Alison Plowden
Encyclopedia
Alison Margaret Chichele Plowden (18 December 1931–17 August 2007) was an English
historian and biographer well known for her popular non-fiction about the Tudor
period.
She was born at Quetta
in India
, a descendant of both Edmund Plowden
and Henry Chichele
. Privately educated, she worked for the BBC
as a script editor. She produced the script for the television
series Mistress of Hardwick (about Bess of Hardwick
), which won her a Writers' Guild Award for the best educational television series, and several television plays, including Sweet England's Pride, and The Case of Eliza Armstrong.
She later recalled: "A secretary writing scripts was a little like a performing monkey at the BBC - there was a sort of 'Fancy, what a clever little girl' attitude."
In 1970 she decided to leave the BBC to go freelance. Her first book, ‘The Young Elizabeth’ (1972), was followed by ‘Danger to Elizabeth’ (1973), ‘Marriage With My Kingdom’ (1977), about Elizabeth's courtships, and ‘Elizabeth Regina’ (1980), which presented the Queen at the height of her powers. Collectively these books became known as Alison Plowden's "Elizabethan Quartet". While working on this series she also published ‘Tudor Women’ (1979). After the quartet she wrote ‘Elizabethan England: life in an age of adventure’ (1982). In addition she wrote many drama and other scripts for BBC radio between 1963 and 1988.
Later she turned her attention to the 19th century with ‘The Young Victoria’ (1983) and ‘Caroline and Charlotte’ (1989), then the Civil War period with ‘The Stuart Princesses’ (1996), about the six princesses of the House of Stuart who lived through the violent upheavals of the 17th century. This was followed by ‘Women All on Fire’ (1998), about the activities of women on both sides of the Civil War. One of these women was Queen Henrietta Maria
, of whom she published a biography in 2001. She continued with ‘In a Free Republic - life in Cromwell's England’ (2006) and the last of her 25 books ‘The Winter Queen’ (about Elizabeth Stuart
, wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
who accepted the crown of Bohemia), to be published posthumously in 2008.
She was devoted to animal welfare, and shared her home with two cats. She was unmarried.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
historian and biographer well known for her popular non-fiction about the Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
period.
She was born at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, a descendant of both Edmund Plowden
Edmund Plowden
Sir Edmund Plowden was a distinguished English lawyer, legal scholar and theorist during the late Tudor period.-Life:...
and Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele , English archbishop, founder of All Souls College, Oxford, was born at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, in 1363 or 1364...
. Privately educated, she worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a script editor. She produced the script for the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Mistress of Hardwick (about Bess of Hardwick
Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
), which won her a Writers' Guild Award for the best educational television series, and several television plays, including Sweet England's Pride, and The Case of Eliza Armstrong.
She later recalled: "A secretary writing scripts was a little like a performing monkey at the BBC - there was a sort of 'Fancy, what a clever little girl' attitude."
In 1970 she decided to leave the BBC to go freelance. Her first book, ‘The Young Elizabeth’ (1972), was followed by ‘Danger to Elizabeth’ (1973), ‘Marriage With My Kingdom’ (1977), about Elizabeth's courtships, and ‘Elizabeth Regina’ (1980), which presented the Queen at the height of her powers. Collectively these books became known as Alison Plowden's "Elizabethan Quartet". While working on this series she also published ‘Tudor Women’ (1979). After the quartet she wrote ‘Elizabethan England: life in an age of adventure’ (1982). In addition she wrote many drama and other scripts for BBC radio between 1963 and 1988.
Later she turned her attention to the 19th century with ‘The Young Victoria’ (1983) and ‘Caroline and Charlotte’ (1989), then the Civil War period with ‘The Stuart Princesses’ (1996), about the six princesses of the House of Stuart who lived through the violent upheavals of the 17th century. This was followed by ‘Women All on Fire’ (1998), about the activities of women on both sides of the Civil War. One of these women was Queen Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
, of whom she published a biography in 2001. She continued with ‘In a Free Republic - life in Cromwell's England’ (2006) and the last of her 25 books ‘The Winter Queen’ (about Elizabeth Stuart
Elizabeth of Bohemia
Elizabeth of Bohemia was the eldest daughter of King James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Anne of Denmark. As the wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, she was Electress Palatine and briefly Queen of Bohemia...
, wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
who accepted the crown of Bohemia), to be published posthumously in 2008.
She was devoted to animal welfare, and shared her home with two cats. She was unmarried.
Works
- Young Elizabeth (1971)
- Mistress of Hardwick (1972)
- Danger to Elizabeth (1973)
- The House of Tudor (1976)
- Marriage with My Kingdom: The Courtships of Queen Elizabeth I (1977)
- Tudor Women - Queens and Commoners (1979)
- Elizabeth Regina (1980)
- Young Victoria (1983)
- Two Queens in One Isle: The Deadly Relationship of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots (1984)
- Lady Jane Grey: Nine Days Queen (1985)
- Caroline and Charlotte (1989)
- The Elizabethan Secret Service (1991)
- The Stuart Princesses (1996)
- Women All on Fire: Women of the English Civil War (1998)
- Henrietta Maria: Charles I's Indomitable Queen (2001)
- In a Free Republic (2006)