Jan Lloyd’s New Historical Novel Examines Royal Ambition in 'Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow'

CARDIFF, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Author Jan Lloyd will publish Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow on September 2, 2026. The researched historical novel tells the story of Lady Arbella Stuart, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I and direct descendant of Henry VII whose royal ancestry placed her among the leading claimants to the English throne. Through an intimate narrative spanning two generations, the book examines how political ambition, family influence, and questions of succession restricted Arbella’s freedom. Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow will be published on September 2, 2026.

A Lesser-Known Royal Life Reconsidered

Beginning in 1575, Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow enters an England facing uncertainty about its future. Elizabeth I is growing older without an heir, religious division continues to generate unrest, and powerful families are considering who might eventually inherit the crown.

Arbella’s bloodline gives her political importance from childhood. Her upbringing, relationships, and possible marriage are closely monitored by people who understand the influence she could hold. The novel explores the personal consequences of that attention and presents Arbella as an intelligent young woman seeking agency within a life largely directed by others. The story also includes familiar figures from Tudor and early Stuart history, including Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Francis Walsingham, the Cecils, the Lennox family, and James of Scotland.

“Arbella Stuart had a remarkable place in English history, yet her life is often overshadowed by the more familiar personalities of the Tudor court,” said Jan, Author of Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow. “I wanted to explore the woman behind the royal claim and give readers a closer understanding of the hopes, pressures, and relationships that shaped her life.” You can purchase the book through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Arbel-Majesty-Sorrow-Jan-Lloyd/dp/1068436131/

A Two-Part Story Told Through a Loyal Companion

The novel is divided into two sections. Part One, “Lizzie,” follows Elizabeth Cavendish, Arbella’s mother, as a young woman in the household of Bess of Hardwick. Readers encounter the great houses of Chatsworth and Hardwick alongside the marriages, property arrangements, and royal connections that strengthen the family’s position.

Part Two, “Arbella,” turns to the daughter raised with royal expectations and limited personal freedom. Her position draws her into a closely watched world where private decisions may carry consequences for the monarchy.
Both parts are narrated through Margaret “Meggie” Brise, a Suffolk girl who becomes Lizzie’s companion and later Arbella’s lifelong guardian. Meggie’s perspective gives the novel a personal view of court politics and the domestic spaces where alliances are formed.

Research-Grounded Historical Storytelling

Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow is written for readers interested in Tudor history, women-centred historical fiction, royal succession, and overlooked lives from the past. Its drama develops through households, letters, portraits, family loyalties, and political surveillance.
Jan’s earlier publications include the War Torn trilogy. Its first volume was published in 2023 when she was seventy-three, following four decades in which the original manuscript remained unpublished. She completed the trilogy with two additional books in 2025 and published the paranormal time-travel novel Fragments of Time that same year. Here is a recent article published about the book.

About Jan Lloyd

Jan is a former mathematics and science teacher who also worked with students learning English as an additional language. Her fiction draws upon extensive research, careful observation, and a longstanding interest in the individuals whose experiences sit beyond history’s most familiar narratives.

Jan Lloyd
Author of Arbel: Majesty and Sorrow
oghanlloyd@msn.com
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