Recent Posts
Anne Boleyn’s Letter to Cardinal Wolsey
Very few of Anne Boleyn’s letters survive but out of those that we do have, a number are addressed to Thomas Wolsey. Read the letter Anne wrote to Wolsey thanking him for his efforts in trying to obtain Henry VIII a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. The postscript was added by Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn to Cardinal Wolsey My lord, in my most humblest wise that my heart can think, I desire you to pardon me that I am so bold to trouble you with my simple and rude writing, esteeming it to … [Read More...]
Interview with author Michelle Diener
I have just published my interview with Michelle Diener, whose debut novel, In a Treacherous Court, is set in the court of Henry VIII. The Synopsis reads: An unconventional woman. A deadly enemy. A clash of intrigue, deception, and desire. 1525: Artist Susanna Horenbout is sent from Belgium to be Henry VIII’s personal illuminator inside the royal palace. But her new homeland greets her with an attempt on her life, and the King’s most lethal courtier, John Parker, is charged with keeping … [Read More...]
The Queen’s Agent
On Thursday 6 October at 13:15 the National Portrait Gallery in London is hosting a free daytime talk about the life of Francis Walsingham. It will take place in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre. Here is some more information: 'John Cooper explores the life of Francis Walsingham, Secretary to Elizabeth I, who ran a network of agents in England and Europe, encouraged Elizabeth to go to war against the Catholic Irish rebels, and oversaw the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.' Sounds interesting! … [Read More...]
Tudor Talk – Meet ‘Elizabeth Tudor’
As you may be already aware, this year I added a new section to the site called 'Tudor Talk' where I share my interviews with people who are experts in various fields of Tudor history and/or who on a daily basis are immersed in the sixteenth century for work or pleasure. Today I am delighted to share with you an interview with Ashlie Jensen, who runs a website called 'Being Bess' dedicated to the celebration of the life and reign of Elizabeth Tudor, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Ashlie is … [Read More...]
Anyone for real tennis?
Tennis in Tudor Times Until the fifteenth century, people exercised in order to be ready for war (Thurley, Pg. 179). In the fifteenth-century in Italy there was a revival of interest in physical fitness and in 1527, Castiglione in his Book of the Courtier (1527) was one of the first to highlight some other benefits of exercise. “Turning away from the medieval idea of ‘sport’ for war’s sake, he advocated it in terms of social benefit, to be played in a gentlemanly manner as one of the … [Read More...]
Dark Sovereign by Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp’s Dark Sovereign is described as a ‘modern play written in the English language as it was available to William Shakespeare’ making it the only ‘text in almost four centuries to be crafted to the nearest idiom and syllable in the language of the "Golden Age", the apex of the High Renaissance in English literature’. I thank Robert for sharing the following media release with me: Playwright slams Shakespeare, boosts Richard III For the first time in four centuries a modern … [Read More...]
Win a copy of ‘To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn’ & more!
Today I am very happy to post the details of a wonderful competition, made possible thanks to the generosity of a great author, Sandra Byrd. The lucky winner will receive an autographed copy of Sandra Byrd's To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn, the story of Anne Boleyn told through the eyes of her friend and confidante, Meg Wyatt AND a 1956 edition of Life Magazine with Anne Boleyn on the front cover! Sandra's novel is truly a breath of fresh air and offers an original take on a well-worn … [Read More...]
In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn
I am delighted to share that Sarah Morris and I are embarking on a new and exciting journey together as co-authors of In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn. Like an exercise in time travel, this journey will take us through stately homes, castles, chapels, parks and buildings- hidden treasures- that still stand today with a connection to Anne Boleyn. Peeling back the layers of time, we will dispel the myths to uncover the Tudor fabric lying dormant and document the untold stories and artefacts … [Read More...]
New Tudor Books!
It has been a little while since I have updated you on recent and upcoming Tudor book releases so here are some titles to keep you busy over the next little while... The Favoured Queen: A Novel of Henry VIII's Third Wife by Carolly Erickson is due out on the 27th September, 2011. The Synopsis reads: From The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Wife of Henry VIII comes a powerful and moving novel about Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, who married him only days after … [Read More...]
Is ‘The Ambassadors’ by Holbein linked to Anne Boleyn?
I have long been fascinated by Holbein’s double portrait of Jean de Dinteville, French ambassador to the court of Henry VIII and George de Selve, bishop of Latour (some sources state ‘Lavaur’) but I was unaware that this very famous portrait might in fact be linked to Anne Boleyn. Eric Ives believes that there are several reasons to suggest such a connection, with the first being the date. Continue reading here. … [Read More...]
Anne Boleyn’s Plate & Glass
“The twenty-first century draws a clear distinction between normal living and occasions for spectacle. Royal pomp, ceremony at an installation, or even private display at a wedding is one thing, day-to-day ostentation another. Sixteenth-century Europe believed otherwise. Society was hierarchical and lifestyle exemplified rank and value. The exterior revealed the interior – does not Christ say ‘by their fruits you shall know them? Kings and queens had to live the part and hence magnificence was a … [Read More...]
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