On This Day in Tudor History

This day in Tudor history 1536 marks the death of Katharine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII and mother to Mary I. The following day, news of her death reached the king. At the time, there were rumors that she was poisoned possibly by Anne, one of her kinsmen, or even Henry himself as all had threatened her life.  According to the Tudor chronicler Edward Hall, Anne Boleyn wore yellow for the mourning, which has been interpreted in various ways; Polydore Vergil interpreted Anne's reaction mean that she was happy the aging queen was finally dead. In direct contrast to Vergil's idea though is Eustace Chapuys' report that it was actually King Henry who decked himself in yellow, celebrating the news and making a great show of his and Anne's daughter, Elizabeth, to his courtiers. Another prevailing historical theory is that the dressing in yellow was out of respect for the late princess dowager (or queen, depending on your views) as yellow was said to be the Spanish color of mourning. With Chapuys' intense dislike of Anne it is unlikely he would fail to report her wearing yellow and celebrating. Either way, the royal couple's reaction to Katharine's passing  was seen as distasteful and vulgar by many.

Gossip regarding the cause of Katharine's death continued to swirl, but exploded when it was discovered during her embalming that there was a black growth on her heart that may have been the result of poisoning. Modern medical experts are in agreement that her heart's discoloration was due not to poisoning, but to cancer (probably cardiac sarcoma) a medical illness not known or understood at the time.

Katharine was buried in Peterborough Cathedral with the ceremony due to a Dowager Princess of Wales, not a queen. Henry did not attend the funeral and forbade Mary to attend for fear that her presence would cause uprisings supportive of her position as heir apparent. The lay people of England were saddened by Katharine's passing and many entered periods of morning for the late, beloved queen.

Katharine painted as a young woman

 



Katharine in her later years

Read of the Week

Good morning Anne aficionados! Last night I finished up Alison Weir's The Life of Elizabeth I. I really enjoyed this book, Weir wrote a biography emphasizing the personal life of Elizabeth using a vast cache of primary sources including letters, government documents and journals. The reader finds out almost immediately that Elizabeth's need to marry is of the utmost concern, not just to her advisors and subjects but to the entire European marriage market.. Princes from all over continent wanted to marry for a variety of reasons and Elizabeth kept them on a string, guessing whether or not she would accept their offers and playing them against each other for the benefit of England. There was even intrigue among her highest nobility pressing their offers for her hand. Despite the continual urging of her closest friends and advisors to marry and produce "...heirs of her body..." the self styled Virgin Queen professes herself married to her country and her people; a bold statement for a woman who lived in a time when most believed that a woman could not survive without a husband.

 Outside of Elizabeth's matrimonial quandaries, Weir gave such great detail on who Elizabeth was, breaking the mold of Gloriana to explore the importance of symbolism, faith and relationships to Elizabeth's life. Alison gives us a ton of information on the Robert Dudley/Elizabeth relationship and how it changed and developed over time. The author was great about digging into Elizabeth's personal life, but the one subject I wish she would have spent more time on is Elizabeth's intellectual pursuits and how she encouraged and promoted education; it would become a hallmark of her reign.

I would however point out a few sections that I struggled with, namely Weir's assertion that Amy Dudley was murdered. The point seems small, considering the epic life of Elizabeth I, but the ways in which the author tried to justify herself seemed out of place given the normally meticulous research of Alison Weir. The author asserts that the person who may have murdered Amy Dudley is William Cecil. She spend many pages describing how he may [emphasis mine] have set the scene to frame Dudley for her murder ensuring that people were suspicious prior to her untimely death and that these suspicions meant Elizabeth would never marry Robert, leaving Cecil's influence over Elizabeth and her regime intact.

 While I enjoyed the depth of Weir's research, it really bothered me that she would quote primary source documents and other contemporary sources without using footnotes or endnotes. I am always looking for books to use in my research but Weir's lack of citations makes it extremely difficult to locate just where she is getting her information from.

This book is an excellent introductory biography for any historian or reader hoping to grapple with the grandeur of the Elizabethan era. Weir's grasp of making historical narrative come to life shines in her writing.

On This Day in Tudor History

On this day in Tudor history 1540 Henry VIII married his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves at the royal Palace of Placentia in Greenwich in a ceremony conducted by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. The union was not to be a happy one; Henry had been trying for several weeks to seek out a way to end his betrothal to Anne. His dislike of his intended bride was due perhaps in large part to her cold treatment of Henry the week before when he tried to surprise his fiancé in disguise and she reacted badly (some historians believe she may have thought she was being abducted) Unfortunately for Henry, jilting Anne would have compromised the fragile alliance between England and the Protestant German states. England needed this alliance to ensure that she was not the victim of a joint attack by the recently allied France and Spain. Also, Cromwell had done his utmost to ensure that the marriage followed all laws and regulations to avoid another Katherine of Aragon/Anne Boleyn fiasco. The marriage negotiations, it seemed, were rock solid with no graceful exit for Henry. The wedding night, far from the joyous occasion it should have been. It was awkward as Anne was not only a virgin but had been sheltered from the realities of sexual relationships for the entirety of her life. Her innocence may have frustrated Henry even further. He complained to Cromwell that he could not consummate the relationship saying, "I liked her before not well, but now I like her much worse..." Henry had been very vocal about his disappointment in her looks, refuting the words of French ambassador who said Anne was of "...middling beauty, and of very assured and resolute countenance." The marriage would be Henry's shortest, lasting little more than six months.

Anne of Cleves
Hans Holbein the Younger c 1539

Contest Winner

Happy new year Anne lovers! I am excited to announce that CatyIsMyLady is the winner of our anniversary giveaway! She will receive a copy of Susan Bordo's The Creation of Anne Boleyn. Thank you to everyone who participated; we had over 30 entries with 10 containing all correct answers. I appreciate your continued support of Confessions in 2014!

Thank you!

 



Second Anniversary Giveaway!

Confessions is nearing it's SECOND anniversary! Similar to last year, I will be hosting a giveaway! All you have to do is answer a series of Anne Boleyn related questions! These answers can all be found around the Confessions website.

1. Who was the second husband of Mary Boleyn?

2. What does Le Temps Viendra mean and where is the phrase found?

3. What is the name of Anne Boleyn's childhood home?

4. After Henry's supposed disdain for Anne of Cleves became known, what was her nickname?

5. Where in Anne Boleyn buried? (Be exact!)

6. What was Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, executed for and when?

7. What was Anne Boleyn's motto as queen?

8. What was the cause of Cardinal Wolsey's death?

9. What was the name of Anne Boleyn's coronation song?

10. Under which noble woman did Anne Boleyn learn French and perfect her manners?


The winner of this giveaway will receive a copy of Susan Bordo's The Creation of Anne Boleyn

Send your answers to anneboleynconfessions@gmail.com by January 1, 2014 at 12pm PST.