What is Elin’s Story?

Elin’s Story is three things. First it is the true life story of Elin Ulfsdotter who was born in Sweden in or around 1550. In 1565 she came to England as a maid-of-honour in the service of Princess Cecilia, the sister of the King of Sweden. When the Princess left England in 1566, Elin remained. She was courted by William Parr, Marquess of Northampton, and eventually married him. After the Marquess died, she became a lady-in-waiting at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. She was known as Helena Northampton and ‘the Lady Marquess’ and when the Queen died in 1603 Lady Helena was the most senior noblewoman and chief mourner in the funeral courtege. She lived another 22 years, finally dying in 1635.

Elin’s Story is also a series of historical novels-in-writing based on the dry facts of Elin’s life. In the novels I seek to bring Elin back to life, to give her a voice and allow her to tell her story. I also seek to tell the stories of some of the people around her, and to illuminate the times in which they all lived.

Finally, Elin’s Story is this website which you might think of as the ‘extra material’ associated with the novels. The site, which I’ll be building up over the coming months, will:

  • share many historical facts behind Elin’s Story that might not make it into the novels,
  • give more details about Elin the real, historical person
  • present the other historical and fictional characters that come into the novels
  • discuss the times and the places that touch on Elin’s life or that the story weaves around
  • share extracts from the drafts of the novels
  • discuss the writing of the novel and share daily status progress updates

Reader! I hope you will find the site interesting and entertaining, that you’ll share it with others, and that you will be intrigued enough to want to buy copies of the novels as they’re published.

Welcome to Elin’s Story and elinsstory.com !

John

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