The Other Seymours: John Seymour, Son of Katherine Fillol

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PlayersI have no delusions that this article will not be confusing with all the Edwards and Johns, and it's because of that I've included this list of players to help you differentiate between them: Edward Seymour/Sir Edward - Later Duke of Somerset, married both Katherine Fillol and Anne Stanhope. Sir John Seymour - Father of Edward Seymour, later Somerset. John Seymour - First son born to Katherine Fillol and ? Edward Seymour/Lord Edward - Son of Edward Seymour and [More]

The Plague of 1536-7 and Jane Seymour’s Delayed Coronation

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Guest article by Sylvia Barbara Soberton The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives in a way that has not been seen since the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic. We live our lives knowing that a dangerous virus is out there, killing people every day. We are not used to this. When I was writing my new book, Medical Downfall of the Tudors, it really struck me that in the sixteenth century people lived with dangerous infectious diseases every day because epidemics swept through England [More]

Jane the Fool

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Hear the podcast I did about Jane the Fool with MORE DETAILS! Guest article by Stephanie Stohrer The earliest references to what we know as court jesters, or fools, date back to the 5th dynasty of Egypt, whose Pharaohs employed Pygmies as dancers and buffoons. For centuries, royalty and nobility have hired comic entertainers whose perceived madness or imbecility (whether real or pretended, as I will explain shortly) provided amusement to their superiors. The two [More]

Catherine of Aragon and Elizabeth I (Guest Post)

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Guest article by Samantha K Cohen Catherine of Aragon was born on December 16th 1485, the year Henry VII established the Tudor dynasty. Elizabeth I died March 24th 1603, the year James VI of Scotland became James I of England.   As a child of three, Catherine of Aragon, the youngest daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile was betrothed to Henry VII’s heir, three year old Prince Arthur. In 1501, Catherine and Arthur both fifteen, were married. In 1502 [More]

NEW SEASON: Tracy Borman, Jane Boleyn and Lady Anne Clifford

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It's been awhile since I've shared my podcast with all of you - in case you didn't know, I supplemented my website with a podcast in February 2017. I told a lot of stories about people and events in Tudor England, and then I moved to interviewing authors and historians. THIS season, I step it up with a 3-segment show! Please take a listen to my most recent episode featuring Tracy Borman. Adrienne Dillard answers listener questions about Jane Boelyn, Lady Rochford during 'Ask [More]

Tudor Etiquette (Guest Post)

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Guest article by Rose Rylotte The Tudors are often depicted as messy or ill-mannered ruffians.  However, they were impeccably dressed and carried themselves with honor and dignity. Starting off with personal hygiene, since they believed disease entered the body through open pores of the skin they did not bathe as regularly but thought it important to rinse their hands and face before every meal.  This was done in clean cold water to wash off surface dirt. Rinsing [More]

“Divers Children,” The Many Pregnancies of Katharine of Aragon

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Guest article by Lissa Bryan On June 21, 1529 Katharine of Aragon entered a courtroom at Blackfriars. A hearing had been convened by papal agents to rule on the question of the legitimacy of her marriage to King Henry VIII. Henry claimed he had sinned by marrying his brother’s widow and was enduring the curse in Leviticus 20:21:  And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be [More]

Illegitimate Daughter of Charles V: Margaret of Parma (Guest Post)

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Part One by Heather R. Darsie Margaret of Parma was born 5 July 1522 to the twenty-two-year-old holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his paramour, Johanna van der Gheenst. She was born in Oudenaarde, Netherlands.  Margaret was the eldest of all of Charles’ children. Charles met Johanna during a six week-long visit to Charles de Lalaing, Count of Lalaing’s home in late 1521. There, Charles met Johanna, and their daughter Margaret was born the following summer. Margaret was [More]