Recent Posts

A Who’s Who of Tudor Women and more!

I wanted to bring to your attention some fabulous resources that I have recently discovered. The first is 'A Who's Who of Tudor Women' a compilation of mini-biographies of women that lived at least part of their life between 1485-1603. Kathy Lynn Emerson has written all the entries herself using a variety of historical documentation and online genealogies. Kathy also has information on Titles used in Tudor times and an excellent list of Women at Court. The list is organised by Household … [Read More...]

Nonsuch Palace – Henry VIII’s Privy Palace

Nonsuch Palace was built on the medieval settlement of Cuddington, the church and village were swept away to make way for Henry’s new house. Building commenced on the 22nd of April 1538, the 30th anniversary of the King’s accession, and according to Simon Thurley ‘may have been intended as a monument to thirty years of his rule’ (Pg. 61). Unusually among Henry’s houses, Nonsuch was not an adaption of an old building. There was no pre-existing house to influence its design and so Thurley … [Read More...]

The Battle of Towton – a free talk at The National Archives

'The largest, longest, bloodiest and most murderous battle ever fought in Britain' A free talk will be held on the 31 March between 14:00-15:00 at the National Archives. This talk is an introduction to the biggest battle of the Wars of the Roses, the decisive clash in a snowstorm at Towton in Yorkshire on 29 March 1461. Information from The National Archives' website: A new English dynasty came to the throne with Edward IV's victory, but more Englishmen may have died at Towton than on the … [Read More...]

Courses, Talks and Workshops at Historic Royal Palaces

The Historic Royal Palaces offers an excellent adult learning programme led by their team of curators and conservators, alongside special guest speakers and highly respected experts. You can download the full list of courses, talks and workshops being offered in Spring 2011 here (be patient, does take some time to download). A couple of the courses that sound really interesting are 'Prisoners of the Tower' and 'Real Tennis'. Here are the details provided by the Historic Royal … [Read More...]

What is it about Anne Boleyn?

I was recently interviewed and asked to answer this question, what is it about Anne Boleyn that has so inspired you? I will be honest and say that I had difficulty 'verbalising' it. I know what I feel for Anne, the admiration, the respect, the loyalty, even - the love, but I had never been asked to dissect my feelings before and try and pin point exactly what it is that draws me to her. I did though try and this is what I came up with: Anne Boleyn inspires me because of her complexity … [Read More...]

Win an autographed copy of ‘The Lady in the Tower’ by Alison Weir

To celebrate our 'Save Anne Boleyn's Portrait' Facebook page exceeding 1000 members, I am giving away an autographed copy of Alison Weir's 'The Lady in the Tower' kindly donated by Alison. It is our way of thanking you all for supporting this important cause and helping save Anne Boleyn's iconic NPG portrait. The Lady in the Tower is an in depth account of Anne's final four months weaved superbly into the context of her life. Weir looks in detail at the events leading up to Anne’s arrest, … [Read More...]

In what year was Anne Boleyn born? Part 2

A summary of the arguments for 1507 The date of Anne Boleyn’s birth and the relative ages of her brother and sister have caused much debate over the years. There are two prominent schools of thought when it comes down to Anne’s DOB, circa 1501 and the other circa 1507. Last week I looked at the arguments for 1501 and now I would like to summarise the arguments for 1507. I would like to say a big thank you to Gareth Russell from Confessions of a Ci-Devant for his excellent article … [Read More...]

When did Anne Boleyn first appear in public with Henry VIII?

In early 1527, Anne Boleyn spent an extended period of time at Hever Castle. Her absence had caused Henry ‘greater heart-ache than the Angel [Gabriel?] or Scripture could express’ (Starkey, Pg. 284). Upon Anne’s return to Court it was clear that Henry would fulfil the vow he had made Anne and make her his ‘maitresse en titre’, his sole mistress. They were by now also contemplating how to elevate Anne to a much more important role – that of Queen of England. Anne Boleyn first appeared … [Read More...]

Easter and May Bank Holiday Fun with Historic Royal Palaces

A quick update on the upcoming Tudor events at the Historic Royal Palaces. Tudor Events A son and heir? Hampton Court Palace 22-25 April Expect merrymaking and celebrations on a grand scale as King Henry VIII waits to find out if at last he has been granted his dearest wish: a baby boy to succeed to the throne of England. Henry VIII’s Tudor Kitchens will be at full swing, preparing for the happy event. Costumed interpreters will bring the palace to life this Easter and there is … [Read More...]

A review of The Virgin Widow by Anne O’Brien

What separates the good from the great when it comes to historical fiction is the author’s ability to seamlessly weave fact and fiction whilst simultaneously transporting us back in time via an engrossing storyline and vibrant characters. Another important factor for me is the author’s ability to incite interest in the ‘real’ historical characters through their portrayal of the fictitious ones. Anne O’Brien’s The Virgin Widow checks all the boxes! Essentially, it is a historical … [Read More...]

In what year was Anne Boleyn born? Part 1

Part 1- 1501 The date of Anne Boleyn's birth and the relative ages of her brother and sister have caused much debate over the years. There are two prominent schools of thought when it comes down to Anne's DOB, circa 1501 and the other circa 1507. We have been having a very interesting discussion about this exact topic on the ‘Save Anne Boleyn’s Portrait’ Page and so in order to encourage further, respectful discussion I thought it might be a good idea to collect all the arguments for both … [Read More...]

Tudor Survivor: The Life and Times of Courtier William Paulet

I have just stumbled upon this book by Margaret Scard due to be published in April 2011. Here is a synopsis provided by The History Press: William Paulet was the sine qua non of the Tudor courtier. For an astonishing 46 years he served at the courts of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth and was one of the men responsible for introducing the changes in religious, economic and social issues which shaped England as we know it today. He was a judge at the trials of Fisher, More and the … [Read More...]