For anyone who watches ‘Digging for Britain’, the BBC’s brilliant show about archaeology in the UK, you may have noticed that presenter Professor Alice Roberts often wears my jewellery.
In 2026 we finally connected on instagram and the conversation led to us sharing a very special moment.
Known primarily for her non-fiction works, Alice had written her first novel for adults, ‘The Goddess Queen’ about the reign of Cleopatra, with chapters written from the perspectives of both Cleopatra and Mark Antonius.
The third and final stop of her book tour was to be held in the beautifully refurbished St Mary’s church near Marble Arch, London, in early September 2026. It was a fantastic opportunity for Alice to appear on stage wearing something spectacular but without it becoming a Cleopatra costume. Between us we decided that ‘Pagoda I’ was the perfect choice for Alice, regal and pharaonic…. and she looked stunning!!
Alice was interviewed on stage by author and critic Antonia Senior. They discussed the complex politics and power struggles between Egypt and Rome, Cleopatra’s relationship with Mark Antonius and the significance of her reign over this ancient civilisation. It was a fascinating evening.
Alice is as warm and lovely in real life as she is on TV and I was thrilled that our creative paths could intersect for this special moment. It was also an enormous privilege for my work to be connected across thousands of years of history with this formidable woman and ruler, Cleopatra, who remains iconic and relevant in our culture to this day.
I also had the great pleasure of meeting actor Harry Lloyd (GOT) who reads as Mark Antonius in the audio book, also Luigi Bonomi, Alice’s literary agent and her editor Holly Harris.
‘The Goddess Queen’ is available at Waterstones, published by Simon & Schuster ltd.
