Q&A With Susan Abernethy 

Susan Abernethy is the author of the historical biography titled Charles II’s Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza. Susan has had work appear on historical websites and magazines and has starred in several historical podcasts. Susan also has a blog titled The Freelance History Writer and has published over five hundred articles! I am so honored and excited about doing this Q&A with Susan! Anyone interested in buying a copy of Susan’s book is welcome to clicking on this link & it’ll take you to Blackwell’s online bookstore Charles II’s Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza from Blackwell’s

A: Hi Bianca and thanks for having me. My debut book is a combination of two topics of interest. First, I’ve been fascinated with Catherine of Braganza for many years since reading a book about her by the historical fiction writer Jean Plaidy as a teenager. Over the years it seemed to me that Catherine was overshadowed by Charles II’s more glamorous and notorious mistresses, and I believed she needed a rehabilitation of her reputation. Secondly, I wanted to put Catherine in perspective regarding the long-standing alliance between England and Portugal and within the Portuguese seaborne empire. Her legacy resides in the Marriage Treaty of 1662 in which England gained the ports of Tangier and Bombay. Catherine brought with her to England certain articles such as cane chairs, lacquer cabinets and porcelain which would enter many English households over the successive centuries. Readers will find many surprising facts about Catherine in the book. 

Q: I’m happy that authors are writing books about royals that aren’t as well discussed and not about the same ones (cough cough The Tudors). I’m happy that this book is about a Catholic Queen of England during a time where England was hostile to Catholics. What made you want to write a historical biography about Catherine of Braganza? How long did it take you to research and write Catherine’s history?

A: I’ve had the idea about writing a book about Catherine for a long time. When I began my research, it was clear there had not been any recent detailed biographies of her for many years. And there had been a great deal of scholarship in the concept of queenship that needed to be integrated into her story. I wanted Catherine to be the focus of the book, with as little interaction of the mistresses as possible. Because of my lack of knowledge about Portuguese history, it took me about 4 years of research to write the book. The history of Portugal was critical to understanding Catherine’s place in history and how her marriage came about. I love the idea of the uniting of two restored monarchies; the Stuarts and the Braganzas. 

Q: What were your favorite parts that you wrote in Catherine of Braganza’s biography? What do you hope readers learn after reading your book?

A: So many favorites. Perhaps the most important thing I learned was the resilience of Catherine’s personality. She departed the only country and royal court she had ever known since birth, at the age of 23, to go to a decidedly different country and court. The culture shock even made her ill. But she had the wherewithal to make the necessary changes to her outlook on life. It’s amazing how she adapted to the rowdy Stuart court, learning to dance, initiating a private circle for the courtiers in the evenings, and patronizing music and Baroque Catholic artistic culture. This is what I hope readers will learn. She wasn’t weepy and depressed all the time and in the background of the mistresses.

Q: Susan, would you please provide links to your blog & social media accounts so my readers and I can follow you? What’s it like having so many historical articles being published to the blog, guest starring on historical podcasts and having work featured in historical websites & magazines? 

A: Absolutely! I started the blog in 2012 more as a hobby and a way to exercise my brain to keep sharp and to study my most favorite topic in the world: history. The articles, podcasts, and magazine articles to me are a joy. I get to read and research and write about history, something I could do all day long. I love sharing these stories and if someone’s interest is piqued and they read a history book, that is my goal. 

The Freelance History Writer blog

The Freelance History Writer Facebook Page

Bluesky

The Freelance History Writer on Threads

The Freelance History Writer on Instagram

Q: On your Amazon bio you are currently working on your third book? Which royals will your second and third book discuss? When does book 2 come out?

A: I’m very pleased that my second book will be released in October 2025. This book is a little bit different from the first book about Catherine of Braganza. During my years of studying history, I learned about the Valois Dukes of Burgundy. These French dukes ruled over a vast collection of territories in northern Europe, specifically in the Low Countries, parts of France and parts of the Holy Roman Empire. They started out with a handful of duchies and counties and over the years from 1393 to 1477, increased their territories through purchase, marriages, and military conquest. The book concentrates on the women related to these dukes including their wives, daughters, granddaughters and nieces who were married into various European houses. It’s a collection of thirty-one women, some of whom were queens, duchesses, countesses and even a saint. I believe readers will enjoy their stories. It’s called The Formidable Women of Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage in the Burgundian Court.

Book three is about another prominent Stuart royal. It will be built on Catherine of Braganza’s story. I’m currently searching for a publisher for this work.

Q: I’m glad Starz is making more series about royals that haven’t been covered a thousand times, one of them being Alison Weir’s books about Eleanor of Aquitaine & Isabella The She Wolf of France. If Starz or anyone else in Hollywood were to do a series about Catherine of Braganza using your book, who do you envision playing the Portuguese Queen of England? I would hope they choose a Portuguese or Spanish actress. 

A: It would be the biggest thrill to have my book made into a movie. As far as the actress, that is a great question. I found this actress, Camille Belle, and I believe she would be great in the part. She really resembles Catherine. And maybe the great and talented Penelope Cruz could play Catherine in her later years when she returned to Portugal.