The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens – Book Tour and Giveaway

turbulent_crownI am delighted to be hosting day five of Roland Hui’s book tour for his latest book, The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens.

To celebrate the release, Roland has written an informative guest post that dispels some of the myths about Anne Boleyn’s incarceration at the Tower of London. I’m also excited to announce that thanks to the generosity of MadeGlobal Publishing, I have a copy of Roland’s book to give away! (See conditions of entry below).

Book Description

Ten remarkable women.
One remarkable era.

In the Tudor period, 1485–1603, a host of fascinating women sat on the English throne. The dramatic events of their lives are told in The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens of England.

The Turbulent Crown begins with the story of Elizabeth of York, who survived conspiracy, and dishonour to become the first Tudor Queen, bringing peace and order to England after years of civil war. From there, the reader is taken through the parade of Henry VIII’s six wives – two of whom, Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard, would lose their heads against a backdrop of intrigue and scandal.

The Turbulent Crown continues with the tragedy of Lady Jane Grey, the teenager who ruled for nine days until overthrown by her cousin Mary Tudor. But Mary’s reign, which began in triumph, ended in disaster, leading to the emergence of her sister, Elizabeth I, as the greatest of her family and of England’s monarchs.


Conditions of Entry

For your chance to win a copy of The Turbulent Crown, you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage where it says ‘Free Enewsletter Subscription’).

Then simply leave a comment after this post between now and 10 March 2017. Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email. Please note that I have comment moderation activated and need to ‘approve’ comments before they appear. There is no need to submit your comment twice.

This giveaway is open internationally.

A winner will be selected randomly and contacted by email shortly after the competition closes. Please ensure you’ve added natalie@onthetudortrail.com to your address book to avoid missing my email.

Good luck!


 

Anne Boleyn at the Tower of London – Fact and Fiction

By Roland Hui

Perhaps the best way to visit and learn about the Tower of London is to take a tour offered by its Yeoman Warders (or Beefeaters as they are better known). Formerly military personnel in Her Majesty’s armed forces, these men, and now a woman – Moira Cameron; appointed the first female Yeoman Warder in 2007 – hold a ceremonial position at the Tower, which includes offering visitor services to close to 3 million tourists annually.

As tour guides, the Warders enthrall their audiences with colorful tales of the Tower’s history – secret murders within its walls, daring escapes from its confines, and gory executions upon the block. Needless to say, the beheadings – seven are known to have occurred on Tower Green – are a most popular subject, one often subjected to some misinformation and exaggeration, unfortunately. Stories such as those of Queen Katheryn Howard expressing her eternal love for her executed lover Thomas Culpepper before the axe fell upon her own neck, and of old Margaret Pole – chased around the scaffold until she was hacked to death as it is told – continue to fascinate, even though they fall short of truth. Just as captivating is the tragic end of Queen Anne Boleyn. As the Warders often tell it, when she was accused of high treason in 1536, she was brought here and imprisoned in a house still standing on the Green. Not long afterwards she lost her head on a scaffold where a glass memorial now stands. However, a look into the historical records about Anne’s fall reveals that these are misconceptions about her stay at the Tower of London.

Besides the White Tower, the massive central keep of the fortress, one of the most imposing features of the Tower of London is St. Thomas’ Tower, or Traitors’ Gate as it is more commonly called. This gated archway formerly gave access to the River Thames, and prisoners were routinely rowed in through this entrance. According to the Warder whose tour I took on an autumn afternoon some years ago, Anne Boleyn too arrived by this gate. But truth be told, Anne (and later her daughter Elizabeth too when she was arrested in 1554) never came this way. Instead, she had landed at Tower Wharf and was taken in by a drawbridge into what was then called Court Gate (that is the Byward Tower). This was the entrance generally used by persons of prestige.

Inside the Tower of London, as it is often repeated, Anne Boleyn was held in the Queen’s House (the Queen being the present day Elizabeth II). Although the building does date from the Tudor era, Anne was not imprisoned there but in the royal palace. Sadly, these lodgings, once stretching from the White Tower to the Lanthorn Tower, no longer exist.

When the end finally came for Anne on the morning of May 19, 1536, she was said to have lost her head on a scaffold built in front of the Chapel of St. Peter Ad Vincula upon the Green, where a glass memorial to the Tower’s victims now stands. But again, a closer look at primary sources about Anne’s stay at the Tower suggests otherwise. One report mentioned that the scaffold was by the White Tower, that is probably along its northern wall. The scaffold built for Lady Jane Grey, beheaded in 1554, was described as being in the same place. Hence the present day execution site, recognized as such since the 19th century era, was a fabrication; no records indicate that it was actually there. It was probably designated as the infamous sad spot because of its picturesque setting with the chapel as a backdrop.

While the Yeoman Warders’ presentations may sometimes lack accuracy, they are invaluable in bringing history alive, allowing us to walk in Anne Boleyn’s footsteps. One of the stops along the way is the Chapel of St. Peter’s. Unless one attends a service within, one is only allowed inside in the company of a Warder. It is here that Anne’s resting place is found, the chancel laid in marble by order of Queen Victoria, containing amongst others, Anne’s coat-of-arms.

On the day I visited, someone had left a rose on the chancel floor. Although Anne’s marker was hidden beneath the hanging cloth of the altar, I have no doubt it was left for her. Such tributes to her are common, the Yeoman Warders say, adding to the richness of Anne’s legacy at the Tower of London.


 

roland_huiAuthor Biography

Roland Hui received his degree in Art History from Concordia University in Canada. After completing his studies, he went on to work in Interpretive Media for California State Parks, The U.S. Forest Service, and The National Park Service.

Roland has written for Renaissance Magazine and for Tudor Life Magazine. He blogs about 16th-century English art and personalities at Tudor Faces at: tudorfaces.blogspot.com.

Be sure to follow the rest of Roland Hui’s book tour!

roland_hui_book_tour_poster

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Comments

  1. I would love a copy of this book looks very interesting.

  2. Teresa Wells says:

    I would love to win this book!!!

  3. Shannon Z says:

    This book absolutely amazing! I cant wait to get my hands on a copy.

    Shannon
    (ShanZro@aol.com)

  4. Denise Hansen says:

    This book would be a great asset to my Tudor library!

  5. Trinette says:

    There can never be enough details on the lives and deaths of these queens to satisfy my thirst for knowledge about them. Thanks for writing it. Xo

  6. Agnes Szabo says:

    Oh,I would be so happy to win this book! 🙂
    It sounds very interesting!

  7. Denise Ash says:

    Thanks for a great article (and a chance to win the book)!

    Denise Ash
    Deniseash73@gmail.com

  8. Maria Eugenia De Tomasi says:

    I’d love to win this book!

  9. Lisa Fleener says:

    I would love to win this book! I live in the states & love everything about the Tudor Age! It would look great on my bookshelf ?

  10. Thank you. Good luck.

  11. Alicia Nichols says:

    Great post, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the book! Thanks for the giveaway, Natalie!

  12. Francesca says:

    I would love to win a copy – the tudor period has always fascinated me.

  13. Michelle Nasello says:

    The Tower is one of my favourite stops in London. The White Palace is a wonderful piece of architecture and the grounds are beautiful. The last time I was there, I laid flowers for Queen Anne Boleyn at the glass memorial. I have since then wandered to the other side of Tower Hill to find the other memorial. It’s closer to Tower Hill tube station. I’m so glad I found it.

  14. I’d love to read this

  15. Jean Samuel says:

    I look forward to reading this book which looks to be a very interesting and sympathetic investigation into the lives of Tudor women. They hold a special place in our hearts.

  16. Looks to be a fabulous book ! Would love a copy 🙂

    Mitzi
    (mitk@comcast.net)

  17. Michael Leaver says:

    This looks like a very informative read.Look forward to reading it in the near future

  18. Eleanor Williams says:

    I would love to win this book. My sister & I read everything we can get our hands on about the Tudors & I constantly watch & reach the Showtime series on DVD. My name is Eleanor Williams & my e-mail is
    eleanor1952williams@aol.com. My phone # is 903/802-3700. This book would be a welcome addition to our library. Thanks for the chance to win. I intend to get the coloring book that was shown on your page. It releases the day after my 6th birthday.

  19. Megan Bell says:

    I would love a copy!

  20. Laura Jernigan says:

    I would love to win a copy of this book, Tudor reign is my favorite time period!

  21. THERESA VONPLINSKY says:

    I’m intrigued. I’m VERY distantly related (like a huge number of people throughout Europe and America) on my father’s side to the Tudors through Owain Tudor and Queen Elizabeth of Valois (widow of an English King) (21st grandparents), so of course, it would nice to win this book.

  22. I don’t think there will ever be enough information to satisfy people’s imaginations about these royal women.They are legendary and I’d love to add this to my much loved collection on them.

  23. Pepper Mullins says:

    I live anything about Anne n the other Tudors. Can’t wait to read this book.

  24. Mary Anne Schimmel says:

    I am very interested in reading this book. Endlessly fascinated by all things Tudor.

  25. Eliza N. says:

    Thank you for the opportunity!!

  26. Christine C. says:

    This looks like a great resource; thank you for the opportunity!

  27. Thank you for this opportunity! I am looking forward to adding this book to my library and learning more about the Tudor Queens I am less informed about.

  28. I would love to read about the various women of the Tudor era.

  29. Maretta N says:

    The era of the Tudors has always fascinated me! This looks like a fantastic book…would love to win.

  30. Christine Ayers says:

    looks absolutely delightful! I would love to win a copy!

  31. Nikki M. says:

    Looks incredibly interesting! Would love to add this to my collection!

  32. Charlene Morales says:

    I would love to win. I am a big Tudor buff. I love everything that has to do with the history of the Tudors

  33. Erika M Messer says:

    Anne Boleyn is without a doubt my favorite of Henry VIII’s Queens. She is such a mystery too because so many hated her. I am currently focused on reading about Elizabeth of York and her story and this one would be great to read next! I have learned a lot about the War of the Roses recently, always been a huge Tudor fan and know a lot about King Henry VIII but not a lot about those who came before. Thanks! Erika Messer, hopefuldelights1 (at) yahoo (dot) com

  34. Racheal Dales says:

    I would love to add this book to my library. I love reading everything I can about the Tudor queens.

  35. Katie Thomson says:

    The Tudor queens are so fascinating! I’d love to win this book & learn even more about them.

  36. I’ve been reading about tudors on google,wikipidea watching on youtube. If i will hava a chance to have this copy it would be my first book about tudors eveeeeeerr.so please? ?

  37. Tammy Guyer says:

    Yet, another Tudor book I would love to read and add to my collection.

  38. Crystal navedo says:

    Would love a copy!

  39. i believe that the Tudor monarchs, as a group, were the most developmental in English history. And the dynasty would not be as strong and influential as they were had it not been for the Tudor queens, whether they be married to the monarch or the monarch in their own right. Would really enjoy this book.

  40. Carmen Williams says:

    I love learning new things about this amazing dynasty! I would love to win this book!!!

  41. Parveen sheikh says:

    I have fallen in love ?? with this era. I would love to win a copy of this book ?

  42. Susan Bain says:

    Lovely! Would love to have a copy of this!

  43. Jackie Weir says:

    Just loving this site and the information / books. Learning so much about history and the people, especially the Tudor Monarchs who I have discovered I have links to. I would really love to read this book to learn more.

  44. An amazing period in history, specially to study;
    I study art history and although I live in Portugal I do intend to specialize in the Tudor dynasty and maybe someday be lucky enough lo write a book like this; having this one would be a blessing to add to the first books in my collection;
    Lidia Monteiro
    lidiarebecchi@hotmail.com

  45. Kayla Farnum says:

    I love leaning everything I can about the Tudors! Ive read some amazing books about Henry and all his family and this would be a great one to add to the collection! I would really enjoy it.

  46. Steve fuller says:

    Elizabeth 1st and all surrounding era is my favorite. I’m hooked on it. I would love this book