The Tudor Society
  • #OTD in Tudor history – 2 October

    Portraits of Mary Tudor and Louis XII

    On this day in Tudor history, Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, set sail from Dover to travel to France to marry Louis XII of France; and reformer and Bible translator William Tyndale’s book “The Obedience of a Christian Man” was published, a book which Anne Boleyn shared with Henry VIII…

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  • #OTD in Tudor history – 25 June

    Portraits of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

    On this day in Tudor history, Catherine of Aragon became betrothed to Prince Henry, the future Henry VIII, and Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France, sister of Henry VIII and wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died at the age of 37…

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  • September 14 – A second proxy marriage for Princess Mary Tudor

    Mary Tudor, Queen of France, detail from a portrait of her and her second husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

    On this day in Tudor history, 14th September 1514, in the reign of King Henry VIII, King Louis XII of France and Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII, married by proxy in Paris.

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  • October 2 – Henry VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor, sets sail for France

    On this day in Tudor history, 2nd October 1514, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Princess Mary Tudor set sail for France.

    The eighteen-year-old sister of Henry VIII was saining from Dover to France in order to marry fifty-two-year-old King Louis XII of France.

    Find out about the arrangements for the journey, who was at Dover, how the bad weather affected Mary’s crossing to Boulogne, and what happened next…

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  • June 25 – Death of Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France and Henry VIII’s sister

    On this day in Tudor history, 25th June 1533, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s younger sister, Mary Tudor, former Queen of France and wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died at her home in Suffolk. She was just thirty-seven years old.

    Let me tell you about Mary’s ill-health, her death and funeral…

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  • March 18 – Elizabeth I is arrested and The birth of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    On this day in Tudor history, 18th March 1554, Palm Sunday, the twenty-year-old Lady Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I) was escorted by barge from her home at Whitehall Palace along the River Thames to the Tower of London, and imprisoned there.

    Elizabeth had been implicated in Wyatt’s Rebellion, a rebellion that sought to depose Queen Mary I and put Elizabeth, the queen’s half-sister, on the throne in her place.

    Where was Elizabeth imprisoned? What happened to her? Find out more about Elizabeth’s arrest and her time in the Tower of London in this talk…

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  • 9 October – Miguel de Cervantes and the wedding of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    On this day in Tudor history, 9th October 1547, Miguel de Cervantes, author of the famous classic “Don Quixote”, a book known as “the first modern novel”, was baptised in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. His actual birthdate is unknown.

    Now, this event didn’t happen in Tudor England, but it did happen in the Tudor period, and Cervantes is known the world over. Let me share with you some facts about this man, his rather interesting life, which including being held to ransom by pirates, and his works…

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  • 2 October – Princess Mary Tudor sets sail for France and a book that helped change English history

    On this day in Tudor history, 2nd October 1514, eighteen-year-old Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII, set off from Dover to sail to France to marry fifty-two-year-old King Louis XII of France.

    Things hadn’t gone to plan with the scheduled sailing, due to bad weather, and Mary encountered rough seas on her journey too.

    Find out about the arrangements for the journey, who was at Dover, Mary’s crossing to Boulogne, and what happened next…

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  • 2 October – Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister, sets sail for France

    On this day in Tudor history, 2nd October 1514, eighteen-year-old Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII, set off from Dover to sail to France to marry fifty-two-year-old King Louis XII of France.

    Things hadn’t gone to plan with the scheduled sailing, due to bad weather, and Mary encountered rough seas on her journey too.

    Find out about the arrangements for the journey, who was at Dover, Mary’s crossing to Boulogne, and what happened next, in today’s talk.

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  • 13 August – A proxy wedding for Princess Mary Tudor

    On this day in history, 13th August 1514, Princess Mary Tudor, youngest surviving daughter of the late King Henry VII and sister of King Henry VIII, married King Louis XII of France by proxy.

    In today’s talk, I share details of the ceremony, and what everyone was wearing, and explais the symbolic consummation.

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  • 25 June – The death of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    On this day in Tudor history, 25th June 1533, Mary Tudor, former Queen of France, wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and sister of King Henry VIII, died at her home in Suffolk. She was just thirty-seven years old.

    In today’s video, I talk about Mary’s ill-health, her death and funeral.

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  • 18 March – The birth of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    Mary Tudor, Queen of France, detail from a portrait of her and her second husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

    Henry VIII’s beloved sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, was born on this day in 1496 at Richmond Palace.

    In this video, I give a brief overview of Mary Tudor’s life.

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  • 25 June 1533 – Mary Tudor, Queen of France, dies

    Mary Tudor, Queen of France, detail from a portrait of her and her second husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

    On this day in history, 25th June 1533, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, sister of King Henry VIII and wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died at her home of Westhorpe Hall in Suffolk.

    Mary had been born on 18th March 1496 at Richmond Palace and was the youngest surviving child of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. She was renowned for her beauty, being described by the Venetian ambassador as “a Paradise – tall, slender, grey-eyed, possessing an extreme pallor”, and her motto was La volenté de Dieu me suffit (The will of God is sufficient for me). In 1507, Mary was betrothed to Charles of Castile (the future Charles V Holy Roman Emperor), and their wedding was planned for 1514. However, the betrothal was cancelled due to Henry VIII’s diplomatic dealings and, much to Mary’s horror, she was betrothed instead to the fifty-two-year-old King Louis XII of France, a man thirty-four years her senior, as part of Cardinal Wolsey’s peace treaty with France.

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  • 13 May 1515 – The marriage of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk

    On this day in history, Sunday 13th May 1515, Mary Tudor, dowager queen of France and sister of King Henry VIII, married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, at Greenwich Palace, following their secret marriage in France. They were married in the presence of the king, Queen Catherine and the court.

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  • 18 March 1496 – Birth of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    On this day in 1496, Henry VIII’s beloved sister, Princess Mary Tudor, was born at Richmond Palace. She was the youngest of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York’s children to survive infancy and was sister to Prince Arthur, Princess Margaret and Prince Henry.

    Mary was renowned for her beauty, being described as “a Paradise – tall, slender, grey-eyed, possessing an extreme pallor” by the Venetian ambassador, and her motto was “La volenté de Dieu me suffit” (The will of God is sufficient for me).

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  • Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    This week’s video is by Sarah Bryson and is on Mary Tudor, Queen of France, daughter of King Henry VII and sister of King Henry VIII.

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  • Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Quiz

    Mary Tudor, Queen of France, detail from a portrait of her and her second husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

    How much do you know about Mary Tudor, Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII and sister of Henry VIII? Test those little grey cells over your morning coffee with this fun quiz.

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  • Mary Tudor, Queen of France, by Sarah Bryson

    On 18th March 1496, Queen Elizabeth of York, wife of King Henry VII, gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Richmond Palace. The little girl was named Mary and her birth was recorded by Elizabeth in her Psalter. Lady Margaret Beaufort, the King’s mother, also recorded Mary’s birth in her Book of Hours. On 18th March, Margaret recorded: “Hodie nata Maria tertia filia Henricis VII 1495”, or “Today, ws born Mary, the third daughter of Henry VII 1495.” Although Margaret recorded the date as 1495, this is because the new calendar year did not start in Tudor times until Lady Day, 25th March, so we’d say that she was born in 1496.

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  • Mary Tudor, Queen of France Quiz

    Test your knowledge on Mary Tudor, Queen of France and sister of King Henry VIII in this fun quiz.

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  • The Marriage of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk

    In today’s Claire Chats I talk about the secret marriage of Mary Tudor, dowager Queen of France, and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, in 1515.

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  • The Marriage of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor by Sarah Bryson

    On 14th January 1515, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, was sent to France under orders from Henry VIII to bring back Henry’s sister, the newly widowed Mary Tudor. Brandon would see to Mary’s safe return, but she would not be a widow on her return but, instead, a newly married woman.

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  • 6 November 1514 – The Entry of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, into Paris

    On this day in 1514, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, processed into Paris following her coronation the day before at St Denis.

    It was a lavish occasion and must have been an incredible sight. According to Pierre Grigore, the pageants of Mary’s triumphant entry into the city included:

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  • 25 June 1533 – The death of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

    Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.[/caption]Mary Tudor, Queen of France, was the younger sister of King Henry VIII. Born to King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York in 1496, Mary was one of eight children and one of only three to survive to adulthood. Tragedy struck Mary at just seven years of age when her older brother and heir to the throne, Arthur, died in 1502. Less than a year later, Mary’s mother Elizabeth of York died trying to give Henry VII another son. Then, when Mary was eight years old, her older sister Margaret, then fourteen, left England for Scotland to marry King James IV. Mary and her older brother Henry were the only two siblings left in England and it has been suggested that during this time, growing up together, they formed a close bond which survived until Mary’s death.

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