Claire | May 4, 2022
On this day in 1536, 4th May, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, received a message of comfort. It was from his wife, Jane Boleyn (née Parker). What do we know about this message? In this video, I share what the contemporary sources tell us about the message and also what else happened on 4th May 1536… […]
Claire | August 18, 2021
Episode 1 of BBC Two’s new three-part series on the Boleyn family – The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family – aired on Friday 13th August, and episodes 2 and 3 have already been released on BBC iPlayer. It is a wonderful series and well worth watching because it introduces a very different Boleyn family. Gone are […]
Claire | March 6, 2021
Most Tudor history lovers know that Jane Boleyn (née Parker), Lady Rochford, was the wife of George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, the sister-in-law of Queen Anne Boleyn and that she was executed with Catherine Howard in February 1542, but in this talk, I share 12 lesser-known facts about Jane… More videos about Jane Boleyn…
Claire | October 3, 2019
In this latest instalment of my “Questions about Anne Boleyn” series, I look at Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel, “The Other Boleyn Girl”, which was also turned into a movie and adapted for television. “The Other Boleyn Girl” has brought Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn’s stories to life for many people, and provoked an interest in […]
Claire | February 13, 2019
Today is the anniversary of the execution of Jane Boleyn (née Parker), Lady Rochford, on 13th February 1542. She was executed at the Tower of London with her mistress, Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry VIII. The two women had been found guilty of high treason by an act of attainder, Catherine for her […]
Claire | November 14, 2018
On this day in history, 14th November 1541, an inventory was taken “of the goods and chattels, lands and fees of Thos. Culpeper, the younger”, a member of the king’s privy chamber who had been having secret meetings with the queen and who Francis Dereham claimed had replaced him in the queen’s affections. By 14th […]
Claire | February 13, 2018
On this day in history, Monday 13th February 1542, Catherine Howard, fifth wife and queen of King Henry VIII, and her lady, Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, were executed at the Tower of London after being found guilty of treason by attainder. An eye-witness, London merchant Otwell Johnson recorded that the two women “made the moost […]
Claire | February 11, 2018
On this day in history, 11th February 1542, the bill of attainder against Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, and Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford “received the king’s assent, given in absentia by letters patent”. The bill had been introduced into Parliament on 21st January 1542 and you can read the full bill in my article […]
