FAQ

In this section I hope to answer many frequently asked questions about Anne Boleyn, the Tudor Monarchs and Life in Tudor England and hopefully help clarify some common misconceptions about the time.

The Tudors

What were Henry VIII wives called?

Henry VIII's first wife was Catherine of Aragon, followed by Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and finally Catherine Parr.

WHEN WAS THE TUDOR ROSE MADE?

When Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth he essentially ended the Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster (red rose) and the house of York (white rose). Henry's mother was Lancastrian but Henry chose as his bride Elizabeth of York and so the two houses were united and the Tudor rose adopted. Their marriage took place in January, 1486 and the Tudor rose used from this date until the end of the Tudor Dynasty.

What is Henry VIII's favourite sport?

I haven't been able to find a definitive answer but we do know that Henry VIII was very athletic and excelled at many sports. It seems that he was particularly fond of jousting and hunting, although he also enjoyed royal tennis.

when did the tudors rule england

The Tudors ruled England from 1485 until 1603.

How many kings were called henry?

Eight English Monarchs have been called Henry. Henry I 'Beauclerc' (r. 1100-1135) was the first and Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547) the last. See a list of all monarchs at the official website of the British Monarchy here.

Where did Anne Boleyn spend most of her time after being married to Henry VIII?

According to Simon Thurley, York Place (renamed Whitehall) was to become King Henry VIII's most frequently visited residence after 1529. He also favoured Greenwich and Hampton Court so at these places Anne and Henry would have spent most of their time.

Was Elizabeth fond of her mother and did she remember her with love? Also how acurate do you think the 'famous' portrait of Anne Boleyn is?

I believe that she did love her mother and remembered her fondly. Although she did not speak of her in public often, she did surround herself with Boleyn relatives. I recently discussed this exact thing in a post about Elizabeth I's locket ring here. As for the NPG portrait of Anne, it matches contemporary descriptions of her dark hair, dark eyes, long oval face and high cheekbones. I think it also captures the essence of Anne Boleyn, her intelligence, strength, courage and determination all pouring out of her expressive dark eyes.

Is it known if cousins Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn were close?

I have never read anything confirming that they even met. Remember that Anne was likely born in 1501 (some argue 1507) and Catherine Howard was born between 1521-25 so there was a big age gap between the two. Catherine only arrived at Court as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves years after Anne's death and so I do not think that they could have been close.

Did women shave their legs or other parts of their bodies in Tudor times? What was \"accepted\" or \"preferred\", aka \"the norm\", in those times in regard to women and bodily hair?

From what I have read women did not remove hair from their bodies in Tudor times. During Elizabeth's reign they did though begin to remove their eyebrows and the hair from their foreheads to give themselves a higher hairline.

What does 'prate' mean?

From what I can find on the Internet, it meant 'to talk much and to little purpose, chatter, babble.' Hope this helps!

Why are they even called the tudors??

The Tudor family rose to power during the Wars of the Roses and Henry Tudor captured the throne in battle, thus becoming Henry VII and starting the Tudor Dynasty. From this moment we have The Tudors! Learn more about the first monarch of the house of Tudor in this article here.

In what books could I find catherine of aragon\'s letters?

I don't know of any one book that contains all of her letters but there are various internet sites that include transcripts of her letters. The English History site includes transcripts of five of Catherine's letters here. Alternatively, Giles Tremlett's new biography of Catherine of Aragon contains excerpts of her letters and related discussions. David Starkey's 'Rivals in Power: Lives and Lettes of the Great Tudor Dynasties' contains Catherine's letter to Henry written in 1513. I hope this helps!

In what year did catherine of Aragon lose her jewels?

In 1532 Henry VIII reset much of the royal jewellery for Anne Boleyn. Interestingly enough, he not only reset the royal jewellery he also stripped Catherine of her own jewels, this obviously did not please the former queen and she responded by saying that it would be a sin for her jewels to adorn ‘the scandal of Christendom’ (Ives, pg. 158). So, in summary Catherine was stripped of her jewels in 1532.

Where was Henry VIII christened?

In 1491, Henry VIII was christened at the Church of the Observant Friars, Greenwich. This church was used for royal baptisms and weddings. Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon took place at Greenwich, probably in the Friar's church. The Princess Mary and the Princess Elizabeth were also baptised here.

What are the best Tudor books to read when researching Tudor England?

I have posted a list of non-fiction books about The Tudors and Tudor England that I have referred to when researching posts and articles for my site. I have also added some that I have not yet read but that I have heard good reviews about. The books have been organised under topics of interest including Anne Boleyn, Six Wives, Henry VIII & Court, Mary, Elizabeth & Edward, Other Tudor Personalities, Life in Tudor England and more! See the full list here.

Did Henry VIII have syphilis?

There is no conclusive evidence to prove that Henry VIII had syphilis. It is possible that the disease lay dormant in his body. This issue was discussed in more detail here.

Where is Anne Boleyn buried?

The Tower of London’s Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula is the final resting place for Queen Anne Boleyn. The chapel was rebuilt in its present form in 1519-1520 in the early years of the reign of Henry VIII and is also the burial place for some other very famous Tower prisoners including: Catherine Howard, Jane Grey, Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher.

Are there any contemporary portraits or drawings of George Boleyn?

Unfortunately, there are no known portraits of George Boleyn. We should though keep in mind that there are many portraits living in private collections around the world and many 'unknown' sitters so there is still hope that one day one may miraculously surface!

Where was Anne Boleyn born?

If you agree with a birth year of around 1501, as I do, then it is almost certain that Anne Boleyn was born at Blickling Hall in Norfolk. See more information on Blickling Hall here.

What was the content of Catherine of Aragon's last letter to Henry VIII?

My most dear lord, King and husband, The hour of my death now drawing on, the tender love I ouge [owe] thou forceth me, my case being such, to commend myselv to thou, and to put thou in remembrance with a few words of the healthe and safeguard of thine allm [soul] which thou ougte to preferce before all worldley matters, and before the care and pampering of thy body, for the which thoust have cast me into many calamities and thineselv into many troubles. For my part, I pardon thou everything, and I desire to devoutly pray God that He will pardon thou also. For the rest, I commend unto thou our doughtere Mary, beseeching thou to be a good father unto her, as I have heretofore desired. I entreat thou also, on behalve of my maides, to give them marriage portions, which is not much, they being but three. For all mine other servants I solicit the wages due them, and a year more, lest they be unprovided for. Lastly, I makest this vouge [vow], that mine eyes desire thou aboufe all things. Katharine the Quene.

When was Anne Boleyn born?

There has been much debate surrounding Anne's date of birth. Originally, historians believed that Anne was born around 1506-7 but today it is generally agreed that she was born around 1501. If we consider that Anne was sent to the court of Margaret of Austria as a maid of honour in 1513, it seems much more likely then that she was born in 1501 making her around 12 years of age when she started her European education. Anne also sent her first known letter home in 1513 and although it has errors consistent with someone just learning the French language, it is definitely not written by a 6 or 7 year old.

What happened to Anne Boleyn's famous pearl 'B' necklace?

There is much speculation as to what actually happened to Anne's famous necklace with the gold B. Some people believe that it was passed down to Elizabeth and others that it went back to the Crown after her downfall. I have even heard that some of the pearls are in the crown of Elizabeth II! Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to the question of Anne's jewellery. I have read many Anne biographies and have only ever come across theories. I think if we consider that in 1532 Henry reset much of the royal jewellery for Anne then it is likely that when she fell from favour he did the same for his next queen. In Eric Ives' biography on Anne he states that Henry went about, "setting aside many of the best stones for Anne, as in the case of four bracelets, which yielded her no fewer than eighteen tabled rubies." (Ives, pg. 158) Interestingly enough, he not only reset the royal jewellery he also stripped Catherine of her own jewels, this obviously did not please the former queen and she responded by saying that it would be a sin for her jewels to adorn 'the scandal of Christendom' (Ives, pg. 158). If Catherine of Aragon, after 26 years of marriage, was ordered by Henry VIII to return her jewels then I think that Anne's jewels would have suffered a similar fate. In saying that, some of Anne's belongings, like her two Book of hours, survived the 'coup' and so there is hope that her 'B' necklace was also saved by a loyal Boleyn supporter and kept safe until the reign of her daughter, Elizabeth I. I certainly hope so. Ives, E. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 2004.

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