Joel Ridgway | January 23, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 23rd January 1571, after dining with its founder, Sir Thomas Gresham, Queen Elizabeth I opened the Royal Exchange in London. Find out more about the official opening, what the Royal Exchange was, why Gresham paid for its building, and what happened to it, in this talk… Also on this […]
Claire | December 31, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1535, in the reign of Henry VIII, Sir William Skeffington, Lord Deputy of Ireland, died at Kilmainham in Dublin. Skeffington had become known as “the Gunner” following his use of heavy artillery while taking Maynooth Castle in County Kildare, where he killed, or had executed, the whole […]
Joel Ridgway | December 23, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 23rd December 1558, just over a month after her accession, England’s new queen, Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, moved from Somerset House to Whitehall Palace, which became her principal residence. Whitehall, formerly York Place, had once been home to her mother, […]
Joel Ridgway | December 2, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 2nd December 1586, following a joint petition from the Houses of Lords and Commons, Elizabeth I finally agreed to a public proclamation of sentence against Mary, Queen of Scots: death. Mary had been found guilty of high treason back in October 1586, but Elizabeth had not wanted to contemplate […]
Joel Ridgway | October 30, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1600, Queen Elizabeth I refused to renew Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex’s monopoly on sweet wines, saying that “an unruly horse must be abated of his provender, that he may be the easier and better managed.” It may not sound like a major event, but it […]
Joel Ridgway | October 29, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 29th October 1532, King Henry VIII bid farewell to his “loving brother”, his French counterpart, King Francis I. The two kings had enjoyed each other’s company at Calais and Boulogne, and Henry VIII was pleased with their meetings. In fact, things had gone so well that Henry VIII decided […]
Joel Ridgway | October 28, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 28th October 1570, Ivan IV of Russia, known commonly as Ivan the Terrible, wrote a rather rude letter to Queen Elizabeth I. Ivan was upset with Elizabeth’s reaction to his idea of a political alliance, an agreement to help each other if their lives were in danger, and wrote […]
Claire | September 7, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 7th September 1533, Queen Anne Boleyn gave birth to a daughter at Greenwich Palace. Chronicler Edward Hall recorded the royal birth, writing, “The vii. day of September beyng Sondaie, betwene thre and foure of the Clocke at after noone, the Quene was delivered of a faire Lady […]”. He […]
