The Tudor Dynasty began at Leeds Castle. Queen Catherine, widow of Henry V, fell in love with Owen Tudor, a Welsh courtier. Owen Tudor’s background is said to have been obscure. In any event, his romantic involvement with the Queen Catherine caused a scandal. They married and became the grandparents of Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchs.
I took a guided tour of Leeds Castle in the 1990s, and that’s how I learned about the Tudor dynasty. The information inspired Chapter 10 of THE PRINCE IN THE TOWER, which highlights the rivalry between “Effie Butler” and “Maggie Tudor.” When “Maggie” makes a snide remark about surnames reflecting the occupation of one’s ancestors, “Effie” counters by remarking that Queen Elizabeth’s paternal grandmother was a Butler and brings up the story of Owen Tudor who “happened to be in the right place at the right time” to “improve his station in life.”
THE PRINCE IN THE TOWER 