I died over 500 years ago. Yet I am come to life in a recently-released novel titled THWARTED QUEEN. Who am I?
I am
Lady Cecylee de Neville, Duchess of York, Queen by Right and Abbess. I died on
the last day of May in 1495.
Why
should I interest you? What can this ancient crone say that could possibly be
of interest? Especially if you are not interested in history.
But I
think my life has relevance for the 21st century, because the way I set about
solving problems can serve as a model for you.
What
problems could I have had? I was an aristocrat, a lady of leisure. I never
starved or went without. But there were problems. Oh yes.
Ladies
were not treated kindly in my day. When we married, or rather, were forced to
marry, we gave up all our legal rights.
Can you
imagine a life where you could not sue or plead your case on your own behalf,
but had to consult your husband about everything?
But the interesting thing about the ladies of 1400s England, was that although,
legally speaking, we were treated as
doormats, we never quite acted as
one.
For
example, when Jacquetta Woodville’s family faced poverty due to the seizure of
their lands, she sent her eldest daughter to plead with the King, knowing it
unlikely that such a ladies’ man would be able to ride past her lovely
daughter. She succeeded so well that not only did the family get its lands
back, her daughter became Queen of England.
Then
there was the case of Lady Margaret Beaufort. No beauty, Lady Margaret was
nevertheless highly intelligent. Shortly after my son Richard, Duke of
Gloucester became Richard III, rumors swirled around court that he’d murdered
his nephews. Sensing that my son the King was losing his footing, Lady Margaret
schemed and plotted to ensure that her son - a totally unknown penniless exile
- became King of England. To my dismay, she succeeded so well that she, not I,
became My Lady, the King’s mother.
Then
there is my story. I have to say that when my husband went away one summer to
campaign against the French, I did not behave myself. When he returned to find
that I was bearing another’s child, he was not pleased. Nevertheless, he did
not lock me up. Instead he kept me so firmly by his side that I gave him 13
children in 17 years, and my lady-friends marveled at the way he doted on me.
It wasn’t quite like that, of course. But that is the way it seemed. As if I
had him wrapped around my little finger.
What do
the stories of these long-dead ladies show? They show that even though you have
to consult your husband about everything, you can get your hearts desire by
masking determination with patience. By listening carefully, and choosing the
right moment to brooch your subject. It also helps if you know your audience
well. In my case, I knew that a well-roasted capon, three glasses of excellent
claret, and the playing of Plus Bele Que
Flor usually did the trick when I wanted something. Naturally I would also
put on the violet gown he so admired, his favorite perfume, and make his
favorite posset. Whatever. I found those
tools to be effective methods of persuasion.
Having piqued your interest, I hope I can now persuade you to read my memoirs. My
scribe has made them available in various different forms. THWARTED QUEEN is
the whole tome. But if you don’t have time to read a 495-page tome, you
needn’t, for the narrative of my life falls into four parts:
THE
BRIDE PRICE is the story of my girlhood.
ONE SEED
SOWN is the story of how I misbehaved myself one summer when my husband was
away.
THE
GILDED CAGE is the story of my lord’s political career, the end of the Hundred
Years War and the beginning of the Wars of the Roses.
And
lastly, TWO MURDERS REAPED is the story of the last 35 years of my life, after
my husband died. It tells you what I got up to, when he wasn’t around.
I hope
you enjoy reading my memoirs. And if you do, please let me know what you think.
I am at various places in cyberspace. My Facebook page is called Lady Cecylee
Neville and I have a reading group of Goodreads called Lady Cecylee’s Reading
Circle. I hold an audience every day, and would enjoy meeting you all. And now
I fear I must retire, as I feel a little weary. Thank you all for your kind
attention.
CECYLEE,
Duchess of York,
Queen by Right
Abbess
Born
and raised in Surrey, England, CYNTHIA SALLY HAGGARD has lived in the United
States for twenty-nine years. She has had four careers: violinist, cognitive
scientist, medical writer and novelist. Yes, she is related to H. Rider
Haggard, the author of SHE and KING SOLOMONS’S MINES. (H. Rider Haggard was a
younger brother of the author’s great-grandfather.) Cynthia Sally Haggard is a
member of the Historical Novel Society. You can visit her website at: http://spunstories.com/
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