Henry VII was born at Pembroke Castle on the 28th January 1457. His parents were the thirteen year-old Lady Margaret Beaufort and her husband Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, who, unfortunately, had died of the plague three months before Henry’s birth.
[Read More...]
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…
[Read More...]
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…
[Read More...]
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.
[Read More...]
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?
[Read More...]
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…
[Read More...]
By the early 1540s, England’s religious landscape was a minefield. The dissolution of the monasteries had shaken traditional Catholic structures, and Protestant reformers like Archbishop Thomas Cranmer were pushing Henry VIII’s Church further from Rome.
Not everyone was on board.
A faction of conservative clergy and laymen began working covertly to stop these changes. This movement, known as the Prebendaries’ Plot, was centred around five prebendary canons of Canterbury Cathedral, including William Hadleigh, a former monk of Christchurch Canterbury.
[Read More...]
6th March 1547 was a day of humiliation for Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton. Once one of the most powerful men in England, he found himself stripped of the Great Seal of office and confined to his home. But how did a man who had been Henry VIII’s trusted Lord Chancellor fall so fast?
Wriothesley was a rising star of the Tudor court. Born in 1505, he was the son of a herald, educated at Cambridge, and started his career working for none other than Thomas Cromwell. He was ambitious, intelligent, and, according to his friend John Leland, quite good-looking!
His big break came in the 1530s when he became a key figure in Henry VIII’s government. He played a role in the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Anne of Cleves, helped investigate Catherine Howard, and eventually became Lord Chancellor in 1544. He was trusted, powerful, and wealthy—owning vast estates, including the former Titchfield Abbey, which he transformed into his grand home.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd March 1528, Margaret Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII and widow of King James IV of Scotland, married for the third time.
Margaret, 38 years old, had already been twice married. Her first husband, King James IV of Scotland, had died at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, leaving her as regent for their young son, James V. However, her controversial second marriage to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, led to political turmoil. The Scottish nobility opposed the match, and she lost her position as regent. When she returned to Scotland after a brief stay in England, she discovered that Angus had been living openly with a former lover, Lady Jane Stewart. Determined not to remain in an unhappy marriage, Margaret fought for an annulment, despite opposition from none other than her own brother, Henry VIII, who at the time did not believe in divorce.
[Read More...]
Today, on the anniversary of Anne Line’s execution, on 27th February 1601, I’m honouring her and two other remarkable women, Margaret Clitherow and Margaret Ward, who gave their lives for harbouring Catholic priests in Elizabethan England.
Their crime? Offering sanctuary to men whose very existence had been outlawed. Their fate? Torture, brutal executions, and posthumous sainthood.
But why was it so dangerous to harbour a priest in the reign of Elizabeth I?
In Tudor England, religion wasn’t just a matter of personal belief—it was a matter of life and death.
Following Henry VIII’s break with Rome, England became a Protestant nation. But when his daughter Mary I took the throne, she restored Catholicism and a couple of hundred Protestants burned at the stake. Then, in 1558, Elizabeth I became queen, and England swung back to Protestantism.
Catholics who had hoped for tolerance soon realised that Elizabeth’s government viewed them as a threat. When the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570, it escalated the conflict. Catholics were now seen as potential traitors—loyal to the Pope, not the queen.
She served five of Henry VIII’s queens, witnessed scandal, betrayal, and power shifts, and became the closest confidante of the last Tudor queen consort—yet history has largely forgotten her.
She was Anne Herbert (née Parr), Countess of Pembroke, the younger sister of Catherine Parr.
Anne played a key role in Tudor court life, navigating its dangers with intelligence and grace. She stood beside queens who lost their heads, carried out high-stakes royal duties, and even found herself entrusted with the doomed Catherine Howard’s jewels.
But who was Anne Herbert beyond her royal connections? What was her true role at court? And how did she manage to stay in favour through so many royal changes?
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 19th February 1567, while imprisoned in the Tower of London, Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, received devastating news – her son, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, King of Scotland, had been brutally murdered at Kirk o’ Field in Edinburgh.
But this wasn’t just the loss of a son, it was the destruction of her dynastic ambitions, the shattering of her hopes for the future, and yet another chapter of heartbreak in Margaret’s turbulent life.
So, who was Margaret Douglas, why was she in the Tower, and what did this moment mean for her—and for the tangled web of Tudor and Stuart politics?
Margaret Douglas was no ordinary noblewoman, she was a granddaughter of Henry VII, and the daughter of Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s sister) and her second husband, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. This made her a first cousin to Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and a serious contender for the English throne in the eyes of many.
[Read More...]
On 18th February 1516, Mary I of England was born, a Tudor princess who would go on to become England’s first crowned queen regnant. To commemorate her birth, I want to explore the fascinating similarities and stark differences between Mary I and her half-sister, Elizabeth I.
Both were daughters of Henry VIII, both were queens in their own right, and both faced incredible challenges. But while Mary’s reign lasted just five years, Elizabeth ruled for over 44 years, shaping what is often seen as England’s Golden Age.
So, what did these two queens have in common? And where did they differ?
[Read More...]
On 17th February 1565, Mary, Queen of Scots met Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley at Wemyss Castle in Scotland, and fell in love.
It seemed like a fairy tale. Darnley was young, tall, handsome, and charming. He was of royal blood, with claims to both the Scottish and English thrones. He was the son of Lady Margaret Douglas—Mary’s own cousin—and Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, whose family had spent years in exile after being declared traitors. The House of Lennox had once supported Henry VIII’s attempts to control Scotland, and by the 1560s, they were eager to regain their influence.
But for Mary, Darnley appeared to be the perfect husband – a man who could help her strengthen her claim to the English throne, provide her with heirs, and reinforce her position in Scotland. Plus she’d rather fallen under his spell – he was quite the charmer.
Yet, this love match was one of the worst decisions she ever made – a decision that set her on a course toward scandal, betrayal, and ultimately, her downfall.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 13th February 1542, Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, and Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, were executed at the Tower of London.
Their crime?
Treason against the king – but was Catherine guilty of more than youthful indiscretion? And why was Jane condemned alongside her?
The story of Catherine Howard is one of ambition, betrayal, and a tragic downfall. A young queen who once captured the heart of Henry VIII, she would ultimately face the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn. But Catherine’s downfall wasn’t just about her past—her secret meetings with Thomas Culpeper proved to be her undoing.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 11th February 1466, Elizabeth of York was born at Westminster Palace.
She was the daughter of a king, the sister of the Princes in the Tower, the wife of Henry VII, the mother of Henry VIII, and the grandmother of Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I and James V. Her bloodline shaped the future of England, but she’s often overshadowed by the powerful men and women she was related to.
But Elizabeth was no passive figure. She was a key part of dynastic politics, and her marriage helped end the Wars of the Roses. Today, I’m exploring her remarkable life, her role in uniting the warring houses of Lancaster and York, and why she truly deserves to be remembered as the Queen of Hearts.
[Read More...]
On this day in history, 5th February 1605, Sir Edward Stafford, Elizabethan diplomat, MP, and suspected spy, died. His life was one of political manoeuvring, intrigue, and scandal—his story a fascinating mix of loyalty, ambition, and betrayal.
So, who was Edward Stafford, and why does his name carry the stain of espionage?
Born in 1552, Edward had impressive Tudor lineage. His mother, Dorothy Stafford, was the granddaughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (executed by Henry VIII), and also the great-granddaughter of George, Duke of Clarence, who was allegedly drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine on the orders of his brother, Edward IV.
[Read More...]
Henry VIII, one of England’s most famous monarchs, died on 28th January 1547 at the age of 55. His death, however, was not announced to the public immediately.
Why?
Well, the delay allowed his closest advisors and executors to figure out their next steps and secure their positions in this sudden transition of power.
Henry’s death was formally announced three days later, on this day in Tudor history, 31st January 1547, by Thomas Wriothesley, his Lord Chancellor. Chronicler and Windsor Herald Charles Wriothesley recorded the momentous occasion, describing how the proclamation was made in Westminster Hall by Garter King of Arms and other heralds, declaring Edward VI as King of England, France, and Ireland, Supreme Head of the Church, and Defender of the Faith.
[Read More...]
Today is a date packed with significance in Tudor history – it’s Henry VII’s birthday, the anniversary of the death of Henry VIII, and the anniversary of the accession of Edward VI.
Let’s take a closer look at how these three monumental events shaped the Tudor dynasty.
First, let’s go back to 28th January 1457, when Henry Tudor was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales.
[Read More...]
Did Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, keep his secret wife in a ventilated chest?
Well, yes, according to his Catholic detractors!
But was there any truth in their claims, and where does the story come from?
In 1532, Thomas Cranmer, who wasn’t yet Archbishop of Canterbury, was serving King Henry VIII as the resident ambassador at the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. While he was with the emperor in Nuremberg, Cranmer met the city’s leading Lutheran preacher, Andreas Osiander, and the two became firm friends. Cranmer visited Osiander’s house often and at some point he met Osiander’s wife’s niece, Margarete, and that summer, despite the fact that he was an ordained priest, and was, therefore, supposed to remain celibate, Cranmer married her.
[Read More...]
Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of England, was the most powerful man in the country during Edward VI’s reign. But how did the king’s uncle go from ruling in all but name to losing his head on Tower Hill on this day in 1552?
His is a story of ambition, betrayal, rebellion, and leadership gone wrong.
Let me tell you more…
Edward Seymour’s rise to power was nothing short of meteoric. As a trusted military commander, a staunch Protestant reformer, and, perhaps most importantly, the uncle of the young King Edward VI, he was perfectly positioned to influence the Tudor court. His closeness to Henry VIII in the king’s final years helped him secure his place among England’s most powerful men.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 21st January 1556, former imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, died in Louvain (Leuven) in Belgium, the place he had retired to in 1549. He was laid to rest in the chapel of Louvain College, the college he had founded following his retirement.
Chapuys, who was born between 1490 and 1492 and was the second son of Louis Chapuys, a notary of Annecy, in the duchy of Savoy, joined the imperial service in 1527. Two years later, in September 1529, he arrived in England to act as advisor to the emperor’s aunt, Catherine of Aragon, in the negotiations regarding the annulment of her marriage to Henry VIII. He was her link to the emperor and to Rome. He became Catherine’s champion, preparing Catherine’s formal protest when Cranmer summoned her to his special court in 1533, a court that ruled her marriage to the king invalid, and in 1534 he acted for Catherine’s daughter, Mary, when he drew up her protest against the Act of Succession. He wasn’t only their staunch supporter and go-between, he became their friend, and I’d go as far as to say that he became a father figure to Mary.
[Read More...]
Did you know that Sir Thomas More knew the risks of serving King Henry VIII, knew that it could cost him his head, and yet he chose to serve him anyway?
Thomas More wasn’t just a lawyer or a statesman. He was one of the most brilliant minds of his time—a humanist who believed in reason, faith, and justice. But he also had a sharp insight into human nature, particularly that of the king he served.
[Read More...]
Today, I’m exploring the life of a remarkable yet forgotten craftsman.
On this day in Tudor history, 17th January 1587, Bartholomew Newsam died. He was buried in the church of St Mary-le-Strand, the parish in which he lived and worked. He was in his fifties at his death. His life spanned the reigns of five monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I—a time of immense change and innovation.
Newsam was more than just a craftsman—he was a trailblazer in English clockmaking, a skill that was incredibly specialised in Tudor times.
While most clocks were imported from Europe, Newsam stood out as one of the first English clockmakers to gain royal recognition.
Sir Anthony Denny was born on this day in Tudor history, the 16th January 1501, in the reign of King Henry VII, at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. He was the second son of Sir Edmund Denny, Baron of the Exchequer to Henry VIII, and his wife, Mary Troutbeck.
Denny was educated at St Paul’s School, London, before moving on to St John’s College, Cambridge.
Following employment in the service of Sir Francis Bryan, a man known as the “Vicar of Hell”, By 1533, he’d secured a place in Henry VIII’s inner sanctum—the privy chamber—a realm reserved for the king’s most trusted men, and he was made a yeoman of the wardrobe in 1536. He rose to become keeper of the privy purse in 1542 and then in 1546, first chief gentleman of the privy chamber and groom of the stool. Groom of the Stool may sound like a disgusting job to us, as it involved helping the king with his toilet habits, but it also meant intimate access to the king and influence over royal decisions. In 1540, following the king’s doomed marriage to Anne of Cleves, Denny was one of those in whom the king confided his unhappiness in the marriage.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 14th January 1515, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king sent his best friend, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, on a diplomatic mission. His task? To escort the king’s recently widowed sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, back to England.
But things didn’t go to plan… because Mary and Brandon had a secret—and scandalous—plan of their own.
[Read More...]
On this day in history, in 1613, Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria, died in Spain. She was buried in the monastery of Santa Clara at Zafra.
Jane had a fascinating life, going from being one queen’s close confidante to fleeing another queen’s reign, and leading Catholic exiles abroad. Let me tell you more about her.
Jane was born on 6th January 1538, in the reign of King Henry VIII, at Eythrope in Buckinghamshire. She was the daughter of Sir William Dormer and his first wife, Mary Sidney. Following her mother’s death in 1542, Jane was brought up by her paternal grandmother, Jane, Lady Dormer, and was given a Catholic upbringing, and in 1547, when she was just nine years old, she was admitted into the household of Princess Mary.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 12th January 1573, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, died at Hampton Court Palace. The diplomat, soldier and naval commander was buried at Reigate Church.
Howard was born in around 1510 and was the fourth son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, and his second wife, Agnes Tilney, making him a half-brother of the powerful Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, and the half-uncle of Queens Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.
He was educated at Cambridge before joining the royal court, beginning his career there as Anne Boleyn rose to power. In October 1532, he accompanied Henry VIII and Anne, who had just been raised to the peerage as Marquess of Pembroke, on their trip to France to gain King Francis I’s support for their union. Then, in 1533, following Anne’s marriage to the king, he filled in as Earl Marshal, for her coronation celebrations, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk being in France at the time.
[Read More...]
What happens when a Tudor bad boy meets a powerful Habsburg duchess? Scandal, of course!
On this day in Tudor history, 10th January 1480, Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy and regent of the Habsburg Netherlands, was born. Margaret was a remarkable woman—an accomplished ruler and a central figure in European politics. But in 1513, during a moment of celebration after Henry VIII’s victory in France, Margaret found herself at the centre of a scandal thanks to none other than Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.
Flirtation, a stolen ring, and a royal joke gone wrong—what started as innocent courtly love spiralled into a full-blown international incident.
[Read More...]