Reader Questions

This week I received so many question submissions that I had to sort through them and choose just a few. If I do not directly answer your question in this post I will work diligently to get an answer to you as soon as possible!

Q: I was recently reading a book by Phillipa Gregory that insinuated Margaret of Anjou based off a bastard as the rightful Lancastrian heir to the throne during the War of Roses. Is that true?

A: We will never know for sure, but there was gossip during that time and many historians today believe that her son Henry was the offspring of either Edmund Beaufort Duke of Somerset or James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire (ancestor of Anne Boleyn) This gossip was born out of the fact that Margaret's husband Henry was weak, often ill and spent much of his days at prayer leading many courtiers to believe him incapable of producing an heir.

Q: The clothing in The Tudors is beautiful, but does not seem very realistic. Did the costume designer take creative liberties?

A: ABSOLUTELY, much of the costuming is very Elizabethan in nature. Also, the costume designer Joan Bergin said she was aiming for sexy and alluring rather than historical accuracy. The characters are often shown revealing more cleavage than would be considered moral in the Tudor period. The female characters also are rarely shown wearing chemises, a clothing staple in Tudor times as heavy dresses were difficult and expensive to clean and care for. Chemises kept sweat, cosmetics and other things from dirtying the heavy garments. Bergin also omits the codpiece which was an important part of male fashion during the reign of Henry VIII. Synthetic fabrics, which did not exist in the sixteenth century, are also noticeable. Bergin made the decision to design in this way, not from ignorance to the style of Tudor England, but because she felt that viewers would connect more to her more modern designs.

Q: I read your work on Catherine of Aragon's eating disorder; where can I find more information on the topic?

A: That is a great question; first of all let me say that my work is very original there has only been one other author who suggested that Catherine of Aragon suffered from Anorexia and he did not provide the background information that I did. His name is Gilles Tremlett and his books are widely available. Yet, my best advice to you is to dive into the primary sources and follow the patterns like I did. Do research on eating disorders and compare it to Catherine's habits.

Q: What was wrong with Henry VI?

A: He suffered from a mental disorder, most likely schizophrenia. From boyhood he was often paranoid, had grandiose, unrealistic ideas and at times very indecisive. At about the age of 30 or 31 he suffered from a mental breakdown where he was in an unresponsive, comatose state for nearly 18 months. After awakening he suffered from religious delusions, failed to properly care for his personal hygiene and seemed to not care that the country was on the brink of war due to his inability to rule. Eventually, his mental disorder resulted in the loss of his crown to the York dynasty, his wife and son (who were driven out of England by Yorkist supporters) and eventually his life. It is a sad, but very interesting story. If you are interested there is an excellent book on the subject called The Reign of Henry VI by Dr. RA Griffiths.

Q: When was Anne Boleyn born?

A: That is open for debate amongst historians although I definitely believe that she was born in 1500/01. I base my idea on the fact that in 1513 she was sent abroad to be a maid in waiting to Margaret of Austria. Practice dictated that maids in waiting had to be at least 12 years old. There is also the letter she wrote from Austria to her father which shows advanced French language skills and beautiful script much beyond that capabilities of a six year old, which in my mind negates the possible birth date of 1507 put forward by author Retha Warnicke.

Keep submitting, I am learning right along with you!

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