This day in Tudor history, 7th June 1520, was the first day of that historic meeting between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France.
The meeting was known as the Field of Cloth of Gold and although it was a diplomatic meeting, it was a chance for these two Renaissance kings to show off to each other and try to outdo each other with their wealth, costumes and even strength.
Find out more about this famous meeting in today’s video.
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This week’s Claire Chats video talk is a special one. Tim and I have just had historical novelist Wendy J Dunn staying with us here in Spain for a few days, which was lovely. Verity and I shared a wonderful day with Wendy at Granada’s Alhambra, which was very special as Wendy’s last novel was all about Catherine of Aragon’s early life which, of course, included time at the Alhambra.
I thought I’d take advantage of Wendy and interview her for my YouTube channel and for the Tudor Society, with a slightly different focus for each interview. Here is the Tudor Society one…
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On this day in Tudor history, 6th June 1522, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Henry VIII made a grand entry into the city of London.
Now these two rulers did not just enter the city with music and cheering, they did it in style with pageantry – 9 spectacular pageants in all! The Tudors really knew how to celebrate!
Find out more about the pageants in today’s video.
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On this day in Tudor history, 5th June 1604, Tudor physician and naturalist Thomas Moffet, or Muffet, physician and naturalist, died at Wilton in Wiltshire.
The fact that he is known for a poem on silkworms and his daughter is linked to the famous nursery rhyme piqued my interest and I talk more about him and his poem in today’s video.
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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.
I share an excerpt from my book “On This Day in Tudor History” in today’s video.
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Thank you to everyone who came to Friday’s live chat and a big thank you to Tamise Hills for answering all of our questions on this fascinating Tudor queen. It was a fun chat.
If you missed the chat, you can have a read of the questions and Tamise’s answers in this transcript:
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On this day in Tudor history, 3rd June 1535, Sir Thomas More, King Henry VIII’s former Lord Chancellor and good friend, was interrogated in the Tower of London by members of the king’s council.
These men were trying to get More to give a definitive answer on whether the statute of supremacy was lawful, seeing as he’d refused to take the oath of supremacy.
What happened on their visit and what was said afterwards?
Find out in today’s video.
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On this day in Tudor history, 2nd June 1572, 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?
Let me tell you a bit more about this Tudor man and what led him to end his life on the scaffold.
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This week’s Sunday brain-teaser is a crossword testing your knowledge of Tudor events that took place in the month of June. Don’t worry, though, it’s fun!
So, open and print out the crossword puzzle by clicking on the link or pricture below, grab your favourite snack and beverage, make yourself comfortable and let’s begin. Good luck!
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On this day in Tudor history, 1st June 1533, Whitsunday, Queen Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony performed by her good friend, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.
It was a long day for the pregnant queen, starting with a procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, then there was the actual coronation, where Anne was crowned with St Edward’s crown, and finally the huge coronation banquet.
Find out exactly what Anne Boleyn did on that day in 1533 in today’s video.
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In this special video, I talk about the four Tudor queens – Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey and Mary, Queen of Scots – whose lives ended on the scaffold, and some of the places connected to them.
I find that by visiting places linked to historical people we get a special link to them. We can walk a little in their footsteps. We can look at things they knew, touch walls they touched… It’s special.
I can’t wait to visit these places and to have that connection with these fascinating women. I’m quite literally counting the days!
You can join me and Philippa on the Executed Queens Tour in July 2019. There are 4 places left!
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This month’s expert is Roland Hui talking on one of his favourite historical topics – queenship, and more specifically the Six Wives of Henry VIII. Roland’s knowledge and expertise come through in this video and we know you’ll enjoy learning things you didn’t know before, as well as chatting with Roland later in the month in the Chatroom. Roland’s live chat session is scheduled for 29th June.
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Today, 31st May, is the anniversary of the birth of Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, and matriarch of the Tudor dynasty, in 1443 at Bletsoe Castle in Bedfordshire.
I thought we’d celebrate the birthday of this fascinating Tudor lady by sharing some Tudor Society resources linked to her.
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On this day in Tudor history, Saturday 31st May 1533, the eve of her coronation, a pregnant Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, processed from the Tower of London to Westminster Hall.
This coronation procession is one of those events that Claire would love to travel back in time for as it was a huge procession through the streets of London and there was lots of entertainment, including lavish, pageants, orations, music, and wine flowing in the conduits and in fountains. To be a citizen of London on that day! Wow!
Hear all about the pageantry in today’s video.
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In this week’s Claire Chats video talk, I talk about my recent visit to Knole in Kent, a beautiful house that one served as a palace, or country retreat, for the Archbishops of Canterbury.
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Tamise Hills from the Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide is our expert guest speaker for May, and her talk looks at what resources there are to help us understand this often forgotten Tudor queen.
Tamise is joining us in the Tudor Society chatroom tomorrow, 31st May, to answer your questions on her talk and all things to do with Lady Jane Grey, so I do hope you can join us.
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Time is flying, don't you think? I can't believe that it's nearly June and time to share the dates for our June live chats.
Our informal live chat is on the topic "Tudor Queens" and will take place in the Tudor Society chatroom on 15th June. The idea for these informal chats is for members to jump in and share their views, pose questions for other members, share book/TV recommendations etc. and to just enjoy talking Tudor.
Here are the times for the chat in different time zones:
Our expert speaker for June is Roland Hui, author of The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens and The Mary Queen of Scots Colouring Book, and his topic is Queenship. His talk will go live here on the Tudor Society on 1st June and he will be joining us in the chatroom to answer your questions on his talk on 29th June. We will be giving away a book (your choice of The Turbulent Crown or the colouring book) to one lucky chat participant. The winner will be picked at random.
Here are the times for the chat in different time zones:
Both chat sessions will last for one hour, although please don't feel that you have to be there for the whole hour. They take place in the Tudor Society chatroom at https://www.tudorsociety.com/chatroom/
On this day in Tudor history, Tuesday 30th May 1536, just eleven days after the execution of his second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII married his third wife, the woman he thought of as his true love and true wife, Jane Seymour.
Find out more about this event and the bride and groom in today’s video.
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June’s 76 Page FULL COLOUR Tudor Life magazine is focused on queenship during the Tudor period. It’s packed with interesting facts and articles about all of the Tudor queens and as always it’s a really great quality publication in full colour too! We know you’ll enjoy it.
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On this day in Tudor history, 29th May 1533, the celebrations for Queen Anne Boleyn’s coronation kicked off with a spectacular river pageant on the Thames.
In today’s video, I describe this amazing river procession, using details from contemporary sources. Fire-breathing dragons, wild men, music, sumptuous decorations… it must have been a wonderful sight.
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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 men had been condemned for their alleged implication in the Rome and Reims Plot of 1580, but many believe that this plot wasn’t actually real.
In today’s video, I 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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On this day in Tudor history, 27th May 1537, news that Queen Jane Seymour had felt her baby move for the first time provoked celebrations in London, Calais, Oxford and York.
How did people celebrate?
In today’s video, I share what the contemporary sources say about this day and how the news was celebrated.
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On this day in Tudor history, 26th May 1536, Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary, sought the help of Thomas Cromwell, the king’s right-hand man. Now that Anne Boleyn was dead and gone, Mary hoped for a reconciliation with her father the king.
What did she want Cromwell to do?
What happened to Mary after Anne Boleyn’s death? How was she treated?
In today’s video,I consider Mary’s situation and what happened between her and her father after this point.
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This week’s Sunday quiz tests your knowledge of one of my very favourite Tudor families, the Dudleys.
How much do you know about them?
Find out in this fun quiz!
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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.
In today’s video, I give more details and consider who was behind this triple Tudor wedding.
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On this day in Tudor history, 24th May 1562, according to contemporary sources, a “monstrous” child was born in Chichester, Sussex.
This deformed baby was not the only “monstrous” birth that year and these events were seen as signs from God.
Find out more about this birth and the others of 1562 in today’s video.
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In this week’s Claire Chats video talk, I consider reports of monstrous births in the Tudor period and how these events were viewed and reported.
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On this day in Tudor history, 23rd May 1533, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, declared the sentence of the special court that had met at Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire.
The Dunstable Priory court had convened to hear the case for the annulment of King Henry VIII’s marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Predictably, the court declared the marriage to be contrary to God’s laws and the archbishop was able to inform the king of the sentence of “divorce”.
Find out more in today’s video.
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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 in today’s video.
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Today is the anniversary of reformer and Bible translator William Tyndale’s arrest in Antwerp on 21st May 1535, after he was betrayed.
Why was Tyndale arrested and why didn’t King Henry VIII help him when he had the chance?
In today’s video, I explain what happened to Tyndale on this day, why the king refused to help him, and what happened next.
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