On the Tudor Trail

Our exclusive interview with Brandy Purdy

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Brandy Purdy, author of The Boleyn Wife. She very kindly agreed to answer some questions exclusively for our On the Tudor Trail readers! I thank Brandy for sharing her thoughts and opinions with us in such a sincere manner. In the interview we talk about the lure of the Tudors, Lady Rochford: villain or victim, Brandy's favourite of Henry VIII's queens, Katherine Howard's promiscuousness, ghosts and even Jack the Ripper gets a mention! I … [Read More...]

New Anne Boleyn Place! Chateau de Amboise

Following in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn has taken us to many picturesque locations that are steeped in history and number 24 on the list is no exception! We return to the Loire Valley in France to a palace perched above the market town of Amboise. Amboise lies on the banks of the Loire River and was once home to the French royal court. Joan of Arc passed through the town in 1426 on her way to Orleans to the Battle of Patay. Francis I Chateau de Amboise sits perched on a promontory … [Read More...]

Submit your Tudor Questions

I have just added a new section to the site called Q & A where I hope to answer many frequently asked questions about Anne Boleyn, the Tudor Monarchs and Life in Tudor England and hopefully help clarify some common misconceptions about the time. I have lots of questions and answers to add so it may take a little while but we'll get there in the end. Readers normally email me their questions but now you can enter your question directly into the 'ask a question' form found here and at the … [Read More...]

Henry VIII betrothed to Anne of Cleves

On the 4th September 1539, the marriage treaty between Henry VIII and the Lady Anne was signed by the Duke of Cleves at Dusseldorf. The Duke's representatives arrived at Windsor on the 23rd of September to ratify the marriage treaty. For the next 8 days, the king entertained the men with hunting and feasting before moving to Hampton Court and concluding the marriage treaty. Preparations were already underway for a Christmas wedding at Greenwich, followed by 12 days of … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn’s Famous Pearl Necklace

A reader recently wrote in to ask whether I knew what had happened to Anne Boleyn's famous pearl necklace and I thought I'd post a response here so that others have an opportunity to add information as well. There is much speculation as to what actually happened to Anne's famous necklace with the gold B. Some people believe that it was passed down to Elizabeth and others that it went back to the Crown after her downfall. I have even heard that some of the pearls are in the crown of Elizabeth … [Read More...]

A review of The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

I have just finished reading The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory and found it entertaining and engaging. This is the second book in the Cousins' War series and covers roughly the same period as The White Queen (the first book in the series) but from a different point of view. The protagonist and narrator, Margaret Beaufort, is a difficult character to relate to and not at all 'likeable'. She is fervently religious, compares herself regularly to Joan of Arc and will stop at nothing to see her son, … [Read More...]

Another Anne Boleyn Place- Palace at Mechelen

To retrace the steps of Anne Boleyn we have journeyed to many castles, stately homes, chapels and buildings in England but today we venture across the English Channel to modern day Belgium and what was once Margaret of Austria's Palace at Mechelen. In the 15th and 16th century, Mechelen was the capital of Burgundian Netherlands or the Low Countries (roughly present day Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg). The Palace of Mechelen, built from 1507 as a residence for Margaret of Austria, Regent … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn made marquis of Pembroke

On the morning of Sunday, 1st September at Windsor Castle Anne Boleyn received the title of marquis of Pembroke. This was significant for a number of reasons, the first being that no other woman had ever been bestowed with the title, secondly, the earldom of Pembroke had previously been held by Henry’s great-uncle, Jasper Tudor, and so had strong royal connections (Starkey, p.459) and finally the title made Anne the most prestigious non-royal woman in the realm. Continue reading here. … [Read More...]

The Ghost of Jane Seymour

I have just completed my third post in the series on Tudor hauntings where I have been focusing on the myths and stories surrounding the ghosts of the six wives of Henry VIII. This time I've chosen the ghost of Jane Seymour, third wife to Henry VIII. Within 24 hours of the execution of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Henry VIII were formally betrothed. In an unbelievable twist of fate, Jane Seymour, the woman that had come to court as a lady in waiting to Queen … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn’s appearance and demeanour

The debate about what Anne Boleyn actually looked like has raged for many years and I think will continue to do so as no contemporary portrait of Anne survived. The other issue is that many of the contemporary descriptions of Anne were written during her relationship to the King and so, as Eric Ives says, are 'already coloured by the controversy surrounding her relationship with the king' (p.39). Hostile observers skewed their descriptions to serve a political purpose. Antonia Fraser calls it … [Read More...]

Another Anne Boleyn place joins the list

The addition of the 22nd Anne Boleyn place to our ever growing list is very exciting especially because it's the first place to take us across the English Channel to the lush countryside of the Loire Valley in France. The stunning Chateau Blois is today's stop on the Tudor Trail. After the death of old King Louis XII, Anne Boleyn remained in the service of King Francis I's young wife, Queen Claude. For seven years Anne Boleyn served her mistress and built on the education she received … [Read More...]

Historic and haunted Tudor house celebrates 500th birthday

I have just finished reading an interesting article about Paycocke's house in Coggeshall. The home dates back to 1510 and was built by Thomas Paycocke as a testament to his growing wealth generated by the wool and cloth trade in the 16th century. It features beams that are decoratively carved and engraved with the initials of Thomas and his wife Margaret. There is also an acorn sized face believed to have been left as a signature by the carver. The impressive Tudor house now … [Read More...]