Of late Sarah has found herself more and more drawn to the least famous of the Boleyn siblings and has dedicated much time to reading and researching Mary’s life.

In this guest article Sarah outlines what we do know about Mary and also looks at some of the great mysteries that surround her life.

I hope you enjoy the article!

Mary Boleyn: Fact vs Fiction by Sarah Bryson

It has been proposed that this portrait by Lucas Horenbout, once thought to be Anne Boleyn, is in fact the true face of Mary Boleyn.

If you are interested in Tudor history you have probably heard of Anne Boleyn. She was the second wife of King Henry VIII and Queen Consort of England. Much has been written about the life of Anne Boleyn from debate over the date of her birth, her role in the English Reformation, to the tragic details of her fall and execution. Yet Anne Boleyn had an older sister, Mary. Mary Boleyn was the sister of one of the most famous Queens of England and yet so little has been detailed and recorded about her life. She lead quite a fascinating life, at one point even defying the social norms and the wishes of her father, and her sister the Queen and following her heart to marry for love. In this short piece I will outline some of the facts that are known about Mary’s life and some of the great mysteries that surround her.

Read the full article here.

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

To celebrate the UK release of the historical thriller ‘The Crown‘ by Nancy Bilyeau, I am delighted to share with you a guest article that Nancy has written about George Boleyn.

I am currently reading The Crown and enjoying every moment of it! I was hooked from the very first line,

“When a burning is announced, the taverns of Smithfield order extra barrels of ale, but when the person to be executed is a woman and one of noble birth, the ale comes by the cartload.”

I relish returning home in the evenings and losing myself in the pages of this truly engrossing story. Here is a little taste…

George Boleyn
By Nancy Bilyeau

On May 15, 1536, took place one of the most sensational trials of the 16^th century. George Boleyn, the brother of Queen Anne, answered charges of high treason—that he had committed incest with his sister and conspired at the king’s death.

Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, had directly before been found guilty of treason. A jury declared that she had committed adultery with her brother and four other men. The Lord Mayor of London said, “I could not observe anything in the proceedings against her, but that they were resolved to make an occasion to get rid of her at any price.”

It would seem impossible that any other verdict than guilty could be reached for George Boleyn. Yet after hearing the evidence, Viscount Rochford defended himself “so well that several of those present wagered ten to one that he would be acquitted, especially as no witnesses were produced against him,” said a contemporary.

Read the full article here.

The Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn & Other Correspondence & Documents Concerning the King

To celebrate Valentine’s Day at On the Tudor Trail, I am giving away a copy of The Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn & Other Correspondence & Documents Concerning the King and His Wives.

Entry is only open to our newsletter subscribers (if you are not one already, sign up on our homepage) and residents of all countries!

To enter, simply leave a comment on any one of our posts or pages between now and February 14. The more comments you leave, the more entries you will receive – it’s as easy as that!

Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email.

Be sure to email all your friends and family about this competition regardless of where they live- all welcome!

Our Valentine’s Day competition is opened until 10pm on the 14th February 2012 (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Good luck!

The Secret Keeper : A Novel of Kateryn Parr by Sandra Byrd

Ladies in Waiting, Book 2

The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd

Pieces of her black gown fell to the ground, one by one, like the locks of a condemned woman shorn before execution, though he stayed himself from touching her bright red hair before sheathing his dagger again. Her woeful face betrayed that she knew this would be her utter undoing. The gown was ruined and the black clumps, which had plummeted to the ground, received the breath of life of a sudden and became a flock of beady-eyed ravens which took wing toward the Tower of London, whilst we watched in horror and dread.

To be released June 5, 2012.

Pre-order now!

Her Highness, The Traitor by Susan Higginbotham

Her Highness, the Traitor by Susan Higginbotham

As Henry VIII draws his last breath, two very different women, Jane Dudley, Viscountess of Lisle, and Frances Grey, Marchioness of Dorset, face the prospect of a boy king, Edward VI.

For Jane Dudley, basking in the affection of her large family, the coming of a new king means another move upward for her ambitious, able husband, John. For Frances Grey, increasingly alienated from her husband and her brilliant but arrogant daughter Lady Jane Grey, it means that she—and  Lady Jane—are one step closer to the throne of England.

Then the young king falls deathly ill. Determined to keep England under Protestant rule, he concocts an audacious scheme that subverts his own father’s will. Suddenly, Jane Dudley and Frances Grey are reluctantly bound together in a common cause—one that will test their loyalties, their strength, and their faith, and that will change their lives beyond measure.

To be released June 1, 2012.

Pre-order now!

The Secret Life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan

The Secret Life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan

Publication date: September 27, 2012

The greatest writer of them all, brought to glorious life. How well do you know the man you love? How much do you think you know about Shakespeare? What if they were one and the same? He is an ordinary man: unwilling craftsman, ambitious actor, resentful son, almost good-enough husband. And he is also a genius. The story of how a glove-maker from Warwickshire became the greatest writer of them all is vaguely known to most of us, but it would take an exceptional modern novelist to bring him to life. And now at last Jude Morgan, acclaimed author of Passion and The Taste of Sorrow, has taken Shakespeare’s life, and created a masterpiece.

Keeper of the King’s Secret by Michelle Diener

A priceless jewel. A royal court rife with intrigue. A secret deal, where the price of truth could come too high . . .

The personal artist to King Henry Tudor, Susanna Horenbout is sought by the queen and ladies of the court for her delicate, skilled portraits. But now someone from her past is pulling her into a duplicitous game where the consequence of failure is war. Soon, Susanna and her betrothed, the King’s most dangerous courtier, are unraveling a plot that would shatter Europe. And at the heart of it is a magnificent missing diamond. . . .

With John Parker at her side, Susanna searches for the diamond and those responsible for its theft, their every step dogged by a lethal assassin. Finding the truth means plunging into the heart of the court’s most bitter infighting, surviving the harrowing labyrinth of Fleet Prison—and then coming face-to-face with the most dangerous enemy of all.

To be released April 3, 2012.

Pre-order now!

At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Barnhill

A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical novel about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition.

Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of the her cousin, Queen Anne.

At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Barnhill is the story of Anne Boleyn told through the eyes of her young cousin, Madge Shelton. Madge arrives at court as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn but is unfamiliar with the machinations of the Tudor court and relies heavily on the guidance of her mistress.

Madge soon becomes one of Anne’s most trusted confidantes and privy to the queen’s innermost thoughts and feelings. While striving to help Anne keep the love of her king – sacrificing much in the process – she finds herself desperately trying to fend off the unwanted passes of a very sly Sir Henry Norris.

As the king’s love for Anne fades, Madge’s love for the Duke of Suffolk’s illegitimate son, Arthur Brandon, intensifies. Although we know how the story ends for Anne and Henry, Madge and Arthur’s fate is uncertain and I found myself eagerly wishing for a happy ending.

Barnhill has done a wonderful job of weaving fact and fiction and for the most part, has stuck to the facts but where history falls silent, Barnhill has employed a certain amount of artistic license. The result, in my opinion, is a fresh view of these well-worn characters and a highly engaging and absorbing story.

I turned the last page feeling like I had seen another side to Anne, a much more human side. I was also left with a desire to learn more about Barnhill’s young heroine. Who was the real Madge Shelton?

At the Mercy of the Queen is a tale of love, loyalty and friendship and a must read for fans of historical fiction and romance alike.

(Read my interview with Anne Barnhill here.)

Catherine of Aragon

On January 29 1536, Catherine of Aragon was buried at Peterborough Abbey (later cathedral). She had requested to be buried at a monastery belonging to the Franciscan Observant Friars but this request was turned down as the ‘friars’ convents no longer existed’ (Tremlett, p. 426).

Catherine’s funeral service was for a dowager princess and not a queen, for this reason Eustace Chapuys chose not to attend. Henry did not attend either, instead remaining at Greenwich and refused to allow Mary to attend her mother’s funeral.

Details of the funeral are given in Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic. The procession left for Peterborough in the following order,

“First, 16 priests or clergymen in surplices went on horseback, without saying a word, having a gilded laten cross borne before them; after them several gentlemen, of whom there were only two of the house, “et le demeurant estoient tous emprouvez,” and after them followed the maître d’hotel and chamberlain, with their rods of office in their hands; and, to keep them in order, went by their sides 9 or 10 heralds, with mourning hoods and wearing their coats of arms; after them followed 50 servants of the aforesaid gentlemen, bearing torches and “bâtons allumés,” which lasted but a short time, and in the middle of them was drawn a waggon, upon which the body was drawn by six horses all covered with black cloth to the ground. The said waggon was covered with black velvet, in the midst of which was a great silver cross; and within, as one looked upon the corpse, was stretched a cloth of gold frieze with a cross of crimson velvet, and before and behind the said waggon stood two gentlemen ushers with mourning hoods looking into the waggon, round which the said four banners were carried by four heralds and the standards with the representations by four gentlemen. Then followed seven ladies, as chief mourners, upon hackneys, that of the first being harnessed with black velvet and the others with black cloth. After which ladies followed the waggon of the Queen’s gentlemen; and after them, on hackneys, came nine ladies, wives of knights. Then followed the waggon of the Queen’s chambermaids; then her maids to the number of 36, and in their wake followed certain servants on horseback.”

Peterborough Cathedral

Catherine’s body was received at Peterborough abbey by

“the bishops of Lincoln, Ely, and Rochester, the abbot of the place, and the abbots of Ramsey, Crolain (Crowland), Tournan (Thorney), Walden and Thaem (Tame), who, wearing their mitres and hoods, accompanied it in procession till it was placed under the chapelle ardente which was prepared for it there, upon eight pillars of beautiful fashion and roundness, upon which were placed about 1,000 candles, both little and middle-sized, and round about the said chapel 18 banners waved..” (Letters & Papers)

Solemn vigils were said that day and on the next day three masses by three bishops: the first by the bishop of Rochester, the second by the bishop of Ely and the third by the bishop of Lincoln.

Portrait by Hans Eworth of either Lady Eleanor Brandon or her daughter, Lady Margaret.

Lady Eleanor Brandon, daughter of the Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor, acted as chief mourner. After the mass, Catherine’s body was buried ‘in a grave at the lowest step of the high altar, over which they put a simple black cloth.’ (Letters & Papers)

And so ended the funeral of Catherine of Aragon, who as far as her supporters were concerned, had been England’s true Queen for 27 years.

On the very same day, the woman who now held the title of Queen of England, Anne Boleyn, miscarried. Read more about this significant event here.

After the turmoil Catherine faced in life, it seems that still trouble followed her in death. In 1643 Oliver Cromwell’s troops ransacked the cathedral, despoiling Catherine’s tomb, but in the 19^th century an appeal was made to Englishwomen who were also named Catherine (or Katharine etc.) and raised enough money to put a new stone on Catherine’s tomb (Tremlett, p. 426).

Today you can visit the Abbey and see Catherine’s final resting place. A wooden plaque on her tomb remembers her as: ‘A queen cherished by the English people for her loyalty, piety, courage and compassion’.

Tomb of Catherine of Aragon at Peterborough Cathedral

Each year Peterborough Cathedral commemorates the life of Catherine of Aragon by hosting a festival and service. Find out more information here.

Read in more detail about Catherine’s death in my article here.

References

Miniature Whistle Pendant - possibly a gift from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

By family tradition, Henry VIII’s first gift to Anne Boleyn was a gold and enamel ‘pendant in the form of a pistol, chased with scrolling foliage’ (Starkey, 1991, p. 115).

A snake is entwined around the barrel and it contains ‘a set of tooth and ear picks, with spear, scythe and spatula shaped blades’ (Starkey, 2003, p.11).

The whistles were designed like pieces of jewellery and used to summon servants and hounds (Starkey, 2003, p.11). In this portrait of Nicholas Bacon we see him wearing one shaped like a dragon.

Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1579.

These devices were sewn onto the King’s masque costumes in large quantities. In September 1510, Robert Amadas was paid £266 for ‘wreaths, hearts and roses of fine gold’; of which many were ‘lost off the King’s back’, stolen or ‘given away at his pleasure.’ (Starkey, 1991, p. 115)

A separate tradition has Anne Boleyn giving this pendant to a Captain Gwyn, officer of the guard, who supposedly escorted her to the scaffold on the morning of her execution. She is said to have given this to him in acknowledgement of his ‘respectful conduct’ and told him that it had been the King’s first gift to her and ‘that a serpent formed part of the device, and a serpent the giver had proved to her.’ (Weir, p. 265)

According to Weir, Agnes Strickland discovered that the Gwyn family still owned the trinket in the 1840s, however Weir doubts the authenticity of the tale.

Professor Ives in The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn echoes these sentiments,

‘There is no contemporary record of Anne giving gifts on the scaffold, which must cast doubt on the pendant supposedly given to a Captain Gwyn’ (p. 407).

Apart from there being no contemporary record, one must seriously question whether Anne would have so publicly criticised the King knowing that this would seriously jeopardise the safety of those that would be left behind – most importantly, her two year old daughter Elizabeth.

Furthermore, it was simply not in keeping with Tudor scaffold etiquette. When considering how Anne could have gone to her death without protesting her innocence, instead acquiescing in such injustice, Ives points out,

‘Convention demanded it; religion demanded it, and it would be Elizabeth who would suffer from the luxury of defying the king and his supposed justice.’ (p. 358).

Anne Boleyn’s scaffold speech makes the pendant tale all the more unlikely,

Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, according to the law, for by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I come here only to die, and thus to yield myself humbly to the will of the King, my lord. And if, in my life, I did ever offend the King’s Grace, surely with my death I do now atone. I come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that whereof I am accused, as I know full well that aught I say in my defence doth not appertain to you. I pray and beseech you all, good friends, to pray for the life of the King, my sovereign lord and yours, who is one of the best princes on the face of the earth, who has always treated me so well that better could not be, whereof I submit to death with good will, humbly asking pardon of all the world. If any person will meddle with my cause, I require them to judge the best. Thus I take my leave of the world, and of you, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. Oh Lord, have mercy on me! To God I commend my soul.

The pendant is now housed in the British Galleries in room 58E of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Stephen Gardiner

This letter was written by Anne Boleyn on 4 April 1529 and is important because not many of Anne’s letters from the period of the divorce survive and, furthermore, it demonstrates the personal interest Anne took in the divorce proceedings.

Stephen Gardiner was sent to Pope Clement VII on a number of occasions to try and persuade him to grant Henry VIII’s wish and annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. His missions though proved disappointing, as he was never able to persuade the Pope to accede to Henry’s request.

In this letter Anne refers to Gardiner’s previous mission, with Edward Foxe, to Italy – one that had obviously proven disappointing to Anne. Elizabeth Norton offers some background information on previous embassies:

‘The pair had visited the Pope at Orvieto and received his confirmation that he would satisfy the King as far as he was able. On hearing this, Foxe had rushed back to England, sailing from Calais in April 1528. When he arrived at the court at Greenwich Henry commanded him to go straight to Anne’s chamber. The couple were pleased to her the news, which led, in June 1528, to the Pope agreeing to send Cardinal Campeggio to England to hear the divorce case.’

Anne Boleyn to Stephen Gardiner, 4 April 1529

A copy of Anne Boleyn's letter to Stephen Gardiner

Master Stephen.

I thank you for my letter, wherein I perceive the willing and faithful mind you have to do my pleasure, not doubting but as much as it is possible for man’s wit to imagine, you will do. I pray God to send you well to speed in all matters, so that you will put me in a study how to reward your service. I do trust in God you shall not repent it, and that the end of this journey shall be more pleasant to me than your first, for that was but a rejoicing hope, which ceasing, the lack of it does put to the more pain, and they that are partakers with me, as you do know. Therefore I do trust that this hard beginning shall make the better ending.

Master Stephen, I send you here the cramp-rings for you, and Master Gregory, and Master Peter; pray you to distribute them both, as she, that (you may assure them) will be glad to do them any pleasure which shall be in my power. And thus I make an end, praying God send you good health.

Written at Greenwich the 4^th day of April,

By your assured friend,

Anne Boleyn

Queen Anne Boleyn

What a great year for Tudor enthusiasts living in England! The Boleyn Blickling Festival will run from the 17th-20th May 2012 and promises to be ‘a feast of all things Anne Boleyn’.

Historians, novelists, costumiers and musicians will all come together to celebrate the life of Queen Anne Boleyn, who most of today’s historians (the debate about her year of birth has raged for centuries!) believe was born at Blickling.

Confirmed speakers include Eric Ives, Alison Weir, Suzannah Dunn, Sarah Gristwood, David Loades, George Bernard, Neil Storey, Suzannah Lipscomb and Harriet Castor.

I don’t think this is an event I can miss, so I am working very hard to get there… More on this to follow soon.

Visit the Boleyn Festival Blickling for more information.

Queen Katherine Parr Quincentenary, Sudeley Castle

2012 is also 500 years since the birth of Katherine Parr and Sudeley Castle is celebrating the life of this Tudor queen – who lived, died and is entombed on their grounds – by hosting a range of historical, literary and musical events throughout the year.

Highlights include Tudor family fun days, guest lectures, a champagne reception with Dr David Starkey, a Tudor banquet and the grand finale – a recreation of Katherine Parr’s funeral.

For information on dates, times and events please visit Sudeley Caste.

Sudeley Castle in one my favourite places in the world and I would love to be a part of these celebrations.

Be sure to let me know if you’ll be attending any of these wonderful events.

Anne Boleyn, attributed to John Hoskins

On the 29 January 1536, Anne Boleyn miscarried.

The details appear in Chapuys’ dispatch to Charles V dated February 10:

‘On the day of the interment the Concubine had an abortion which seemed to be a male child which she had not borne 3½ months, at which the King has shown great distress. The said concubine wished to lay the blame on the duke of Norfolk, whom she hates, saying he frightened her by bringing the news of the fall the King had six days before. But it is well known that is not the cause, for it was told her in a way that she should not be alarmed or attach much importance to it. Some think it was owing to her own incapacity to bear children, others to a fear that the King would treat her like the late Queen, especially considering the treatment shown to a lady of the Court, named Mistress Semel, to whom, as many say, he has lately made great presents. The Princess’s gouvernante, her daughters, and a niece, have been in great sorrow for the said abortion, and have been continually questioning a lady who is very intimate with the Princess whether the said Princess did not know the said news of the abortion, and that she might know that, but they would not for the world that she knew the rest, meaning that there was some fear the King might take another wife. The Princess is well. She changed her lodging on Saturday last, and was better accompanied on her removal and provided with what was necessary to her than she had been before. She had an opportunity of distributing alms on the way, because her father had placed about 100,000 crowns at her disposal. It is rumoured that the King, as Cromwell sent to inform me immediately after the Queen’s death, means to increase her train and exalt her position. I hope it may be so, and that no scorpion lurks under the honey. I think the King only waited to summon the said Princess to swear to the statutes in expectation that the concubine would have had a male child, of which they both felt assured. I know not what he will do now. I have suggested to the Princess to consider if it be not expedient, when she is pressed to take the oath, if she be reduced to extremity, to offer that if the King her father have a son she will condescend to his will, and that she might at once begin throwing out some such hint to her gouvernante. I will inform you of her reply.’

Continue reading here.