The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars between two different branches of the House of Plantagenet, who both thought they had valid claims to the throne. The first Tudor monarch, Henry VII, united these two houses and his reign saw the end of civil war.
But how much do you know about this period of history?
Test yourself on the Wars of the Roses with this fun quiz.
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On this day in Tudor history, 16th May 1532, Sir Thomas More resigned as Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor.
But what led to More’s resignation when he had been such a loyal servant to King Henry VIII?
Find out…
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In this edition of my Facts About series, I take you back to the Wars of the Roses, that period of civil war between 1455 and 1487.
Find out about the background to the Wars of the Roses, who was involved, what happened and how they came to an end, as well as some Wars of the Roses trivia.
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On this day in Tudor history, 15th May 1536, Henry VIII’s second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, and her brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, were tried one after the other in the King’s Hall of the Tower of London.
It was during George’s trial that problems the king was experiencing with his wife became public, something which must have been rather embarrassing for the king.
Find out what happened on that day in 1536…
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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?
Find out more…
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This week Brigitte takes us for a look around some of her beautifully renovated Tudor house, showing us some of the important features. You’re going to be fascinated by the secret feature on the fireplace.
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On 13th May 1536, eleven days after her arrest, the royal household of Queen Anne Boleyn was broken up and her household discharged.
The queen hadn’t even been tried yet, never mind found guilty!
Find out more about this day and what happened to members of her household in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
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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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On this day in Tudor history, 11th May 1533, Henry VIII made himself an enemy of the English clergy by accusing them of being traitors.
Why? What was going on? What happened next?
Find out…
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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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On this day in Tudor history, 9th May 1538, Marie de Guise, or Mary of Guise, got married to King James V of Scotland. However, the groom was not present.
Find out more in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
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May is the anniversary month of the events leading up to the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn on 19th May 1536. Things moved so quickly that spring!
But how much do you know about the cast of Anne Boleyn’s fall – the people who were involved, either as victims or on the side of the Crown?
Test yourself on the people caught up in the events of May 1536 with this fun word search puzzle.
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On this day in Tudor history, 8th May 1539, war panic led to a show of strength in London – an 11-hour procession of beautifully dressed and armed men, crowded streets and the shooting of guns.
Why? What was this all about?
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On this day in Tudor history, 7th May 1560, English troops suffered a heavy defeat at the siege of Leith.
What was this siege all about?
And who described their dead bodies as a fair tapestry?
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Today we have a great review from Lil where she shares her favourite non-fiction Tudor history book with us. Her review is of Elizabeth: Apprenticeship by David Starkey.
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On this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1471, Edmund Beaufort was executed at Tewkesbury following the Lancastrian defeat at the Battle of Tewkesbury during the Wars of the Roses.
How did he come to be executed when he was in sanctuary, and why was this the end of the Beaufort line?
What did this mean for the Lancastrians?
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On this day in Tudor history, 5th May 1586, courtier Sir Henry Sidney died.
Find out more about Sidney, his offices and family, and where his body and heart were buried, in this #TudorHistoryShorts video.
Last week, I did the first of our monthly Facebook Lives in the Tudor Society members-only group. I spoke on Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, a relationship that intrigues me.
I know not everyone is on Facebook, so here’s a replay for you.
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Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, who has gone down in history as Bess of Hardwick, was buried on this day in 1608. Find out a bit more about this fascinating Tudor lady in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
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On this day in history, 3rd May 1415, a woman who was the matriarch of the House of York and mother of two kings, was born. Her name was Cecily Neville.
Find out about this Duchess of York, and how she is linked to royalty and the Tudors, in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
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On this day in Tudor history, 2nd May 1536, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, was arrested. What happened on that day? What was she told? Where was she taken?
Find out in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
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Our May expert speaker is stonecarver Lucy Churchill who has done extensive research on two Anne Boleyn-related items – the 1534 medal, which she has reconstructed, and the choirscreen of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.
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How much do you know about the artists that worked at the Tudor court?
Test your knowledge with this fun crossword puzzle.
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Today is May Day – Happy May Day!
Did the Tudors celebrate May Day? If so, what did they do?
Find out in this #TudorHistoryShorts video…
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The 29th of April is the anniversary of the birth of William Dacre, the only man to be acquitted in Henry VIII’s reign. Quite an accomplishment!
Find out about this Tudor baron…
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Today is International Dance Day, a global celebration of dance. The International Dance Day website explains “This day is a celebration day for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “dance”, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognised its value to the people and to the individual and have not yet realised its potential for economic growth.”
To celebrate this day, we thought we’d share an article on 16th century dance. This article by Jane Moulder originally appeared in the February 2015 edition of Tudor Life Magazine.
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In this latest #TudorHistoryShorts video, I talk about eighty-two-year-old priest Walter Mylne, who sadly lost his life on 28th April 1558.
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