Read of the Week

Over the past couple of weeks I have been trudging through several Tudor books and recently finished Mistress Anne: The Exceptional Life of Anne Boleyn by Carolly Erickson. This is an older book written about Anne's life. It opens with her journey accompanying Mary Tudor on her voyage to become Queen of France. The book completely omits Anne's early life and implies that this is her first time abroad which is completely inaccurate. There are more inaccuracies that made this book almost unbearable for me to read. Ms. Erickson relies heavily on rumor in her writing, something a seasoned Anne historian will find frustrating. She asserts the rumors of Anne having a sixth finger and a large, disfiguring mole on her neck. We know from the Victorian excavation of St. Peter Ad Vincula that none of the women buried there had an extra finger. In fact, these myths were not perpetuated until the reign of Elizabeth I in an effort to undermine her claim to the throne by slandering her mother and accusing her of witchcraft. Erickson also takes extreme liberties in describing how Anne would have  felt and what she thought during certain events. As no autobiographical information exists to confirm her statements, I find them not only unnecessary but also misleading to the reader.This is not a book I would recommend for serious Anne enthusiasts as the inaccuracies overshadow any positive contributions Erickson might have made to the study and scholarship of Anne Boleyn.

This Day in Tudor History

On this day in history in 1486 Henry VII, father to Henry VIII wed Elizabeth of York. The marriage was one of convenience; Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She was tremendously popular amongst the Yorkist supporters who might try to undermine the rule of Henry by reigniting the dynastic War of Roses. By uniting the former Yorkist princess and the Tudor King who was the leading male heir to the Lancastrian line it ensured a tenuous peace as their children would be the heirs of both houses. The union would produce Arthur, Prince of Wales and first husband of Catherine of Aragon, Margaret, Queen of Scots, Henry VIII, Elizabeth Tudor (died in infancy), Mary, Queen of France, Edmund Duke of Somerset (died at 15months), Edward Tudor (debated) and Katherine Tudor. Elizabeth died in 1503 as a result of post-partum complications as did her baby daughter Katherine. Henry would rule for six more years before taking ill and dying in the spring of 1509.

Collectanea Satis Copiosa

In an effort to gain the support of other monarchs and possibly convince the Pope of the validity of his case for annulment from Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell dispatched diplomats to all of the major universities across Europe. Their mission was to present the King's evidence to the learned scholars at these colleges and determine their conclusions regarding Henry's marriage. In this video Tudor historian David Starkey discussed this collection of scholastic opinions in the work entitled the "Collection Most Abundant".

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/henryviii/videos/collectanea/video.html

This Day in Tudor History

On this day in history 1536, Catherine of Aragon died. The first wife of Henry VIII and mother to future queen Mary I, Catherine was known for her piety, intelligence and apptitude for foreign affairs. She died at Kimbolton Castle where she had beem exiled after refusing to divorce Henry. Her body was examined post mortem and a large black growth was found on her heart. This growth was attributed to poisoning, but most modern medical experts believe it to be evidence of cancer. Catherine went to her death as a devout Catholic despite the winds of religious change and declared that she was Henry's lawful and true wife. She was fifty years old.

Elizabeth Boleyn Needlework

Below is a piece of needlework, thought to have been embroidered by Anne Boleyn's mother Lady Elizabeth Boleyn Countess of Wiltshire. The piece features a falcon, which was the symbol of Anne's personal badge, pecking at a pomegranate. The pomegranate was the insignia of Catherine of Aragon. The Latin surrounding the image reads "Ainsi Sera Groigne, Qvi Griogne" which roughly translates to "Let them grumble, this is how it is going to be"

What do you think followers? What does the piece say about Anne's family and their support of her usurpation?