In this week’s Claire chats I talk about Henry’s upbringing, contemporary descriptions of him at his accession, his love of music and how he seemed to be the ideal Renaissance prince and king.
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Video – Henry VIII: Renaissance Prince
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The Claimant: A Novel of the Wars of the Roses Book Tour Day 5 – Researching The Claimant
I am honoured for the Tudor Society to be the last stop on Simon Anderson’s book tour for his historical novel The Claimant:A Novel of the Wars of the Roses. It is a wonderful novel, one that gripped me from the start and one that didn’t let go of me – I need the sequel!
Today, Simon joins us to tell us all about the research he did for his novel. Thank you Simon and a big welcome to the Tudor Society. Over to Simon…
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“The Boleyn Family” Chatroom transcript from Elizabeth Norton
Here is the transcript of our wonderful live chat with Elizabeth Norton. There were some great questions and answers and it was very interesting.
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Was Katherine Parr a feminist? By Conor Byrne
Katherine Parr was different to Henry VIII’s other consorts. She was several years older than his previous wives, she had been married twice before, and she had not spent considerable time in royal service. Above all, however, Katherine differs to her five predecessors by virtue of her status as an author. She was the first Queen of England to publish her own work.
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Blanche Parry
As today is the anniversary of the death of eighty-two year-old Blanche Parry, chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, on 12 February 1590, I thought I would share an article written by Sarah Rochel back in 2009 for The Elizabeth Files.
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The Executions of Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley: A Primary Source Account
A primary source account of the executions of Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley on 12 February 1554.
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10 February 1567 – The Murder of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
On this day in history, the 10th February 1567, Lord Darnley was murdered at Kirk o’ Field, Edinburgh, in the Royal Mile, just a few hundred yards from Holyrood House where his wife, Mary Queen of Scots, and baby son, the future James VI/I, were staying.
Henry, Lord Darnley, had been lodging at Kirk o’ Field while convalescing after contracting either syphilis or smallpox. What he didn’t know was that while he had been recovering his enemies had been filling the cellars of the house with gunpowder.
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Hampton Court Palace by Sarah Bryson
Hampton Court has origins far older than Henry VIII. Originally Hampton Court was a settlement belonging to the Saxon period; its original name was ‘Hammton’ meaning ‘a settlement by the river’. In the early 12th century the land was owned by Reginald de St Valery, a crusader in Jerusalem. He allowed the Knights Hospitallers of St John to rent the land. The Knights built the House of Hampton and the land was primarily used to manage the Knights agricultural estates.
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This week in history 9 – 15 February
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Mary, Queen of Scots Letter
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Tudor Laws Quiz
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8 February 1587 – The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots: A Primary Source Account
This primary source account of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots is from Original letters, illustrative of English history; with notes and illustrations, Second Series, Volume III, ed. Henry Ellis (p113-118). Ellis notes that “the present narrative is from the Lansdowne MS. 51. art. 46. It is indorsed in Lord Burghley’s hand, “8 Feb. 1586. The Manner of the Q. of Scotts death at Fodrynghay, wr. by Ro. Wy.””
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Video – Henry VIII the Jouster
In today’s Claire Chats video I look at Henry VIII the jouster and the records that tell of how he excelled at the sport, and also accounts of his accidents.
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Anne Neville’s Final Months by Alex Taylor
An article on Anne Neville, queen consort of Richard III and daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and a man known as “the Kingmaker”.
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Elizabeth Norton Expert Talk – The Boleyn Family
Thanks this month goes to historian Elizabeth Norton for her expert chat all about the Boleyn Family. It’s very easy to be absorbed in the fascinating life of Queen Anne Boleyn and her marriage to Henry VIII, but the Boleyn family has a much longer history. In this Expert Talk, Elizabeth Norton explains to us where the Boleyns came from and how they rose high enough for Anne to become Queen Consort. Fascinating stuff!
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This week in history 2 – 8 February
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Quiz – Henry VIII’s advisers and friends
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Catherine of Aragon’s Stillbirth on 31 January 1510 – The Primary Source
On this day in history, 31st January 1510, Queen Catherine of Aragon gave birth to a still-born daughter. Although she had lost her baby, Catherine’s abdomen stayed rounded and actually began to increase in size, leading her physicians to conclude that she was still pregnant with the twin of the baby she’d lost. This was not true.
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I thought it would be interesting to share the primary source account of this event here. -
Video – Henry VIII’s Love Letters to Anne Boleyn – The Sweating Sickness Letter
In today’s Claire Chats video I talk about the contrast between the letter Henry VIII wrote to Anne Boleyn in June 1528, when he’d just found out that she’d come down with sweating sickness, and his other letters to her. I show photographs of those letters so you can see the difference Sandra Vasoli talked about in her recent talk.
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Sneak peek – February 2015 Tudor Life Magazine
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Africans in Tudor and Stuart England by Conor Byrne
One often hears of the Tudor period being ‘done to death’. Historians have always revelled, and continue to do so, in studying this exciting and glamorous period, which saw monumental religious change, political development and cultural growth, and ordinary people worldwide cannot get enough of the Tudors, whether reading about them, watching historical films or visiting Tudor palaces. However, it cannot be denied that our obsession with the Tudors is very white-centred.
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Tudor Life February 2015 – Lady Jane Grey Special!
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Henry VII
Henry VII was born at Pembroke Castle on the 28th January 1457. His parents were the thirteen year-old Lady Margaret Beaufort and her husband Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, who, unfortunately, had died of the plague three months before Henry’s birth.
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Walter Cromwell – Just who was he?
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Windsor Castle by Sarah Bryson
Windsor Castle dates back to the time of William the Conqueror, who started building the Castle in 1070. Work was completed in 1086 and the great castle was built as a means to defend and secure the western path towards London. The castle was built on an earth mound which supported a keep and has an Upper and Lower Ward.
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Sir Francis Drake
]On the 27th January 1596, Sir Francis Drake, explorer, sea captain and pirate, died of dysentery in Portobelo harbour, Panama. When he realised that death was near, he asked to be dressed in his armour. Although he requested burial on land, Drake was buried at sea in a lead coffin, along with his second cousin, Admiral Sir John Hawkins.
Here are some facts about Sir Francis Drake, the famous Elizabethan sailor and navigator…
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Did Chapuys call Henry VIII a tyrant?
Thanks to a question from Tudor Society member Sharon I have been digging into what Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, said about Henry VIII’s serious jousting accident in January 1536: “[…] Thinks he might ask of fortune for what greater misfortune he is reserved, like the other tyrant who escaped from the fall of the house, in which all the rest were smothered, and soon after died.”
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Henry VIII’s horticultural manual to go on display at Buckingham Palace
The world’s first gardening manual, which once belonged to Henry VIII, is going on display at Buckingham Palace in March 2015.
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Thomas Cromwell Mania
Thomas Cromwell is hot property at the moment and is just everywhere – I wonder why…
Anyway, I thought I’d draw your attention to some articles about him and also some recommended reading on him.
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This week in history 26 January – 1st February
