Recent Posts

A Review of A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England

When I first interviewed Suzannah Lipscomb in early 2011, she was immersed in researching and writing A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England. Whilst talking to Suzannah about her book, I discovered that we share something in common – a love for walking in the footsteps of the great historical figures of Tudor England. There is something magical about standing where Henry VIII or Anne Boleyn once stood, it is as though recorded in the walls of these ancient buildings are the very conversations … [Read More...]

Boleyn Home in Norwich

When you hear the words, ‘Boleyn family home’ it’s difficult not to immediately picture Hever Castle, a fairytale castle in the beautiful Kent countryside that has long been thought of as Anne Boleyn’s birthplace. The home is, as Eric Ives puts it, ‘a romantic shrine to Anne and her love affair with Henry VIII. Unfortunately, for romance and tradition, Anne was in fact born in Norfolk, almost certainly at the Boleyn home at Blickling, fifteen miles north of Norwich.’ (pg. 3) Ives’ … [Read More...]

Chapuys Bows to Queen Anne Boleyn

On April 18, 1536 Chapuys met with Henry VIII at Greenwich. On arrival, George Boleyn welcomed the ambassador and Cromwell presented Chapuys with a message from Henry, inviting him to visit Anne and kiss her hand. The ambassador could not bring himself to acquiesce and so begged Cromwell to excuse him, perhaps, for Chapuys’ sake, he should have accepted this more intimate encounter with Queen Anne because what was to follow was a much more public acknowledgement. Rochford conducted the … [Read More...]

Museum of The Order of St John

Discover a hidden jewel in the City of London Several friends have recommended a visit to the Museum of The Order of St John. Here is some background information: ‘The Museum tells the story of the Order of St John, from its origins in the 11th century to its role today with St John Ambulance and the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. The Hospitaller brothers both fought and nursed the sick, in the Holy Land and on their island fortresses of Rhodes and Malta.’ The Museum … [Read More...]

Sheffield Manor Lodge

A guest post about Sheffield Manor Lodge by On the Tudor Trail reader, Keeleigh Hodgson. Enjoy! To be absolutely honest I never thought I would write a piece about this location. It was simply by chance that I stumbled upon Manor Lodge. There was an exhibition about ‘Tudor Sugarcraft’ which piqued my interest and so I thought I would explore it at my own leisure, admire the recreations and, as usually happens when I visit Museums, feel saddened at the prospect of not being allowed to take … [Read More...]

The Queen Katherine Parr Quincentenary

I owe a debt of gratitude to Debbie Fenton for writing this post and for sharing some beautiful pictures of the new Queen Katherine Parr exhibition at Sudeley Castle. The exhibition is part of a series of exciting events planned to celebrate Katherine's life and mark the five hundred years since her birth. I must say that Sudeley is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful places I have ever visited and you'll notice that it is the Chapel of St. Mary at Sudeley that features prominently on … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn’s First Public Appearance as Queen

On Saturday 12 April 1533, the chapel royal at Greenwich was the setting for Anne Boleyn’s first public appearance as queen. Anne attended mass with great pomp, resplendent in a pleated gown of cloth of gold, and adorned with sumptuous jewels. Sixty ladies accompanied her, and her cousin, Lady Mary Howard, soon to become Duchess of Richmond and Somerset, carried her train. One can only imagine how Anne’s dark eyes must have glistened and how secure she must have felt with a crown on her … [Read More...]

Birth and Burial Records of William Shakespeare

A quick post to share with you a wonderful new ‘app’ that will be launched this month at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, to help guide visitors through Stratford-upon-Avon. The app will make use of various digital images from the Trust’s collections and offer a new way of exploring its properties and treasures. What’s really exciting is that parts of the collection not normally available to the general public, like the baptism and burial records of William Shakespeare, will now … [Read More...]

Chapuys’ Audience with Henry VIII

After hearing of the passing of the Act of Appeals, Chapuys requested an audience with King Henry VIII. The act, engineered by Thomas Cromwell, ‘removed English religious rule from the authority of Rome, ultimately restricting appeals to Rome on legal matters, endowing Thomas Cranmer with the right to grant Henry a divorce from Catherine of Aragon and enabling him to marry Anne Boleyn.’ (The Literary Encyclopedia) On April 10 1533, Chapuys was granted this audience and had a long … [Read More...]

Why ‘plain Jane’ Deserves a Second Look

An event over this Easter weekend (6th – 9th April, 2012) at Hampton Court Palace re-examines the brief queenship of Jane Seymour, and presents a far more politically active queen than many will be familiar with. I am delighted to share with you a guest post by Lauren Johnson, who interprets Jane, and is the Research Manager for Past Pleasures Ltd. about why ‘plain Jane’ deserves a second look. Was Jane Seymour really as meek and mild as she is so often portrayed? Click here to read … [Read More...]

Interview with Emily Pooley – Creator of an Anne Boleyn Waxwork

I have just published my interview with Emily Pooley, a Technical & Special Effects Artist, who recently made a life-sized waxwork Anne Boleyn figure that is now on display at Hever Castle as part of the ‘A Royal Romance’ exhibition. Emily very kindly agreed to talk to me about her wonderful project, one that I am very much looking forward to seeing at Hever Castle in May. Click here to read the interview. (Photos published here © Emily Pooley) … [Read More...]

Guest Post and Giveaway!

By Michelle Diener Thank you again to Natalie for having me back as a guest blogger. I know Natalie's particular interest is Anne Boleyn, and while Anne plays an off-stage role in my Tudor-set Susanna Horenbout and John Parker series in the current books, Thomas Wyatt is a prominent secondary character in Keeper of the King's Secrets, the second book in the series (released 3 April). Because Wyatt's history is entwined with Anne Boleyn's, I thought it might be fun to talk about Thomas a bit, … [Read More...]