As the only child of Sir Edward Stanhope and Elizabeth Bourchier, Anne Stanhope became the sole heiress of her father’s estate at the age of one. Through her mother’s side of the family Anne was descended from King Edward III of England through his son, Thomas of Woodstock. After the death of Edward Stanhope, Anne’s … [More]
Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys was the daughter of Mary Boleyn and William Carey. When Catherine’s cousin Queen Mary came to the throne they fled the country for fear they would be persecuted for their Protestant beliefs. This letter was written in 1553 making Elizabeth twenty years old. Elizabeth and Catherine always had a close relationship … [More]
Sir Thomas Wyatt is usually best known as the son of Thomas Wyatt, the Elder. Today, we look at the event that caused his death – Wyatt’s Rebellion. You see, Wyatt thought having the Protestant Lady Jane Grey on the throne was best for England, but when that didn’t last more than a week, his … [More]
As Henry VIII lay dying in his bedchamber in January 1547, Edward Seymour and William Paget were whispering in the gallery outside his chamber door at Westminster plotting the future. We know this is true because later Paget calls out Edward Seymour on following through on what they had discussed in the gallery that day … [More]
Guest Post by Sarah Clement If the ladies of the Elizabethan court thought her accession would provide them with rare opportunities to involve themselves politically, they would be disappointed. Whereas, while male courtiers had traditionally found themselves at the centre of political life, it was now the ladies who controlled access to the monarch and … [More]
I’ve never discussed this topic with you but have been wanting to write and article about it for the longest time. Started as a blank notebook by Mary Howard, the Devonshire Manuscript is an anthology of courtly love poems made by members of Henry VIII’s court and Anne Boleyn’s inner circle. Mary Fitzroy’s close companions … [More]
Guest post by Heather R. Darsie The Christian Feast of the Annunciation takes place on 25 March of every year. It celebrates the day when the Virgin Mary learned that she had immaculately conceived Jesus. Beginning in 1155, 25 March was celebrated as the start of the new year in England. To the Tudors, the … [More]
Introduction I am so pleased to be the last stop of the “La Reine Blache” book tour. Author, Sarah Bryson has been researching Mary Tudor (and Charles Brandon) for a decade and was kind enough to share some of her wisdom about the life of Mary Tudor, in today’s post. I’m currently reading this book … [More]
We ended Part Two of the series with the death of Edward VI on the 6th of July 1553. In this, the final article in the series, we will observe the short reign (13 days, not 9) of Queen Jane and discuss her execution. If you’d prefer to listen to me discuss the topic you … [More]
The Enigmatic Elizabeth Woodville By Samantha Wilcoxson for Tudors Dynasty What did Elizabeth know? We love to use the actions of Elizabeth Woodville to support any argument regarding the events of 1483, assuming that she had greater knowledge than we possess and that her actions would be the same as ours in light of it. … [More]
Last year I read all three books in the trilogy by author Tony Riches about the Tudor dynasty. Book One was about a Owen Tudor, second husband of Catherine of Valois and stepfather to King Henry VI. Book Two was about Jasper Tudor, half-brother of King Henry VI and uncle of the future Henry VII. … [More]
We ended Part One with the execution of the man who Jane lived with for 18 months – she even considered him a father-figure, Thomas Seymour. In this episode we’ll look at her life after her wardship. In order to continue with the life of Lady Jane Grey we really need to look at the … [More]
While perusing the Tudor-net I came across a link to Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The link brings you to a mostly white page with red accents and… oh yeah, a sketch by Hans Holbein the Younger that might also be Thomas Seymour. This portrait is of a man who is bare-headed, has a … [More]
The Tenth Love Letter from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn Guest post by Heather R Darsie Henry VIII wrote this letter in June 1528 to his beloved Anne Boleyn during an outbreak of the sweating sickness, showing his characteristic nervousness about Anne. It is unknown whether this letter truly does follow the previous, although … [More]
Paintings of people who lived during the Tudor period (or any period at all) have always fascinated me. Maybe it’s because I cannot paint like they could – some have a way, like Hans Holbein the Younger, of bringing the sitter to life. The details are what amaze me the most – they men (and … [More]