Recent Posts

Calling Anne Boleyn Fans Based in London!

I am posting this message on behalf of Charli Burden, a broadcast journalist based in London who is making a television documentary about Anne Boleyn's status as a modern day heroine. Charli is looking for people to interview so please read on. Calling all Anne Boleyn fans! I'm Charli and I'm a broadcast journalist based in London, England. I'm making a television documentary about Anne's status as a modern day heroine and I'm looking for Anne Boleyn fans to interview. If Anne is your … [Read More...]

A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England

Today marks the release of Suzannah Lipscomb's new book, A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my copy - hurry postman! A little something to whet your appetite... For the armchair traveller or those looking for inspiration for a day out, The Visitor's Companion to Tudor England takes you to palaces, castles, theatres and abbeys to uncover the stories behind Tudor England. Susannah Lipscomb visits over fifty Tudor places, from the famous palace at … [Read More...]

Interview with Historian Margaret Scard

I am delighted to welcome Historian Margaret Scard to On the Tudor Trail. Margaret is the author of Tudor Survivor: The Life and Times of William Paulet. Paulet, a privy councillor during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth, managed to keep his head and live to the age of 87! Clearly a fascinating subject. I recently interviewed Margaret about her book and the work that she does with Past Pleasures, a company which specialises in historical interpretation at … [Read More...]

New Interview and Giveaway!

Today I bring you an interview with Claire Ridgway, author of The Anne Boleyn Collection and creator of The Anne Boleyn Files. Claire's debut non-fiction book is a collection of the most popular articles from The Anne Boleyn Files, articles that have provoked discussion and debate, including: Should Anne Boleyn be pardoned and reburied as Queen? Did Anne Boleyn dig her own grave? Did Anne Boleyn commit incest with her brother? To celebrate the release of Claire's book we are … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn’s Remains & the Restoration of the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula

In the 19th century the historian Thomas Babington Macaulay visited the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London and recorded his impressions in the first volume of The History of England from the Accession of James the Second published in December 1848. He wrote, ‘I cannot refrain from expressing my disgust at the barbarous stupidity which has transformed this interesting little church into the likeness of a meeting house in a manufacturing town. In truth there is no sadder … [Read More...]

Interview with JoAnn Spears

I have just posted my interview with JoAnn Spears, author of Six of One. JoAnn's book is different to the majority of novels published about Henry and his wives and I think sounds like an entertaining and funny read. Find out more in our interview here! … [Read More...]

Lux in Arcana – The Vatican Secret Archives Reveals Itself

It is the first and possibly only time that some of the Vatican’s most treasured documents will leave the Vatican City to be housed and displayed in the halls of the Capitoline Museum in Rome. The exhibition will run from March 1 through until September 2012. It is named ‘Lux in Arcana’ to convey its main objective, The light piercing through the Archive’s innermost depths enlightens a reality which precludes a superficial knowledge and is only enjoyable by means of direct and concrete … [Read More...]

A Brief Introduction to Hampton Court

Today's post is a guest article by Mike Glaeser entitled 'A Brief Introduction to Hampton Court'. This is by far one of my favourite places in the world and I cannot wait to be back there in May. Enjoy! A Brief Introduction to Hampton Court by Mike Glaeser Why come ye not to Court? To which court? To the king’s court? Or to Hampton Court? Nay, to the king’s court! The king’s court should have the excellence But Hampton Court hath the pre-eminence! - John Skelton Despite the … [Read More...]

‘Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England’ Grand Giveaway!

We are giving away five autographed copies of Thomas Penn's Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England to celebrate the release of the paperback on March 1, 2012. Here is a little something to whet your appetite: It is 1501. Henry VII - a fugitive with Machiavellian charm - has won the throne of England through luck, guile and ruthlessness. But for many he remains a usurper. Now, his elder son is to marry a great Spanish princess in a wedding upon which the fate of the country will … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn in Film & Television

Clara Kimball Young, an American actress, portrayed Anne Boleyn in a 1912 short film about Cardinal Wolsey. Henny Porten starred as Anne Boleyn in a 1920 German historical film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. In the 1933 Oscar-winning film, The Private Life of Henry VIII, Merle Oberon portrayed Anne. Elaine Stewart portrays Anne Boleyn in the 1953 film, Young Bess, about the early life of Elizabeth I. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Costume … [Read More...]

The Cheapside Hoard

Today's post is a guest article about 'The Cheapside Hoard' by JoAnn Spears, author of Six of One: A Tudor Riff. Please join me in welcoming JoAnn to On the Tudor Trail and keep an eye out for our interview coming soon! The Cheapside Hoard by JoAnn Spears ‘The Cheapside Hoard’ celebrates the 100th anniversary of its discovery in June 2012.  This story of the discovery of this Renaissance-era treasure trove is an anglophile’s delight. How it happened Early 20th century … [Read More...]

Mary I’s Marriage

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the birth of Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon. To mark the occasion, I am posting a three-part series about Mary I's marriage to Philip II of Spain written by Tudor historian, John A. Murphy. Here is the first instalment! Mary I’s Marriage 1553-1554 In July 1554 an Armada sailed from Corunna. Unlike the later Armadas from Spain, this was a peaceful flotilla, carrying a Spanish groom to his English bride. Bound by a … [Read More...]