Today is the anniversary of the birth of King Philip II of Spain, husband of Queen Mary I.
I’m commemorating his birthday by sharing a few facts about this European ruler…
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May 21 – Philip of Spain, a Duke of Norfolk, and a Bible translator
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May 20 – A cardinal’s hat for Bishop Fisher, and a deist heretic
On this day in Tudor history, 20th May 1535, Pope Paul III made John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, Cardinal-Priest of San Vitale, and arranged to have his cardinal’s hat sent to him.
The pope hoped that this would save Fisher, who was imprisoned at the time, from further punishment, but it made the king even more determined to behead Bishop Fisher. Oh dear!
Find out more about what happened…
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Tudor Wills – Brigitte Webster
What did the Tudors write in their Tudor wills? How did the Tudors pass on their belongings to their surviving family?
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May 19 – A queen is executed, Henry VIII gets a dispensation, and Elizabeth is released from the Tower
On this day in Tudor history, 19th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was executed within the confines of the Tower of London.
It must have been an incredibly hard day for the queen’s friend, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Not only did he have a visit from a friend regarding a terrifying vision, in the early hours… Not only did he have to cope with the idea of his friend and patron being beheaded, but he had to issue a dispensation for the king to marry again!
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May 18 – Catherine Woodville, and a rebel comes to a sticky end
On this day in Tudor history, 18th May 1497, Catherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham and Bedford, died.
Who was Catherine Woodville and how was she linked to the famous Woodvilles who rose in the reign of King Edward IV?
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May 17 – Executions in 1521 and 1536, and the spy Anthony Bacon
On this day in Tudor history, 17th May 1521, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was executed for treason on Tower Hill.
He’d served King Henry VII and King Henry VIII loyally for many years, so what led to this nobleman being condemned for high treason?
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May 16 – Another prison for Mary, Queen of Scots, Sir Thomas More resigns, and the real “John Blackthorne” of Shōgun
On this day in Tudor history, 16th May 1568, following her escape from prison in Scotland, Mary landed on English soil and was taken prisoner once more, but this time by England.
Why was Mary taken prisoner? What happened?
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May 15 – Two barons tried for treason, the trials of Queen Anne Boleyn and Lord Rochford, and a third marriage for Mary, Queen of Scots
On this day in Tudor history, 15th May 1537, Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy, and his cousin, John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, were tried for treason at Westminster after being implicated in the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion.
Both men may have been sympathetic to the rebel cause, but there was no actual evidence that they conspired against the king. Poor men!
Find out more about them and how they ended up being branded rebels, and what happened next…
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Tudor Annes Word Search Puzzle
Anne was a rather popular name in the Tudor period, but how many of these Annes do you know and can you find them in the Word Search?
Warning: the words can go in any direction!
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May 14 – The Creeping Parliament and Lady Helena Gorges
On this day in Tudor history, 14th May 1571, the “Creeping Parliament” was held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Why was it called the “Creeping Parliament” and why were there actually two Parliaments meeting? What was going on and what happened next?
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May 13 – A battle for Mary, Queen of Scots has a battle, and Mary Tudor marries Charles Brandon
On this day in Tudor history, 13th May 1568, the forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, met those of her brother, the Regent Moray, at the Battle of Langside in Scotland.
Mary, Queen of Scots was defeated soundly, but what happened and why was she fighting against the regent acting on behalf of her son, King James VI? What had led to this moment?
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Jane Boleyn by Charlie Fenton – Lil’s Book Reviews
Jane Boleyn has always been seen as a divisive character. Did she bring about the fall of not one but TWO queens?
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May 12 – An innocent baron is charged with treason, an obstinate friar, and Martin Luther is proclaimed a heretic
On this day in Tudor history, 12th May 1537, John Hussey, a Northern baron, was charged with treason even though he was innocent and had actually done the opposite of what he was accused.
Poor man! Find out what happened to John Hussey, Baron Hussey…
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May 11 – Two Carthusians lose their lives and the doctor who saved a queen
On this day in Tudor history, 11th May 1537, Blessed John Rochester and Blessed James Walworth, two Carthusian monks from the London Charterhouse, met their ends in York after being condemned for treason.
In a five-year period, eighteen Carthusian monks were executed, but why? What had King Henry VIII got against these men of God? What happened?
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May 10 – Henry VIII’s annulment is nearly done, Ivan the Terrible, and the suicide of John Clerk
On this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1533, the Great Matter, Henry VIII’s quest for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, neared its conclusion.
Find out what happened on this day in 1533, and what happened next…
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May 9 – Henry VII’s remains go to St Paul’s, a proxy marriage for Marie de Guise, and colonist William Bradford
On this day in Tudor history, 9th May 1509, the remains of King Henry VII were taken to St Paul’s to prepare for his burial at Westminster Abbey.
I share an account of the journey to St Paul’s…
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May 8 – Charles Wriothesley, Elizabeth I’s Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy, and a show of strength
On this day in Tudor history, 8th May 1508, herald and chronicler Charles Wriothesley was born in London.
Wriothesley’s chronicle is one of the major primary sources for King Henry VIII’s reign, so let Claire tell you more about its writer, Charles Wriothesley, Windsor Herald, and what heralds actually are.
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Elizabeth I’s Early Life Crossword Puzzle
How much do you know about the early years of that iconic queen, Elizabeth I?
Test your knowledge with this fun crossword puzzle.
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May 7 – Bothwell’s ex-wife, the Siege of Leith, and Bishop Fisher is cruelly tricked
On 7th May 1567, eight days before James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, married Mary, Queen of Scots, the Catholic court granted him a divorce from his wife, Lady Jean Gordon.
Who was Jean Gordon? Why did Bothwell divorce her? And what happened to Jean afterwards?
Find out more about Bothwell and Jean’s marriage, and about Jean’s life…
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Anne Boleyn’s Fall – A Timeline
As we get ever closer to 19th May, have you ever wondered about Anne Boleyn and what was happening to her?
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May 6 – The alleged killer of the Princes in the Tower, the end of the Beaufort line, and the Great Bible
On this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1502, in the reign of King Henry VII, Sir James Tyrell, former royal councillor, was executed for treason due to his links to a known traitor.
But it’s not for his time as a trusted councillor, or for his links to a claimant to the throne that he is known, but for his alleged involvement in the murders of the Princes in the Tower.
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May 5 – The end of a religious radical, Henry Sidney and a pardon for the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk
On this day in Tudor history, 5th May 1543, religious radical, Adam Damplip, also known as George Bucker, was hanged, drawn and quartered in Calais, which was an English territory at the time.
Although it was his heretical preaching that had got him into trouble, he couldn’t be executed as a heretic, so he was condemned as a traitor instead – clever, but nasty!
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May 4 – Bess of Hardwick, Edmund de la Pole and an awful end for some Carthusian monks
On this day in Tudor history, 4th May 1608, Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, who is commonly known as Bess of Hardwick, was buried.
Find out a bit more about this fascinating Tudor lady in this short video…
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May 3 – Cecily Neville, Sir Edward Rogers and Thomas Tusser
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd May 1415, Cecily Neville, matriarch of the House of York and mother of two kings, was born.
Find out about this Duchess of York, and how she is linked to royalty and the Tudors…
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Medieval Stained Glass – To tempt an artist by Toni Mount
A warm Tudor Society welcome to historian and author Toni Mount and huge congratulations to her on the forthcoming release of her tenth Seb Foxley medieval murder mystery, a series I adore.
Toni is sharing a guest article with us to celebrate the publication of The Colour of Rubies…
In my tenth and latest Seb Foxley medieval murder mystery, The Colour of Rubies, the story requires our hero to go to Westminster Palace in order to discover a dead body – what else! Those familiar with my scribe/artist/sleuth will know that colour means everything to Seb so what better reason could he have for going to the royal palace with his brother, Jude, than to admire the beautiful stained glass in the Chapel of St Stephen?
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May 2 – Mary, Queen of Scots escapes, and an Anabaptist is burnt
On this day in Tudor history, 2nd May 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots, who had recently been forced to abdicate in favour of her son, King James VI, successfully escaped from Lochleven Castle.
How did she end up a prisoner at Lochleven?
How did she escape?
And what happened next?
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1 May – Evil May Day Riot, May Day and a hot-tempered courtier
On this day in Tudor history, 1st May 1517, foreign traders in London had their shops and property vandalised and damaged by a mob of angry apprentices and labourers.
What sparked off this “Evil May Day Riot”? What happened to the troublemakers? And how did Queen Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII’s sisters, Margaret and Mary, get involved? I explain…
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Mary, Queen of Scots’ Love Life Crossword Puzzle
How much do you know about the men linked to Mary, Queen of Scots?
Test your knowledge of this Scottish queen’s love life with this fun crossword.
Simply click on the link or image below to open and print out…
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Did Henry VIII Regret the Fate of Anne Boleyn
What did Henry VIII think about Anne Boleyn as he grew older? Did he regret that she was executed? Join Sandra Vasoli as she discusses this fascinating question.
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April 30 – A lawyer is burnt and two Tudor statesmen die
On this day in Tudor history, 30th April 1532, in the reign of King Henry VIII, lawyer James Bainham was burned at the stake at Smithfield for his reformed faith.
Find out more about what led Bainham to the stake, and hear an account of his end…
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