On the Tudor Trail

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...]

Always on the Trail of the Tudors – West Stow Hall

As some of you may already know my husband and I have decided to take the family to the UK for a month later this year and so we have been busy booking accommodation, well, I say we but my hubby, Chris, has done the bulk of this job and fantastically well I should add. After sitting down together to work out the itinerary he got busy on the internet trying to find family friendly B&Bs at each of our stops, not as easy as it sounds as we are staying at over twenty different locations … [Read More...]

New Tudor Books 2013

It looks as though 2013 is going to be a very busy year of reading with so many fascinating Tudor books being released. Here is a little taste of what's to come! The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen by Susan Bordo Publication Date: 9 April 2013 Synopsis: Part biography, part cultural history, The Creation of Anne Boleyn is a fascinating reconstruction of Anne’s life and an illuminating look at her afterlife in the popular imagination. Why is Anne so … [Read More...]

Ready To Accomplish: Why The Early Tudors Owe Their Crown To The Talbots

A guest article by Mike Glaeser from Blogging 4 History. The Talbot family, better known by their peerage title as the earls of Shrewsbury, played a prominent role in English politics for nearly two centuries. Since their creation as earls in 1442, subsequent generations of Talbots fought in defense of the crown against foes both foreign and domestic and in one particular case, against each other! Both Henry VII and Henry VIII came to rely on the family’s loyalties. The Talbot hegemony in … [Read More...]

The Death of Amy Dudley: Where Do You Stand?

I'm delighted to share with you the second article in our poll series called, "Tudor Tempest". Novelist Nancy Bilyeau –author of The Crown and The Chalice — explores a question that has been hotly debated for five centuries. Was Robert Dudley involved in the death of his first wife, Amy Dudley? Read Nancy's article and then vote! The death of Amy Dudley on Sept. 8, 1560, was a scandal and a mystery. More than five centuries later, we’re still not sure what happened to the 28-year-old … [Read More...]

Family Connection Between Anne Boleyn & Jane Seymour

You often hear of the family connection between Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard but rarely have I seen mentioned the fact that Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard all shared a common great grandmother, Elizabeth Cheyney. Elizabeth Cheyney’s first marriage was to Frederick Tylney; together they had one child, Elizabeth Tylney. Her second marriage was to John Say, together they had seven or eight children, Anne Say being one of them. Elizabeth Tylney’s second husband was … [Read More...]

The Tudor Child: Clothing and Culture 1485 to 1625

A quick post today to share with you some information about this wonderful upcoming exhibition that celebrates the launch of The Tudor Child, a sumptuously illustrated book by Jane Huggett & Ninya Mikhaila (edited by Jane Malcolm-Davies) offering a detailed insight into sixteenth century clothing for infants, young children and youths. Beautifully handmade costumes featuring replica fabrics and trimmings are displayed with the sixteenth and seventeenth century portraits, which provided … [Read More...]