In today’s talk, I explain how St Stephen’s Day was celebrated in Tudor times and why it’s known as Boxing Day, before moving on to today’s “on this day event”.
On this day in Tudor history, 26th December 1546, an ill Henry VIII made some changes to his will in preparation for his nine-year-old son, Edward, inheriting the throne. I explain all…
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Merry Christmas! A very Happy Christmas to you and yours!
In today’s talk, I explain how Tudor people would have celebrated Christmas, before moving on to today’s “on this day” event, the death of Lettice Blount (also known as Lettice Devereux, Lettice Dudley and Lettice Knollys). Not only did she serve Queen Elizabeth I as a gentlewoman of the privy chamber, she was also the queen’s first cousin once removed, and was nicknamed the “she-wolf” by her royal mistress. Find out more about Lettice Knollys in today’s talk.
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In today’s final edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, Claire and Teasel share about one of the Christmas Eve traditions of the medieval and Tudor period, the Yule Log.
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On this day in Tudor history, 24th December 1545, Christmas Eve, King Henry VIII made his final speech to Parliament.
The king was concerned about the religious divisions in his realm and so chastised the Lords and Commons for their disagreements, and also the clergy for provoking this discord.
In today’s talk, I share some of the king’s compelling speech from that day in 1545.
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In today’s Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, Claire and Teasel the dog share what is eaten on Christmas Day in the Ridgway household and what meat the Tudors would have tucked into.
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On this day in Tudor history, 23rd December 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Nicholas Udall (Yevedale), schoolmaster, cleric, humanist and playwright, was buried at St Margaret’s, Westminster.
In today’s talk, I introduce this Tudor man and also share a ballad he wrote for Queen Anne Boleyn’s coronation celebrations in 1533. His ballad was about Anne Boleyn’s falcon badge and how it related to the queen.
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In today’s edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, Claire and Teasel share with you how to avoid goblins in your household, and it’s all to do with your Christmas decorations. Please do heed this warning from poet Robert Herrick!
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On this day in Tudor history, 22nd December 1534, John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who was a prisoner in the Tower of London, wrote to Thomas Cromwell.
In his letter to Cromwell, the poor bishop begged him for a shirt, sheet, food and books, as well as asking him to intercede with King Henry VIII on his behalf.
It is so sad that a man who had served the king so loyally in the past had come to this, and, of course, the king’s mercy would only stretch to commuting his method of execution to beheading.
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As it’s the last Sunday before Christmas, we thought we’d test your knowledge of Tudor Christmas food. So, grab your favourite Christmas tipple, a mince pie or slice of Christmas cake, and have fun with this crossword puzzle. Good luck!
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On this day in Tudor history, 21st December 1495, Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford and 1st Earl of Pembroke, died at his manor at Thornbury at the age of around sixty-four.
Jasper Tudor was the uncle of Henry Tudor, a man who would become King Henry VII, and served as a mentor and advisor to him.
Find out more about this interesting Tudor man in today’s talk.
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Following on from yesterday’s video on Tudor Christmas drinks, Teasel and I talk about the staple drink of the medieval and Tudor periods, ale, and how it was made.
We recommend the Tudor Monastery Farm series and accompanying book for more on this and life in Tudor times.
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In today’s edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, Teasel and I talk about what kinds of drinks the Tudors would have enjoyed over the Twelve Days of Christmas: syllabub, mulled wine, buttered beere, Lambswool and hippocras.
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On this day in Tudor history, 20th December 1541, a “very sickly” Agnes Tilney, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, begged King Henry VIII for forgiveness.
The dowager duchess had been arrested and taken to the Tower accused of misprision of treason for hiding her stepgranddaughter Catherine Howard’s past relationship with Francis Dereham.
In today’s talk, I share what the dowager duchess wrote to the king and also what happened to this sickly woman.
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It’s very nearly Christmas, so in today’s Claire Chats talk, I’m going to talk about the different meats that were eaten at Christmas in Tudor times, as well as explaining about the Tudor Christmas Pie.
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British place names and surnames can be rather tricky and can catch you out if you’re not careful. For example, how do you pronounce Belvoir Castle or the name Cholmondeley? Teasel and I share some examples of some rather counter-intuitive pronunciations in today’s video.
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On this day in Tudor history, 19th December 1576, Katherine Palmer, Abbess of Syon, died in Mechelen in Belgium. Her death came just over a month after she had confronted a mob that had broken into her monastery.
Find out more about Abbess Katherine Palmer, how her order had ended up settling in Mechelen, and how her order is the only surviving pre-Reformation religious community in England today, in this talk.
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OK, so this recipe is definitely NOT to be tried at home, but Teasel and Claire just wanted to share with you how Elizabethan courtiers paid tribute to their queen, Elizabeth I, Gloriana, by dyeing their hair and beards red. It may well have made them bald though!
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On this day in Tudor history, 18th December 1555, John Philpott, former Archdeacon of Winchester, was burned at the stake for heresy at Smithfield.
Philpott had done a lot in his 40 years, including studying in Italy, upsetting Bishop Gardiner, and supporting fellow Protestants from his prison cell, and he died a courageous death at Smithfield in the reign of Queen Mary I. Find out more about him in today’s talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
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In today’s edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, Claire and Teasel the dog talk about how medieval and Tudor people cheated on fasting days.
Obviously, times like Advent were fasting periods, but there’s only so much salted fish a person can take, so the Tudors got creative. Find out more about those cheating Tudors in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 17th December 1538, Pope Paul III announced the excommunication of King Henry VIII.
Henry VIII had been threatened with excommunication several times, but his desecration of one of the holiest shrines in Europe was the final straw for the pope.
Find out how Henry VIII, who had once been “Defender of the Faith”, had upset the Pope and what had been the final straw for the papacy in today’s talk.
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We’ve just put the latest book in our exclusive members-only ebook series online, “Christmas in Tudor Times” which is available now. This book focuses on the festive period and the medieval and Tudor traditions associated with it. Perhaps you can incorporate some of them into your own celebrations.
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Teasel made sure that the topic turned back to dogs today!
In today’s edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, Teasel and I introduce Hatch, the Mary Rose’s dog, and explain what is known about him and what he was doing on board Henry VIII’s favourite flagship.
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Happy birthday to Catherine of Aragon! Yes, this first wife of King Henry VIII and Spanish princess was born on this day in Tudor history, 16th December 1485.
In today’s talk, I explain Catherine of Aragon’s background, give some insights into her early life, and talk about how she ended up leaving her homeland of Spain and eventually becoming queen consort to Henry VIII.
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Teasel is keeping her black and tan fur lovely and glossy and it made her wonder how Tudor people cared for their hair.
Did the Tudors wash their hair? Did the Tudors use shampoo?
Teasel and I explain what we know about Tudor haircare and how the Tudors kept their hair clean in today’s “Teasel’s Tudor Trivia”.
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On this day in Tudor history, 15th December 1558, Cardinal Reginald Pole, Mary I’s Archbishop of Canterbury and her chief advisor, was buried at Canterbury Cathedral. Coincidentally, Cardinal Pole had died the same day as his queen, on 17th November 1558.
Find out a bit more about Cardinal Pole, his background, death and burial, in today’s talk.
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I am so very excited about this special announcement! Hever Castle, home of the Boleyn family, is one of my happy places, so writing a book about it with one of my very best friends is a dream come true!
In May 2018, castle supervisor Owen Emmerson and I shook hands on a book idea, a social history of Hever Castle. We have been friends for quite a few years now, drawn together over our shared love for all things Anne Boleyn, and we both feel strongly about Hever Castle. Owen is lucky enough to work there and I’m blessed to be able to visit it several times a year. It is an amazing place with an incredibly rich history. It has been home to so many prominent families and there are also many myths and inaccuracies regarding its history, ownership and its development through the ages. Owen and I want to tell Hever Castle’s story through the people that owned it, from its beginnings as a medieval manor, through its time as a castle that was owned by kings and queens, all the way to the present day. We hope to bring this beautiful castle, and the families connected to it, to life.
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Christmas will soon be here, so we’re continuing the Christmas theme with a general Christmas quiz, considering Christmas through the ages and the traditions associated with it.
I do hope you enjoy this fun quiz!
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“How did Tudor people go to the bathroom?” is the question Teasel and I are answering in today’s edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia. Fair warning – don’t eat while you listen to this talk, it might just put you off your food!
Find out all about Tudor toilets in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 14th December 1558, Queen Mary I was buried at Westminster Abbey.
Mary had died on 17th November 1558 and had left instructions for Catherine of Aragon’s remains to be moved from Peterborough and for them to be reinterred with Mary’s remains so that mother and daughter could be together.
Did this happen?
Find out all about Mary I’s burial, and who did join her in death, in today’s talk.
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Teasel has just been introduced to Horrible Histories’ “stupid deaths” sketches and she just loves them. Like her owner, she has a bit of a dark sense of humour! Anyway, Teasel and I thought it would be interesting to share with you a few silly accidental deaths from the Tudor period. Some of them make you cringe and others make you do a face palm!
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