The Queen’s Musician is a work of fiction based on a handful of historical facts. In 1536, a young man named Mark Smeaton was executed for treason, accused of committing adultery with Anne Boleyn. Little is known about him or Madge Shelton, the book’s two storytellers. Historians have floated multiple theories about both of them.

What we know

Mark Smeaton was a musician in Henry VIII’s court, prominent enough to receive gifts and privileges from the king. He confessed to a treasonous affair with the queen, a confession that was almost certainly coerced. On May 17, 1536, he was beheaded along with four other men, all facing similar charges. Anne Boleyn died two days later. He was apparently “lowborn” and only twenty-three or twenty-four when he was executed.

Was he guilty?

Most historians today doubt whether Anne Boleyn and the five men were guilty of any the charges against them. The indictments listed trysts on dates shortly after the queen had given birth and/or when she was in a different location from the one named. Gareth Russell’s The Palace gives a crisp and entertainingly skeptical summary of the evidence against the queen and the accused men. Claire Ridgway offers thoughtful and meticulous assessments of the indictments and trials in her books listed below.

Today, no one knows what Mark Smeaton thought or feared or dreamed of during his lifetime. I have taken the liberty of reimagining a familiar tale from his perspective, blending fact, invention, and speculation.

The Queen’s Musician includes better-known historical figures such as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Cardinal Wolsey, and Thomas Cromwell. Even here, there is significant uncertainty about basic facts such as Anne Boleyn’s date of birth and the number of times she became pregnant. Experts offer starkly different theories about why the king fell out of love with her and the exact reasons for her fall and execution. Some five hundred years later, we are still debating the intentions and motivations of these powerful individuals. Were they admirable or vile? Who was guilty of what? I believe this lack of certainty explains why Anne Boleyn’s story has spawned so many novels, plays, and films. What we do know is so dramatic and puzzling, but what we know is limited.

My Lady Greensleeves

And yes—Greensleeves is often attributed to Henry VIII, while I imply that Mark Smeaton wrote it. According to experts, the music is likely Elizabethan, composed after both men died. Over the centuries, it has remained one of the world’s most beloved and familiar melodies. Many know it as the Christmas carol, What Child Is This? Today, you can listen to many different versions of Greensleeves online from vocalists, instrumentalists, and groups. Here’s just one of them from the a cappella chorus, The King’s Singers. I think it’s wonderful.

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