Recent Posts

Elizabeth I’s Magical Unicorn by Carlyn Beccia

Today's post is a very interesting guest article by Carlyn Beccia, author of The Raucous Royals and I Feel Better with a Frog in my Throat. To learn more about this wonderfully talented author and illustrator read my exclusive interview here. In the meantime, enjoy! Elizabeth I's Magical Unicorn In the 16th century, Elizabeth I’s seamen were like little boys running in a vast field, trying to find the prettiest wild flowers to run back and give to their queen mum. Francis Drake, John … [Read More...]

She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth

I have just come across this book by historian Helen Castor and it sounds fascinating! The Amazon product description reads: The boy in the bed was just fifteen years old. He had been handsome, perhaps even recently; but now his face was swollen and disfigured by disease, and by the treatments his doctors had prescribed in the attempt to ward off its ravages. Their failure could no longer be mistaken. When Edward VI – Henry VIII’s longed-for son – died in 1553, extraordinarily, there was … [Read More...]

Welcome Carlyn Beccia & The Raucous Royals

I have just posted my exclusive interview with Carlyn Beccia, author of The Raucous Royals the winner of the International Reading Association's 2009 Children's and Young Adult Book Award for Intermediate-Nonfiction. Carlyn describes The Raucous Royals as "history lesson meets tabloid magazine." Beccia explains, "we think that Hollywood stars are the only ones that are abused by untrue rumors and gossip. History's most famous royals faced the same challenges. They didn't get maligned by … [Read More...]

Shakespeare’s Church in Stratford-Upon-Avon

This week's Tudor Time Traveller location is Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-Upon-Avon. During a visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon last year I took this photo of the Holy Trinity Church better known as Shakespeare’s Church as this is where the famous poet and playwright was baptised on the 24th April 1564 and buried on the 25th April 1616. The present church was begun in 1210 and looks much the same as the church Shakespeare would have known and worshipped in as a boy and again on his return … [Read More...]

Recipes, Food and Cooking in Tudor England

Conner from Historical Foods has written an exclusive article for us here at On the Tudor Trail about Recipes, Food and Cooking in Tudor England. It is brimming with those scrumptious facts about daily life that us Tudor aficionados love, describing, in detail, ingredients and recipes used in authentic Tudor cooking. The article is meticulously researched, informative and entertaining and as though all this wasn’t enticing enough, Conner has gone the extra mile by translating an original … [Read More...]

Prince Edward Christened at Hampton Court Palace

On Monday, 15 October 1537 Prince Edward (later Edward VI) was christened in a midnight ceremony in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace (Weir, pg. 368). Henry VIII had waited his entire adult life for a legitimate heir to the Tudor throne and so was not about to let anything harm the young prince. Weir writes of how he ordered, “Every room, hall and courtyard in the Prince’s apartments was to be washed down with soap and swept daily. Everything that came near the child – clothing, … [Read More...]

Tudor ghosts caught on film

Over the years there have been several cases of people claiming to have caught a Tudor ghost on film. With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it was a good time to post all the available footage and photographs here for us to examine more closely. In 2003 at Hampton Court Palace a pair of modern emergency exit doors became the focus of international discussion. The doors themselves weren't of interest but what was perplexing the staff was why they were mysteriously opening at the same time … [Read More...]

Exclusive interview with Ninya Mikhaila

I have just posted my interview with Ninya Mikhaila, historical costumier and co-author of The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing sixteenth century dress. Ninya Mikhaila has been making reconstructions of historic costumes for museums and heritage sites since 1988. She established her business in 1994 after gaining a Higher National Diploma in Costume Interpretation at the London College of Fashion. She has been the principal maker for JMD&Co since then. Other clients include Historic Royal … [Read More...]

The Ghosts of Henry VIII’s Queens

It is my opinion that hidden in the fabric of ancient walls and floors remains an imprint of its previous inhabitants and events that echoed in that space. The more emotionally charged the event, the clearer an imprint that resonates and a greater likelihood of the event being ‘played back’ for some among us to sense or see. It is for this reason that I think the ghost of Anne Boleyn has been seen and sensed in several locations around the UK.  She had an enormous impact in life and … [Read More...]

Tudor Time Traveller- Burghley House

This week's Tudor Time Traveller location is Burghley House. Regarded as one of the grandest houses of the Elizabethan age, Burghley House was built between 1555 and 1587 for Sir William Cecil, later the first Baron Burghley, Lord High Treasurer to Elizabeth I. Work commenced on the east ranges in 1555 and continued until 1564 when all came to a halt as William Cecil focused all his energy on building his great house at Theobalds. In 1575, the team of masons was reassembled and … [Read More...]

Remembering Anne

I have just added a new area to the site called 'Remembering Anne'. This section will feature short stories and poems- written by you- commemorating and celebrating the life of Anne Boleyn. If you have written something about Anne and would like to share it with us please contact me. I have just posted two very heartfelt poems written by author and journalist, Karina Machado. These truly are wonderful and demonstrate the emotional impact Anne has on us. The poems are Ripple in Time and … [Read More...]

A review of His Last Letter by Jeane Westin

His Last Letter by Jeane Westin is a captivating and powerful love story set against the backdrop of a perilous time in Elizabeth’s reign. Westin brings Elizabeth and Dudley’s tempestuous relationship vividly to life. Their relationship spanned more than 30 years and, although set in the last three years of the Earl of Leicester’s life, offers us insight into pivotal events in their past that helped forge their undying bond. The characters grow as the story progresses and so does our … [Read More...]