The Tudor Society
  • #OTD in Tudor History – 4 February

    Portraits of Mary Boleyn and John Rogers

    On this day in Tudor history, Anne of York married the Earl of Surrey, Mary Boleyn married William Carey, and there was the first Protestant burning of Mary I’s reign…

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  • February 4 – The wedding of Anne of York and Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (later 3rd Duke of Norfolk)

    Portrait of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, by Hans Holbein the Younger. Norfolk holds the gold baton of Earl Marshal and the white staff of Lord High Treasurer, and wears the Order of the Garter.

    Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of NorfolkOn this day in Tudor history, 4th February 1495, in the reign of King Henry VII, a wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London. It was the wedding of Anne of York and Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey.

    Let me tell you a bit more about the bridge and groom...
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  • 25 August – A uncle of queens and Kett’s Rebellion

    On this day in history, 25th August 1554, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, magnate, soldier and uncle of Queens Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, died of natural causes at his home of Kenninghall in Norfolk. He was laid to rest in St Michael’s Church, Framlingham, Suffolk.

    Find out more about this important Tudor man, and how he escaped the axe-man and died at a good age in his bed…

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  • 25 August – Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and uncle of two queens

    On this day in history, 25th August 1554, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, magnate, soldier and uncle of Queens Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, died of natural causes at his home of Kenninghall in Norfolk. He was laid to rest in St Michael’s Church, Framlingham, Suffolk.

    Find out more about this important Tudor man, and how he escaped the axe-man and died at a good age in his bed, in this talk.

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  • 12 December – London sympathises with the Earl of Surrey

    On this day in Tudor history, 12th December 1546, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, son of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, was led through the streets of London from Ely Place, where he had been held since his arrest on 2nd December, to the Tower of London.

    It was meant to be a humiliating walk for the earl, but it seems that the citizens of London were actually sympathetic to his plight, and didn’t boo him.

    Find out what happened on this day, and also what happened to his father, who had also been arrested, in today’s talk.

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  • 10 May – John Clerk, a girdle and the Tower of London

    On this day in Tudor history, author John Clerk, who had served Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, as his secretary, avoided public shame with a very final act in the Tower of London.

    What led Clerk to this end? How had he ended up in the Tower of London?

    Find out more in today’s video.

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  • Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk Quiz

    Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

    This week’s quiz is on that famous Tudor courtier, soldier and statesman, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. Just how much do you know about the man who was the uncle of Queens Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard? Find out with this Sunday’s quiz.

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  • Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

    Thomas Howard was the eldest son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, and of Elizabeth Tilney. He was the brother of Elizabeth Boleyn (née Howard) and Edmund Howard so was uncle to Queens Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Howard’s father and grandfather had fought on Richard III’s side at the Battle of Bosworth but Howard was able to work his way back into royal favour by fighting for the Crown against both the Cornish rebels and the Scots in 1497. He was made a Knight of the Garter in 1510, was created Earl of Surrey in 1514 and succeeded his father as Duke of Norfolk in 1524. In September 1514 he was prominent in leading the English army in defeating the Scots at the Battle of Flodden.

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  • 9 September 1513 – The Battle of Flodden

    Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

    On the 9th September 1513, while Henry VIII was away, busy campaigning against the French, James IV and his Scottish troops crossed the border and challenged the English force, which was headed by Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey, at Flodden in Northumberland.

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