On this day in Tudor history, 22nd February, little Henry Duke of Cornwall, son of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, died suddenly, and Marie de Guise was crowned Queen of Scotland, rather than England, which had apparently been an option for her…
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A big thank you to Amanda Glover for sharing with us her brand new, ground-breaking research into the “From the Lady in the Tower” letter said to have been written by Anne Boleyn in May 1536 when she was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Please do read through Amanda’s findings and share your thoughts.
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On this day in Tudor history, 21st February, Pope Julius II died; Katherine Seymour (née Grey), Countess of Hertford, was buried; Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, died, and Jesuit priest Robert Southwell was hanged, drawn and quartered…
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On this day in Tudor history, 20th February, Mary I was baptised, Lady Agnes Hungerford was hanged for murder, Edward VI was crowned king at Westminster Abbey, and Anne Herbert (née Parr), Countess of Pembroke, died…
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On this day in Tudor history, 19th February, Edward VI rode through the streets of London on his coronation procession, Margaret Douglas was informed of the murder of her son, Lord Darnley, and the Elizabethan playhouse, The Rose Theatre, opened on Bankside…
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On this day in Tudor history, 18th February, The future Henry VIII was made Prince of Wales, Catherine of Aragon gave birth to a healthy daughter who’d become Mary I, the Duke of Guise was fatally wounded by a Huguenot assassin, and Ridolfi Plot creator Roberto di Ridolfi died a natural death in Florence…
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On this day in Tudor history, 17th February, Edward Seymour, King Edward VI’s uncle, was made Duke of Somerset, Mary, Queen of Scots, met and fell in love with Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and Henry Radcliffe, 2nd Earl of Essex, died…
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On this day in Tudor history, 16th February, Sir William Stanley, was executed for treason, the German humanist reformer and scholar, Philipp Melancthon was born, and Henry VIII was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor…
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On this day in Tudor history, 15th February, Henry Deane, the last monk to become Archbishop of Canterbury died, Galileo, “The Father of Modern Science”, was born, and Thomas Arden, whose tragic end inspired a play, was murdered by his wife and her lover…
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Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which in Tudor times was a time of fasting and prayer.
But how did Tudor people mark Ash Wednesday and Lent? What else did they do?
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On this day in Tudor history, 14th February, former royal favourite Sir Nicholas Carew was found guilty of treason, Henry VIII’s coffin leaked yucky stuff, fulfilling a prophecy, and “William Waste-all” died…
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On this day in Tudor history, 13th February, Catherine Howard and Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, were executed at the Tower of London, an astrologer and physician was baptised, and Bess of Hardwick died…
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In this second part of “Marriage Melancholy”, I’m exploring the unhappy union of Penelope Devereux, a poet’s muse trapped in an unhappy marriage; the tragic union of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth Stafford, marred by accusations and domestic turmoil; the intriguing story of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, and Anne Cecil, as their seemingly orchestrated marriage gives way to strained relations and unexpected alliances; the complexities of Mary, Queen of Scots, as she navigates through two ill-fated marriages, each marked by betrayal, conspiracy, and tragic consequences, and the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, and the scandalous affair between Dudley and Douglas Sheffield, shrouded in secrets and dark rumours.
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On this day in Tudor history, 12th February, Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley were executed for treason, and Blanche Parry, chief gentlewoman of Elizabeth I’s privy chamber, died…
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On this day in Tudor history, 11th February, Elizabeth of York, queen consort of Henry VII was born in 1466 and died in 1503, and in 1531, Convocation granted Henry VIII the title of supreme head of the Church in England…
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On this day in Tudor history, 10th February, Catherine Howard was escorted to the Tower of London to prepare for her execution, Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland, died, and Mary, Queen of Scots’ second husband, Lord Darnley, was murdered…
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On this day in Tudor history, 9th February, Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, was taken to the Tower of London, Lady Jane Grey’s execution was postponed, and a prominent bishop was burnt at the stake for heresy…
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On this day in Tudor history, 8th February, Mary, Queen of Scots was executed in a rather botched beheading, and Elizabeth I’s favourite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, launched a rebellion, which did not go well…
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On this day in Tudor history, 7th February, Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s famous Lord Chancellor, was born, Mary, Queen of Scots was informed she’d be executed the next day, and Henry VIII took part in the Shrovetide joust with the motto “Declare I dare not”…
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On this day in Tudor history, 6th February, the remains of two famous reformers were burned with their books, a poet who wrote a slanderous play and poem was baptised, and a law reporter died…
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Unravelling the threads of Tudor matrimony!
Marriage is never easy, is it? But it surely must have been harder for those of the Tudor nobility and gentry whose marriages were arranged. Many Tudor marriages grew from mutual respect to love, and were solid, but some marriages were desperately unhappy.
I thought I’d consider a few of those unhappy unions, and there are quite a few of them, so I’m going to do some today and then do another video next week.
Today, I’m looking at the marriages of a Queen of Scotland, a poet’s sad tale, a marquess who finally divorced his wife but then had it rescinded, and a Seymour marriage surrounded by rumour…
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On this day in Tudor history, 5th February, diplomat Sir Henry Brooke was born, 15-year-old Elizabeth was questioned regarding Thomas Seymour, and Henry of Navarre abjured Catholicism…
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On this day in Tudor history, Anne of York married the Earl of Surrey, Mary Boleyn married William Carey, and there was the first Protestant burning of Mary I’s reign…
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On this day in Tudor history, 3rd February, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was born, Silken Thomas was executed, and Elizabeth I’s privy council met and agreed to send Mary, Queen of Scot’s death warrant to Fotheringhay without Elizabeth’s knowledge…
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#OTD in Tudor history, physician John Argentine, the last man to attend the Princes in the Tower, died; Sir Francis Bryan, “the Vicar of Hell, died in Ireland, and it’s the Feast of Candlemas…
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On this day in Tudor history, 1st February, earldoms were granted by Henry VIII, including to his friend Charles Brandon; an alchemist was born; Mary I gave a rousing speech to the citizens of London, and Elizabeth I signed the warrant for the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots…
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On this day in Tudor history, Queen Catherine of Aragon suffered a stillbirth, Henry VIII’s death was announced and Edward VI proclaimed king, and some more Gunpowder Plotters were executed…
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On this day in Tudor history, 30th January, administrator Sir William More was born, the rebels of Wyatt’s Rebellion besieged Cooling Castle, and four Gunpowder Plotters were executed…
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Embark on an epic voyage through the stormy seas of 16th-century Ireland as I unveil the captivating saga of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish chieftain, and pirate queen!
Join me as I delve into the untamed world of clans, conflicts, and the indomitable spirit of a woman who defied norms to become the infamous “Pirate Queen.” From her daring exploits on the high seas to the fierce battles for her family’s honour, Grace O’Malley’s tale is one of courage, resilience, and rebellion.
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On this day in Tudor history, Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was laid to rest as Dowager Princess of Wales, and, on the very same day, his second wife, Anne Boleyn, experienced a tragic miscarriage…
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