Launch: Elizabeth St. John’s The King’s Intelligencer

INTERVIEW BY MALLY BECKER

Elizabeth St. John writes historical fiction inspired by her ancestors, whose connections to England’s royalty offer unique insights into medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times. Her novels include The Lydiard Chronicles, The Godmother’s Secret, and The King’s Intelligencer, blending history, mystery, and family intrigue.

How would you describe this book and its themes?

The King’s Intelligencer explores loyalty, sacrifice, and courage, centering on Franny Apsley’s resilience within King Charles II’s debauched court. Blending mystery, romance, and political intrigue, it examines the personal costs of ambition and the daring needed to uncover a dangerous truth that could topple the throne.

What creative spark drove you to write The King’s Intelligencer?

While I was researching and writing The Godmother’s Secret, I experienced the haunting solitude of Westminster Abbey as I stood before the urn purportedly containing the bones of the missing princes. I knew I had to delve deeper into this unsolved mystery. Two centuries after their disappearance, a chance discovery of children’s bones in 1674 reignited the story of the missing princes in the Tower.

What convinced King Charles II that these remains belonged to the lost heirs, and how did he manipulate that discovery to boost his fragile hold on the throne?

My fascination grew when I discovered my own ancestors had served as spies and secret agents in his court, navigating dangerous plots aimed at overthrowing the monarchy. From these revelations, The King’s Intelligencer was born—a tale of espionage, loyalty, and deception that brings the darkest secrets of the turbulent Restoration era to life. As I uncovered more historical facts about the times and my family’s involvement, I was inspired to write historical fiction around it.

Your main character, Frances (Franny) Apsley, witnesses the discovery of bones suspected of belonging to the “missing princes,” the young heirs to the throne thought to have been murdered in the Tower of London in 1483–84. How did you balance truth and fiction in writing about this great unsolved mystery?

In all my novels, I carry out extensive research to ensure that the fiction remains firmly rooted in historical fact. Contemporary sources—eyewitness accounts, family letters, diaries, and official documents—are vital for achieving the highest level of authenticity. When piecing together the discovery of the bones in July 1674, I relied on several reports written just days after the excavation; and noticed that already there were conflicting stories around the discovery. I also consulted invaluable research from the Richard III Society, and made visits to the Tower of London, where conversations with curators were instrumental in helping me construct the narrative. Once I had established what I thought were foundational facts, I then introduced my characters to the find and let my imagination write the story.

Who is your favorite minor/secondary character? What makes them so special?

John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester was so much fun to write—and although a secondary character, he was the perfect guide to the Restoration Court, and he dominates the page when he appears. Rochester is widely recognized as the quintessential “bad boy” of Charles II’s court, with a well-documented reputation as a libertine, rake, and flamboyant courtier. However, beneath this bold exterior lies a man who was both vulnerable and intellectually gifted, a complexity that adds depth to his character.

Our family documents include poignant letters written by his mother, Anne St. John, during his final days as he lay dying of syphilis, reflecting her desperate search for a cure. We also find accounts of his deep affection for his children and his love of home. By incorporating these perspectives, I portray him not merely as a libertine but as a fully dimensional, vulnerable man capable of profound love and deep affection, uncovering the intricate layers of his character beyond his notorious reputation.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in the course of researching this novel?

That my family were intelligencers—agents of King Charles and the Duke of York. I knew that several of them had been spies during the Civil War—Sir Allen as an early member of the Sealed Knot; Nan Wilmot, Lady Rochester, as a spymistress informing against Oliver Cromwell, and this was an important theme in The Lydiard Chronicles. I did not know that they continued those roles in some form or another well into the Restoration. Discovering Allen’s son in the Duke of York’s household records as receiving “bounty” equivalent to thousands of pounds for his intelligence was hugely exciting—and really sealed the fate on the theme for the novel.

I’m always fascinated by other author’s writing journeys. What inspired you to start writing historical fiction?

My family—both present-day and historical! We have always enjoyed genealogy, and our records stretch back over a thousand years. Growing up, I adored reading and history and was always either writing stories or daydreaming I was in Narnia or at the court of Elizabeth I. Although family, work, and life interrupted my dream (in the nicest possible way), I finally sat down to write my first book, The Lady of the Tower, in my fifties, after discovering a four-hundred-year-old family diary about her life. The rest, as they say, is history.

What one piece of advice do you have for new writers interested in penning historical fiction?

Ground your story in thorough research, but let those details enrich rather than dominate the story. Readers will feel your love for history through the subtle, authentic touches you weave in, but what they’ll remember most are your characters within that world, and those timeless emotional truths that connect us all.

When it comes to revision and fact-checking, embrace it fully—it’s where your world comes to life, your voice becomes clear, where your characters’ motivations deepen and take shape. And most importantly, give yourself grace that this is a journey of patience and persistence. Historical fiction demands both, so the discipline of writing beautiful prose around impeccable research requires that you show up every day to do the work!

What’s the last great book you read?

Weyward by Emilia Hart.

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