Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was patron to the Florentine scuptor Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474-1552) and commissioned him to make a lavish Renaissance style tomb for him. The project comprised a beautiful black marble sarcophagus and four bronze angels, each measuring around a metre in height, which are now known as Wolsey’s Angels.
[Read More...]
In this month’s second expert talk, Claire Ridgway looks at the fall of Anne Boleyn in 1536 and examines the roles of Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII in those bloody events. Did Thomas Cromwell plot all by himself or was he simply his master’s servant? Was Henry VIII ultimately responsible? Why did Anne Boleyn have to die?
[Read More...]
Henry VIII was born on 28 June 1491 at Greenwich Palace. He was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, but became heir to the throne when his brother Arthur died in 1502. He inherited the throne on the death of his father in April 1509, when he was just 17 years old, and he was crowned on 24 June 1509 in a joint coronation with his new bride Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his brother.
His reign was seen as the start of a new era, after his father’s harsh regime, and Henry was very much a Renaissance prince at the start, with his charm, good looks, intelligence, love of sport and desire to fight bribery and corruption. However, he has gone down in history as a larger than life, hulk of a man who had six wives and who executed two of them, and who, according to one contemporary source, executed 72,000 during his reign. His reign is famous for the break with Rome which happened as a result of Henry VIII’s “Great Matter”, his quest for an annulment of his marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Catherine had been unable to provide Henry with a living son and Henry had come to view the marriage as contrary to God’s laws, since Catherine was his brother’s widow. He had also fallen in love with Anne Boleyn. The Pope refused to grant Henry an annulment, but Henry took matters into his own hands after reading that kings and princes were only answerable to God. The marriage was annulled in 1533, Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn and the Reformation Parliament of 1529-1536 passed the main pieces of legislation which led to the break with Rome and the English Reformation.
[Read More...]
Following on from last week’s Claire Chat’s video on Tudor women’s costume, today I’m looking at what men wore at Henry VIII’s court.
[Read More...]
Historian Derek Wilson has just informed me that he’s doing a series of articles on the six Thomases of Henry VIII’s reign over on his blog. Here are some clickable links for you:
[Read More...]
In this week’s Claire Chats, I look at what women at Henry VIII’s court wore and what layers their outfits were made up of. I do hope you enjoy the talk and slides.
[Read More...]
In today’s Claire Chats video I continue my look at Henry VIII the tyrant by considering the different theories regarding his “tyranny”, whether there was a personality change and, if so, why.
[Read More...]
In today’s Claire Chats I look at whether Henry VIII was a tyrant and compare him to Machiavelli’s idea of what a monarch/leader should be.
[Read More...]
In this week’s Claire chats I talk about Henry’s upbringing, contemporary descriptions of him at his accession, his love of music and how he seemed to be the ideal Renaissance prince and king.
[Read More...]
In today’s Claire Chats video I look at Henry VIII the jouster and the records that tell of how he excelled at the sport, and also accounts of his accidents.
[Read More...]
In today’s Claire Chats video I talk about the contrast between the letter Henry VIII wrote to Anne Boleyn in June 1528, when he’d just found out that she’d come down with sweating sickness, and his other letters to her. I show photographs of those letters so you can see the difference Sandra Vasoli talked about in her recent talk.
[Read More...]
Thanks to a question from Tudor Society member Sharon I have been digging into what Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, said about Henry VIII’s serious jousting accident in January 1536: “[…] Thinks he might ask of fortune for what greater misfortune he is reserved, like the other tyrant who escaped from the fall of the house, in which all the rest were smothered, and soon after died.”
[Read More...]
The world’s first gardening manual, which once belonged to Henry VIII, is going on display at Buckingham Palace in March 2015.
[Read More...]
A quiz about actors and actresses who have played Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn on TV and on the big screen.
[Read More...]
The expert speaker for January is Sandi Vasoli, author of “Je Anne Boleyn”. Sandi speaks of her visit to the Vatican Archives to see the original letters which Henry VIII wrote to Anne Boleyn while they were courting.
This talk goes into her visit, the experience of actually holding the letters, and what she could tell about Henry’s state of mind by the way the letters were written. It’s a fascinating talk!
[Read More...]
Leanda de Lisle’s review of “Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant” by Tracy Borman.
[Read More...]
Murder, political betrayal, royal intrigue… The life of Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, had it all. He was a survivor in a dangerous world, navigating the courts of Elizabeth I and James I, escaping imprisonment five times, and playing a shadowy role in one of the most scandalous murder cases of the 17th century.
But who was he? And how did he go from being a suspected traitor to one of the most powerful men in England? Stick around as we uncover the secrets of this Tudor earl—his rise, his rivalries, and his connection to a deadly conspiracy…
Birthday boy Henry Howard was born into one of England’s most prestigious families on 24th February 1540. But that didn’t mean his life was destined to be easy… because his family was already marked by treason.
His father? None other than Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey—the poet and courtier executed by Henry VIII in 1547 for alleged treason. His brother? Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk—executed by Elizabeth I for plotting to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. With this kind of family history, you’d think Henry would learn to stay away from treasonous schemes… but you’d be wrong.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 10th February 1564, Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland, died—but not before leaving behind a legacy of scandal, treason, and… magic?
In 1536, at just 11 years old, Henry Neville, who was the eldest son of Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland, and Catherine Stafford, and the grandson of the executed Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was taken hostage during the Pilgrimage of Grace, a major Tudor rebellion. His captors used him as a bargaining chip to force his father’s compliance—quite the dramatic start to his life!
By 1546, Neville had racked up huge gambling debts and was desperate for a way out. So what did he do? He purchased a magical ring that supposedly summoned angels to help clear his debts! Spoiler alert: it didn’t work, and he landed in Fleet Prison.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 18th September 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, was born.
Henry would not have a long life, dying at the age of fifteen from sweating sickness.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 6th September 1572, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Henry Jerningham (Jernegan) died at his manor of Costessey in Norfolk. He was buried in the parish church there.
Jerningham served Henry VIII and Mary I, and his offices in Mary’s reign included privy councillor, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. He was instrumental in helping Mary in the succession crisis of 1553.
[Read More...]
On this day in Tudor history, 25th June 1503, seventeen-year old Catherine of Aragon became betrothed to the nearly twelve-year old Prince Henry, second son of King Henry VII.
Catherine had been widowed in April 1502 when her husband, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Henry VII, died. The king was keen to keep hold of her dowry so negotiated with her parents, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, for her to marry his second son.
[Read More...]
The 15th June 1519 is the traditional birthdate of Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, although the 18th is a more likely date.
Fitzroy’s mother, Elizabeth Blount, known as Bessie Blount, was serving as one of Catherine of Aragon’s maids of honour when she was noticed by the king and became his mistress. After it was found that she was pregnant, she was sent to the Priory of St Lawrence, in Blackmore, Essex, by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey before her pregnancy became visible.
Bessie’s baby boy was baptised at the chapel at Blackmore with Cardinal Wolsey acting as godfather.
[Read More...]
