Recent Posts

Mary, Queen of Scots Exhibition

I am very excited that my upcoming visit to Edinburgh coincides with a wonderful new exhibition at The National Museum of Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots opens on Friday 28 June and runs until Sunday 14 November, 2013. Here is a little taste! Created especially for the National Museum of Scotland and showing only in Edinburgh, the exhibition provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover much that has been written and speculated about Mary, one of the most charismatic monarchs of all … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn’s Departure from England

2013 marks a very special anniversary; five hundred years ago, in the early summer of 1513, a young Anne Boleyn left her family home at Hever and journeyed across the English Channel to the court of the Archduchess Margaret of Austria at Mechelen, to take her place as one of the archduchess’s eighteen filles d’honneur (maids of honour). It was Anne’s first time on the continent and although no records survive recording how she felt about the move, we can imagine that she viewed the prospect … [Read More...]

In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn Available on Amazon US

Just a quick post to let you know that In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, the non-fiction book that I have co-authored with Sarah Morris, is now available for pre-order on Amazon US! You can pre-order it through On the Tudor Trail's bookstore here (which is a great help to me, as I get a very small percentage of the sale from Amazon and put it towards the cost of running the website) or directly from Amazon.com. Thank you in advance for your support! … [Read More...]

Nuns in Tudor England

I am delighted to welcome novelist and poet Sarah Kennedy to On the Tudor Trail and share with you her guest post about nuns in Tudor England. Sarah is the author of The Altarpiece, a historical mystery set in Tudor England and is in the process of writing book number two in the Cross and Crown series. Welcome Sarah! Nuns in Tudor England Where did the nuns go when Henry VIII broke from Rome and closed the religious houses?  This was the question that drove me to write my first novel, The … [Read More...]

Kingdom For A Heart: The Courtship of Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn

Last March my friend Mike Glaeser gave a lecture at the University of New Hampshire on the courtship of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. He has only recently uploaded it to YouTube, so please take a look! [tube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47kFjUtiSVg&feature=youtu.be [/tube]   … [Read More...]

In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn

I am delighted to share with you that the non-fiction book I have co-authored with Sarah Morris, In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, is now available for pre-order on Amazon UK and The Book Depository, which offers free shipping worldwide! In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, published by Amberley Publishing, will be released in the UK on 28 September 2013. The synopsis: On the morning of 19 May 1536, a French blade stilled the heart of an English queen. Her name was Anne Boleyn and her story … [Read More...]

Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor

On this day in 1515, Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor were married at Greenwich Palace and so what better day than today, to share with you a guest post about the couple, written by Katherine Marcella. Happy 498th wedding anniversary Charles and Mary! Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor  An Interlude By Katherine Marcella Summers for Henry VIII were leisurely.  The large palaces along the Thames were closed, and the courtiers released to their manors to conduct their own business rather than the … [Read More...]

Interview with Dr John Guy & Giveaway!

To celebrate the upcoming release (25 April 2013 in the UK) of Dr John Guy's The Children of Henry VIII, I will be giving away three copies! I am also delighted to share with you a Q & A with the author. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of The Children of Henry VIII 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 my interview with John Guy, between now and 30 April … [Read More...]

Fallen in Love: The Secret Heart of Anne Boleyn at the Tower of London

FALLEN IN LOVE is an extraordinary play about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, written and directed by Joanna Carrick and produced by Red Rose Chain theatre company. This unique theatrical event is being staged at the Tower of London, the site of Anne's trial, execution and final resting place, from May 7 to June 16 and will be performed in the Banqueting Suite of the New Armouries. This story of love, betrayal, jealousy and treason has been hailed by author and historian Alison Wier, as … [Read More...]

Katherine of Aragon Informed that Henry had Married Anne Boleyn

On 10 April 1533, Eustace Chapuys wrote to Charles V to inform him, among other things, that the previous day (9 April), the king had sent a delegation of Councillors, including the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, to inform Katherine that the king had married Anne Boleyn and that she should now refrain from calling herself queen and instead adopt the title of 'duchess', (Dowager Princess of Wales). The following is an extract from Chapuys’ letter: Notwithstanding the remonstrances heretofore … [Read More...]

The Creation of Anne Boleyn — Guest post & Giveaway!

To celebrate the upcoming release (April 9, 2013) of Susan Bordo's The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen, I will be giving away five copies!  I am also very excited to share with you this blog-post written by Susan and based on material from the book. Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of The Creation of Anne Boleyn you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage). Then simply … [Read More...]

The Death of Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales

In late December 1501, Ludlow Castle became the home of young newlyweds, fifteen-year-old Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, and his sixteen-year-old Spanish bride, Katherine of Aragon. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the River Teme, the ancient and impressive fortress was an important strategic stronghold for control of the Welsh Marches and, as recorded by a chronicler of the time, Arthur and Katherine had been sent there, ‘to keep liberal hospitality and to minister to the rude Welshman … [Read More...]