Recent Posts

Anne Boleyn’s Mottoes

A reader recently wrote in asking me whether I knew if Anne Boleyn had adopted any other mottoes apart from “The Moost Happi” in her lifetime. I did a little research but have to say that I didn’t come across a lot of information about Anne’s mottoes. Most of what I did find came from Eric Ives’ biography about Anne (my bible…) The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. In 1530, Anne briefly adopted the motto “Aisi sera groigne qui groigne” which translates to, “Let them grumble; that is how it is … [Read More...]

Tudor Time Traveller

The fact that I am obsessed with uncovering and documenting all the places that Anne Boleyn visited during her lifetime, that we can visit today, is by no means a secret! I am always on the look out for a new place to research and always welcome suggestions from readers. But apart from places that Anne visited, I am also interested in places where other prominent Tudor personalities spent time and for that reason regularly post about other interesting Tudor locations. Today's Tudor … [Read More...]

On the Tudor Trail’s New Look

As most of you have probably noticed the site has undergone some changes over the last day or so and now has a completely new look! The changes were inspired by a page from one of Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours and were designed by the very talented Kate Holeman from The Lettered Set. I had my heart set on finding a talented and creative illustrator who also had an interest in Tudor England and after looking around for months was ecstatic when I found Kate by complete accident! On the … [Read More...]

Exclusive interview with author and historian Anna Whitelock

I have just posted my interview with author and historian, Anna Whitelock. Anna's biography on Mary Tudor (Mary Tudor: England's First Queen) has received excellent reviews with David Starkey describing it as "An impressive and powerful debut." The Amazon description reads: Mary Tudor was the first woman to be crowned Queen of England. Her accession, in the summer of 1553, took place against the odds and it was, in many ways, emblematic of her life. Anna Whitelock's assured, impassioned … [Read More...]

In the Blink of an Eye- Anne Boleyn at the Tower of London

One of On the Tudor Trail's readers, Sarah, wrote in to share with me a truly amazing experience she had during a visit to the Tower of London last year. Whether you believe in the paranormal or not, Sarah's experience had a profound impact on her and was undeniably real in her eyes. I think it's a beautiful story and shows just how strong our connection can be with a person from the past. Thank you for sharing Sarah! On a warm autumn’s day in October 2009 I went to the Tower of London. … [Read More...]

Death in Tudor England

As Halloween in Sydney comes to an end, I thought it would be fitting to find out a little more about death in Tudor England. Luckily, I found a fabulous article written by Professor Peter Marshall of Warwick University and available at Hampton Court’s Website that answered most of my questions. Even before reading this article I was aware that death plagued the minds of the Tudors more than it does our own today. The lack of sanitation, the presence of a variety of epidemic diseases and the … [Read More...]

Tudor Christmas and New Year Celebrations

With Christmas less than two months away, I have started thinking about presents for the family, Christmas decorations and Christmas cards. I have also been thinking about whether the Tudors practised any of our modern traditions, like decorating a Christmas tree or singing carols. So I thought it would be a good idea to find out what a 16th century Christmas was like and whether or not we share any traditions with the Tudors. Let’s take a look. In the 16th century, Christmas was a … [Read More...]

Interview with Linda Porter

I have just posted my exclusive interview with author and historian, Linda Porter. Linda's first book Mary Tudor: The First Queen dispels many popular conceptions about Queen Mary. Her second book, Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr has been described as "colourful and well paced" and "a reliable synthesis of the best historical research on Katherine's life and times, while periodically going beyond it to offer original contributions." In our interview we talk about … [Read More...]

Tips for the Tudor Time Traveller

Today's post is a guest article by Christian Boulton from Nights in the Past a website for those of us that love travel and are passionate about history. The site lists historic hotels in the UK, Europe and more. It features both places connected to famous figures and events and accommodation of historic significance, such as buildings connected to the Tudor and Medieval periods. Tips for the Tudor Time Traveller is a guide to the numerous buildings with associations to the Tudors that today … [Read More...]

Exclusive interview with Tracy Borman

I have just posted my exclusive interview with author and historian Tracy Borman. Tracy is the author of Henrietta Howard: King's Mistress, Queen's Servant and Elizabeth's Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen. The blurb for Elizabeth's Women reads: Elizabeth I was born into a world of women. As a child, she was served by a predominantly female household of servants and governesses, with occasional visits from her mother, Anne Bolyen, and the wives who later took her place. As … [Read More...]

New Anne Boleyn Place!

It has been a while since I have added a new Anne Boleyn place to our already long list, so I am very happy to add location number 28- St Peter's Church, Hever. The church is well known for being the final resting place of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Anne's father, and a local historian in the area recently confirmed what I already suspected, that the Boleyn's indeed attended the church whilst in residence at Hever Castle. St Peter’s Church dates back to the 14th century and is located in the … [Read More...]

New Book giveaway competition- The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Yesterday I announced the winner of our first book giveaway competition at On the Tudor Trail, congratulations again Kate! And today I am very happy to post the details of our second book giveaway competition. This time the lucky winner will receive a copy of Philippa Gregory's The Red Queen. This is the second book in the Cousins' War Series, read my review here. Entry is only open to our mailing list subscribers (if you are not one already, sign up on our homepage) and residents of all … [Read More...]