Posted By Claire on January 28, 2012
Today I will be remembering two Tudor monarchs: Henry VII and Henry VIII – one who is famed for starting the Tudor dynasty and the other for the number of wives he had. Two very different men, but father and son, and two great kings. One was born on this day in history, the other died.
On this day in history, 28th January 1457, Henry VII or Henry Tudor was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales. His parents were Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and son of Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois, and his 13 year old wife, Margaret Beaufort, great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress (and later wife) Katherine Swynford. It was through this Beaufort side, going back to John of Gaunt, that Henry VII derived his claim to the throne of England and he became King after defeating Richard III and his troops at the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd August 1485. He ruled for over 23 years.
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Category: Henry VIII, Monarchy, The Tudors
Tags: Henry VII, Henry VII's birth, Henry VIII, Henry VIII's death
Posted By Claire on January 27, 2012
Mary Boleyn? Minature by Lucas Hornebolte painted in 1525.
Today we have a guest post, the first in a series, on Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary. Thank you so much to Sarah Bryson for writing this series for us!
Mary Boleyn: The Unknown Sister – Part One: Birth
Over the next few weeks/months I will be looking at Mary Boleyn’s life and trying to explore further into the mysteries that surround this remarkable woman. So little is known about Mary Boleyn and she is often overshadowed by her sister Anne and brother George. It can be quite frustrating at times when trying to research Mary’s life as there are just so little records and details that have been recorded about her. We know very little about her whereabouts during large period of her life, we know little of her actions and even less about her personal thoughts and feelings. Even where she was buried remains a mystery and we cannot even say for sure where or when she was born! It is my aim to at least explore some of these mysteries and bring the little we know about Mary Boleyn to life.
Mary Boleyn was the sister of Anne Boleyn, who would eventually become the second wife of Henry VIII, only to meet her end upon the executioner’s block three years after her marriage. Mary Boleyn is often overshadowed by her more famous sister, but Mary was quite a remarkable woman in herself. She travelled overseas, spent time learning and furthering her skills and knowledge in France, she married a well-to-do man at court – a cousin to the King no less. She would have two children, of whom there would continue even to this day to be great speculation if they were the children of Henry VIII. She would taste the rewards of success and face the scant world of being cast off. She would defy her father, even her sister the Queen and marry for love. She would survive her family’s tragic fall from grace and she would live on with a man whom she loved deeply and with her whole heart. Her life would end with no record or pomp, but she would leave this world quietly with little recognition for the life she had led. Mary Boleyn was quite a remarkable woman because she followed her heart and married, in 1534, for love. She defied the social rules of the time and followed the greatest feeling and passion a person can have – love. Simple, uncomplicated, overwhelming love.
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Category: Background, Early Life, Mary Boleyn, The Boleyns
Tags: Elizabeth Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, Thomas Boleyn
We have surplus stock of our Tudor Places 2012 Wall Calendar left so we’ve just slashed the price to $5.99 for two calendars so that Daniela can have her office back! This calendar is a wonderful celebration of some of the best buildings linked to Tudor history which still exist today. Consisting of photos taken
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According to Thomas Cranmer, Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn on St Paul’s Day, the 25th January 1533. In a letter to Archdeacon Hawkyns, written in June 1533 and recording Anne Boleyn’s coronation, Cranmer wrote:- “But now, sir, you may not imagine that this coronation was before her marriage; for she was married much about St
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Last night was the final episode in the wonderful BBC4 series “Illuminations: The Private Lives of Kings”, in which Dr Janina Ramirez examined illuminated manuscripts from the royal collection in the British Library, and last night it was on the 15th and 16th centuries – yay! The programme opened with Ramirez looking at a beautiful
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On the 24th January 1536 the 44 year old King Henry VIII had a serious jousting accident at Greenwich Palace. Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, reported it in his dispatches, writing:- “On the eve of the Conversion of St. Paul, the King being mounted on a great horse to run at the lists, both fell
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This Thursday, the 26th January, I will be holding a webinar (online talk) for Anne Boleyn Fellowship members on “The Boleyns and Religion”. I will be exploring such questions as:- Were the Boleyns really “more Lutheran than Luther himself”? Was their faith personal or was it politically motivated? What evidence is there of their beliefs?
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Just a few “On this day in history” events to let you know about:- 1528 – Henry VIII and Francis I declared war on Charles V 22 January 1552 – Execution of Edward Seymour – Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, had been Edward VI’s Lord Protector 1554 – Thomas Wyatt the Younger met with fellow
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