Recent Posts
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel is the sequel to the Man Booker Prize winning Wolf Hall. I am really looking forward to reading this but unfortunately we all have to wait a little longer. Australian release date: 01 May 2012 UK release date:10 May 2012 For now you can enjoy the synopsis! ‘My boy Thomas, give him a dirty look and he’ll gouge your eye out. Trip him, and he’ll cut off your leg,’ says Walter Cromwell in the year 1500. ‘But if you don’t cut across him he’s a very … [Read More...]
Interview with Robert Fripp
I am delighted to share with you my interview with author and copywriter Robert Fripp who has written a modern play in the English language as it was available to William Shakespeare. The play, Dark Sovereign, took Fripp four years to write and is a 'counter-attack' on Shakespeare's play about Richard III. It is written in the vocabulary, idioms and syntax in written use between about 1579 to 1626 and has been described as, 'a cultural accomplishment of the highest order.' I thank … [Read More...]
Katharine of Aragon Festival 2012
On this day in 1536, Catherine of Aragon died at Kimbolton Castle, Cambridgeshire. Read in more detail about her death here and about Anne Boleyn's reaction to the news here. Each year Peterborough Cathedral commemorates the life of Catherine of Aragon by hosting a festival and service. This year the festival will be held over the weekend of the 27th-29th of January and will include worship, fun Tudor activities for kids and history events for adults. This year the talk will be on Henry … [Read More...]
Tudors buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London
A plaque in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London names those ‘Buried in this Chapel’ – among them are many Tudors. 1535 – John Fisher Bishop of Rochester Executed on Tower Hill 22 June 1535 1535 – Sir Thomas More Executed on Tower Hill 6 July 1535 1536 – George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford Executed on Tower Hill 17 May 1536 1536 – Queen Anne Boleyn Executed on Tower Green May 19 1536 1540 – Thomas Cromwell, Earl of … [Read More...]
Tudor Tombs and Burials
I have just added a new resource to the website called 'Tudor Tombs and Burials'. In this section I have documented the final resting place of the Tudor monarchs, Henry VIII's wives and other notable Tudor personalities. I have included photos of the tombs where permissible and welcome any photos that you might have in your collection, along with suggestions for additional entries. As well as being fascinated by visiting locations where the Tudors went about their daily business, I am … [Read More...]
Tudor Writing Box
This exquisite writing box was made c. 1525 almost certainly in the court workshops of Henry VIII. It is lined with leather and painted with the heraldic badges of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It is also decorated with the royal coat of arms. The box, or writing desk as it is sometimes referred to, is now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Click here to read a detailed description of this Tudor treasure. Although the history of the box is uncertain, it is … [Read More...]
Pastime with good Company by Henry VIII
Henry VIII was an accomplished musician and the words of the song he wrote soon after being crowned, sum up his youthful ideals. Pastime With Good Company by Henry VIII Pastime with good company I love and shall unto I die; Grudge who list, but none deny, So God be pleased thus live will I. For my pastance Hunt, song, and dance. My heart is set: All goodly sport For my comfort, Who shall me let? Youth must have some dalliance, Of good or illé some pastance; Company methinks … [Read More...]
Happy New Year!
As 2011 comes to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your participation, encouragement and support. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed being a part of our online Tudor community as much as I have. I have had the opportunity to 'meet' so many wonderfully talented people who share my love of Tudor history and I have also made some great friends along the way - something that I am very grateful for. I continue to be amazed by how people from all over the world, … [Read More...]
Wicked women of Tudor England : Queens, Aristocrats, Commoners
Just a quick post to bring to your attention a new book that will be released on April 10, 2012 called 'Wicked women of Tudor England : Queens, Aristocrats, Commoners (Queenship and Power)' by Retha M. Warnicke. Contents Introduction Queen Anne Boleyn Queen Katherine Howard Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset Lettice, Countess of Essex and Leicester, 1543-1634 Jane More Alice More Conclusion I have not been able to find a synopsis but did find mention of a project that … [Read More...]
Marguerite de Navarre and Anne Boleyn
“In Marguerite the Renaissance and the Reformation were for a moment one. Her influence radiated throughout France. Every free spirit looked upon her as protectoress and ideal .... Marguerite was the embodiment of charity. She would walk unescorted in the streets of Navarre, allowing any one to approach her and would listen at first hand to the sorrows of the people. She called herself 'The Prime Minister of the Poor'. Henri, her husband, King of Navarre, believed in what she was doing, even to … [Read More...]
Bouche of Court
I am currently reading All the King’s Cooks: The Tudor kitchens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace and loving all the wonderful details that Peter Brears has included about life at Henry’s court. The term ‘bouche of court’ which meant ‘the right to receive food and other necessaries from the court’ (Pg. 12) was a privilege granted by the ‘White Sticks’. These officers, whose positions were held by the direct authority of the King, were represented by a white staff of office. It was … [Read More...]
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