Tudor Dynasty

Can We Give Mary Tudor a Break? (Guest Post)

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Guest post by Juliana Cummings She is known as one of the most evil women in history and is responsible for burning more protestants at stake than any other English Monarch.  There are alcoholic drinks and children’s sleepover games named after her, but in all fairness was Mary Tudor, the first Queen regnant, evil? Born on February 18, 1516, Princess Mary would be the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. By the time Mary was bor [More]

Movie Review: Mary, Queen of Scots

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When it was announced that there would be a film about Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I was over the moon. My hope was that it would do both women the justice they deserve. If you have not seen the trailer, here it is: How exciting does that look, right!? Since I am not sure how long it will be before I am able to see the film myself I had two wonderful friends who offered to write reviews for the blog. A special thanks to Sari Graham and Karen L. Largent for [More]

Binge Drinking During the Tudor Dynasty (Guest Post)

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Guest post written by Patrick Bailey  The royal lineage of Tudor dynasty started with Henry VII in 1485 and ended with Elizabeth I in 1603. Lasting for 118 years. This dynasty was one of the most influential and greatest in Britain. But like all other historical stories surrounding the royal throne, not everything is all tea and biscuits. Speaking of tea and biscuits, you would be amazed by what the commoners, as well as royalties, drank during those times. Living i [More]

Why The Tudors?

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I was having a difficult time coming up with a topic for this week's podcast. I reached out to my followers on Facebook and a couple of them mentioned that they would be interested in finding out what got me interested in The Tudor dynasty in the first place. I thought it was a fantastic idea and so I ran with it. This episode begins talking about Henry VII and the Battle of Bosworth as well as Elizabeth of York and leads up to the birth of Prince Arthur. I discuss my [More]

Early Letter from Princess Elizabeth to Lady Knollys

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Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys was the daughter of Mary Boleyn and William Carey. When Catherine's cousin Queen Mary came to the throne they fled the country for fear they would be persecuted for their Protestant beliefs. This letter was written in 1553 making Elizabeth twenty years old. Elizabeth and Catherine always had a close relationship - is it possible because Elizabeth had a feeling they were sisters instead of cousins? We'll never know for certain. “Relieve you [More]

To Prevent Us From Over-Running With Strangers

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Sir Thomas Wyatt is usually best known as the son of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the Elder and Poet. Today, we look at the event that caused his death - Wyatt's Rebellion. You see, Wyatt thought having the Protestant Lady Jane Grey on the throne was best for England, but when that didn't last more than a week, his next battle was stopping Queen Mary from wedding Philip of Spain. Wyatt, along with others, worried that having the Queen wed a foreign prince would in turn make that prince [More]

About Lady Day, and Other Major Days (Guest Post)

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Guest post by Heather R. Darsie The Christian Feast of the Annunciation takes place on 25 March of every year. It celebrates the day when the Virgin Mary learned that she had immaculately conceived Jesus. Beginning in 1155, 25 March was celebrated as the start of the new year in England. To the Tudors, the holiday was called, "Lady Day." Lady Day was exactly nine months before Christmas on 25 December, the birthday of Christ. How did Lady Day come to mark the beginning of [More]

In Their Final Words: Most Recognizable Executions in Tudor England

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For quite awhile now I've had this post in mind but didn't have the time to dig into it as much as I would have liked. I still don't have the time I would like to do this piece justice but was able to pull some quotes together for you. While there were hundreds (if not thousands) of people executed during the Tudor reign - today I have focused on some of the most recognizable ones and hope I do them all justice. Before you say it, I'm sure there are some that I have [More]

Book Review: “The Bastard Princess” by G. Lawrence

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After much time on the back-burner I was able to read this wonderful book - Book One, of the Elizabeth of England Chronicle by Gemma Lawrence: The Bastard Princess. I'm always interested in reading books about Elizabeth's early years since it helps me see other writer's view-point on her relationship with Thomas Seymour and her mother. This book did not disappoint.   Book Summary: February, 1603? In Richmond Palace, London, the last Queen of the Tudor dynasty, [More]

Anne Boleyn: What Did She Really Say?

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There are few accounts of Anne Boleyn's last words, but do we know what she really said? The 19th of May is the anniversary of the execution of Anne Boleyn. It is an event that history will not soon forget. No matter how hard Henry VIII tried to wipe her from the mind of his subjects, her story still remains as one of the most well-known in English history. Below are examples of what people had documented Anne Boleyn said right before her death. As you will notice most [More]