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The Tudor Society

  • May 20 – Henry VIII moves on with Jane Seymour

    3 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    A portrait of Jane Seymour by Hans Holbein the Younger

    On this day in Tudor history, 20th May 1536, just 24 hours after Anne Boleyn’s execution, Henry VIII became betrothed to Jane Seymour, Anne’s former maid of honour.

    The imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys wasn’t impressed by Jane, describing her as medium height, “no great beauty”, “rather pale”, inclined to be “proud and haughty” and lacking wit. Her age and length of time at court also made him doubt whether she was a virgin! He did like the fact that she was sympathetic to Mary’s cause though – phew!.

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  • May 19 – A queen is executed, Henry VIII gets a dispensation, and Elizabeth is released from the Tower

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 19th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was executed within the confines of the Tower of London.

    It must have been an incredibly hard day for the queen’s friend, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Not only did he have a visit from a friend regarding a terrifying vision, in the early hours… Not only did he have to cope with the idea of his friend and patron being beheaded, but he had to issue a dispensation for the king to marry again!

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  • April 1 – William Harvey, his experiments and blood circulation and Henry VIII courts Jane Seymour

    1 year ago Author: Joel Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 1st April 1578, English physician William Harvey, was born in Folkestone, Kent. Harvey has gone down in history as being the man who discovered the circulation of blood, and he was also physician extraordinary to King James I and King Charles I.

    How did Harvey work out that the heart pumped the blood around the body and how was his challenge of Galen’s work received?

    Find out more about William Harvey’s work, and also his role in the pardoning of women accused of witchcraft, in this…

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  • 19 May – A dispensation for Henry VIII to marry wife number 3

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 19th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was executed within the confines of the Tower of London.

    It must have been an incredibly hard day for the queen’s friend, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Not only did he have a visit from a friend regarding a terrifying vision, in the early hours… Not only did he have to cope with the idea of his friend and patron being beheaded, but he had to issue a dispensation for the king to marry again!

    Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • 30 May – Henry VIII gets married to Jane Seymour

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, Tuesday 30th May 1536, just eleven days after the execution of his second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII married his third wife, the woman he thought of as his true love and true wife, Jane Seymour.

    Find out more about this event and the bride and groom in today’s video.

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