Described by Polydore Vergil as “A woman of the utmost charm both in appearance and character” and Sir John Russell as, “the fairest of all his wives”. Eustace Chapuys described Jane as “of middle stature and no great beauty”. Jane was of a natural sweet-nature, unlike her predecessor Anne Boleyn and had also been considered … [More]
A Kingdom In Crisis Guest article by Alan Freer It was mid-morning on Palm Sunday in the year of Our Lord 1554. A young woman of 20 sat in a barge at the Watergate of the Tower of London. Under this dark, forbidding, stone portal so many had passed to end their lives on Tower … [More]
Mary Tudor had many women and girls who served her over her four decades of life. There were the ladies who served in her household when she was a princess and then those who served her as queen of England. All of them played very important roles to ensure everything ran smoothly within her household … [More]
Mary Tudor, first queen regnant of England was not known (in her later years) to be a beautiful women, and from what I’ve read, neither were the ladies she surrounded herself with. It was common practice during the reign of Henry VIII to ensure that his queen consorts had only the most beautiful women around … [More]
Princess Mary Tudor was the apple of her father’s eye for many years prior to Lady Anne Boleyn returning to England. Freshly back from her duties in France, Anne was unlike most women and Henry VIII noticed. We don’t know the exact date that Henry noticed Anne but once he did it changed the course … [More]
As the daughter of George Brooke, 9th Baron of Cobham and Anne Bray, Elizabeth grew up familiar with court politics. Being born on 25 June 1526, during the reign of Henry VIII, she would have been around ten years old at the time of Anne Boleyn’s execution in 1536. Being at an impressionable age this … [More]
In 1535, the King of England was married to Anne Boleyn and they had a daughter, Princess Elizabeth who was now heir to her father’s throne. Elizabeth’s half-sister, Mary was now considered illegitimate and was to be referred to as “Lady” Mary. As you’ll notice from these letters written by Eustace Chapuys he still referred … [More]
Mary Tudor was the daughter of Henry VIII and his wife Katherine of Aragon. She was born in 1516 and was their only surviving child. After many years of trying for more Katherine recognized that she was unable to have more children. This was about the time when Henry grew restless and brought Anne Boleyn … [More]
Honor Thy Father: After being proposed to by Thomas Seymour and rejecting his request, Elizabeth must have felt torn. It appears she would have accepted the proposal had it not been so soon after her father, Henry VIII’s death. There was, of course, a required mourning period and Elizabeth intended on honoring her father properly. … [More]
Queen Mary’s Sickness: 17 November 1558: This is taken from “Annals of Queen Elizabeth” by Sir John Hayward (1564–27 June 1627), found via public domain through National Archives. The last sickness of Queen Mary was long and hard, her body was tired, “and almost wasted, with the violence of her disease; her mind anguished with … [More]
Elizabeth Fitzgerald was born in 1527, in Ireland to Gerald Fitzgerald, 9th Earl of Kildare and his wife Elizabeth Grey. Elizabeth Grey was the daughter of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquis of Dorset. Dorset was the son of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen to King Edward IV, by her first husband, John Grey. In 1533, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, … [More]
On the 17th of March 1554, Elizabeth was informed that she was to be taken to the Tower of London as a prisoner of the queen for her involvement in Wyatt’s Rebellion. When informed she requested a moment to write a letter to her sister, the queen. In it she asked not to be … [More]
Guest Article by Meg McGath Repost from TudorQueen6 – The Life and Family of Queen Katherine Parr (10 August 2012) Your Excellency, what I have done for the Lady Mary is much less than I would like to do; as well as being my duty in every respect. As for the friendship between our two … [More]
On the 19th of July 1553, Mary Tudor was declared Queen of England. From that moment (and obviously prior to it) she understood the importance of having an heir. For if she did not produce an heir her sister Elizabeth would keep England Protestant. It was very important for Mary to return England to Rome … [More]
Guest article by Alan Freer It was mid-morning on Palm Sunday in the year of Our Lord 1554. A young woman of 20 sat in a barge at the Watergate of the Tower of London. Under this dark, forbidding, stone portal so many had passed to end their lives on Tower Green at the executioner’s … [More]