Bradford on Avon author Suzannah Dunn’s 12th novel explores a period in the life of Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour, that has rarely been touched on in research.

The May Bride is told from the Queen’s perspective and explores Jane’s relationship with her sister-in-law, Katherine Filliol, who was later thrown into a convent to live in solitude.

The Queen herself died after giving birth to the future Edward VI. Ms Dunn, who wrote the novel in her Bradford home over two years, said: “I saw a flash of this story but almost nothing is known about it, which is rare as the Tudors are well documented.

“I was intrigued by it and tried to find out as much as I could. I let the research simmer, and then logged how I felt the story wanted to go.”

Ms Dunn, 50, has written books ranging from contemporary to short stories, but moved into historical fiction 10 years ago.

The author, who focuses on the Tudor period, said: “I love to do my research. I read a lot of historians’ work because we have some fantastic historians working in great detail for this period.”

The May Bride was released yesterday and can be bought from bookshops and online.