Every year, I organise an online Anne Boleyn Files Advent Calendar offering you Tudor treats every day from 1st to 24th December, and you’ll be glad to know that I’ve done it again this year – yay!
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the historians, authors, poets and bloggers who have kindly contributed this year. It’s going to be a wonderful calendar!
Number 1 is waiting for you to enjoy – thank you to Catherine Brooks. You can access the Anne Boleyn Files Advent Calendar by clicking here or by clicking on Anne Boleyn’s speech bubble on the image at the top of the website. Doesn’t Anne look nice and warm?!
Please do check back every day and enjoy the daily Tudor treats.
I’m also offering some special treats on YouTube from 1st December to 24th December with my little canine helper (just two weeks ago, she was on the streets of our village!). These are on top of my “on this day” videos. Here’s the first treat and please do subscribe to my channel to enjoy the videos and community posts.
Tudor Society members can also look forward to a new ebook that will be added to the Tudor Society Ebook series very soon!
Thank you Claire for including Teasel in this video. She is quite the cutie.
I’d seen war dogs in movies but had no idea this was a real thing.
To those of you who have never visited this Advent calendar before be sure to come back every day between now and Christmas. Each day is a fun little goodie and you won’t be disappointed.
What a beautiful dog such a lovely face and it’s great that you gave her a home Claire, some dogs and cats are wandering the streets starving and miserable and frightened because their owners have thrown them out, my friend rescued a dog from Rumania a few years ago, she’s beautiful and she had been rejected by her family, some people are so cruel, she’s happy with her new family and her other pets have accepted her, it’s so lovely when you can give an animal a home.
Thank you Natasha. I very much enjoyed the ballad.
I loved Natasha’s ballad, it was very clever and one would think it was copied from an original 16thc poem, whilst reading I was imagining the bowling scene with Wyatt and Henry V111, their jests at each other which were full of hidden meaning, Wyatt was respectful to his monarch yet made it known he wished to win Anne, and Henry was equally determined she should be his, they were of course both married but unhappily, not that Henry’s marriage was like Wyatts, and he was not unhappy in so much as being rather bored with Katherine and she had not given him a son who lived, she was a good queen, I think Anne dazzled him because she was so different from his staid demure wife, it was partly due to her vitality I believe and it was something which also drew Wyatt to her as well as Henry Percy.
Thank you Ms. Gaston. I must say in that scene you can cut the tension with a knife. It really makes you think about the historical relationships between a monarch and their consort when they are alone. Love the cover of the book.
This is in regards to boy/choir Bishop. This is such a beautiful tradition and it is so wonderful to know it is still being practiced in some places. Thank you.
This is in reference to the December 8 posting. The painting of the Virgin Mary is gorgeous and I was wondering if you could tell me who did it and when?
Hi Michael,
It’s The Immaculate Conception by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It dates back to the 18th century.
Thank you very much Claire.
Thank you Ms. Bateley for the article on Ambrose Dudley. I didn’t know much about him and really enjoyed your post. What a magnificent tomb. During this time period there are so many stories of brothers fighting and jockying for position of power wealth and influence it was refreshing to read about two who actually cared about each other.
Hi Michael, loved this article as Ambrose is usually overlooked as the article said, he was after all a middle brother and as with so many second and younger sons, who had to make their own way in the world. Ambrose was unfortunate to get mixed up in the family saga of the succession and lose his father and older brother, but fortunately he was the beneficiary of their treason. Under the shadow of suspicion and condemned to death, probably always going to be pardoned as he had no part in Jane’s being propelled to the crown, he was in the Tower with the rest of the family. Like so many released by Mary I after this crisis passed over, he was eventually able to get a break, fighting in what was a stunning victory for our forces as well as the Spanish, over the French. There was of course the reversal much later at the end of 1558 when we lost Calais, our last, long-term but very expensive foothold in France. Ambrose and his brother Robert were able to rise quickly and spectacularly during the reign of Elizabeth I who took a lovers shine to the latter. Robert, of course would go on to be Elizabeth I favourite and Ambrose to serve in many public official roles.
Seeing the pictures of the tomb again was very good as I saw both his and that of Robert Dudley and Lettice Knowels in the Beauchamp Chapel at the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary in Warwick town centre. These were actually added bonuses as although I knew Robert was buried there, I had no idea Ambrose was or Dudley’s young son. Nor was I expecting such beautiful and magnificent tombs. I think I even forgot for a moment the Dudley clan were Earls of Warwick for a time. I actually had gone to specifically visit the unusual tomb of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Salisbury and Warwick, the powerful father by law of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker, who is a mourner on the tomb base. It is unusual because of the height, you have a step ladder up to see it properly, the fact it has a ringed cage around the body, a very rare example of a ringed tomb and the number of mourners at the base, who are a whos who of Medieval high nobility. He was the owner of the Chapel and it’s amazing seeing the Warwick and Dudley Tombs. Unfortunately, the Kingmaker wasn’t there because the Neville family are in older family vaulted Chapel elsewhere. However, here we have two of the most famous and influential brothers in our history, practically a stone’s throw from each other. You literally can stand opposite the mantle piece tomb of Robert Dudley and lean on the traditional tomb of Ambrose. It’s a beautiful tomb with a beautiful effigy of Ambrose in his formal robes and showed he is not forgotten.
Siblings often didn’t get on well, especially in these times when they fought for the favours of Kings and for the winning side. It was good to read an article which highlighted the honours and career and successful lives of both. Enjoyed.
Hi Bq, I always considered John Dudley the Duke of Northumberland a very handsome man, his portrait shows him to be striking and charismatic, he had a reputation for ruthlessness and had few friends, those on the council must have feared whilst they admired him, his sons did do well it is true, Elizabeth 1st was quite besotted with Robert and whilst the whole Dudley family were in disgrace during the reign of her sister, they flourished in Elizabeth’s, it must have been so hard for their mother Jane, who lost both her husband and young son to the axe, Guildford was said to have been spoilt by his mother and by all accounts, he had been a pretty boy with blonde hair, there is an amusing story when Jane Grey clashed with her mother in law, as they all hoped Guildford would be made a king consort but Jane no doubt growing increasingly tired of their bossiness, declared she was not happy with that and would make him a duke instead, she and her petulant husband quarrelled and in true fashion, ran back home to ‘mother’ where he poured out his hard done by tale to his adoring parent, Jane then rebuked the young queen and there was another argument, the latter must have told her she was the queen not they, and what she said went, it must have been an amusing scene Jane Dudley seems the mother in law from hell, but she could have been fearful of her husband, John Dudley was ruthless and his anger must have been terrible at Jane Greys refusal to make his son king consort, apparently they had plans to make a crown for Guildford worthy of his elevated status, but his wife put a spanner in the works, I do feel for Jane Dudley, in Margaret Mallorys novel ‘ A Crown In Darkness’ Jane Dudley was painted as a bit of a battle axe likewise Janes mother Frances as cruel and unfeeling towards her children, but as we have seen time and again, many of these historical figures were completely different to how they have been portrayed in novels and films, Frances Brandon made sure all her children had a very good education, women may have been second class citizens but the nobility and royalty in keeping with the renaissance period, all determined their offspring should be educated and cultured, her youngest Mary who sadly was born a dwarf and hunchbacked, was not hidden away for shame but received a good education like her sisters, she too lost a husband and daughter and although she regained the favour of Queen Mary with whom she had always been close, she had to live the rest of her life knowing through ambition she had a dead child lying in an unnamed traitors grave, whatever Frances and Jane Dudley both thought about their reckless husbands, wether they had openly supported them in their quest for power we do not know, but it was a violent age they lived in where ambition ran high and life was cheap, women were subservient to their husbands, indeed they were their property and maybe that’s why society treated the wives and daughters of convicted traitors more kindly, Queen Mary would have expected Frances to support her husband while deploring his actions, it was just so very sad that young Jane and Guildford were executed like sacrificial lambs because of the actions of their elders.
Hi BQ. I believe I mentioned iny post that I’d only seen his name mentioned in passing. I’d love to read more about him.
Some lovely verses and stories and the beautiful high alter at the Cathedral in Glasgow. Lovely seeing more of Teasle. I loved the idea of the Boy Bishops and the story of Saint Nicholas the original Santa Claus. Thanks for these daily treats.
Dec 16. Thank you Ms. Dunne. Beautifully written. Very descriptive. It’s like being the proverbial fly on the wall or in the air. Thank you for sharing.
Dec 20. Beautiful and very evocative. Thank you.
Some really enjoyable extracts from lovely authors and books. Many thanks for your contributions to the Advent Calendar and for your work. So much good quality fictions and good history and research being shared with us mortals. Many thanks for your hard work to bring people like Edward Seymour, Jane Seymour, Catherine Carey, Ambrose Dudley and so many others to our homes this Adventide. Thanks Claire for this very unusual Advent Calendar, for the verses, stories and recipes and songs. Really have enjoyed. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I am enjoying all the posts, it is a real treat to click on the date and see what next is in store for us, went shopping today for some fresh veg and meat and it was chaotic, but then it is every year, I have all my gifts and just need to get a few groceries and drink Monday then I am done hallelujah!
Havnt heard from our Claire lately I expect you have been very busy ? Do hope your not unwell.
Hi Claire. I received the Tudor Society calendar today. Wonderful, and the photos are spectacular. Thank you.
Merry Christmas Tim, Claire and family. Thank you for the wonderful Advent calendar treats. I hope everyone enjoyed them as much as I did. And Merry Christmas to Christine, BQ, Globerose and all who read and post on this blog. I hope that 2019 was good to you and that 2020 is even better. See you all soon..
And a very merry Xmas to you too Michael and your family, also to Claire and Tim who bring us so much joy throughout the year and their children too, and their lovely pets, to Globerose whose witty anecdotes always make me smile, to Bq and her husband whose knowledge is always much appreciated by me and I am sure many others here, I do hope he’s well over the festive period and to every one else who posts on here, have a fabulous Christmas and new year, I am going to my local tonight tickets were £5 and with that you get a free glass of Prosecco and a buffet, so I am not eating much before hand and tomorrow I am dining out so no washing up again ! xx
Merry Christmas Claire and Tim and Family and Animals.
Merry Christmas Christine, Michael and Globerose and all on the Anne Boleyn files. Have a really good time.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
We went to a beautiful carol service by candlelight at one of our iconic theatres last night with a special choir from Manchester, the Philomonic Orchestra and a wonderful soloist opera singer and everyone had Georgian costume on. It was like watching something from Mozart and Handle from whom there was music. Plenty of audience participation. It was beautiful, the best Christmas Carol concert I have been to. The Echo one at the Cathedral was lovely, but this was very classy. The costumes were amazing. They were playing 18th century instruments as well as modern ones: it was awesome.
Anyway have a fantastic Christmas. I have to put the bird in the oven.
That sounds like the ones Andre Rieu puts on in Vienna and Salzburg, one Christmas everyone was dressed as fairy tale characters it was beautiful mesmerising and stunning to watch, glad you enjoyed yourselves Bq, I’ve bought my annual pheasant from Waitrose for Boxing Day and also a couple of partridge breasts, I like looking in the shops after Xmas for reductions, not bothered about the clothes sale so much, though I want to get a pair of slippers, I do that every year get a pair in the sale, jingle bells everyone.