Author: Rebecca Larson

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 strewn [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 was [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 to reign, [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. Read Part One Read Part Two 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 [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]

The Unfortunate Countess: Margaret Pole

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At Farleigh Castle on the 14th of August 1473, a daughter was born to the Duke and Duchess of Clarence. They called her Margaret, most likely after the Duke's sister's Margaret of Burgundy. Margaret was born during the brutal and bloody time of the Wars of the Rose - a powerful family divided by the House of York and House of Lancaster, and each believed the throne of England belonged to them. Margaret Plantagenet was born in the middle of this English chaos. At the time of [More]