Cardinal Wolsey

Book Review: “La Reine Blanche” by Sarah Bryson

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Of the two surviving sisters of Henry VIII, his younger sister Mary was by far his favorite. Nothing shows that more than when he forgave her for secretly marrying Charles Brandon before returning from France after the death of her first husband, King Louis XII of France. When I heard that author Sarah Bryson was releasing a book about Mary Tudor I was excited to learn more about the Tudor princess and French queen. She has fascinated me since her amalgamation in [More]

Understanding Anne Boleyn

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I've read several books on the subject of Anne Boleyn - each are very similar with slightly varying take of her, and each I have read with an open mind. It is important for me to understand who she was as a person, whether or not she loved Henry or power, and what is her legacy. Understanding Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard - the fact that her mother came from the very noble Howard family was impressive, but the fact that it [More]

Henry VIII turns on Katherine of Aragon

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When Henry VIII believed that Katherine of Aragon would no longer be able to give him a male heir he began to look for ways out of the marriage. Whether he truly believed his own statements, or if he was just looking for a way out, only he and his closest advisers would know. Henry's biggest concern was that Katherine's marriage to his older brother Arthur must have been consummated and that is why he had not been able to conceive a surviving son and male heir with [More]

Elizabeth Scrope: Denial of Wolsey’s Request

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Cardinal Wolsey was arguably the most powerful man during the early years of Henry VIII's reign. To deny him was close to denying your king. The fact that Elizabeth Scrope did just that and stood up for herself was remarkable. Elizabeth Scrope Elizabeth Scrope was the daughter of Sir Richard Scrope of Boulton and Eleanor Washbourne.¹ Elizabeth was married twice. Her first husband was William Beaumont, 2nd Viscount Beaumont. Beaumont suffered from mental illness an [More]

Anne Boleyn writes to Cardinal Wolsey

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Anne Boleyn has always been said to have had a fiery temper. None experienced it more than Cardinal Wolsey.  The first letter appears to be Anne thanking Wolsey for taking up her cause. I assume this means the cause to obtain an annulment/divorce between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Authors have claimed that Anne never forgave Wolsey for breaking apart her relationship with Percy - if that were the case, this first letter seems a little conniving and opportunisti [More]

Early Tudor Palaces and Country Houses

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  Early Tudor Palaces and Country Houses 1485-1550 Compton Wynyates "The delightful red-brick manor house of Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire, was begun by Edmund Compton in 1481, just prior to the accession of the House of Tudor. Edmund's sturdy but good-looking country home was given some elegant editions, including porch and some towers by his son, the prominent Tudor courtier, Sir William Compton, between 1493 and 1528." -The Illustrated Encyclopedia of [More]

Love Letters from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

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From these love letters we should be able to determine whether Henry VIII was infatuated with the idea Anne Boleyn, or if he was actually head over heels in love with her. Something to keep in mind is the fact that Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey had broken up Anne and Henry Percy - they had decided to marry and when they asked permission of Wolsey he had to inform them that they could not wed. Why? Henry VIII's feelings towards Anne - he was already interested in her and [More]

Wolsey’s Mistress and Children

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It was the Spring of 1509, King Henry VII lay dying in his bed surrounded by his most intimate courtiers and household. His son, the seventeen year old Prince of Wales would soon become the next King of England. King Henry VIII. Henry, however, was never supposed to be heir apparent to the throne. He was raised as a ‘spare heir’ with his sisters, and his education was that of a second son and not that of someone who would someday become King. In the Spring of 1502 [More]

Timeline of a Queen: Anne Boleyn

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Anne Boleyn creates strong reactions when her name is brought into conversation. Whether you believe she "deserved what she got" or you believe she was a "victim" of Henry VIII, it all comes down to the fact that she was a woman. A woman in 16th century England was generally at the mercy of her father's ambitions. Whether Anne Boleyn acted on her own fruition, or was at her father's bidding, I'm not sure we'll ever know for sure. What we do know are the major events of her [More]