-
Artists in the Spotlight – Maggie
-
June 2021 – Tudor Life – Wrath
Bringing our “sins” series to a close, we have a packed magazine focusing on wrath. As you can imagine, this is a powerful magazine as the Tudor monarchs were well known for vengeance, fury and hate at times. 72 pages of Tudor articles.
[Read More...] -
26 May – A wife and mother of poets
On this day in history, 26th May 1621, Barbara Sidney (née Gamage), Countess of Leicester, was buried at Penshurst.
Find out about this Tudor lady, whose marriage was the concern of several prominent Tudor men and who ended up marrying an Elizabethan poet.
[Read More...] -
The 1536 Medal – Lucy Churchill – Live Chat Transcript
At the end of last week, we had an amazing chat session with Lucy Churchill all about the 1536 Anne Boleyn medal and the King’s College Chapel Choir Screen which features an amazing amount of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII motifs. We learned that there’s a lot more to learn. Enjoy this transcript of our live chat.
[Read More...] -
25 May – Lady Jane Grey gets married
On this day in Tudor history, 25th May 1553, in the reign of King Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey married Lord Guildford Dudley.
The bride and groom were from prominent families, but there is the prevailing idea that this marriage was part of a plot by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.
Find out more…
[Read More...] -
24 May – Robert Cecil, Elizabeth I’s “pygmy”
On this day in history, 24th May 1612, in the reign of King James I, Elizabeth I’s former Secretary of State, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, died.
Find out a bit more about the man Elizabeth I called “my pygmy”…
[Read More...] -
23 May – Henry Grey is finally made a Knight of the Garter
On this day in Tudor history, 23rd May 1547, in the reign of King Edward VI, Henry Grey, 3rd Marquis of Dorset, was finally installed as a Knight of the Garter.
Grey had wanted this honour for years and had been nominated many times, so what had changed? How did he end up joining the Order of the Garter.
Find out in this video…
[Read More...] -
Jane Seymour Crossword Puzzle
May is the anniversary of the fall of Anne Boleyn in 1536 and the rise of Jane Seymour, the month of two queens.
Test your knowledge on Henry VIII’s third wife with this fun crossword puzzle.
Simply click on the link or image below to open and print out.
[Read More...] -
22 May – Edward Seymour is in favour
On this day in Tudor history, 22nd May 1537, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Queen Jane Seymour’s brother, Edward Seymour, was appointed to the privy council.
It was just one reward of many and you can find out more about Edward Seymour’s rise in this 60-second TudorHistoryShorts video:
[Read More...] -
21 May – Philip of Spain
Today is the birthday of Philip II of Spain, king consort of Queen Mary I.
I commemorate his birthday by sharing a few facts about him…
[Read More...] -
Was Henry Tudor a Coward at Bosworth? – Julian Humphrys
Some say that Henry Tudor was a coward for hiding behind his men and that Richard was the braver of the two men at this battle – but is this the right assessment?
[Read More...] -
Book news – Coming soon – The Boleyns of Hever Castle
The 19th May, the anniversary of Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution, seems a fitting day to announce some news regarding a Boleyn-themed book, don’t you think?
Many of you will know that Dr Owen Emmerson and I have been working on a book about the history of Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Well, the original book idea had to be postponed due to travel restrictions and the closure of archives, so we decided to focus on 77 years of Hever’s history, the time when it was owned by the Boleyn family.
The Boleyns of Hever Castle will be launched at Hever Castle on 1st August 2021 – hurrah!
[Read More...] -
19 May – Anne Boleyn’s execution
On this day in Tudor history, 19th May 1536, Henry VIII’s second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, was executed at the Tower of London.
Find out more, and hear some of her final words, in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
[Read More...] -
18 May – I have a little neck
On this day in Tudor history, 18th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution was postponed.
Sir William Kingston, the Constable of the Tower of London, was surprised by the queen’s reaction when he informed her of the delay – why? How did Anne react? What did she say?
Find out exactly what Anne Boleyn said…
[Read More...] -
17 May – Around the throne the thunder rolls
On 17th May 1536, poet, courtier and diplomat Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London, witnessed the executions of his fellow courtiers, George Boleyn, Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton.
Hear some of what he wrote about that awful day.
[Read More...] -
Wars of the Roses Quiz
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars between two different branches of the House of Plantagenet, who both thought they had valid claims to the throne. The first Tudor monarch, Henry VII, united these two houses and his reign saw the end of civil war.
But how much do you know about this period of history?
Test yourself on the Wars of the Roses with this fun quiz.
[Read More...] -
16 May – Thomas More resigns
On this day in Tudor history, 16th May 1532, Sir Thomas More resigned as Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor.
But what led to More’s resignation when he had been such a loyal servant to King Henry VIII?
Find out…
[Read More...] -
20 Interesting Facts about the Wars of the Roses
In this edition of my Facts About series, I take you back to the Wars of the Roses, that period of civil war between 1455 and 1487.
Find out about the background to the Wars of the Roses, who was involved, what happened and how they came to an end, as well as some Wars of the Roses trivia.
[Read More...] -
15 May – Henry VIII’s problems in the bedroom become public
On this day in Tudor history, 15th May 1536, Henry VIII’s second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, and her brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, were tried one after the other in the King’s Hall of the Tower of London.
It was during George’s trial that problems the king was experiencing with his wife became public, something which must have been rather embarrassing for the king.
Find out what happened on that day in 1536…
[Read More...] -
14 May – The Creeping Parliament
On this day in Tudor history, 14th May 1571, the “Creeping Parliament” was held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Why was it called the “Creeping Parliament” and why were there actually two Parliaments meeting?
What was going on and what happened next?
Find out more…
[Read More...] -
Living Tudor History with Brigitte
This week Brigitte takes us for a look around some of her beautifully renovated Tudor house, showing us some of the important features. You’re going to be fascinated by the secret feature on the fireplace.
[Read More...] -
13 May – Queen Anne Boleyn is on her way out
On 13th May 1536, eleven days after her arrest, the royal household of Queen Anne Boleyn was broken up and her household discharged.
The queen hadn’t even been tried yet, never mind found guilty!
Find out more about this day and what happened to members of her household in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
[Read More...] -
Artists in the Spotlight – Sharon
-
12 May – An innocent man is charged with treason
On this day in Tudor history, 12th May 1537, John Hussey, a Northern baron, was charged with treason even though he was innocent and had actually done the opposite of what he was accused.
Poor man!
Find out what happened to John Hussey, Baron Hussey…
[Read More...] -
11 May – Henry VIII accuses the clergy of treason
On this day in Tudor history, 11th May 1533, Henry VIII made himself an enemy of the English clergy by accusing them of being traitors.
Why? What was going on? What happened next?
Find out…
[Read More...] -
10 May – Henry VIII’s first marriage is nearly annulled
On this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1533, the Great Matter, Henry VIII’s quest for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, neared its conclusion.
Find out what happened on this day in 1533, and what happened next…
[Read More...] -
9 May – A proxy wedding for Marie de Guise and James V
On this day in Tudor history, 9th May 1538, Marie de Guise, or Mary of Guise, got married to King James V of Scotland. However, the groom was not present.
Find out more in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
[Read More...] -
The Cast in the Fall of Anne Boleyn Wordsearch
May is the anniversary month of the events leading up to the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn on 19th May 1536. Things moved so quickly that spring!
But how much do you know about the cast of Anne Boleyn’s fall – the people who were involved, either as victims or on the side of the Crown?
Test yourself on the people caught up in the events of May 1536 with this fun word search puzzle.
[Read More...] -
8 May – A goodly sight for Henry VIII
On this day in Tudor history, 8th May 1539, war panic led to a show of strength in London – an 11-hour procession of beautifully dressed and armed men, crowded streets and the shooting of guns.
Why? What was this all about?
[Read More...] -
7 May – Bodies make a tapestry
On this day in Tudor history, 7th May 1560, English troops suffered a heavy defeat at the siege of Leith.
What was this siege all about?
And who described their dead bodies as a fair tapestry?
[Read More...]