An Interview with Dr. Tracy Borman: Discussing her illustrious career

                 An interview with Doctor Tracy Borman

                                           Discussing her illustrious career

Today, I have the absolute pleasure to speak to Dr Tracy Borman, joint chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces and author of numerous books. Tracy has written numerous books and has appeared in numerous documentaries.

When did your interest in history begin?

I’ve loved history for as long as I can remember. One of my first summer jobs was dressing up as a Victorian jailer and showing visitors around Lincoln Castle prison! My parents always say it must have skipped a generation because they’re not particularly into history but my paternal grandfather, who died before I was born, had a huge collection of notebooks that he’d compiled, filled with local history stories that had caught his eye. My passion for the subject was really ignited by my ‘A’ Level history teacher. She brought it to life for me – the Tudors in particular. I remember she had copies of all the monarchs and their courtiers around the walls of the classroom. She also made me realise that history is about human beings, not just dates and events. That has stayed with me ever since and whenever I tackle a subject, I try to look behind their public image to the real person underneath. It has made me realise that, despite the enormous change we have witnessed over the past 500 or so years,  human nature doesn’t changed that much.

What steps did you take to become a historian?

After doing my ‘A’ Levels, I studied History at Hull University. I didn’t really want to go to university because I loved my home in Lincoln too much so I chose somewhere close by! But the History department there was incredible and I ended up staying on to do an MA and then a PhD. It was a very proud moment when I was made an honorary Doctor of Letters there five years ago and I will always be deeply grateful to Hull for the springboard that it gave me for my career. After graduating, I moved to London and took whatever job I could in heritage – and there were some pretty dead-end ones! My big break came when I was appointed Exhibitions and Events Manager at The National Archives. I still remember my first day so clearly because I was told to go to the ‘Saferoom’, where they keep all the most precious items in the collection, and choose what I thought should go in a new museum they were developing. There I was, surrounded by such historical treasures as Shakespeare’s Will, the Jack the Ripper files, and telegrams from the Titanic…to say I was like a kid in a sweetshop would be an understatement! I worked for several other heritage organisations after that, before joining Historic Royal Palaces and the Heritage Education Trust in 2008. I’ve been at both ever since.

Who is your favourite monarch and why?

Elizabeth I, hands down. She survived - and succeeded - against the odds and has rightly gone down as one of the greatest monarchs in British History. I find her strength, courage and self-discipline so inspiring. There’s a good reason why we’re still celebrating her, more than 400 years after her death. 

How did your career start at Historic Royal Palaces?

I’d long cherished an ambition to work for the palaces - Hampton Court in particular. Places of work don’t get much better than that for a Tudor historian! Then in 2008, I was offered the role of interim Head of Interpretation. It was a year’s maternity cover but fifteen years later I’m still there! In 2013 I was appointed Joint Chief Curator. The curators are the historians of the palaces so it’s an absolute dream job and I punch myself every day I’m there. 

What is it like being able to work at these historic sites?

An unending privilege. Walking in the footsteps of so many famous people from history - many of whom I’ve written about - is just incredible. I particularly love being at the palaces out of hours. They take on an atmosphere all their own. I’m not sure if I believe in ghosts but that would be the time to encounter one!

What made you want to start writing books?

I’ve always had an impulse to write. As a child, I wrote pretty terrible plays and stories. I’ve kept a diary since the age of 8. The discipline of writing something every day has proved invaluable to my subsequent career as an author. My writing career developed in parallel with my work in heritage. I owe so much to Alison Weir, Britain’s best-selling female historian, whom I met whilst working for The National Archives. She gave me so much encouragement and helped me draft a proposal for my first book - a biography of George II’s long-suffering mistress, Henrietta Howard. Since then, I’ve written eleven other non-fiction books and three novels. Writing is what I love most.

You have a historical fiction series based on the court of King James I, and the main protagonist is Frances Gorges. What was the inspiration for this series?

When I first started writing The King’s Witch trilogy, I naively thought that it would involve a lot less research than for my non-fiction books. I soon realised that the exact opposite is the case. Although I already have a good grounding in the periods that I recreate in my novels, my knowledge mostly extends to people, places and events, rather than to the social history that is so vital to bringing a historical subject to life in fiction. Pretty much every line I wrote had to be underpinned by painstaking research to make the narrative, dialogue and characters authentic – from the clothes, people wore to what they ate, how they addressed each other, how they passed the long hours of waiting for the king or queen to appear, etc etc. I spent a lot of time with seventeenth-century herbal remedies to recreate the world of my heroine, Frances Gorges, whose skills as a healer landed her in jeopardy when the witch-hunting King James I inherited the English throne. The inspiration for the series was my non-fiction book, Witches, about the witch hunts during James I’s reign. 

Do you believe Elizabeth I was indeed a virgin?

I do. And who could blame her? Her father ordered her mother’s execution, one of her stepmothers was also executed for adultery, another died in childbirth and her sister Mary suffered two phantom pregnancies. Not exactly a great advert for sex or marriage! Elizabeth also spent her early life living under the stain of her mother’s scandalous downfall (she was known as the Little Whore, daughter of the Great Whore) so she fiercely guarded her reputation - and, therefore, her virginity.

Why do you think Elizabeth I was a successful monarch?

Because she ruled with the head, not the heart. She was extraordinarily disciplined and sacrificed her own personal desires for the good of her kingdom. She was a truly inspirational leader too and a mistress of propaganda. At the beginning of her reign, it was considered ‘monstrous’ for a woman to ‘bear rule’, especially one who refused to marry. By the end of it, she was celebrated as Gloriana and the Virgin Queen, a legend in her own lifetime.

Have you got a favourite historical object?

It has to be the Chequers ring, a locket ring owned by Elizabeth from the 1570s. It opens to reveal two tiny portraits: one of Elizabeth herself and the other almost certainly her mother, Anne Boleyn. 

Do you specialise in just the Tudors? Or do you specialise in any other era?

I am a Tudor specialist and my PhD was on the reign of Elizabeth. But I have written about every period from Norman times to the present day. My book, Crown & Sceptre, explored 1,000 years of royal history. 

Do you have a favourite room when working at Hampton Court or the Tower of London?

The space that always gives me shivers down my spine at Hampton Court is the corridor that leads from the Tudor Kitchens to the Great Hall. I love being there outside of hours, particularly after dark, when it is lit only by the lanterns that are scattered along the passageway. I always expect to see a page or kitchen boy scurrying past with a roasted boar’s head or elaborately sculpted marchpane. At the Tower of London, I think my favourite place has to be the Beauchamp Tower. Seeing the graffiti carved into the walls by prisoners who knew they were going to die and were desperate to leave some lasting legacy is such an emotional experience. It makes the people from the past seem much closer, somehow.

Your most recent book, “Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History”, why did you want to write a book on these two incredible women?

Until now, Anne and Elizabeth’s stories have never been told together: the nature of their relationship, the impact it had on their own lives and those around them, and its enduring legacy. In part, this is understandable. Elizabeth was less than three years old when the Calais swordsman severed her mother’s head at the Tower of London on 19 May 1536. Even while Anne had lived, Elizabeth had seen little of her and had followed the traditional upbringing for a royal infant, established in a separate household, far removed from her parents at court. And then there is the impression that Elizabeth herself gave. ‘She prides herself on her father and glories in him’, observed Giovanni Michiel, the Venetian ambassador to England during the reign of Elizabeth’s sister Mary. The many references that Elizabeth made to her ‘dearest father’, and how she tried to emulate his style of monarchy when she became queen, all support this view.  

 

By contrast, Elizabeth is commonly (but inaccurately) said to have referred directly to Anne only twice throughout her long life. She made no attempt to overturn the annulment of her mother’s marriage or to have her reburied in more fitting surrounds than the Tower of London chapel. The obvious conclusion is that Elizabeth was at best indifferent towards, and at worst ashamed of Anne. But the truth is both more complex and more fascinating. Exploring Elizabeth’s actions both before and after she became queen reveals so much more than her words.

Where did you find your sources for this book?

Most of my research took place in the British Library and The National Archives. One of the most valuable sources was the account books and inventories of Anne and Elizabeth’s time. They reveal so much about the possessions that each woman cherished - many of which related to each other. 

You mentioned the exchequer ring, containing a portrait of Elizabeth I and an unknown woman. Who do you believe this woman to be? 

I think there’s a very strong case for it being Anne. The facial features are hers and she wears Anne’s characteristic French hood. Some doubt has been cast because the woman seems to have fair hair, but analysis has shown microscopic flecks of black enamel. It seems the rest has worn away over the years. Also, it would have been entirely in keeping with Elizabeth’s intense but discreet loyalty to her mother that she owned such a ring - in fact, she cherished it until the day she died. 

You have had the extreme privilege to see the exchequers ring. What was it like?

It was SUCH a privilege. I could hardly blink, I couldn’t believe I was actually going to see - and hold - this historical treasure. It’s absolutely exquisite - and so tiny and delicate. I could hardly feel it in the palm of my hand. And I clearly don’t have the long, slender fingers that Elizabeth and Anne were so proud of - it wouldn’t even fit on my little finger!

Do you have any theories on whether Anne left anything behind for Elizabeth?

I’d love to think she left her the famous ‘B’ pendant. Elizabeth certainly inherited Anne’s ‘A’ pendant as she’s wearing it in The Family of Henry VIII portrait. What happened to these pendants we’ll probably never know. But I love the tantalising prospect that the pearls from them are now part of the Crown Jewels!

This year, you launched your tour ‘How to be a good Monarch’ to coincide with King Charles III’s coronation. What was it like to do something so utterly different from what you usually do?

It was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure! I’ve given hundreds of talks in my career, but a theatre show is a whole different league. I can honestly say it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my career - but also one of the absolute best. I loved every minute.

Why did you want to do ‘How to be a good monarch’?

It was timed to coincide with King Charles III’s coronation. It was such a historic moment for the monarchy so I thought what better time to set it into context by exploring the reigns of some of his predecessors over the past 1,000 years?

Did you have help writing the script?

Yes absolutely. I worked with a brilliant theatre production company called Norwell Lapley Productions. The esteemed actor Tim Wallers (who played Prince Andrew in The Windsors) directed the show and helped develop the script. He was brilliantly creative and I learned so much from him. 

How did you decide what props to use?

That was a team effort. Some were obvious - the executioners’ block, for example. Others, less so - Queen Victoria’s stockings! But my favourite has to have been the magnificent throne, complete with built-in crown, orb and sceptre. The very last scene of the show involved me sitting in it. My only regret is that they didn’t let me keep it!

Do you have a favourite segment?

The Princes in the Tower. I have long been fascinated by that unsolved mystery and it was a very dramatic part of the show.

You do a lot of documentaries and TV series like ‘Inside the Tower of London’. What’s your favourite part of creating these productions?

I love working with the crew. Although some of its members change with each series, others have been there for all six. We work long hours and lots of early mornings, but the camaraderie makes it so much fun. I also love getting up to things that I wouldn’t in my ‘normal’ job, whether it’s climbing to the top of the White Tower or getting up close to Simon Sudbury’s 600+ year-old skull. 

When not at work doing something related to history, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I love going for walks with my dog Cromwell (named after Thomas, not Oliver), baking cakes and cycling. 

Do you have any tips for people wanting to start a career in history?

Study it as much as you can, get experience by volunteering or taking summer jobs at historic sites and make contact with people who are doing the same or similar career to the one you want to follow. Above all, don’t lose heart! If you have a passion for history, that’s the most important quality to succeed.

Finally, do you have a favourite historical fact?

Yes, and it’s no surprise it relates to Elizabeth I! She was very close to her astrologer, Dr John Dee. But not many people know he was also her spy and went by the code name…007!

Thank you so much to Dr. Tracy Borman for agreeing to do an interview! It has been an absolute pleasure speaking to you. 

Until next time, UnholyTudor! 🌹