The Tudor Society

  • Faith, Rebellion and Controversy

    12 hours ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Martin Luther video thumbnail

    On this day in Tudor history, 4th January 1519, reformer Martin Luther met with papal envoy Karl von Miltitz in an attempt to reconcile with the Catholic Church.

    But could Luther, the man who sparked the Reformation with his Ninety-Five Theses, truly stay silent on indulgences and corruption?

    Witness the pivotal moment that led to his excommunication and cemented his role as one of history’s most influential yet polarising figures. Luther’s theological breakthroughs revolutionised Christianity, but his later years revealed a darker side to his legacy.

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  • Loyalty, Rebellion, and Diplomacy

    1 day ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Thumbnail for my video on Robert Boyd

    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd January 1590, Robert Boyd, 5th Lord Boyd, died at Kilmarnock. This Scottish nobleman played a key role in the turbulent politics of Mary, Queen of Scots’ reign and beyond.

    Once a supporter of Mary, Boyd later opposed her marriage to Lord Darnley and participated in a rebellion against the royal couple, only to be pardoned shortly after, and that wasn’t the only trouble he was involved in. Boyd’s complex legacy includes diplomacy, battles, and negotiations with Queen Elizabeth I.

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  • Rebellion, Treachery, and a Queen’s Resolve

    2 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Thumbnail image of my video on Wyatt's Rebellion

    On this day in Tudor history, 2nd January 1554, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger and Sir Peter Carew were summoned to face Queen Mary I’s privy council. The reason? Whispers of a bold plot to stop her marriage to Philip of Spain.

    Their conspiracy aimed to replace Mary with her half-sister, Elizabeth, in a coup that spiralled into rebellion. But who betrayed the rebels? And how did Mary rally London to crush the uprising?

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  • A New Year, a New King

    3 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Thumbnail for my video showing King Louis XII

    On this day in Tudor history, 1st January 1515, King Louis XII of France died at just 52 years old, less than three months into his marriage to eighteen-year-old Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII and daughter of the late King Henry VII. His throne was inherited by Francis of Angoulême, who became King Francis I.

    Was Louis’ death due to illness or, as the French people whispered, the toll of overexerting himself in hopes of securing an heir?

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