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!

The Other Boleyn Girl (BBC Version)

There have been many portrayals of Anne Boleyn over the past 500 years, of course BBC had to weigh in. Enclosed is their version of The Other Boleyn Girl written by Phillipa Gregory. It is full length, let me know what you think and how it differs from the American version!

This Day in Tudor History

On this day in Tudor history 1534 Sister Elizabeth Barton (known also as the Holy Maid of Kent), a nun who prophesied that Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn was hanged.

In 1528, Barton met with the King and was endorsed by him because her visions went Henry's current political and religious path. She encouraged piety and warned against heresy when that was the official policy of the monarchy. Henry VIII quickly turned against her though when he sought not only an annulment from Catherine of Aragon, but also supreme control over the Church in England. In1532,  the Holy maid began prophesing that if Henry remarried, which he was planning, that he would die soon after. Barton also claimed that she had also seen the exact place in Hell where he would spend eternity. Despite her visions Henry would live for another 15 years and outlast three more wives.

Remarkably, Barton went unpunished for nearly a year, perhaps because she was more popular than the King and his government amongst both very rich and very poor. Because she had only talked about her visions and not done anything physically treasonous, Henry was required to pass an attainder, an Act of Parliament that could, without trial, punish actions done when they were legal. Henry's agents spread rumors that Barton was engaged in  heinous sexual relationships with many parish priests and that she suffered from extreme mental illness which is how her visions were propagated.

Her reputation was irreparably damaged and the Crown was then able to arrest Barton in 1533 and forced her to confess that she had fabricated her revelations. However, all that is known regarding her confession emanates from the King's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, or his agents who participated in her interrogations. All available documents support the Crown's assertions that Barton was a fraud and a traitor. Furthermore, she and her companions were condemned without a hearing. She, along with five of her most vocal supporters, four of whom were local Catholic priests, were executed for treason and hanged at the Tyburn gallows.She was buried at Greyfriars Abbey  but her head was put on a spike on London Bridge, the only woman in the history of the bridge to be dishonored in such a way.

This Day in Tudor History

On this day in Tudor history, imperial ambassador and virulent enemy of Anne Boleyn, Eustace Chapuys was tricked into acknowledging her as Queen. Chapuys always referred to Anne as "the concubine" or "mistress Anne" despite recognition of her as Queen by the King and his government.

On the Tuesday after Easter 1536 Chapuys arrived at Greenwich Palace to meet the King and discuss matters that effected both the Henry and the Emperor, namely increasing tensions with France. He was met by George Boleyn, Lord Rochford  and the King's minister Thomas Cromwell, who carried a message from Henry firmly "asking" him to visit the Queen and kiss her hand, a universal sign of recognition and subordination. Chapuys pleaded with Cromwell to excuse him from this visit as he believed that "such a visit would not be advisable". The King,surprisingly, did not seem to mind. Chapuys records in his notes that "the King came out and gave me a very kind reception, holding for some time his bonnet in his hand, and not allowing me to be uncovered longer than himself; and after asking how I was, and telling me that I was very welcome". Despite Chapuys' pleasant meeting with the King, Henry,  Anne and her brother Lord Rochford were scheming, planning to manipulate the ambassador into recognizing her.


Chapuys, portrait at Annecy


Chapuys continues to desribe the scene saying:

"I was conducted to mass by lord Rochford, the concubine's brother, and when the King came to the offering there was a great concourse of people partly to see how the concubine and I behaved to each other. She was courteous enough, for when I was behind the door by which she entered, she returned, merely to do me reverence as I did to her."

This may not sound like a major event, but what Chapuys fails to mention is that Lord Rochford conducted him  to mass, purposefully placing the ambassador behind the door through which Anne would enter. Anne Boleyn, for her part, knew exactly where the ambassador stood and stopped as she entered, swung round to him and bowed. Chapuys, based on the rules of courtly manner, was forced to do likewise. He bowed to Anne, acknowledging her as Queen. The King and Queen finally got what they had long desired, recognition of Anne's status as consort.

"She changed her name from Marchionness to Queen..."

In a letter dated April 15, 1535 Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys wrote of Anne's procession into mass for the first time as recognized Queen. The King had, just a few days before, commanded his council to acknowledge Anne as his wife and Queen. In his words to Emperor Charles V, Chapuys describes the scene:

"On Saturday, Easter Eve, dame Anne went to mass in Royal state, loaded with jewels, clothes in a robe of cloth of gold friese. The daughter of the duke of Norfolk, who is affianced to the duke of Richmond, carried her train; and she had in her suite 60 young ladies, and was brought to church and brought back with the solemnities, or even more, which were used to the Queen. She has changed her name from Marchioness to Queen and the preachers offered prayers for her by name. All the world is astonished at it for it looks like a dream, and even those who take her part know not whether to laugh or to cry. The King is very watchful of the countenance of the people, and begs the lords to go and visit and make their court to the new Queen, whom he intends to have solemnly crowned after Easter, when he will have feastings and tournaments; and some think that Clarencieux went four days ago to France to incite gentlemen at arms to the tourney, after the example of Francis, who did so at his nuptials. I know not whether this will be before or after, but the King has secretly appointed with the archbishop of Canterbury that of his office, without any other pressure, he shall cite the King as having two wives; and upon this, without summoning the Queen, he will declare that he was at liberty to marry as he has done without waiting for a dispensation or sentence of any kind."