The queen of historical fiction, Alison Weir's new novel tells the story of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey – the man, his incredible rise to power and his tragic fall. She talks to historian Amy Licence, delving beyond the splendour and political machinations of the Tudor court to reveal the secrets of Wolsey's private life, the mistress he loved devotedly, and the tragedy that overtook them.

Dr Alison Weir is the biggest-selling female historian (and the fifth best-selling historian) in the UK since records began in 1997. She has published thirty-two titles and sold more than 3 million books. Her most recent titles include Queens At War (2025); Queens of the Age of Chivalry (2022); Queens of the Crusades (2020); A Tudor Christmas (2018); and Queens of the Conquest (2017).

Amy Licence is a best-selling author and historian of the medieval and early modern period, specialising in the lives of women, from queens to commoners. She has written a number of biographies and novels, including Tudor Roses; and Henry VIII's Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle. Amy is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has written for the Guardian, TLS, The New Statesman, BBC History, and others.