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]

Book Review: Uncrowned Queen by Nicola Tallis

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Margaret Beaufort is quite possibly the most misrepresented characters of the Tudor era, but thanks to Dr. Nicola Tallis' meticulous research we are exposed to a Margaret Beaufort that many of us have never seen before. Book Synopsis: In 1485, Henry VII became the first Tudor king of England. His victory owed much to his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. Over decades and across countries, Margaret had schemed to install her son on the throne and end the War of the Roses. [More]

My Last Words in These My Last Lines by Sir Walter Raleigh

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Sir Walter Raleigh A secret marriage with one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies, caused the disfavor of his queen. Their marriage appears from the outside as an amazing love story - Sir Walter Raleigh and Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton. Unchanged: A secret marriage with one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies, caused the disfavor of his queen. Their marriage appears from the outside as an amazing love story - Sir Walter Raleigh and Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton. A love child, a secret [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]

Looking for the Real Amy Robsart (Guest Post)

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Guest article by Nicola Cornick Amy Robsart is a woman from the footnotes of history who is most often defined as either a wife (of Robert Dudley, favourite of Queen Elizabeth I) or as a victim (of an unexplained death.) When I came to study and write about Amy, I wanted to find out as much as I could about the woman behind these different identities, which is no easy task. There are however clues to Amy and her life that shed some light on both her character and her [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]

Tudor Fun for Free

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Since many of you will be spending extending periods of time in doors, I've decided to put together a group of videos you can watch, music you can listen to and free books you can read! I will be continually adding new things to this collection, so check back daily. I hope you enjoy what I've put together for you. THIS MAY TAKE A MINUTE TO LOAD AS THERE IS A LOT HERE! Music: My favorite to listen to when I want to relax and be [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]