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Understanding the Man: Henry VIII (Part One)
As many of you may already know, King Henry VIII is my favorite monarch of the Tudor dynasty. If it wasn’t for his reign I do not believe the Tudors would be as popular as they are today. With the creation of Showtime’s THE TUDORS, many of us were aware of the name Henry VIII … [More]
The King’s Delight: Marriage of Mary Tudor to Louis XII
Mary Tudor, Queen of France was the title she earned when she married Louis XII of France. The marriage was one that was arranged by her brother, King Henry VIII of England and not a love match. On 9 October 1514, at the age of 18, Mary Tudor married 52-year-old King Louis XII of France. … [More]
Queen Mary: Her Last Sickness
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]
Lady Anne Russell: For Her Husband
For Her Husband Lady Anne Russell is best-known as Countess Bedford and wife of the Lord Privy Seal. She was married several times with her most notable husband being her last, Sir John Russell. Sir John was named Lord Privy Seal by Henry VIII after the execution of Thomas Cromwell who held the title prior … [More]
Elizabeth Scrope: Denial of Wolsey’s Request
Cardinal Wolsey was arguably the most powerful man during the early years of Henry VIII’s reign. To deny him was close to denying your king. The fact that Elizabeth Scrope did just that and stood up for herself was remarkable. Elizabeth Scrope Elizabeth Scrope was the daughter of Sir Richard Scrope of Boulton and Eleanor … [More]
Elizabeth Fitzgerald: The Fair Geraldine
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]
Surviving Letters of the Countess of Salisbury
Countess of Salisbury We all know the tragic end of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. If you are new to Tudor history I’d highly recommend reading the guest article by Alan Freer called, “The Last Plantagenet” to get yourself better acquainted with her life, and grizzly execution. Margaret was the daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke … [More]
Margaret Douglas: Forbidden Love
Margaret Douglas, the daughter of Henry VIII’s sister Margaret, dowager queen of Scotland and Archibald Douglas, had been appointed as a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. It is while serving Anne that she met Lord Thomas Howard. He was the younger son of Anne Boleyn’s great-uncle, Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Near the end of 1535, … [More]
Singled Out: Potential Wives of Henry VIII
It is well-known that Henry VIII loved women. Especially ones that could potentially give him a male heir. After the execution of wife number five, Katheryn Howard, Henry was once again on the hunt for a new wife. As King of England he would surely have been a great catch to any woman. He was … [More]
Mother Guildford: Joan Vaux
It’s not very often that we take a look behind the scenes to the people who cared for the beloved children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. I stumbled across Joan Vaux while looking through old translated letters, however, she was mis-labeled as Jane, Lady Guildford – or “Mother Guildford.” In the explanation of … [More]
The Downside of Marrying for Love: Mary Boleyn
When Mary Boleyn returned to court married and pregnant the King and Queen were none too pleased. Mary had not asked permission to remarry which was a huge faux pas for someone who was the sister of the Queen. It did not matter that Mary had met the love of her life; She had just … [More]
Early Letter from Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII
This letter from Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII is a re-translation and was placed under the year 1519, however per the author of the Letters: Royal Illustrious Ladies of Great Britain, Volume II, they state it was probably not written until several years later – they dated it as 1527. To put things into perspective, … [More]
Timeline of a King: Edward VI
1537 October 12 – Prince Edward was born at Greenwich Palace. His mother was Jane Seymour. He was the only son of Henry VIII to survive infancy. October 15 – The baptism of Prince Edward was performed at Hampton Court. Both Mary and Elizabeth participated in the ceremony. Edward was declared Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester. … [More]
Lettice Knollys: Cousin vs Queen (Part 4 – The Conclusion)
Guest article by Karlie aka History Gal Robert Devereux, the 2nd Earl of Essex, was known throughout the court for his military prowess, good looks and charisma. These qualities made him popular with the Queen and with the English people. The titles and adulation that was heaped on Essex undoubtedly inflated the young Earl’s massive … [More]