The Tudor Society

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  • Expert answer – Are the letters of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn authentic?

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    3 Comments

    As it’s the anniversary of the “Lady in the Tower” letter today, a letter said to have been written by Queen Anne Boleyn on 6th May 1536, I thought I’d answer this question from member Real Tudor Lady:

    “What is your opinion on the authenticity of the last letter of Queen Katherine of Aragon to Henry VIII, and the last letter of Anne Boleyn, ‘The Lady in the Tower ” letter, to Henry VIII? Are they both fake or real?”

    The letter said to be from Catherine of Aragon was written in her final days, in January 1536, and reads…

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  • 4 May – A pitiful and strange spectacle

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 4th May 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, three Carthusian monks, a Bridgettine monk and a parish priest were executed at Tyburn.

    They were executed for refusing to accept the King as the Supreme Head of the Church and “for writing and giving counsel against the King”, and had to suffer a full traitor’s death, one after the other.

    Find out more about them and also London Charterhouse, home to the Carthusian order, in today’s talk.

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  • 30 April – Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 30th April 1544, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Thomas Audley, Baron Audley of Walden and Lord Chancellor, died at his home in London.

    Audley was Thomas Cromwell’s right-hand man in 1536, during the fall of Anne Boleyn, and became even more important after Cromwell’s fall.

    Find out more about Thomas Audley, an important Tudor statesman, and how he served King Henry VIII, in today’s talk.

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  • 28 April – A man involved in the falls of two queens

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 28th April 1548 (some sources say 6 May), courtier, diplomat, soldier and Keeper of Oatlands Palace, Sir Anthony Browne, died at Byfleet in Surrey. He had been one of Henry VIII’s most important and richest courtiers and was also involved in the falls of two queens: Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves.

    Find out more about this man and how he was involved in the falls of the two Annes in today’s talk.

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  • 25 April – Catherine Parr publishes a book

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 25th April 1544, an English translation of John Fisher’s Latin work, “Psalms or Prayers”, was published. It had been translated by none other than Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife.

    It was published anonymously, but there’s rather a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing towards Queen Catherine as the translator. Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • 15 April – Champion to kings and servant to queens

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 15th April 1545, Sir Robert Dymoke, champion at the coronations of Henry VII and Henry VIII, and a man who served in the households of Queens Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, died.

    He had an interesting career and survived being suspected of involvement in the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion.

    Find out more about Sir Robert Dymoke, champion at the coronations of three kings, in today’s talk.

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  • 13 April – Too lenient a gaoler

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 13th April 1557, in the reign of Queen Mary I, John Brydges, 1st Baron Chandos of Sudeley, landowner, soldier and Lieutenant of the Tower of London, died at his home, Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds.

    He served Henry VIII, King Edward VI and Mary I loyally, and even managed to keep royal favour after being accused of being too lenient with prisoners Lady Jane Grey and Princess Elizabeth (future Elizabeth I).

    Let me tell you more about Brydges and his time in charge of Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I.

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  • 11 April – Victory for Anne Boleyn, finally!

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 11th April 1533, Good Friday, King Henry VIII informed his council that Anne Boleyn, the woman he’d married in January 1533, was his rightful wife and queen, and should be accorded royal honours.

    Finally, things were going right for the couple, who had been waiting for this moment since 1527.

    Find out more about what had led Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to this point, and why they thought that the Great Matter would be sorted out much quicker, in today’s talk.

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  • 7 April – Robert Aske, the rebel leader

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 7th April 1537, Robert Aske and Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy, were sent to the Tower of London.

    Both Aske and Darcy had been involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion of 1536, with Aske being “chief captain” of the rebels. Even though Henry VIII pardoned the rebels after negotiations in 1536, Darcy and Aske were arrested, imprisoned and executed as traitors.

    Find out more about what happened and more about Robert Aske, the rebel leader, in today’s talk.

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  • 5 April -The pope was wrong

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 5th April 1533, the English Church’s legislative body, Convocation, ruled that the pope was wrong and that Henry VIII was right, i.e. it ruled that the Pope had no power to dispense in the case of a man marrying his brother’s widow, and that it was contrary to God’s law – Catherine of Aragon should not have been able to marry Henry VIII.

    Henry VIII was finally getting the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon sorted out, and it was just as well, seeing that he was married to Anne Boleyn now, she was expecting their first child and was due to be crowned queen shortly!

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  • 30 March – Thomas Cranmer and his protestation

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    2 Comments

    On this day in Tudor history, 30th March 1533, at the Passion Sunday service, Thomas Cranmer, Archdeacon of Taunton, was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury.

    His consecration was not like those of others before him, however, because as well as making the usual oath promising to be faithful to the papacy and to denounce heretics, he also made a protestation to show that his oath would not conflict with his loyalty to King Henry VIII and his commitment to reforming the church. Hmmmm…. complicated.

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  • 28 March – The amazing Raphael

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    This day in history, 28th March 1483, is one of the dates out forward as the birthdate of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, or Raphael as he is known, the Italian Renaissance artist and architect.

    Did you know that Henry VII owned a piece of art by Raphael and that Henry VIII admired his work?

    Find out a bit more about Raphael and see some of his beautiful works of art in today’s talk.

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  • 23 March – The last abbey is dissolved

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 23rd March 1540, Waltham Abbey, an Augustinian house in Essex, was surrendered to the Crown. It was the last abbey to be dissolved in Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell’s dissolution of the monasteries.

    Find out more about this historic abbey, its origins and what’s left today, and also who profited from its lands, in today’s talk.

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  • 14 March – A man who served 4 monarchs and kept his head

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 14th March 1555, courtier, envoy and landowner, Sir John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, died at his London residence on the Strand aged around 70.

    Russell was an important Tudor man who served four Tudor monarchs – Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I – AND he managed to keep his head, dying a natural death at a good age.

    Find out more about this Earl of Bedford, his life, his rise and his career at the royal court, in today’s talk.

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  • 13 March – A young horse causes the death of an old earl

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 13th March 1540, sixty-eight-year-old Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, died after suffering a broken neck in a horse-riding accident. Chronicler Charles Wriothesley recorded: “the Earl of Essex, riding a young horse, by misfortune cast him and brake his neck at his place in Essex, which was great pity.”

    Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, was related to the royal family and served both Henry VII and Henry VIII. Find out more about this Tudor man in today’s talk.

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  • 12 March – The hidden remains of a treacherous monk

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 12th March 1537, Cistercian monk William Haydock of Whalley Abbey, Lancashire, was hanged for treason at Whalley.

    Haydock’s abbey had been implicated in the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace Rebellion, so Henry VIII wanted the abbey punished. Find out more about Whalley Abbey’s part in the rebellion, how Haydock and several other monks were punished, and what exactly happened to William Haydock’s remains, in today’s talk.

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  • The Dissolution of the Monasteries Crossword Puzzle

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    How much do you know about King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, something that had a major impact on the country’s landscape and the lives of the people?

    Find out with this fun crossword puzzle. Good luck!

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  • 6 March – The Dissolution of the Monasteries

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 6th March 1536, King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries began when the “Act for the Suppression (or Dissolution) of the Lesser Monasteries” was introduced into the Reformation Parliament.

    The Dissolution of the Monasteries had a major impact on England and her people, but was of great benefit to the king, his nobles and the gentry. Find out what happened, why and its impact in this talk.

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  • Hampton Court Palace

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
    3 Comments

    Philippa Brewell, our roving reporter, has been to Hampton Court Palace. This palace belonged to Thomas Wolsey, who then gave it to Henry VIII.

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  • 3 March – Edward IV’s son dies of a heart attack in the Tower of London

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd March 1542, Arthur Plantagenet, Lord Lisle, courtier, soldier, diplomat, administrator and illegitimate son of Edward IV, died of a heart attack after being informed of his release from the Tower of London. How very sad!

    Find out all about Lord Lisle’s background, his career in Henry VII and Henry VIII’s reign, and how he came to imprisoned in the Tower of London, when he was probably innocent, in today’s talk.

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  • Six Wives – True or False Quiz Part 2

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    This week’s Sunday fun is a true or false quiz testing your knowledge on Henry VIII’s six wives. Part 2 focuses on Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr.

    Good luck!

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  • Six Wives – True or False Quiz Part 1

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    4 Comments

    This week’s Sunday fun is a true or false quiz testing your knowledge on Henry VIII’s six wives. Part 1 focuses on Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour.

    Good luck!

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  • 11 February – Success for George Boleyn

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 11 February 1531, the ecclesiastical assembly known as convocation granted King Henry VIII the title of “singular protector, supreme lord, and even, so far as the law of Christ allows, supreme head of the English church and clergy”.

    The person responsible for persuading convocation to grant the king this title was Anne Boleyn’s brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford. It was a big responsibility for the young diplomat and courtier.

    Find out more about what happened in today’s talk.

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  • 10 February – Catherine Howard goes to the Tower

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 10th February 1542, Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII’s fifth wife, was escorted by barge from Syon House, where she’d been kept since November 1541, to the Tower of London in preparation for her execution.

    Sadly, the queen would have seen the heads of her former lover, Francis Dereham, and her sweetheart, Thomas Culpeper, as she made her way to the Tower – a reminder of her own fate.

    Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • 7 February – Sir Thomas More

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in history, 7th February 1477 or 1478, Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, was born in London.

    More had once wanted to be a monk but ended up being one of the most well-known statesmen of the Tudor period. Unfortunately, Sir Thomas More came to a sticky end after refusing to sign the oath recognising Henry VIII as the supreme head of the church in England, and was executed in 1535 as a traitor.

    Find out all about More’s rise to power, how he fell, and what he told his son-in-law about the king, in today’s talk.

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  • 4 February – Mary Boleyn gets married

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, Saturday 4th February 1520, Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, got married to William Carey in the Chapel Royal at Greenwich Palace, in a service attended by King Henry VIII.

    Find out more about Mary Boleyn and William Carey in today’s talk.

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  • 29 January – Queen Anne Boleyn miscarries

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 29th January 1536, the same day that Catherine of Aragon was buried at Peterborough Abbey, Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII suffered a miscarriage.

    Contemporary accounts state that she was around 3 1/2 months pregnant and that it was a boy.

    In today’s talk, I share information given by the imperial ambassador on Anne Boleyn’s miscarriage, including the gossip concerning the king and a certain Jane Seymour.

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  • Edward VI is king!

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in history, 28th January 1547, nine-year-old Edward, son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, became King Edward VI, succeeding his father, King Henry VIII, who died on this day at Whitehall Palace. Edward didn’t hear the news of his father’s death until the next day, when he was told of it by Edward Seymour and Anthony Denny.

    Here are some resources on this young Tudor king…

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  • 17 January – Poet Thomas Wyatt is arrested

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 17th January 1541, courtier, diplomat and poet, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, was arrested and sent to the Tower of London after being accused of corresponding with Cardinal Reginald Pole, and referring to the prospect of Henry VIII’s death.

    Wyatt was taken to the Tower and it looked like he’d be executed, but he was saved by Queen Catherine Howard, but at a huge cost.

    Find out more about what Wyatt was accused of, how he escaped execution and what he had to agree to, in today’s talk.

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  • A staggering amount of money – the lavish spending of the Tudors

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    2 Comments

    Today’s Claire Chats talk was inspired by my recent “on this day in Tudor history” video on rebel Sir William Pickering. In his will, Pickering left instructions for a jewel worth 200 marks to be given to Queen Elizabeth I by his executors, and I just became curious as to how much 200 marks was. This sent me on a research journey which also involved looking at the spending of Henry VII and Henry VIII.

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