Hever Castle Slide Show

Hey all,
While searching for some information on Hever Castle, I came across this slideshow of photos on a blog called All Things Royal. The author visited Hever and took some amazing photos. Check it out:

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/susiefio/Hever%20Castle/?albumview=slideshow





**Note: Owner maintains all rights and priviledges to photographs. No infringement is intended.

The Tudor Claim to the Throne

Hey all,
I was recently asked by a follower how the Tudor line had a claim to the English throne. The House of the Plantagenets had two cadet lines, York and Lancaster. The Lancaster line was directly descended from John of Gaunt (founder of the Royal House) while York was descended through his younger brother. Margaret Beaufort was the last true heir of the Lancastrian line, she was married at twelve to Edmund Tudor who died young. Her son Henry Tudor had his claim to the throne through his mother. Henry Tudor would become Henry VII of England following the defeat of the Yorks and death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Edward, the Earl of Warwick was nephew to the York king Richard III and had a strong claim to the throne. When Henry VII had him executed in 1499 the House of York went extinct in the male line ensuring that the Tudors were secure in their newfound power. Check out the graphic below for details on the family tree:

Image courtesy of the British Royal Family.

The Anne Boleyn Files Contest

Hey readers,
I recently reviewed the book The Secret Keeper: An Novel of Kateryn Parr. The author Sandra Byrd is having a contest on The Anne Boleyn Files, all you have to do is read her guest post and comment on it. You will be entered to win some beautiful Anne Boleyn earrings, a replica of a set used on the set of the Tudors. Check it out and enter yourselves @ http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/19732/what-happened-to-lady-mary-seymour-guest-post-and-giveaway/comment-page-2/#comment-205232

Good luck fellow Anne addicts!

THE PRIZE!!!

Read of the Week

This week I chose a novel by Phillipa Gregory for review. The Constant Princess is a historical fiction book about Catherine of Aragon. It is really interesting and presents a narrative where Catherine and Arthur were very much in love, consummated their marriage and planned a bright future for England. In the book the death of Arthur devastates Catherine but she knows she must follow through on her deathbed promise to Arthur to marry his brother and carry out their plans for Britain. It is a really interesting take on Catherine's life and was fun to read. I would suggest it!

Elizabeth I's Ring

Around 1575 Elizabeth I had this ring created by her personal jeweler.  It is solid gold, covered with mother of pearl and encrusted with precious jewels. A hidden clasp opens the locket ring to reveal a portrait of Anne Boleyn on one side and Elizabeth herself on the other.





The ring could have had many meanings. It could have served to remind Elizabeth that one wrong step in royal politics could cost your life or it may mean that Elizabeth thought about her mother much more than she ever let on. Whatever the meaning behind the ring, it is beautiful and thought provoking. The ring was given to the Home family by King James I, the family donated it to the Trustees of Chequers house, the country residence of the Prime Minister. It was recently on display at the Greenwich Museum, which was its first public display. What do you think readers?