Claire | September 7, 2019
On this day in Tudor history, 7th September 1533, at Greenwich Palace, Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, gave birth to a healthy baby girl. This daughter would, of course, grow up to be Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, Good Queen Bess, a queen who would rule England for over […]
Claire | August 26, 2019
On this day in Tudor history, 26th August 1533, Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, prepared for the birth of her first child by “taking her chamber” at Greenwich Palace. This child was of course the future Queen Elizabeth I. “Taking her chamber” was common practice in Tudor England, and in today’s […]
Claire | July 25, 2019
On this day in history, 25th July 1535, the Feast of St James, Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, wrote to Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, one of Emperor Charles V’s advisors, and included a post-script regarding Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth, being verbally attacked by Will Somer (Summer), King Henry VIII’s fool. Chapuys recorded: “P.S.-He […]
Claire | June 1, 2019
This day in Tudor history, 1st June 1533, Whitsunday, was a day of victory for Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife. They had waited many years for this moment, and had been through so much with the ‘great matter’. This was a day to be celebrated, for this was the day […]
Claire | May 31, 2019
On this day in Tudor history, Saturday 31st May 1533, the eve of her coronation, a pregnant Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, processed from the Tower of London, where she had been staying since her river procession on 29th May, to Westminster Hall. This coronation procession is one of those events […]
Claire | May 29, 2019
Every year, I find it very odd to go from talking and writing about the events leading up to Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution in May 1536 to suddenly writing about the celebrations leading up to her coronation on 1st June 1533. I find it hard to get my head around how Anne Boleyn could go […]
Claire | April 12, 2019
I thought I’d share today’s “on this day in Tudor history” video with you as it concerns our favourite person, Queen Anne Boleyn. On this day in Tudor history, 12th April 1533, Easter Eve, Anne Boleyn made her first public appearance following Henry VIII’s instructions to his royal council, the previous day, to recognise Anne […]
Claire | November 14, 2018
This day in history, 14th November 1532, the Feast of St Erkenwald, might just have been Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s wedding day! Chronicler Edward Hall can usually be trusted and according to him “The king, after his return [from Calais] married privily the lady Anne Boleyn on Saint Erkenwald’s day, which marriage was kept […]
