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Digital Audiobook
The Queen's Musician by Martha Jean Johnson

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The Queen's Musician

Author
Martha Jean Johnson
Narrator
Thomas Judd, Henrietta Meire
Publisher
Lantern Audio
Publish Date
17 May 2026
Run Time
9 hours 49 minutes
Format
Audiobook
Genre
Historical fiction, Classic fiction: literary and general
$13.95

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What to expect

A glamorous queen, a volatile king, a gifted musician concealing a forbidden romance. Everyone knows Anne Boleyn's story. No one knows Mark Smeaton's. On May 17, 1536, a young court musician was executed, accused of adultery and treason with the queen. Most historians believe both he and Anne Boleyn were innocent—victims of Henry VIII's rage. Mark Smeaton was a talented performer who rose from poverty to become a royal favorite. He played for the king in private and entertained at sumptuous feasts. He witnessed Anne Boleyn's astonishing rise and fall—her reign of a thousand days. History tells us little about him, other than noting his confession and execution. The Queen's Musician imagines his story, as seen from his perspective and that of the young woman who loves him. It all takes place amid the spectacle and danger of the Tudor court.

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Details
Author
Martha Jean Johnson
Narrator
Thomas Judd, Henrietta Meire
Duration
9 hours 49 minutes
Release Date
17 May 2026
ISBN
9781971980133
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Lantern Audio
Genre
Historical fiction, Classic fiction: literary and general

Synopsis

A glamorous queen, a volatile king, a gifted musician concealing a forbidden romance. Everyone knows Anne Boleyn's story. No one knows Mark Smeaton's. On May 17, 1536, a young court musician was executed, accused of adultery and treason with the queen. Most historians believe both he and Anne Boleyn were innocent—victims of Henry VIII's rage. Mark Smeaton was a talented performer who rose from poverty to become a royal favorite. He played for the king in private and entertained at sumptuous feasts. He witnessed Anne Boleyn's astonishing rise and fall—her reign of a thousand days. History tells us little about him, other than noting his confession and execution. The Queen's Musician imagines his story, as seen from his perspective and that of the young woman who loves him. It all takes place amid the spectacle and danger of the Tudor court.

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