The Anne Boleyn Collection by Claire Ridgway
Welcome to On the Tudor Trail Claire! Could you share with us a little about your book The Anne Boleyn Collection: The Real Truth about the Tudors?
Thank you so much, Natalie, it’s wonderful to be here!
How did you decide what articles to include?
The whole idea behind the book, which wasn’t my idea but that of one of my regulars, Linda, was to take the most popular articles and publish them in a special book to tie in with the website’s three year anniversary. I got my techie husband to make me a spreadsheet of the most popular posts, ones that had received the most comments, and then I took it from there. I had to do quite a bit of rewriting, some further research and I also added to them.
You grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon but presently live in Southern Spain. What is one of the things you miss most about England and one of the things you love most about Spain?
I grew up in a Warwickshire village about 12 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and near to Coughton Court and I lived in the Cotswolds before we moved six years ago to Andalucia in Spain. It is very different here in Spain but I’m surrounded by history – our house is over 300 years old and there are Moorish remaims in the village. I’m also only just over an hour from the Alhambra in Granada so it’s wonderful to go there and think of Catherine of Aragon and her parents.
I love the Spanish culture – the fiestas, the laid back lifestyle, the warmth of the people and the wonderful life we have here as a family, but I do miss the Tudor buildings of the UK and the greenery of the landscape. The landscape is very arid here so it is very different, but the views from our mountain village are spectacular so I can’t complain. I have family and friends in the UK so get to go back regularly and I always make sure I get my Tudor ‘fix’!
After all the years that you have been researching the Tudors, is Anne Boleyn still your favourite person to research and write about?
Yes, Anne is still my favourite person but her brother is a close second! I find the whole family fascinating.
What books/resources have you found indispensable to your research?
When I started out researching Anne Boleyn I was lucky to stumble on Eric Ives’s book as one of the first books I read and I pretty much worked through his bibliography of primary sources. I couldn’t have got to the stage I’m at now without his work. I also love Letters and Papers.
Do you find it challenging to balance family life and work?
Yes! I’m so blessed to have a wonderful husband and three gorgeous children and they are so forgiving when I just can’t put down a book, document or my laptop. The Boleyns have become a big part of their lives! My children are now 14, 11 and 9 so they’re at school in the day and then are often out with friends, so that makes things easier.
What other periods of history interest you?
I love the Victorian era. If I had enough time, I’d be writing about that too but there are too few hours in the day.
Describe your working space and writing routine.
I work at home, either at my desk or on the sofa surrounded by books and papers. It tends to be the sofa in the winter as the living room is warmer and I have a laptop so it can go anywhere. I start work about 9am and work until 2pm when the kids come home from school, then we have lunch and then I go back to work while they do their homework. I then work until about 7pm. Depending on what I’m doing, I work evenings too after they’ve gone to bed.
My work is a mixture of research and writing, and also handling emails and administration for the website.
Are you presently working on any other Tudor books?
Yes. My second book, on the fall of Anne Boleyn, is nearly finished and then I’m working on two other book projects too. I’ve been working on them all for a long time now and everything is coming together nicely – busy, busy!
Share with us a little known fact about the Boleyns.
Hmmm… I think that many people see Anne Boleyn as an upstart and commoner, yet she had royal blood from both parents. Her mother was a Howard and was therefore descended from Thomas Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk and the third son of Edward I. Anne’s father was descended from the Butlers of Ormonde, magnates and justiciars of Ireland who could trace their roots back to Eleanor de Bohun, granddaughter of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. Eleanor, in turn, was the great-granddaughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Butlers took their name from serving kings as Chief Butlers of Ireland.
Two great Anne Boleyn sites coming together for a while, wonderful, like the joining of two of the great families that we read about in this era… Maybe Claire could interview you Natalie for the Anne Boleyn Files…. Both of Claires books will be on my bookshelves as soon as possible.
You have such a wealth of information, I always like reading what you have to say. Many Blessings to you! Thanks for sharing with us
Anne is my passion. It inspires me and so I try
to read as much for she. The Anne
Boleyn Files and On the Tudor Trail is a great
web site from which I learned many things.
Thanks to people like you know much more about
the Tudor dynasty, than ever before.
Thank you.I think it’s great that you wrote the
book. I would read it. Good luck at work
on another book. My email is magdalenamakowka@wp.pl
I agree with Dawn, and I have seen this site, but never really took a serious look at it. Now that I have, and have taken a lot of time during the past week looking it over, I think this site is quite good. It is nice to have two sites on which to follow. I still haven’t begun to look at the rest of this site, and plan on doing so this afternoon as well! Thank you, Claire, for the interview, and I can’t wait for the your books either.
Natalie, thank you, too. Wow! What a site!
WilesWales
WilesWales@gmail.com
I have always wanted to write a novel so it is fascinating to know what your day is like. Juggling work and family is always a challenge. This book’s cover is really striking! I have never been to the UK but know it would be awesome!! I think all of Henry’s wives were interesting and complex but definitely Anne the most controversial. It makes me wonder in 500 years what will the perception of Princess Diana be?? Enjoy your work, sounds exciting!
email: esselmac01@charter.net
Great interview! I really would like to go to Europe someday and visit all the places related to the Tudors. In the meantime, I love reading anything related to the Tudors and I can’t get enough of it.
-Jennifer (sweet_pinay7@hotmail.com)
I have been a follower of On The Tudor Trail for quite awhile. I have been following The Anne Boleyn Files for 2 yrs now……… I am TRYING to write a book ……….
I always enjoy going to Claire’s website to read articles on Anne and her life. I find Anne such a fascinating character and I seem to learn something new about her every day. Here in Canada we were not brought up with any English History which is a shame because if we were, I actually would have loved History far more! By going to her website and reading about Anne, I feel I get to catch up on what I have missed. My inner English history geek! I’m happy to hear that she’s planning on writing more books as well. I look forward to reading them all. Best of luck!
My interest in the Tudors began with my two visits to England. On my first, I went to Hampton Court, and was forever hooked. It is a magical place. When visiting England a second time, the first thing I did was get on a train and head back to Hampton Court, where I spent the entire day wandering the rooms, gardens, tennis courts, etc., and still felt so much left to experience. I was privileged to journey to Hever, Sudeley Castle, Dover Castle – standing atop the battlements of Dover Castle and looking across the English Channel toward France just as Henry VIII must have was a breath taking experience. Visiting the Tower, and standing on the site of Anne’s execution and burial was another humbling experience, as well as journeying to Windsor and looking down to the engraving in St. George’s Chapel that tells you Henry VIII is actually buried where I was standing – words fail to convey the awe I felt, and the joy at being able to experience it. Wandering the rooms and grounds of Hever was one of the most special times, imaging Ann in her own home, seeing her bedroom and the lovely vistas she saw around her. Another beautiful place was Leeds Castle, where Ann spent some time. How much I long to return to England and revisit these places through new eyes – now after doing years of reading and studying.
I want to thank you for starting your web sites which allow further insight and knowledge on the subject. I would feel honored to win a copy of your book.
Love reading anything by others who love Anne as much as I do! Had she lived I think she would have accomplished many wonderful, important things in her life and on behalf of her people. Of course, her greatest accomplishment was her daughter, Elizabeth. Keep up the great work, On the Tudor Trail, love your site and all of the fascinating information and interviews you provide!
Great interview, such a wonderful insight! The book is definitely on my “to read list”, well after I’ve finished my History ALevel and all the background reading needed for that!
What a wonderful interview! It’s really interesting to know what the everyday life of an author is like. I’ve also visit Alhambra and it trully was an once in a lifetime experience. Absolutely thrilling! I’d love to read Claire Ridgway’s book especially because of the reseach she has done.
Marianna Konstantinou
mariannakon10@hotmail.com
I would love to be entered for this book giveaway as it looks utterly facinating and truly insightfull.
Email: lfountain1@hotmail.co.uk
Thank you so, so much! xx
I would LoVe to be entered into this book giveaway! I am completely ObSeSsEd with everything to do with AnNe BoLeYn! 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win! Good luck to all TuDoR fAnS! 🙂 And GrEaT iNtErViEw~!!! 🙂
And the winner is….Madison Phillips! Congratulations Madison and thank you all for entering our competition. More giveaways coming very soon 🙂
Unfortunately, the original winner never responded with a postal address and so I have selected a new winner…Congratulations Dawn!! I have emailed you, please respond with your postal address. 🙂