On this day in Tudor history, 8th June 1492, in the reign of King Henry VII, the king’s mother-in-law, Elizabeth Woodville, died at Bermondsey Abbey.
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June 8 – Elizabeth Woodville, and an Act of Succession
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June 7 – A queen’s physician is hanged, and a historic meeting
On this day in Tudor history, 7th June 1594, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the queen’s physician, Roderigo Lopez, was hanged, drawn and quartered after being accused of plotting to poison the queen.
Find out more about Lopez and what happened…
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June 6 – Trouble brewing in Bodmin, and a lucky musician
On this day in Tudor history, 6th June 1549, in the reign of King Edward VI, an army of rebels assembled at Bodmin in Cornwall. A town meeting was held, in which the rebels’ demands were put forward.
These men were rebelling against the recent religious changes, particularly the new law concerning the Book of Common Prayer.
Trouble ensued and their grievances became a full-blown rebellion, the Prayer Book Rebellion. You can find out what happened next and how the rebellion ended in this video:
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June 5 – A favourite in trouble, a silkworm expert and Catherine of Aragon’s best friend
On this day in Tudor history, 5th June 1600, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was in a spot of bother. Even though he was usually one of Elizabeth I’s favourite, Devereux was charged with insubordination. Oh dear.
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General Tudor Quiz
This Sunday’s Tudor fun is a quiz that tests your general Tudor knowledge.
Just how much do you know about the Tudor kings and queens and their reigns?
Find out!
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June 4 – Robert Dudley gets married, and lightning strikes St Paul’s
On this day in Tudor history, 4th June 1550, sweethearts Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart tied the knot at the royal palace of Sheen at Richmond in a service attended by King Edward VI.
This marriage was a love-match, but it lasted just ten years, ending with Amy’s death in 1560, a death which is surrounded by controversy.
Find out more…
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Tudor dentistry and caring for your teeth in Tudor times
As today is the anniversary of the death of Bishop John Aylmer, who is said to have had one of his teeth extracted in order to prove to Queen Elizabeth I that the pain wasn’t as bad as she thought, I thought I’d share this talk from our archives. It’s on tooth extractions, dentistry and how people cared for their teeth in Tudor times.
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June 3 – A bishop who suffered for his queen, and the Royal Supremacy
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd June 1594, John Aylmer, Bishop of London, died.
Hear a story about how he suffered pain to help a poorly Queen Elizabeth I…
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The Lost King – A new film on Richard III
There’s a new film about Richard III coming!
The Lost King will be showing in UK cinemas from 7th October 2022.
Thank you to Jo Taylor-Hitchinson for sharing this information:
“The film tells the remarkable true story of how one ‘ordinary’ woman overcame every obstacle to track down the final resting place of Richard III.
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June 2 – The ends of a Duke of Norfolk and a rebel
On this day in Tudor history, 2nd June 1572, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, thirty-four-year-old Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, was beheaded on Tower Hill for high treason.
Norfolk was a Knight of the Garter, he’d served as Earl Marshal and Lord High Steward, he’d presided over Queen Elizabeth I’s coronation, so what had led him to this sticky end and how was he involved with Mary, Queen of Scots?
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June 1 – An inquest and a coronation
On this day in Tudor history, 1st June 1593, the inquest into the death of playwright, poet and translator Christopher Marlowe took place.
Twenty-nine-year-old Marlowe, writer of such famous works as “Tamburlaine”, “Dr Faustus” and “The Jew of Malta”, had been fatally stabbed at a house in Deptford Strand, London, by a man named Ingram Frizer on 30th May 1593, but what happened?
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May 31 – The birth of Lady Margaret Beaufort, and a special Legatine court opens in London
On this day in Tudor history, 31st May 1443, Lady Margaret Beaufort, the woman known as the matriarch of the Tudor dynasty, was born.
Find out a few facts about her in this #TudorHistoryShorts video:
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30 May – The stabbing of Christopher Marlowe
On this day in Tudor history, 30th May 1593, Christopher Marlowe, the famous Elizabethan playwright, was stabbed to death.
Find out what happened in this #TudorHistoryshorts video…
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May 29 – The hanging of John Penry, and a fire-breathing dragon on the Thames
On this day in Tudor history, 29th May 1593, Welsh religious controversialist, and a man regarded by Welsh historians as the pioneer of Welsh nonconformity, John Penry was hanged at St Thomas-a-Watering in Surrey.
John Penry was linked to the Martin Marprelate tracts and the resulting Marprelate Controversy, not for writing them, but for helping to run the secret press that printed them.
Find out more about Penry, his life and his work, and his involvement with these tracts, and how appealing to William Cecil didn’t save him from the hangman’s noose…
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Anne of Cleves Places Word Search
This week’s puzzle tests your knowledge of places associated with Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of King Henry VIII.
Note: the words can go in any direction!
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May 28 – An alleged plot and the Spanish Armada
On this day in Tudor history, 28th May 1582, Roman Catholic priests Thomas Forde, John Shert and Robert Johnson suffered full traitors’ deaths at Tyburn.
The three priests had been condemned for their alleged involvement in the Rome and Reims Plot of 1580, but many believe that this plot wasn’t actually real.
Let me explain exactly what led to these men’s executions in 1582, why Roman Catholic priests were persecuted in this manner, and what the plot was all about…
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May 27 – Cardinal Pole makes an enemy and his mother, Margaret Pole, suffers a botched execution
On 27th May 1536, Cardinal Reginald Pole, who was in Venice, wrote to King Henry VIII. It was a very polite letter but what he sent with it brought Pole and his family trouble. He made the mistake of making an enemy of King Henry VIII.
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Three Tudor Queens: Katherine Parr, Mary I and Mary, Queen of Scots
Linda Porter is one of my favourite Tudor historians so for our Friday video this week I thought I’d share this talk she did for us back in 2014.
In “Three Tudor Queens”, Linda explores the lives of Katherine Parr, Mary I and Mary, Queen of Scots.
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June 2022 – Popular Culture and the Tudors
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May 26 – Henry VIII meets with Emperor Charles V, and the burial of Barbara Sidney, Countess of Leicester
On this day in Tudor history, 26th May 1520, in the lead-up to King Henry VIII’s meeting with Francis I of France at the Field of Cloth of Gold, the English king met with his nephew Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, at Dover Castle on the south coast of England.
Find out more about this meeting and the rather lavish outfits worn by Henry VIII and his queen consort, Catherine of Aragon…
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May 25 – Lady Jane Gret gets married in a triple wedding, and a Tudor earthquake
On this day in Tudor history, 25th May 1553, Lady Jane Grey got married to Lord Guildford Dudley, son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.
They weren’t the only couple to get married in the ceremony at Durham House, Jane’s sister, Katherine, and Guildford’s sister, Catherine, also got married.
Find out more…
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May 24 – Anne Askew, Robert Cecil, and a monstrous birth
On this day in Tudor history, 24th May 1546, letters were sent from the Privy Council to the future Protestant martyr Anne Askew and her estranged husband Thomas Kyme.
The couple were ordered to appear in front of the council within fourteen days.
But why? What was going on? And what happened next?
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May 23 – Elizabeth under house arrest, Henry VIII gets his annulment, and Henry Grey becomes a Garter Knight
On this day in Tudor history, 23rd May 1554, Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, arrived at the Palace of Woodstock in Oxfordshire, where she was placed under house arrest.
Elizabeth remained under house arrest there for just under a year, and she didn’t make it easy for her gaoler, Sir Henry Bedingfield, and neither did her servants.
Find out why Elizabeth was under house arrest and what happened…
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May 22 – A prophecy fulfilled and new Garter knights
On this day in Tudor history, 22nd May 1538, Franciscan friar John Forest met his end at Smithfield in London for his allegiance to the Church of Rome.
His death, along with the burning of a religious statue from Wales, was said to be the fulfilment of a prophecy made about the statue.
Find out more about Blessed John Forest and the prophecy…
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Anne Boleyn’s Life Crossword Puzzle
This past week has been the anniversary of the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn on 19th May 1536, so I thought we’d pay tribute to Anne by testing your knowledge of Henry VIII’s second wife.
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May 21 – Philip of Spain, a Duke of Norfolk, and a Bible translator
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 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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