tower – A Damning Discovery and have a couple more projects currently in production.
Award honours
Last year Tracy, who is chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln, was awarded an OBE for services to heritage in the King’s Birthday Honours. She received her honour in January, from The Princess Royal, during her investiture at Windsor Castle.
Tracy says: “That was an amazing surprise. It came out of the blue, I was bowled over. When the letter came through the post, I thought I was in some sort of trouble, it looked so official and was marked private and confidential. I genuinely thought they had the wrong person!
“My investiture took place earlier this year at Windsor Castle, it was such a special day as I was able to take my family with me.
It really is a highlight of my whole career. I’ve been so lucky – at school, history was the only thing I was any good at. Thankfully it all seems to have worked out!”
Tracy will give a talk on her new book The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty at the Blue Room, Lincoln, on the evening of 8th October
For tickets and more information visit www.tracyborman.co.uk/events
We Recommend
Never miss a copy!
Big savings when you take out a subscription.
Lincolnshire Life Magazine Newsletter 12/25 - mailchi.mp/lincolnshirelife.co.uk/lincolnshire-life-magazine-newsletter-12-25