The consummate “power couple from hell” Edward Seymour and his wife Anne Stanhope were portrayed in Showtime’s “The Tudors” as selfish, greedy and uncompromising. In real life you could say the same…or is there more to the story? Edward Seymour Born in 1500, Edward Seymour was the second son of John Seymour and Margery Wentworth … [More]
The Act in Restraint of Appeals, 1533: A Divorce at Last Guest article by Samia Chebbah It is well-known that Henry VIII wanted to make official his relationship Anne Boleyn when he was already married to Catherine of Aragon. According to Paul G. Friendmann’s chronology, the case of the divorce between Henry VIII and his … [More]
Katheryn Howard Guest post by Lissa Bryan Of all of King Henry VIII’s queens, Katheryn Howard is viewed with the least sympathy. If not technically guilty of adultery, she’s at least seen as having “deserved” her fate because of her immoral lifestyle. One recent historian referred to her as an “empty-headed slut.” Others have described … [More]
Through my constant research of Thomas Seymour I’ve been led on an unexpected journey to discovering the young Elizabeth Tudor. From those who read my blog often you know that I tend to write mostly about the reign of Henry VIII because, well, that’s where I started and there is so much to tell! This … [More]
Raised as the second son, or “spare”, Henry Tudor, Duke of York was never intended to be King of England. When his older brother Arthur, Prince of Wales died unexpectedly in 1502 Henry was thrust into the spotlight as heir to the throne of England. His training began immediately and Henry despised the fact that … [More]
Katherine Howard’s time as Queen of England was short-lived but even so she also had many ladies who served her. It makes one wonder if Katherine could foresee her future or if she was naive enough to think that Henry’s love would always be hers – she knew if she had the king’s favor that … [More]
Margaret Beaufort – My Lady the King’s Mother Guest article by Moniek Bloks of History of Royal Women Lady Margaret Beaufort was born on 31 May 1443 at Bletso as the daughter of Margaret Beauchamp and John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. Margaret had seven half-siblings from her mother’s first marriage to Sir Oliver St John … [More]
A Kingdom In Crisis Guest article by Alan Freer It was mid-morning on Palm Sunday in the year of Our Lord 1554. A young woman of 20 sat in a barge at the Watergate of the Tower of London. Under this dark, forbidding, stone portal so many had passed to end their lives on Tower … [More]
Lady Mary Grey Guest article by Susan Abernethy Mary Grey was the youngest of the three Grey sisters, the other two being Jane and Katherine. Jane would reign as Queen of England for about ten days and Katherine would make an ill-fated love match that resulted in her imprisonment and early death. Although Mary was … [More]
This weekend I am lucky enough to have been asked to be part of the first ever Tudor Summit! This summit was put together by the owner of English Renaissance History Podcast, Heather Teskyo. Heather has brought together for this first summit a great collection of Tudor enthusiasts and I hope you go online and … [More]
When this short film came out over a year ago I was one of the first people who got to watch it. I absolutely loved it and now you can watch it too – for free!! Please watch and share your feedback! From Flying Dutchman Films: The setting for ‘I Am Henry’ is Syon Abbey. … [More]
When Anne of Cleves came to England she had brought along a group of her own ladies to serve her as queen. The French ambassador at the time is quoted as saying: She brings in her suite twelve or fifteen damsels as maids of honor, all dressed in the same fashion and with same vestments … [More]
What is it about Anne Boleyn that continues to intrigue scholars and Hollywood producers? Is it that she changed the course of England and possibly the world? Is it that she was a Reformist? A homewrecker? Or is it that there is still a lot of her we don’t know to make a concrete analysis? … [More]
Lady Jane Grey was queen for only nine days yet many do not consider her queen because she did not have a coronation – however, Edward Plantagenet (son of Edward IV) was given the title of Edward V even though he did not have a coronation. So why don’t we refer to Jane as Queen … [More]
