Author: Rebecca Larson

The Other Seymours: Sir Henry Seymour

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The most recognizable Seymours at the court of Henry VIII were: Edward, Thomas, and Jane Seymour. Other than Elizabeth Seymour, who married Gregory, the son of Thomas Cromwell, there was another Seymour brother who occasionally spent time at court and is often overlooked, his name was Henry. Not to mention their youngest sister, Dorothy. But today we are going to look at Henry, in particular. Henry Seymour was older than Thomas yet younger than Edward, and while Henry did [More]

The Other Seymours: Anne, Countess of Warwick

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It seems, that wherever the Seymour family went, either tragedy or scandal followed. When it came to Anne Seymour, daughter of Edward, Duke of Somerset and his wife Anne Stanhope, Duchess of Somerset, it was no different. Early Years Born in 1538[1], Lady Anne Seymour was the third child and eldest daughter of the then Earl and Countess of Hertford. She was first cousin to the heir presumptive as well, Prince Edward. Anne’s aunt Elizabeth, whom by now was likely [More]

The Other Lady: Jane Seymour

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While this should not be considered an in-depth research of the time period (as that would take the time to write another book), this should be seen as a way to follow Jane Seymour’s rise as the other lady in Henry VIII’s life, just before the execution of Anne Boleyn. In this article I follow the trail of gossip through Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys as well as a letter from Henry to Jane, up to December 1536, when it is suspected that Jane Seymour was [More]

Creating A Modern Version of The Decameron

Let’s do like they did in the 14th century during the outbreak of the Black Death. As some of you are self-quarantining, or self-isolating, let’s use the inspiration of Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio who compiled: 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city. Boccaccio probably conceived of The Decameron after the epidemic of 1348, and [More]

The Mysterious Nan Cobham

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The downfall of Anne Boleyn is one of the most talked about pieces of Tudor history. Her execution is the one event that all Tudor lovers are aware familiar with – people are fascinated by her because she was unjustly executed. Most of us can agree that she did not deserve the end she met, but that is not what this article is about. This article touches base on the three women who may have been responsible for the events to take motion, but in particular, we want to look [More]

The Disappearance of Lady Mary Seymour

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Born At Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire on 30 August 1548, Lady Mary Seymour was the long-awaited child of dowager queen Kateryn Parr, and her fourth husband Sir Thomas, Baron Seymour of Sudeley. The unexpected pregnancy left both parents overjoyed. In a letter from 9 June 1548, Thomas Seymour writes to his wife: I do desyer your hignes to kepe the letell knaue so leanne and gantte with your good dyett and walkynge that he may be so small that he may krepe owt of a [More]

The Unvirgin Queen

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Okay, okay, before you start throwing things at your screen hear me out a minute. For centuries, there have been rumors regarding Queen Elizabeth I of England (the Virgin Queen) having illegitimate children. These rumors began as early as 1549, when Elizabeth was just a teenager, during the reign of her brother King Edward VI. The After Effects of Henry VIII's Death At some point after the death of her father, Elizabeth moved in with her step-mother, Kateryn Parr at Chelsea [More]

Coat of Arms, Badge and Signature of the Six Tudor Queens

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      Katherine of Aragon         Anne Boleyn           Jane Seymour           Anne of Cleves             Katheryn Howard           Kateryn [More]

Book Review: The Devil’s Slave by Tracy Borman

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After finishing The King's Witch, Book One in the Frances Gorges trilogy, I immediately purchased Book Two: The Devil's Slave. The Devil's Slave is a continuation of Frances' story and the plots she became embroiled in to return England to Catholicism under the reign of King James I. As a Historian and joint Chief Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces, Tracy Borman has the perfect background to write such a book. Her knowledge easily translates with scenes that are [More]

Details in Holbein Paintings

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Born in Augsburg c. 1497, Hans Holbein the Younger learned to paint from his father, Hans Holbein the Elder. Holbein traveled to England in 1526 in search of work, with a recommendation from Erasmus. He was welcomed into the humanist circle of Thomas More, where he quickly built a high reputation. After returning to Basel for four years, he resumed his career in England in 1532. This time he worked under the patronage of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell. By 1535, he wa [More]

Summer Reading Recommendations

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A special shout out to my dear friend Heather Teysko of the Tudor History Summit, Tudorcon and the English Renaissance History Podcast for coming up with this idea first. If you’re looking for a Tudor themed book to check out this Summer, I have created a list of my personal favorites and separated them by fiction and nonfiction. The books listed are in no particular order. Nonfiction Elizabeth by David Starkey: An abused child, yet confident of her destiny t [More]

Historical Fiction and Its Impact on History

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This is a topic that I am extremely passionate about - historical fiction, and history. Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir are quite possibly the most well-known authors on Tudor history. Both women are historians, both women are authors. While Gregory appears to only write historical fiction, Weir began her popular career writing non-fiction, and then transformed into what I would consider fiction/historical fiction. Before I delve into the topic I must confess that I am a [More]

Hugh Latimer’s Slander of a Dead Man

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This post was originally made on my Thomas Seymour Society blog. I recently picked up The Reign of Edward VI by James Anthony Froude and started looking for information on Thomas Seymour. It was while searching that I came across some new information. On page 77, in the section of the book about the Protectorate, I found this line: the admiral had seduced and deserted at least one innocent woman, who fell into crime and was executed. The source for this statement is [More]

The Life of Edward VI of England (Part Three)

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Prince Edward was the long-awaited, and much celebrated, son of Henry VIII. He is arguably the least talked about of all the Tudor monarchs. We know him as King Edward VI. In case you missed the first two parts you can find them here. As we continue on our journey to tell the story of King Edward VI life, we will start at the time of the execution of his uncle, Sir Thomas, Baron Seymour of Sudeley and Lord High Admiral. Thomas Seymour was placed in the Tower [More]

Death of a Tudor Queen: Elizabeth of England

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On this day, 24 March 1603, died Gloriana, the last of the Tudors to sit on the throne of England. In her final days it was reported that Elizabeth appeared to suffer from a depression after the death of one of her ladies-in-waiting and the execution of the Earl of Essex. It was also stated that Elizabeth held great regret about executing her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots - causing her to shed many tears. Near the end of her life the Queen was so fearful of death, so [More]