The Tudor Society

  • July 1 – The 1536 Act of Succession

    9 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 1st July 1536, Parliament gave the Second Act of Succession its first reading.

    This act superseded the 1534 Act of Succession, which had made Mary, Henry VIII’s daughter by Catherine of Aragon, illegitimate and had appointed Elizabeth, his daughter by Anne Boleyn, as heir to the throne.

    The new act declared the illegitimacy of both of Henry’s daughters. Both girls were now barred from the line of succession and, Elizabeth, like Mary, now lost her title of “princess”.

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  • April 20 – The Oath of the Act of Succession

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Henry VIII by Hans Holbein the Younger

    On this day in Tudor history, 20th April 1534, in the reign of King Henry VIII, prominent citizens of London were required to swear the Oath of the Act of Succession.

    Chronicler Charles Wriothesley explained that all the guilds were called to their halls to swear:

    To be true to Queen Anne (Anne Boleyn) and to recognise her as Henry VIII’s lawful wife and the rightful Queen of England.
    To think of the king’s eldest daughter Mary as illegitimate.

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  • April 20 – The interesting life of Lady Mary Grey, the awful end of Elizabeth Barton, and an oath to swear

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 20th April 1578, Lady Mary Keys (née Grey), sister of Lady Jane Grey and wife of Thomas Keys, died at her home in the parish of St Botolph without Aldgate, London.

    Like her sisters, Mary had a sad life. Her secret marriage led to Elizabeth I imprisoning her and her husband, and they never saw each other again.

    Find out more about the tiny Mary who was described as “crook-backed”, her marriage to a man who was said to be 6’8, and what happened to Mary and Thomas, in this video…

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  • April 13 – A too lenient gaoler, Sir Thomas More makes a fatal decision, and a countess who harboured priests

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 13th April 1557, John Brydges, 1st Baron Chandos of Sudeley, landowner, soldier and Lieutenant of the Tower of London, died at his home, Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds.

    Brydges served Henry VIII, King Edward VI and Mary I loyally, and even managed to keep royal favour with Mary I after being accused of being too lenient with prisoners Lady Jane Grey and Princess Elizabeth (future Elizabeth I).

    Let me tell you more about Brydges and his time in charge of Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I.

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  • 1 July – No legitimate heir for Henry VIII

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 1st July 1536, less than two months after the execution of Anne Boleyn, Parliament passed legislation that meant that the king had no legitimate heirs. How strange!

    Find out more in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts…

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  • 20 April – An oath to swear

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    n this day in Tudor history, on 20th April 1534, in the reign of King Henry VIII, prominent Londoners were called to swear a special oath.

    Just what was the Oath of the Act of Succession? What were people swearing to?

    Find out in this latest #TudorHistoryShorts video…

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  • 8 June – Elizabeth and Mary are declared illegitimate

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 8th June 1536, the sixth Parliament of King Henry VIII’s reign met.

    This Parliament passed the Second Act of Succession, which removed Mary and Elizabeth from the succession and declared them illegitimate.

    I explain what happened at this Parliament and also share another “on this day” event from the very same day in 1536.

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