The Tudor Queens' Midwife

My guest today shares insight into the characters in her Tudor historical fiction series. While not historical figures, it is easy to imagine that real women like these midwives existed. Author Brigitte Barnard gives those nameless women voices in her new series that celebrates the special work and skills of women as well as their varied faiths and beliefs.

Welcome, Brigitte!

~ Samantha

The Tudor Queens' Midwife: Guest Post by Brigitte Barnard

I wish to speak of a woman whose life is woven with both purpose and peril. Sarah Mendez is a midwife, a mother, and a woman who moves carefully through the world, ever mindful of the shadows that stalk her. She serves at the court of King Henry VIII, tending to the needs of Queen Katherine of Aragon. But her story is not only one of duty—it is one of quiet strength, of knowledge passed from mother to daughter, and of burdens carried in silence.

Sarah is no stranger to suffering. She has long battled a sickness that lingers in her chest, stealing her breath and sapping her strength. Her illness is an enemy that does not strike swiftly but rather lingers, reminding her daily of the frailty of life. Yet she refuses to yield to it. Instead, she focuses on what she can control—preparing her young daughter to follow in her footsteps. The knowledge of a midwife is not written in books, but passed from hand to hand, from heart to heart. And Sarah is determined that her child will carry on the work she has devoted her life to, even if she cannot remain by her side forever.

At court, Sarah has witnessed the greatest sorrows of Queen Katherine’s life. The queen has endured the death of many babies; some too small to draw breath. She has endured two miscarriages, a stillbirth, and, most painfully, the death of a son who lived for only fifty days. England had rejoiced at the birth of the New Year's Day Prince, believing he was the heir they had long awaited. But grief followed swiftly, and Sarah was there, tending to the queen’s broken heart as much as her body. She has seen the queen’s tears, heard her whispered prayers in the stillness of the night, and offered what comfort she could, though there are wounds even a healer cannot mend.

But life at court is not only a place of sorrow—it is a place of secrets. And Sarah carries more than most. She is careful with her words, careful with her actions. She knows that there are those who watch closely, who listen too well, who ask too many questions. A friend of the queen’s has begun to take notice of her in ways that make frissons of fear run up her spine. There are glances that linger too long, inquiries made in hushed tones. Sarah has always known that silence is her greatest shield, but even silence cannot guard against suspicion.

Still, she continues her work. She delivers new life into the world even as her own fades. She teaches her daughter not only the art of midwifery but the art of moving unseen, of knowing when to speak and when to hold her tongue. She does what she must to protect what is most precious.

Sarah Mendez is more than a midwife. She is a woman who walks a delicate path, whose life is bound by duty, by love, and by truths she dares not speak aloud. But even in the face of uncertainty, she endures, ensuring the continuation of her maligned ancestry. And that, perhaps, is the greatest legacy she can leave behind.

Read more in The Tudor Queens' Midwife!

Brigitte Barnard is an amateur historian and home birth midwife whose deep passion for history and expertise in maternal care bring exceptional authenticity to her storytelling. A mother of four, she also breeds Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Currently, she is working on her next book—a nonfiction exploration of dynastic childbirth in the Tudor court.