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Six Tudor Queens #4.5
The King's Painter
The King's Painter by bestselling historian Alison Weir is an e-short and companion piece to the captivating fourth novel in the Six Tudor Queens series, Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets.
'There are certain matters that are better handled by ladies than by ministers or ambassadors'
King Henry VIII is set to marry a woman he's never met. Wary of rumours whispered by foreign envoys, he sends Susanna Gilman, royal painter and trusted friend, to Kleve to find out more about his chosen bride.
Before long, Susanna is returning to England with the Princess Anna, assuring the King she is a suitable match. But the King is disappointed - Anna is not as beautiful as her portrait.
Susanna is called upon once again to use her position as confidante to the new Queen to find out more about her past, and free the King from his marriage. But will she be able to put her blossoming friendship with Anna to one side to fulfil her duty to the King?
Featuring the first chapter of Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets.
SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS.
44 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2019
About the author
Alison Weir
95 books8,687 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.
Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 23, 2025
Looking for something entertaining that would not take long, I pulled out this short piece by Alison Weir. White I have read all the novels in Weir's Six Tudor Queens collection, some 'filler novellas' never made it to me during the experience. This is one of them and I wanted to check it off my list. Dealing with the period preceding Henry VIII's fourth wife, Weir handles some of the drama before he wed Anne of Cleves. Weir makes some great depictions in short order with this piece, sure to impress series fans and those who like all things Tudor!
After three marriages went awry, King Henry VIII is looking for his next wife. He’s agreed to marry a woman he’s never met, though would like some idea of her beauty. Henry calls upon Susanna Gilman, a royal painter, to head to Cleves to meet the princess Anne and depict her on canvas. Susanna agrees and Henry is pleased with the result. However, upon meeting Anne, Henry does not like her appearance, marrying her only out of commitment. He asks Susanna to be his eyes and ears at Court, hoping she can come up with a reason he might annul the marriage and save face. With the pressure of the Crown, Susanna sets out to serve her king and yet stay true to herself. Weir pens a great story that fills in the gaps.
There is something about an Alison Weir novel that always takes the reader on an epic adventure. The same can be said of her shorter piece, of which this is a prime example. Told swiftly and yet with detail, Weir lays the groundwork of the story in the opening pages. She builds things up with a few characters who add some depth to the writing experience. Using some plot points and references to history, Weir keeps the reader hooked as all the pieces come together nicely. This series has always been one I enjoyed.
Kudos, Madam Weir, for a delightful filler piece in one of your strong series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After three marriages went awry, King Henry VIII is looking for his next wife. He’s agreed to marry a woman he’s never met, though would like some idea of her beauty. Henry calls upon Susanna Gilman, a royal painter, to head to Cleves to meet the princess Anne and depict her on canvas. Susanna agrees and Henry is pleased with the result. However, upon meeting Anne, Henry does not like her appearance, marrying her only out of commitment. He asks Susanna to be his eyes and ears at Court, hoping she can come up with a reason he might annul the marriage and save face. With the pressure of the Crown, Susanna sets out to serve her king and yet stay true to herself. Weir pens a great story that fills in the gaps.
There is something about an Alison Weir novel that always takes the reader on an epic adventure. The same can be said of her shorter piece, of which this is a prime example. Told swiftly and yet with detail, Weir lays the groundwork of the story in the opening pages. She builds things up with a few characters who add some depth to the writing experience. Using some plot points and references to history, Weir keeps the reader hooked as all the pieces come together nicely. This series has always been one I enjoyed.
Kudos, Madam Weir, for a delightful filler piece in one of your strong series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 10, 2022
Yet another in the Six Tudor Queens series of short story ebooks. This one is from the view of Susanne Gilman, a painter of portrait miniatures who includes the King as a sitter. And the King sends her - and her new husband - to investigate his newest bride Anne of Kleves as well as provide a English language tutor as her party leaves home and travels to Calais and eventually her bridegroom.
It provides an outsider set of eyes not only from a gentlewoman in the Queen's employ as rumors regarding her swirl while Henry has started chasing Kathryn Howard but from a distance after Suzanne leaves court to focus on her art and family. The tale ends shortly after Mary takes the throne.
Weir has made a habit of providing these insights in the English Tudor court at different times from quite the variety of people although they're usually women who would be more sympathetic and connected to the queens that Henry moved in and out of his life with regularity. Histories of female painters from that time are likely part of a highly specialized publication even with any connections to a royal court.
2022-009
It provides an outsider set of eyes not only from a gentlewoman in the Queen's employ as rumors regarding her swirl while Henry has started chasing Kathryn Howard but from a distance after Suzanne leaves court to focus on her art and family. The tale ends shortly after Mary takes the throne.
Weir has made a habit of providing these insights in the English Tudor court at different times from quite the variety of people although they're usually women who would be more sympathetic and connected to the queens that Henry moved in and out of his life with regularity. Histories of female painters from that time are likely part of a highly specialized publication even with any connections to a royal court.
2022-009
July 26, 2021
A nice titbit of historical fiction about Susanna Gilman, the painter who supposedly served as a spy to Henry VIII to try and understand whether Anna of Kleves was virgin. A good introduction to Alison Weir's fourth novel in the "Six Tudor Queens" series.
January 3, 2026
nice palate cleanser to follow the previous book and interesting to hear from a side character but didn't gel with it 100% considering she can't actually be connected to anna's portrait - i understand it's fictional but can't help how it landed for me!!
April 3, 2020
3.5 star
These novelles are not necessary for this series but they gave a little extra to the series and I like it. This one was no exception.
These novelles are not necessary for this series but they gave a little extra to the series and I like it. This one was no exception.
October 14, 2019
I do enjoy these short snippets, that lead up to the main book. Considering there's so much information included in the main big books, these are quite often spin 0ff books regarding minor characters who may or may not briefly appear in the main books. I have not yet read Anna of Kleves, although I do own it. I do find that with these books, they can put you in the mood for reading them.
This is a nice quick little story, which only lasts to 59% of the book, and the rest is taken up by the first chapter of the main book (which I never read). This is based around Susanna, a painter, who is rumoured to have been a painter for King Henry, regularly doing his portraits, although as Alison mentions in the Author's NOte, no known examples of her work survives, and she cannot be attributed to the existing paintings of Henry VIII.
This is an easy read, and sticks closely to the formula of Alison's other short stories, and her main books. You can zip through it in no time.
There is an odd little section in the book, where Henry describes Anna, which I found a bit jarring, but I suppose it was a bit "of its time":
"Has she done nothing wrong? I have good reason to mistrust her virginity, Mistress Gilman, I have felt her belly and her breasts, and I can judge by their looseness and other tokens that she is no maid."
Can you imagine a boy/man judging whether you were a virgin or not by the "looseness" of your belly and breasts? In my mind, I've always pictured Anna as being plump, but Henry wasn't exactly thin in later life.
I would recommend this if you just want a quick read or don't quite have the time to dedicate yourself to one of Alison's tomes just yet.
This is a nice quick little story, which only lasts to 59% of the book, and the rest is taken up by the first chapter of the main book (which I never read). This is based around Susanna, a painter, who is rumoured to have been a painter for King Henry, regularly doing his portraits, although as Alison mentions in the Author's NOte, no known examples of her work survives, and she cannot be attributed to the existing paintings of Henry VIII.
This is an easy read, and sticks closely to the formula of Alison's other short stories, and her main books. You can zip through it in no time.
There is an odd little section in the book, where Henry describes Anna, which I found a bit jarring, but I suppose it was a bit "of its time":
"Has she done nothing wrong? I have good reason to mistrust her virginity, Mistress Gilman, I have felt her belly and her breasts, and I can judge by their looseness and other tokens that she is no maid."
Can you imagine a boy/man judging whether you were a virgin or not by the "looseness" of your belly and breasts? In my mind, I've always pictured Anna as being plump, but Henry wasn't exactly thin in later life.
I would recommend this if you just want a quick read or don't quite have the time to dedicate yourself to one of Alison's tomes just yet.
October 1, 2019
Review - I didn't enjoy this e-short as much as some of the others in the Six Tudor Queens series, but it was an interesting view of Anne of Cleves through the eyes of a female painter - Susanna Gilman. I haven't yet read Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets but with some of the suggestions in this story I look forward to seeing Weir's interpretation, though I am sure I won't agree with some of the historical license she takes with the gaps in the story!
Genre? - Historical / Novella
Characters? - Susanna Gilman / Anne of Cleves / Henry VIII / Thomas Cromwell / Katherine Howard / Jane, Lady Rochford
Setting? - Cleves (Germany), Calais (France) & London (England)
Series? - Six Tudor Queens #4.5
Recommend? – Yes
Rating - 16/20
Genre? - Historical / Novella
Characters? - Susanna Gilman / Anne of Cleves / Henry VIII / Thomas Cromwell / Katherine Howard / Jane, Lady Rochford
Setting? - Cleves (Germany), Calais (France) & London (England)
Series? - Six Tudor Queens #4.5
Recommend? – Yes
Rating - 16/20
September 18, 2022
I really enjoyed this story!
Any one who follows my blog will know that I do love my history books, both nonfiction and fiction and I also love an Alison Weir book and the Tudor period too so this was always going to be one I enjoyed - I hoped!
I had downloaded all the novellas that accompanied the Six Tudor Queen series but hadn't finished reading them all, this was my last to read as I had spread them out. I read this in one sitting last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The characters in the book were well developed and I loved the interaction. It was an easy book to follow and there was a lot that actually covered Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII which I enjoyed. I liked the plot and thought that it all worked really well together, this is probably my favourite of the short stories that go with the main series.
It is 5 stars from me for this one, a nice and quick read and thoroughly enjoyable!
Any one who follows my blog will know that I do love my history books, both nonfiction and fiction and I also love an Alison Weir book and the Tudor period too so this was always going to be one I enjoyed - I hoped!
I had downloaded all the novellas that accompanied the Six Tudor Queen series but hadn't finished reading them all, this was my last to read as I had spread them out. I read this in one sitting last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The characters in the book were well developed and I loved the interaction. It was an easy book to follow and there was a lot that actually covered Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII which I enjoyed. I liked the plot and thought that it all worked really well together, this is probably my favourite of the short stories that go with the main series.
It is 5 stars from me for this one, a nice and quick read and thoroughly enjoyable!
August 26, 2023
Susannah Gilman is not someone I had not heard of before reading Anne of Cleve and was interesting to hear about a female painter
This story was fascinating to hear more about her and her life and certain parts that we saw from Anne of Cleves perspective to then see them from Susannah was interesting, and felt bad for her after parting from Annes service and glad that they at least semi made up at the end. Very fascinating read
This story was fascinating to hear more about her and her life and certain parts that we saw from Anne of Cleves perspective to then see them from Susannah was interesting, and felt bad for her after parting from Annes service and glad that they at least semi made up at the end. Very fascinating read
December 1, 2019
In late 1539, the widowed Henry VIII is preparing to marry Anna of Kleve. Gifted artist, Susanna Gilman, the sister of Lucas Horenbout, takes the King's likeness and he confides his concerns. There are rumours... Can Susanna Gilman ascertain the truth and allay the King's troubled mind?
I was intrigued when I learned that this e-short, part of a series that complements the main novels, would feature Gilman. Unfortunately, we don't see or learn much about her. It's primarily Susanna's observations of Anna and her POV of events we see in the Queen of Secrets.
Like all the e-shorts in the series, the King's Painter is a quick read. Weir's writing remains strong, but this is one of the stories one can skip unless you're a committed fan.
I was intrigued when I learned that this e-short, part of a series that complements the main novels, would feature Gilman. Unfortunately, we don't see or learn much about her. It's primarily Susanna's observations of Anna and her POV of events we see in the Queen of Secrets.
Like all the e-shorts in the series, the King's Painter is a quick read. Weir's writing remains strong, but this is one of the stories one can skip unless you're a committed fan.
January 10, 2022
It was good while she was with Anna, but after that, it was another "fast forward until death".
With the poor quality of these shorts, they're obviously "publisher demanded" and not "Alison desired".
They're so bad, in fact, that I'm not going to continue to review unless (and until) I come up against something really good. I'll just mark them off for my reading list and that will be that.
With the poor quality of these shorts, they're obviously "publisher demanded" and not "Alison desired".
They're so bad, in fact, that I'm not going to continue to review unless (and until) I come up against something really good. I'll just mark them off for my reading list and that will be that.
September 28, 2025
An unknown woman who deserved her own short story! According to Wikipedia, the first known female artist in England! She served several people in the Tudor court, and in this story, we see how much she may have learned from Henry VIII and Anna of Kleve. I really liked to see her POV, so this was a good addition to the series.
March 31, 2020
Good. Nice accompanying short story to fit in between books 4 and 5 of the six book series.
December 20, 2020
Loved the way the author made this character jump off the page and take me back with her to history. Lovely little vignette.
December 16, 2021
Not bad, but not great.
Probably more coherent than many of the others in this series, with decent character development.
Probably more coherent than many of the others in this series, with decent character development.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews