Keeper of the Queen's Jewels

Two women with opposing allegiances are bound together by desperate circumstances: one must birth a son to secure the throne. The other hides a dangerous secret that could cost them their lives.

No longer the meek and mild, ineffectual queen of the history books, Jane Seymour is reimagined as a woman on the precipice—one misplaced step away from oblivion.

In the maid’s dormitory, Margery Horsman struggles as she comes to terms with the fallout of her careless words, uttered recklessly in a fit of envy and greed, ending in the ruin and death of her first love. Surrounded, yet feeling alone and abandoned, Margery searches for her place in the world. When a young widower still grieving over the loss of his wife asks for her hand, Margery steps into a role she never imagined, that of mother to a half-orphaned boy.

As religious rebellion threatens to tear the country in two, fortune’s wheel turns, and formerly rising stars of the Tudor Court tumble. Amid the upheaval, a queen and her devoted maid will unite to preserve the legacy of Anne Boleyn for England’s once and future Queen: Gloriana.

"Adrienne Dillard's talent lies in her ability to combine a scholarly approach to research with imaginative empathy, and Keeper of the Queen's Jewels is her finest novel to date. In a sea awash with tired intrigue and scandal, Dillard's characters shine with brilliant, authentic humanity. The story of Henry VIII's third and most caricatured wife, the supposedly meek and colourless Jane Seymour, is woven with the little-known lady's maid, Margery Horsman, who had a 'great friendship' with Jane's predecessor, Anne Boleyn. The result is a gripping story, filled with natural uncontrived tension, a powerful narrative exploring love and hatred; a perfect balance of historical events informing a deeply human portrayal of two women who form a lasting bond in the fraught aftermath of Anne Boleyn's execution. You may fall in love with Margery, but Jane is fire and ice. This is Jane Seymour as you have never seen her before."

Olga Hughes, historian

"Adrienne Dillard has crafted a story that captures the minutiae of life as a lady in waiting amid a story of friendship, faith, and heartbreak in a time of political brutality. This novel brings readers into the heart of Jane Seymour's court, with an eye for detail that is a pleasure to read."

Gareth Russell, historical presenter and author of Young, Damned, and Fair