On the Tudor Trail

Carving of Anne Boleyn’s Falcon Badge at the Tower of London

The five men who were arrested for committing treason with Queen Anne Boleyn were George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, Sir William Brereton and Mark Smeaton. The poet Thomas Wyatt and Sir Richard page were also arrested although they were never tried. All seven men were incarcerated in the Tower and almost certainly housed separately. Unfortunately, no conclusive evidence survives detailing where the men were housed but some clues can be found … [Read More...]

Theatre on South Lawn: Anne Boleyn at the Tower of London

I just received an email about this new production, sounds interesting! Theatre on South Lawn: Anne Boleyn Tower of London 4-8 July Watch Anne Boleyn brought to life through Shakespeare’s wonderful language. History re-created in front of you at The Tower where Anne was tried and executed, in exciting Promenade performances. Actors from Niagara University Drama Department USA perform this dramatic Site Specific staging, directed by Valerie Doulton. In Association with The Live … [Read More...]

Remembering Anne Boleyn

I wanted to share with you the winner of our Remembering Anne competition. You may recall that I asked readers to celebrate and commemorate Anne's life by remembering her in a creative and original way. I was moved by the entries I received and will share some of them with you over the next few days but today I would like to congratulate our winner, Michael Glaeser for his moving and original tribute - a music box. One of Michael's hobbies is building music boxes so he thought it would be … [Read More...]

The May Day Tournament of 1536

On May 1 1536, the May Day tournament at Greenwich is interrupted by the King's sudden departure prompted by a message he was given. What did the message reveal? It is likely to have informed the King that Smeaton had confessed to adultery with the Queen and incriminated Rochford, Norris and Brereton, possibly even mentioning Weston. Norris and Rochford were later arrested and Brereton detained for questioning. Queen Anne Boleyn enjoyed her last night of freedom... As Anne enjoyed the May Day … [Read More...]

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s entwined initials

Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn's entwined initials Elizabeth Schuch from Immortal Longings of London recently shared with me some drawings she made of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's entwined initials and Henry and Catherine of Aragon's entwined initials. Elizabeth also drew her interpretation of Henry VIII's initials as seen on one of Henry's family portraits. Elizabeth was inspired by designs found in architecture, Henry's armour and portraiture. I especially love Henry VIII's initials - I … [Read More...]

My entirely beloved wife the Queen

On the 25 April 1536, the day after the Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas Audley, a close ally of Thomas Cromwell, appointed two special commissions of oyer and terminer to examine the evidence against Queen Anne Boleyn, Henry sent a letter to his ambassador in Rome, Richard Pate and his envoys in France, Gardiner and Wallop. In this letter he instructed them to oppose the demands of the Emperor because of ‘the likelihood and appearance that God will send us heirs male [by] our most dear and most … [Read More...]

The Boleyns: The Rise & Fall of a Tudor Family

David Loades has been commissioned by The Amberley Books to write a history of the Boleyn family to be published in 2012. I am very excited about this title and cannot wait until it's published. Here is a little more information from Amazon: A magnificent tale of family rivalry and intrigue set against Henry VIII's court. The fall of Anne Boleyn and her brother George is the classic drama of the Tudor era. The Boleyns had long been an influential English family. Sir Edward Boleyn had been … [Read More...]

An interview with Ella March Chase

I have just published my interview with Ella March Chase, author of The Virgin Queen's Daughter and Three Maids for a Crown. Here is a synopsis of The Virgin Queen's Daughter from the author's website: For anyone fascinated by Elizabeth I and the Tudor dynasty, THE VIRGIN QUEEN’S DAUGHTER explores a well-founded but little known rumor about the virgin queen’s illegitimate child. With an empire at stake, Elizabeth I would have stopped at nothing—not even murder—to conceal the birth of a … [Read More...]

Where is Anne Boleyn Buried?

“Intelligence, Spirit and Courage” On the morning of May 19 1536, Anne Boleyn went bravely to her death in a private execution at the Tower of London. It took only one stroke of the executioner’s sword to sever her delicate neck, the very same neck that the poet Thomas Wyatt had once praised as ‘fair’ in one of his admiring verses. It was then left up to her four ladies to move and prepare her body for burial. Anne’s head was covered in a white cloth and carried by one of her … [Read More...]

“Long prepared to Die”: The Transformation of Anne Boleyn

Today's post is an examination of Anne Boleyn's final hours by Dr Sarah Morris from Le Temps Viendra: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. Was Anne's serene countenance on the scaffold a result of her immense courage and religious piety, or was there some other phenomena at play? You be the judge. "Long prepared to Die": The Transformation of Anne Boleyn by Dr Sarah Morris There has always been something that has intrigued me about Anne's final hours in this world – her incredible courage and profound … [Read More...]

An Eternal Love

Today's post is a guest article by Karliene Reynolds from Karliene.com. She is the brains behind 'An Eternal Love', a story of reincarnation and second chances. What does this have to do with Anne Boleyn or Tudor history? Well, the main characters are the reincarnated souls of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn! Karliene has also written some songs based on The Tudors series. She takes the basic theme from the show and interprets them on piano - a very creative lady! Without further ado, I … [Read More...]

Update on Anne Boleyn’s Portrait at the National Portrait Gallery

As you know I have worked very hard over the last few months to try and raise awareness of the urgent conservation work that Anne Boleyn's iconic portrait requires. The NPG need £4,000 to carry out the vital work and it is with great happiness that I inform you that we are almost there! As of today the NPG has raised £3,200! I started the Save Anne Boleyn's Portrait Facebook page in the hope that there were others that feel as strongly as I do about this cause. A couple of months in … [Read More...]