Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of two historical mystery series as well as several internationally bestselling historical novels, two of which were nominated for Edgar Award

Rhys was born in Bath, England and educated at London University but now divides her time between California and Arizona. Her books have been nominated for every major mystery award and she has won twenty of them to date, including five Agathas.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for the story?
Rhys Bowen: This series is rooted in real history. It follows the relationship between King Edward and Mrs. Simpson, starting from when they first met, progressing to when they got more serious, and now to 1936, when Edward insists on marrying her. In this book, the King, who is a good friend of Georgie’s husband Darcy, asks Darcy to help hide Mrs. Simpson. The story also includes other guests at the house, such as Georgie’s brother and sister-in-law, and a film crew. Georgie has to juggle these three groups of people.

Q: Why the title We Three Queens?
Rhys: The title references the three Queens: Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, who are part of the film being made, and Mrs. Simpson, who expects to become Queen. I aimed to make Mrs. Simpson’s character true to life.

Q: How does Georgie feel about Mrs. Simpson?
Rhys: Georgie doesn’t like her. Mrs. Simpson is very critical of Georgie, and having her as a guest is Georgie’s worst nightmare. Mrs. Simpson has a cutting tongue, bosses Edward around, and is self-centered, scheming, manipulative, and naïve for believing she can be Queen. She constantly mocks King George’s family.

Q: Why include this quote: “She may finally develop a conscience about what is happening to the Jewish population”?
Rhys: In England at the time, people weren’t fully aware of what was happening in Germany. By 1936, Jewish refugees began arriving with stories of threats and persecution, making the situation more apparent. I wanted readers to reflect on what happened when good people did nothing. In a previous book, I wrote about Edward meeting with Germans to discuss potential alliances.

Q: How would you describe Georgie’s sister-in-law, Fig?
Rhys: Fig is rude, demanding, and critical. Georgie doesn’t confront her because she doesn’t want to lose contact with her brother, whom she adores.

Q: What is the role of the film crew?
Rhys: The director is very aggressive and acts as if the entire property belongs to him. I wanted to draw a parallel between the struggles of Edward and Mrs. Simpson and those of past royalty, like Henry VIII, who also defied the Church of England. It was fun to highlight Hollywood’s behavior around English royalty.

Q: What about the black labs in the story?
Rhys: Georgie and Darcy gave each other one as a Christmas present the previous year. They’re lovable but quite naughty, chewing everything. English houses often have mischievous dogs. Labs, in particular, are very naughty until about two years old, when they settle down and become adorable.

Q: Can you share details about your upcoming books?
Rhys:

• The next Georgie book, Cradle to Grave, comes out next year. It explores Edward and Mrs. Simpson’s visit to Germany after their marriage. Fig will also send Georgie a nanny, and the plot will involve someone killing the sons of aristocrats.
• The next Molly Murphy book, Silence Is the Grave, is out in March. It delves into the early motion picture industry and the sabotage between two rival companies.
• My historical novel, tentatively titled Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure, releases in August. It’s about a middle-aged Englishwoman who, after her husband decides to divorce her, steals his Bentley and drives to the South of France with three other women. It’s a story of female bonds and the looming war in France