On this day in Tudor history, 16th February, Sir William Stanley, was executed for treason, the German humanist reformer and scholar, Philipp Melancthon was born, and Henry VIII was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor…
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#OTD in Tudor history – 16 February
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#OTD in Tudor history – 6 January
What happened on this day in history, 6th January, in the Tudor period?
Here are some event from 6th January in the reigns of the Tudor monarchs…
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#OTD in Tudor history – 5 January
What happened on this day in Tudor history, 5th January, in Tudor times?
Let me share with you some events from 5th January during the reigns of the Tudor kings and queens…
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16 December – Find out about Hatch, the Mary Rose’s dog
Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank in 1545 with her crew and the ship’s dog, Hatch.
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2 December – Henry VIII’s spectacles
For today’s Advent treat, I’m sharing this Teasel’s Tudor Trivia video from a few years ago. It’s about Henry VIII and what he used to help him read as his eyesight worsened with age.
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October 11 – Henry VIII becomes Defender of the Faith
On this day in Tudor history, 11th October 1521, Pope Leo X conferred on King Henry VIII the title of Fidei Defensor, “Defender of the Faith”.
This was a reward for Henry VIII writing his pamphlet Assertio septem sacramentorum adversus Martinum Lutherum, “Declaration of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther”, which was dedicated to the Pope. The pamphlet defended the Catholic Church against Reformer Martin Luther’s work, “De captivitate Babylonica”, “On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church”, which had been published in 1520.
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June 25 – Catherine of Aragon and Prince Henry get betrothed
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.
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June 21 – Henry VIII travels to the Tower of London
On this day in Tudor history, 21st June 1509, England’s new king, the nearly 18-year-old Henry VIII, travelled from Greenwich to the Tower of London.
Chronicler Edward Hall recorded:
On the 21st day of this month of June, the king came from Greenwich to the Tower, over London Bridge, and so by Grace Church, with whom came many a well appareled gentleman, but in especial the Duke of Buckingham, which had a gowne all of goldsmithes work, very costly.
It was traditional for monarchs to stay at the Tower of London, where they would create Knights of the Bath, before their coronations. Henry and his new bride, Catherine of Aragon, were due to process through the streets of London to Westminster on 23rd June, and their coronation would take place on 24th.
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Catherine of Aragon – The Case for Non-consummation by Amanda Glover
Thank you to Amanda Glover for writing this guest article for us on the question of whether Catherine of Aragon's marriage to Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, was consummated.
The story
More than 500 years ago two teenagers married. Only four and a half months later the boy sadly died. Since then, historians have hotly debated whether the marriage was ever consummated.
The girl was called Catalina, known in England as Catherine of Aragon, and the boy was Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir to the fledgling dynasty of the Tudors.
But why was the question of the consummation so important?
When Arthur died so tragically young, his ten-year-old brother, Henry became the heir to his father’s crown. In 1509, eight years after Arthur’s demise, the 17-year-old Henry ascended the throne as Henry VIII on the death of his father, Henry VII. One of his first acts was to marry Catherine, having obtained Papal dispensation, a necessity in the eyes of the Church because of Catherine’s first marriage to Arthur, which made the new couple “related”.
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From the Archives – Queen Anne Boleyn
As today is the anniversary of Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution on 19th May 1536, I thought I’d share with you this talk I did a few years ago on Anne Boleyn’s fall.
In it, I examine 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?
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From the Archives: Talk on Henry VIII as a military leader
As today is the anniversary of King Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, I thought I’d share this talk by historian and author Gareth Russell on Henry VIII’s successes and failures as a military leader.
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Henry VIII and His Six Wives Online Event – register now!
Historian Claire Ridgway’s next online event, Henry VIII and His Six Wives, is open for registration with an early bird discount coupon!
Register now and join Claire, Dr Tracy Borman, Dr Linda Porter, Gareth Russell, Dr Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey as they delve into the lives of this iconic king and his six queens consort.
Henry VIII and His Six Wives is a completely online event and its starts properly on 22nd May 2023. However, Claire is hosting zoom video calls twice a month leading up to the event so participants can get to know each other and talk Tudor. The zoom calls start on 12th February and the topic for discussion is Henry VIII in film and on TV.
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Henry VIII as a military leader: Myth, reality and legacy by Gareth Russell
As today is the anniversary of Henry VIII’s return from France on 30th September 1544 after the English victory at the Siege of Boulogne, I thought I’d share this expert talk from our archives.
Historian and author Gareth Russell discusses the successes and failures of Henry VIII as a military leader…
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September 30 – A triumphant Henry VIII returns to England from France
On this day in Tudor history, 30th September 1544, fifty-three-year-old King Henry VIII returned to England from France.
The king was returning in victory following the French surrender of Boulogne to him and his troops.
Hear a contemporary account of what happened during the siege of Boulogne and how and why the French surrendered to Henry VIII…
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June 28 – A poisoned Catholic earl and the end of a rebel baron
On this day in Tudor history, 28th June 1557, Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel, was born at Arundel House, the Strand, London.
Arundel ended up being condemned to death for treason and dying of alleged poisoning in 1589, when he was just 32.
Let me tell you more about Arundel and his rather sticky end…
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June 21 – Henry VIII goes to the Tower, and Lady Jane Grey is chosen as Edward VI’s successor
On this day in Tudor history, 21st June 1509, the new king, the nearly 18-year-old Henry VIII, travelled from Greenwich to the Tower of London.
Why was Henry VIII going to the Tower?
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Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon Quiz
I thought we’d celebrate Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon’s wedding anniversary, which was yesterday, by testing your knowledge of them and their marriage.
Get those little grey cells working with this fun quiz and do feel free to share your score.
Good luck!
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June 7 – A queen’s physician is hanged, and a historic meeting
On this day in Tudor history, 7th June 1594, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the queen’s physician, Roderigo Lopez, was hanged, drawn and quartered after being accused of plotting to poison the queen.
Find out more about Lopez and what happened…
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May 10 – Henry VIII’s annulment is nearly done, Ivan the Terrible, and the suicide of John Clerk
On this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1533, the Great Matter, Henry VIII’s quest for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, neared its conclusion.
Find out what happened on this day in 1533, and what happened next…
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Henry VIII’s Family Word Search
How much do you know about Henry VIII’s family members?
Test yourself with this fun word search puzzle, and remember, the words can go in any direction!
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April 21 – The death of Henry VII and accession of Henry VIII, and the Philosopher’s Stone
The king is dead! Long live the king!
On this day in Tudor history, 21st April 1509, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, King Henry VII, died at Richmond Palace. He had ruled since 1485, when his forces defeated those of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth.
Henry VII was succeeded by his seventeen-year-old son, Henry, who, it was said, did “not desire gold or gems or precious metals, but virtue, glory, immortality”!
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April 1 – William Harvey, his experiments and blood circulation and Henry VIII courts Jane Seymour
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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Blog: Parr’s Million Pound Mansion and Henry’s Regret
With the end of the month nearing, it is time again to look back at what happened in the past few weeks. From a new discovery to History For Ukraine, March had a lot to offer.
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March 15 – Henry VIII uses foul language and The Lady Mary causes a stir in London
On this day in Tudor history, 15th March 1532, King Henry VIII used what was described as “foul language” to William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Henry VIII also threatened the poor man, and it is amazing that Warham kept his head as the king was furious.
What happened? Find out what Warham did to upset the king in this talk…
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10 March – John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford’s role in the Wars of the Roses, and Henry VIII and a nasty jousting accident
On this day in Tudor history, 10th March 1513, magnate John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, died at his home at Castle Hedingham in Essex.
Oxford was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses and played an important role in the Battle of Bosworth Field.
Find out more about his life and career and just how complicated this civil war was in this talk…
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8 March -Henry VIII receives a leopard and Sir Nicholas Carew’s sticky end
On this day in Tudor history, 8th March 1516, Sir John Wiltshire wrote to King Henry VIII from the English territory of Calais warning him that a couple of gifts were on their way to the king from the Duke of Ferrara. The gifts were a courser (a horse) and a “lebard” (a leopard or lion).
Exotic animal gifts were all the rage in the medieval and Tudor period and were the reason why there was a royal menagerie at the Tower of London.
Find out more about some of these animal gifts in this talk…
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March 4 – William Bullokar and his 40-letter alphabet and, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn star in the spectacular Chateau Vert Pageant
On this day in history, 4th March 1609, Tudor spelling reformer and grammarian William Bullokar died at Chichester in West Sussex.
William Bullokar is known for writing the first grammar book of English, the “Pamphlet for Grammar”, and for his work reforming the alphabet to improve literacy.
Find out more about him and what he did in this talk…
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2 March – Sir Thomas Bodley and the Bodleian Library, and Henry VIII’s motto “She has wounded my heart”
On this day in Tudor history, 2nd March 1545, scholar, diplomat and founder of the Bodleian Library, Sir Thomas Bodley, was born in Exeter.
Sir Thomas Bodley served as a diplomat in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but he is most known for his re-founding of Oxford University Library and the Bodleian Library, and all the work he did on it.
Find out all about him and his library in this talk…
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16 February – Sir William Stanley is executed and The burial of King Henry VIII at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
On this day in Tudor history, 16th February 1495, Sir William Stanley, administrator and landowner, was executed for treason on Tower Hill.
Stanley is, of course, remembered for his key role at the Battle of Bosworth Field in August 1485, when he and his brother chose to support Henry Tudor and brought their troops onto the battlefield at a critical stage.
So how did Sir William Stanley go from being a loyal supporter of Henry VII to being executed for treason?
Find out in this talk…
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7 February – The birth of Sir Thomas More, a joust, unrequited love and a nasty accident
On this day in history, 7th February 1477 or 1478, Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, was born in London.
More had once wanted to be a monk but ended up being one of the most well-known statesmen of the Tudor period. Unfortunately, Sir Thomas More came to a sticky end after refusing to sign the oath recognising Henry VIII as the supreme head of the church in England, and was executed in 1535 as a traitor.
Find out all about More’s rise to power, how he fell, and what he told his son-in-law about the king, in this talk…
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