The story of Katheryn Howard intertwines with many other notable figures of the time but none more than Anne of Cleves and Thomas Cromwell. We’ll start with Katheryn’s childhood and attempt to chronologically move through time until her execution in 1542. After writing Part One, I realized her story deserves two parts. Part One, will … [More]
Lost Portrait of Young Henry VIII? One of our Facebook fans,Teresa Taylor reminded me about this older post (2015) that covers a portrait found that is suggested to be Henry VIII. There is another that may also be Anne Boleyn. They were found in Czartoryski Museum in Kraków of Poland and are not labeled as our … [More]
This article started as a podcast – if you’d prefer to listen instead of read, click here: When it comes to English monarchs, none is more revered or despised than Henry VIII. The masses are torn on whether to love him….or hate him. Henry VIII did many great things for England during his long reign, … [More]
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]
She has gone down in history as the lucky fourth wife of Henry VIII…but as we’ve discovered in the first two parts of this series, Anne of Cleves was anything but “lucky”, she was patient, intelligent and kind. She was human, like you and me. Unlike her predecessors Anne was able to maneuver through a … [More]
At the end of The Life of Anne of Cleves (Part One) we had covered Anne’s lineage, her education and the negotiations for her marriage with Henry VIII. We also covered the wedding, as well as the wedding night, and how Henry VIII was unhappy with their union – he had claimed he could not … [More]
Born on the 22nd of September 1515 in Dusseldorf, Anne of Cleves was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves and Maria of Julich Berg. Like Katherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves had the grandest lineage of any of his other wives. She was descended from Edward I of England and on her father’s … [More]
The consummate “power couple from hell” Edward Seymour and his wife Anne Stanhope were portrayed in Showtime’s “The Tudors” as selfish, greedy and uncompromising. In real life you could say the same…or is there more to the story? Edward Seymour Born in 1500, Edward Seymour was the second son of John Seymour and Margery Wentworth … [More]
The Act in Restraint of Appeals, 1533: A Divorce at Last Guest article by Samia Chebbah It is well-known that Henry VIII wanted to make official his relationship Anne Boleyn when he was already married to Catherine of Aragon. According to Paul G. Friendmann’s chronology, the case of the divorce between Henry VIII and his … [More]
Katheryn Howard Guest post by Lissa Bryan Of all of King Henry VIII’s queens, Katheryn Howard is viewed with the least sympathy. If not technically guilty of adultery, she’s at least seen as having “deserved” her fate because of her immoral lifestyle. One recent historian referred to her as an “empty-headed slut.” Others have described … [More]
Through my constant research of Thomas Seymour I’ve been led on an unexpected journey to discovering the young Elizabeth Tudor. From those who read my blog often you know that I tend to write mostly about the reign of Henry VIII because, well, that’s where I started and there is so much to tell! This … [More]
After the death of his third wife, Henry VIII was in mourning for at least a couple of months. Once he came out of his very brief period of mourning it was time to consider a fourth bride – a foreign bride this time. Thomas Cromwell understood that is was important for Henry to have … [More]
When we think of Henry VIII as a man the image that generally comes to mind is the overweight and smelly man who was filled with rage. Well, at least in his later years. In this article we will be looking back at the younger version of that man who was actually considered attractive. Back … [More]
Recently I’ve read several books on the subject of Anne Boleyn – each are very similar but slightly varying take of her and each I have read with an open mind. It is important for me to understand who she was as a person, whether or not she loved Henry or power, and what is … [More]
When we think of Henry VIII we often think of his sixth wives – the end of his first marriage was quite controversial and took many years to achieve…that’s the marriage we are looking at today. Katherine of Aragon and whether or not the marriage between Arthur, Prince of Wales and his bride was consummated. … [More]