On 22nd August 1545, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died a natural death, ending the life of one of the most colourful and daring figures of Henry VIII’s reign.
His tangled love-life had seen him set aside a pregnant fiancée (or wife) to marry her aunt, secretly marry the king’s favourite sister, and marry his 14-year-old ward, who was actually promised to his son… but he remained the king’s closest ally for nearly four decades.
Find out more about Charles Brandon…
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On this day in Tudor history, 21st August 1553, Sir Thomas Heneage died a natural death just days after he’d congratulated a victorious Queen Mary I.
He was quite the survivor. He began his career in the household of Cardinal Wolsey, but then transferred to King Henry VIII’s privy chamber, surviving his former master’s fall and rising to the position of groom of the stool. Then, despite his Catholic faith, he served in Edward VI’s privy chamber, and rode to Ipswich during the succession crisis of 1553 to congratulate Mary when it became clear she was victorious against Queen Jane.
Survival at the Tudor court wasn’t about luck, it was about timing, tact, and knowing when to step forward… and when to step back…
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On this day in Tudor history, 19th August 1531, Norfolk priest and preacher Thomas Bilney was burned at the stake in the Lollards’ Pit, Norwich.
Bilney had been a passionate reformer, inspiring the likes of fellow martyr, Bishop Hugh Latimer, but under pressure, he broke and recanted, regretted his recantation but then, at the end, recanted once more.
Find out more about Bolney, his career, religious wavering, and tragic end…
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On this day in history, 18th August in 1572, Henry of Navarre, leader of the Huguenots and the future King Henry IV of France, married Margaret of Valois, daughter of King Henry II and Catherine de’ Medici, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
This royal wedding was meant to bring peace, to to heal the religious divisions between Protestants and Catholics in France, but, instead, there was an assassination followed by a bloody massacre which not only affected the city of Paris, but towns and cities across France…
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Did you know that before Shakespeare’s famous “Hamlet”, there may have been another?
On this day in Tudor history, 15th August 1594, playwright Thomas Kyd was buried in London, aged just 36.
He’s not a household name, not like William Shakespeare anyway, but he wrote “The Spanish Tragedy”, one of the biggest theatrical hits of the Elizabethan age, being performed 29 times at the Rose Theatre and published in 11 editions, more than any of Shakespeare’s plays at the time.
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London Museum Docklands has been in touch with me to share some events they have coming up which may be of interest to some of you.
From African women in Tudor London to archaeology, alchemy and mudlarking, there’s so much history to enjoy!
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On this day in history, 14th August 1479, Katherine of York was born.
She was the daughter of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville, the sister of Queen Elizabeth of York and the Princes in the Tower, and the aunt of Henry VIII. She was at the very heart of Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties — living through regime change, rebellion, and royal funerals, yet she chose to live out her final days on her estates in Devon.
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On this day in Tudor history, 11th August 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Sir John Kingsmill died a natural death.
You may not have heard of him, but he worked with Thomas Cromwell, helped dissolve monasteries and chantries, and still managed to earn a pardon from Queen Mary I.
Kingsmill was:
– A lawyer and sheriff
– A commissioner for Edward VI’s Protestant reforms
– A beneficiary of monastic spoils
– And the father of seventeen children
Was Richard III really the monster Shakespeare painted him to be? Or have centuries of myth and propaganda hidden the man he truly was?
Join me as I talk to the creative team behind “A Taste of Loyalty”—a powerful new short film (inspired by Matthew Lewis’s novel “Loyalty”), which explores one of the most pivotal (and misunderstood) moments in Richard III’s life.
I interview Matt Lewis, historian and novelist; Thomas Dennis, director, screenwriter, and the man portraying Richard III; and Tiffany Lunn, composer and musical visionary for the film.
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On this day in Tudor history, thirteen-year-old Princess Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, married thirty-year-old King James IV of Scotland.
It was an important diplomatic match, part of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace negotiated between the two kingdoms.
In this video, I’ll take you inside:
The background to the wedding
grand wedding at Holyroodhouse
Margaret’s rollercoaster life as queen, widow, regent and power player
And how her bloodline still sits on the throne today
He was born a lovechild, died an exiled nobleman, and, in between, he explored the West Indies, built ships for Italian dukes, and underwent a bigamous marriage.
This is the story of Sir Robert Dudley, who was born on this day in Tudor history, 7th August 1574, and was the illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and Lady Douglas Sheffield.
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In my latest Tudor True Crimes video, I’m telling the dark story of Charles Stourton, 8th Baron Stourton, a nobleman whose pride and rage ended in a cold-blooded double murder and a very public hanging.
It started out as a bitter land feud, escalated into a siege at a church, and ended with two men having their throats slit and Stourton being hanged…
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On this day in Tudor history, 5th August 1503, administrator Sir Reginald Bray died.
Now, you may not have heard of him, he’s not a household name, but this quiet powerhouse of the Tudor court knew Henry VII from boyhood, helped plan the invasion that toppled Richard III, and then served as one of the most powerful men in England.
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I’ve just published a video of my chat with novelist Natalia Richards, author of The Falcon’s Rise and The Falcon’s Flight—two beautifully written novels exploring Anne Boleyn’s early life and rise to power.
In our chat, Natalia shares how she transitioned from the world of music (yes, Kate Bush really did ask her to be a backing singer at 18!) to historical fiction, and why Anne Boleyn has captivated her imagination for so many years.
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On this day in Tudor history, 1st August 1534, in the reign of Henry VIII, Catholic gentleman Germain Gardiner published a scathing posthumous attack on Protestant martyr John Frith.
Frith was dead though, he’d been burnt at the stake over a year before.
But who was Frith? And why did Gardiner care enough to write such a fiery rebuttal after his death?
And how did both men end up executed for their beliefs?
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On this day in Tudor history, 30th July 1588, the once-mighty Spanish Armada, already damaged by the Battle of Gravelines, was scattered and driven northwards by violent storms. Many in England saw it as divine intervention — a “Protestant Wind” sent by God to defend the realm.
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England’s very first official voyage of exploration to the New World didn’t begin in London—or even under an Englishman’s command. It began in Bristol in 1497 and was undertaken by Italian entrepreneur John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto).
Backed by Henry VII, Cabot’s bold journey in search of Asia, but actually to the coast of North America, marked the quiet beginnings of England’s imperial story—decades before Henry VIII or Elizabeth I ever dreamed of global power…
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In my latest YouTube video, I’ve interviewed bestselling author and historian Toni Mount to celebrate the release of The Colour of Darkness — book 13 in the gripping Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery series.
Toni takes us behind the scenes of her writing process, research into 15th-century London, and the creation of her beloved protagonist, artist and reluctant sleuth Seb Foxley.
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In July 1577, a courtroom in the city of Oxford turned deadly.
Within days of the trial of a Catholic recusant and bookseller, hundreds, including Nicholas Barham, Queen Elizabeth I’s top lawyer, were dead.
No violence. No uprising. Just a hidden killer…gaol fever!
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On this day in Tudor history, 24th July 1594, John Boste was hanged, drawn, and quartered for in Durham.
His crime?
Treason. Simply doing his job… as a priest.
Let me tell you Boste’s story – from gifted Oxford scholar to hunted man of God, betrayed, tortured by Richard Topcliffe himself, and executed for his faith…
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On this day in history, 22nd July 1437 (or 1438), John Scrope, 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton, was born at Bolton Castle in Yorkshire. He was a man who’d back the losing side multiple times, but with his head intact.
He fought at Towton with Edward IV, rebelled against him, supported Richard III, then Henry VII, then backed a royal pretender… yet he survived! He reall was like a cat with nine lives.
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On this day in Tudor history, 20th July 1554, Prince Philip of Spain landed on English soil to marry Queen Mary I, having left Valladolid on 14th May.
He did not travel light. 1000s of soldiers and men sailed with him, including a dancing master – yes, he had his priorities right – and his journey had been marked by processions, fireworks and artillery salutes.
Let me take you behind the scenes of one of the most politically charged royal arrivals in English history.
[Read More...]Set in medieval London, written by Toni Mount from Gravesend Kent, and featuring fascinating characters, including a cross-dressing male prostitute based on a real 14th century sex-worker; this new murder mystery will be launched at Sandwich Medieval Centre on 26th July.
The Colour of Darkness is the thirteenth instalment in the atmospheric Sebastian Foxley series of medieval murder mysteries. These well-researched and well-loved books are based on thorough historic research of London in the 14th and 15th centuries, and readers comment on the detailed historic basis of the stories, many of which actually happened, (but maybe at different times or to different people).
The book launch will be at 12 midday on Saturday 26th July and will be hosted by The Sandwich Medieval Centre, The Quay, Sandwich Kent CT13 9EN.
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I’ve decided to do a series of called “Tudor True Crime” on my YouTube channel, where I’m going to delve into 16th century crimes and look at what exactly happened, and the consequences.
My very first Tudor trie crime is the murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham in 1551, a story which featured, poisoned milk, a pressing iron, a knife, and a group of people determined to finish him off. It really is darker than fiction!
And one of the killers was his own wife, Alice Arden.
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On this day in Tudor history, 16th July 1517, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and her husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, welcomed a daughter into the world, Frances.
This little girl grew up to be Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, and she is often reduced to a footnote in history — simply the mother of the tragic Lady Jane Grey. But who was she really?
In my latest video, I dive into Frances’ life and look at how she’s been maligned by centuries of misrepresentation.
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On this day in Tudor history, 15th July 1497, William Neville was born.
He was a respected courtier and poet, who later found himself accused of something that sounds like it’s straight out of a fantasy novel: trying to make himself invisible!
In my latest “on this day” video, I’m uncovering the rather strange tale of William Neville — from his allegorical poetry and service in Cardinal Wolsey’s household to accusations of treason, sorcery, and near financial ruin…
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In my latest “On This Day” video on YouTube, I’ve headed slightly beyond the Tudor world — north to Scotland — to uncover the story of a young queen who deserves far more recognition than she gets.
On this day in history, 14th July 1486, Queen Margaret of Denmark, consort of James III of Scotland, died at just 30 years old. But her brief life left a permanent mark on British history.
Because of Margaret, Orkney and Shetland became — and remained — part of Scotland. A forgotten dowry, a pledged territory, and a queen who quietly changed the map of the British Isles.
But there’s so much more to her than diplomacy…
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