Using Historical Figures

[KelseyF]

I want to use a well-known historical figure whose life and death were surrounded by mystery. Because my novel is for children, I don't want to completely rewrite history, but there are some things I want to change and make up to better fit my story (obviously). Has anyone else used well known historical figures and manipulated their life for their story? How did you handle it? Is it appropriate to include an historical note at the end? This is for the adventure series I hope to turn into a franchise.

[RubyRoo]

A friend of mine Caroline Lawrence makes a living writing about historical figures. She adds in Emperors having affairs and stuff like that. At the end of every book for puts a note which says that so and so were real and so and so werent and that people really did do this but I made up that. See... http://www.romanmysteries.com