Yes, it’s time! Fireworks, drum roll, party poppers… (Oh, the anticipation!)
It’s time for day 1 of the Anne Boleyn Files Advent Calendar!
Tudor history is soooooo much better than chocolate, don’t you think? And we have a lovely treat for you today. It features our very favourite lady, Anne Boleyn, too. I do hope you enjoy it.
Simply go to www.theanneboleynfiles.com/advent2018/ and click on the flashing number 1 or click on the picture of the number 1 here.
Thank you, as always, Claire!
It’s beautiful and I’m going to treat myself to the colouring book.
Nrsutiful image to start the season on.Thank you Claire.
That first word is ‘Beautiful’
Beautiful. I came all the way from India to London to visit the Tower of London.
Lovely, from the colouring book. Thanks
If anyone would like more info on Henry’s will a good book is ‘The King is Dead’ by Suzannah Lipscomb. She gives a history of the will and analyzes the possible changes. It also includes a complete text of the will with the original spellings and a modern text which is much easier to read. Thank you Beth for the insight on that tumultuous last Advent/Christmas of Henry’s reign.
I enjoyed Beth’s article to and it is interesting if Henrys will was interfered with, understanding the deviousness of the ambitious mind of the courtier back then I could well understand it if such a thing happened, some say Edward V1 was coerced into leaving the crown to Lady Jane Grey by Dudley, when a monarch is sick and dying his mental faculties are impaired, how tempting to alter it somewhat so it goes in their favour, Henry was really paranoid at this last stage in his life and I agree with Beth, the execution of the young poet Surrey was possibly due to the Kings need to secure the throne more than ever for his young son, who when he died would be at the mercy of ruthless ambitious men, Surrey though just a braggart made Henry aware that there were those who believed they were more Royal than the Tudors, and they represented very real danger to the throne, Surreys death was a waste of life one of the most talented poets England has ever produced, his grieving father was in his cell in the Tower but by a lucky stroke of fate his life was spared, because the old King died before he could sign his death warrant, the old Duke must have believed God in his mercy had spared him, it had been a dangerous age for the Howard’s and Thomas Howard had seen his two neices both queens suffer execution and now his brilliant young son was dead, but he would survive if life without his son was worth living, Henry V111’s death would bring changes to all those who had served him, he had been such a forceful larger than life personality that we can only imagine the silence of the court back then when he did pass from this world into the next, when someone dies there is a surreal air about the place, one cannot imagine that person has gone, another person who would also be affected was the queen Catherine Parr who must have felt a lightening of spirit, but also a very real sadness for the King who had after all always treated her with the utmost respect.
I also must comment on Claire’s remark that Tudor history is much better than chocolate, it is but chocolate does come a close second particularly toblerone!
I’ll back you up on that!
Thanks very much! Lovely page. I enjoyed today’s article, too. THat is one of my favorite poems. michelle t
Day 3: Thank you Adrienne and Claire. Surviving artifacts such as those fireplaces really make the period come alive.
It is actually very sad that Henry was actually cut out of his wishes for the minority of his son. Henry had seen how disastrous it could be if you don’t make your wishes known in a will and in Acts of Parliament and he wanted to avoid a power grab as well. So he made a Council of 16 men to rule but his will was changed and it was broken because it was one man who took power, Edward Seymour made himself Lord Protector. He wasn’t First Among Equals, but De Facto King and he had extraordinary powers. Henry wanted the best for his son, he tried to take every precaution but he was too ill to prevent behind the scenes changes to his will. He was obviously too ill to sign papers because dry stamps were used instead. Henry had political problems as well as far as he could see, in the Duke of Norfolk and his son, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Both were arrested and charged with treason and Surrey was tried and executed. Norfolk was lucky in that Henry died on the morning of his planned execution. Henry may not even have signed the death warrants. The Court that Christmas and New Year must have been very subdued, perhaps very spiritual as the man who had ruled England for almost four decades lay dying.
The country and Court also feared what would happen because Henry had kept the place more or less stable and he was the only King many people would have known. We don’t really appreciate just how much of a force of nature Henry Viii was and how much impact his changes made on our country. Henry literally stamped his presence everywhere with fortress defences, buildings and palaces and his physical presence was overwhelming. Henry had come to the throne as a seventeen year old future superstar. He quickly won acclaim and popular support, he removed unpopular officials and he was both handsome and very athletic. He was generous and evidence suggests that he was also fair in his justice for his earlier years. Henry completely transformed the religious and political as well as the physical landscapes of England and Wales and he made many changes which could not be easily reversed. Whatever the cost of those changes, through exile from Rome and the rest of Christendom, the loss of the religious houses, martydom for those who said no, the people of England still mourned Henry Viii and his children honoured and respected him. He didn’t deserve his last wishes to be disregarded in such a disrespectful manner by those he had entrusted the care of his nine year old son and heir.