Henry Fitzroy, the king’s only living son at the time, died on July 22, 1536 from what has been commonly reported to have been tuberculosis. There’s some doubt about that diagnosis, though. There had been no sign that Fitzroy had been ill in the spring, which doesn’t fit the long, drawn-out death suffered by… Read more Henry Fitzroy’s Early Death
On this day in history during 1536 the Parliament of England “passed An Act Extinguishing the Authority of the Bishop of Rome. This Act was wordily insulting to the pope, but contained within it the power to punish anybody defending his authority in Britain. It was a step that for Henry’s reign at least ended… Read more Bye-Bye “Bishop of Rome”
Lady Jane Grey Dudley ruled England from July 10 – July 19, 1553. One of the best biographies of her life and reign that I have ever read, Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery, was by the incomparable Eric Ives and I strongly, strongly recommend it. Queen Jane was named as the heir to the… Read more Day 2 of the Nine Days Queen
On this day in history Henry VIII annulled his marriage to Anna of Cleves, a woman who is often remembered for the horrible nickname he gave her – The Great Flanders Mare. Henry’s side of the story was that she wasn’t pretty enough, but the reality is she just busted his ego up something fierce.… Read more The Great Flanders Mare
Henry VIII was born 28 June 1491, and it seems as though people have been talking about him ever since. Very few people in the Western world haven’t at least heard of Henry VIII. Odds are good that at some time they have seen the famous portrait of the bloated, middle-aged King, with his arms… Read more Happy Birthday Henry!
There are many people in Great Britain that view the royal family as obsolete and, worst of all, a drain on taxpayers. Largely, arguments against the monarchy come down to money. Even though it works out to 56 pence a person, that’s still £35.7 million ($60.6 million, 44.5 million euros) of taxpayer money. So the… Read more A Fiscal Argument for the English Monarchy
I recently bought Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway’s new book, George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat, and I was very glad I did. The blurb for the book promises a lot of information: “George Boleyn has gone down in history as being the brother of the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry… Read more Review of George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat
May 19, 1536 was the day Anne Boleyn was murdered by her husband, and it is generally considered a tragedy. The next day, Jane Seymour became engaged to the killer, and I think that should be generally considered a travesty. In my book, Blood Will Tell, I make no secret of the fact I find… Read more Third Weddings and a Funeral
Odds are good that anyone reading this has heard of Beyoncé’s sister Solange physically attacking Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z, in an elevator a few days ago. It has been parodied on Saturday Night Live and the mainstream media has reported on it. NPR justly pointed out that “This happened — literally — behind closed doors. If… Read more Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Mary Boleyn Carey were in an elevator …
The Tudor era was a good time for holidays. For one thing, the Puritans hadn’t taken over England and killed all the “frivolous” joy of Christmas yet. That means that the people who lived under Henry, Mary, and Elizabeth Tudor all got their Twelve Days of Christmas, even if the court’s Lord of Misrule was… Read more New Year’s Day, Tudor Style