Recent Posts

On the Third Day of Christmas…

On the third day of Christmas On the Tudor Trail gave to me… the chance to win an autographed copy of ‘Jasper Tudor: Godfather of the Tudor Dynasty’ by Debra Bayani. To be in the running to win ‘Jasper Tudor’, leave a comment after this post. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of Jasper Tudor: Godfather of the Tudor Dynasty, you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage). Then simply leave a comment after this … [Read More...]

On the Second Day of Christmas…

On the second day of Christmas On the Tudor Trail gave to me… the chance to win a paperback or kindle edition of 'Elizabeth the Virgin Queen and the Men Who Loved Her' by Robert Parry. To be in the running to win 'Elizabeth the Virgin Queen and the Men Who Loved Her', leave a comment after this post. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of Elizabeth – The Virgin Queen and the Men who Loved Her, you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn Christmas Ornament Giveaway!

I am very excited to kick off our 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways! On the first day of Christmas On the Tudor Trail gave to me… the chance to win this super cute Anne Boleyn Christmas ornament. This giveaway is now closed. All you need to do to be in the running to win this beautiful ornament, is leave a comment after this post telling me what you love about the Holiday Season. A winner will be selected and notified once the competition closes on December 5, 2014. This is an international … [Read More...]

25 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

I am really excited to announce that this year, On the Tudor Trail will be hosting 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways! This month of fun is made possible by the generosity of the following talented historians and authors: Nancy Bilyeau, Barbara Kyle, Anne O'Brien, Michelle Diener, Robert Parry, Wendy J. Dunn, Sarah Morris, Claire Ridgway, Sandra Vasoli, Debra Bayani, Conor Byrne, Amy Licence, Sandra Byrd, Susan Higginbotham, Robin Maxwell, Gareth Russell, Sandra Worth, Katherine Longshore, … [Read More...]

Portraying Anne Boleyn in Fiction by Charlie Fenton

I am delighted to welcome Charlie Fenton to On the Tudor Trail. Charlie runs the 'Through the Eyes of Anne Boleyn' blog and Facebook page and has recently written a novel about Anne Boleyn, entitled Perseverance. Over to Charlie! Portraying Anne Boleyn in Fiction By Charlie Fenton The reason I started writing Perseverance is because of some of the negative portrayals of Anne in fiction. This was a couple of years ago, so I can’t comment on the more recent novels, but, whenever I read a … [Read More...]

Portrait of an Ageing Elizabeth I by Gareth Russell

I am honoured to welcome Gareth Russell to On the Tudor Trail, to discuss a fascinating posthumous portrait of Elizabeth I. Gareth studied History at Saint Peter's College, Oxford, and his masters at Queen's University, Belfast. He is the author of the wonderful ‘Confessions of a Ci-Devant’ historical blog, and a number of fiction and non-fiction books, including 'An Illustrated Introduction to the Tudors'. Over to you Gareth! I cannot say exactly why the portrait of an aging Elizabeth … [Read More...]

Power and Control: Katherine Howard’s Relationships

Happy Halloween! I'm honoured to be the last stop on Conor Byrne's virtual book tour for his new book, Katherine Howard: A New History. Be sure to leave a comment after Conor's guest post, for your chance to win a copy of ‘Katherine Howard: A New History'. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of Katherine Howard: A New History you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage). Then simply leave a comment after … [Read More...]

Lady Jane Grey’s Appearance

I am delighted to share with you a guest post from Tamise Hills from The Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide Blog. Another look at…Lady Jane Grey’s appearance By Tamise Hills As Eric Ives wrote in 2009, ‘the immediate frustration in the case of Jane Grey is that we have only one detailed report of her appearance.’  (1) The fullest contemporary description of Lady Jane Grey was supposedly written by Baptisa Spinola, a Genoese merchant, who witnessed her procession to the Tower of London to be … [Read More...]

Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn: The Early Days – A guest post by Amy Licence

I am delighted to be hosting Day 3 of Amy Licence's blog tour for her latest book The Six Wives and Many Mistresses of Henry VIII. Today's guest post is an extract from Amy's book taken from Chapter 33, "Love Letters" 1526-7. Be sure to leave a comment after the extract, for your chance to win a copy of ‘The Six Wives and Many Mistresses of Henry VIII‘, kindly donated by Amberley Publishing. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of The Six Wives and Many Mistresses of Henry … [Read More...]

Embalming in Tudor England

In early April 1502, fifteen-year-old Arthur Tudor, heir to the still shaky Tudor throne, lay dying in his chambers at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire. The wind howled and the rain beat down heavily against the ancient fortress’s grey walls, while its residents sought refuge in the Norman chapel of St Mary Magdalene, and prayed for a miracle. There was, though, no amount of praying or ministrations that could save the prince from what one Tudor herald described as ‘the most pitiful disease and … [Read More...]

20 Questions with Wendy J. Dunn & Giveaway!

I am delighted to welcome back author Wendy J. Dunn, whose latest novel 'The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn' was recently published by Metropolis Ink. Be sure to leave a comment after our interview, for your chance to win a copy of 'The Light in the Labyrinth', kindly donated by the author. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of The Light in the Labyrinth: The Last Days of Anne Boleyn you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are … [Read More...]

20 Questions with Sandra Vasoli & Giveaway!

I am delighted to share with you an interview with Sandra Vasoli, author of Je Anne Boleyn: Struck With the Dart of Love. Be sure to leave a comment after our interview, for your chance to win 1 of 2 copies of ‘Je Anne Boleyn: Struck With the Dart of Love‘, kindly donated by the author. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of Je Anne Boleyn: Struck With the Dart of Love you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our … [Read More...]