Loving Mom or Distant Lady Mother: The Bond Between Anne and Elizabeth

It has long been discussed by Tudor historians what the relationship would have been like between Anne and her daughter Elizabeth. Due to practices instituted by Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Derby and paternal grandmother to Henry VIII, royal children where not raised at court. Justifiable fears of sickness (crowd disease was rampant due to lack of adequate latrines and cleaning practices) and a courtly lack of morals kept the heirs of Henry sequestered in great country houses. At these manors, the children were raised by teams of servants whose duties ranged from wetnurses and cradle rockers to academic tutors and dance instructors.
Because of this imposed practice, Elizabeth spent her first three years at Hatfield House, a country estate about twenty miles north of London. Anne would have seen Elizabeth only on great occassions when children were welcome at court such as Christmas and when the royal couple was on Summer Progress. Some writers have suggested that the situation equates to a lack of concern for the child on the part of Anne. We know, however, that Anne was raised in a similar situation, with her parents constantly away at court while she was grew up with her siblings at Hever, so this distance would not only have been required but would have seemed quite normal to the Queen. When I explored this claim, I found many signs that Anne was indeed a loving mother despite that physical distance between her and her daughter. Anne's account books showed that despite a healthy budget provided by the King to purchase clothing for Elizabeth, Anne often sent ribbons and lace to adorn the child's clothing that she personally chose.There is also a receipt for "several lengths" of orange silk (a rare and expensive color)  embroidered with Anne's royal badge in gold thread. Anne sent the cloth to Elizabeth for it to be sewn into a new dress. While hunting, Anne often sent choice cuts of venison and other animals to Hatfield and hand-picked several of the servants who made up Elizabeth's household including Kat Ashley (who would become Elizabeth's lifelong friend and confidante), the Ladies Bryan  and Shelton amongst others. Anne even chose to often sit in on the betrothal discussions for Elizabeth, an action unheard of in this time period.

All of these actions constitute what I would interpret as a great interest in her daughter's life and a healthy level of affection for her given the social constraints of Tudor England. I would surmise that Anne loved Elizabeth and went above and  beyond the normal motherly duties of this time period to express that love. For anyone to assume/express that Anne did not care for Elizabeth would expose their inherrent lack of knowledge and understanding of the social context and practices of Henry the Eighth's court.

Love Triangle

Hello followers,

I recently found this portrait on another Tudor history blog I read. The art shows the love traingle between Anne, Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. It definitely portrays Catherine and old and unhappy while Anne is young and haughty. What do you think of Henry's expression?

The Search for Richard III: Remains Finally Discovered?

Followers,
Richard III was the last of the ambititous York brothers (Edward, George and Richard) who ruled England following the Battle of Towton. Richard was struck down in battle at Bosworth Field after ruling only 2 years. Following the battle, which was to be the most decisive in the War of Roses, his body was interred at the Greyfriars Abbey in Leicester. Richard was the last English king to die in battle and the only king to die directly of battle inflicted wounds since Harold II in 1066 who died at the Battle of Hastings while fighting Norman invaders. Until recently the burial site was unknown due to subsequent development at Leicester. For a little of six weeks the University of Leicester has been excavating sites to determine the whereabouts of Richard's body and it may have been found! Watch the video below for details on the excavation and why experts believe these may indeed be the remains of the last Plantagenet king!

In Memory of Eric Ives

Good morning followers,
I am sad to report that this morning the family of well known, beloved Anne Boleyn historian Eric Ives confirmed that he passed on yesterday morning following a severe stroke. Ives wrote many books and articles on Anne Boleyn and was an incredible asset to our modern research and understanding on Tudor England. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family during this sad time. Rest in peace Dr. Ives.

Divorced, Beheaded, Died? The Postpartum Care of Jane Seymour

After thoroughly diving into Catherine and Anne's lives my research has taken an unexpected turn; to Jane Seymour. As I began reading about her life, I found myself conforming to the popular opinions of her as the spineless, pushover wife. As an Anne addict, I also could not help but think of her as a mortal enemy. While reading a master's thesis on Jane's involvement in the fall of Anne Boleyn, the author broached an interesting topic, she accused Henry and his physicians of negligence in Jane's post pregnancy care which resulted in her premature death. Intrigued by the idea, I began looking into it. Jane's pregnancy was announced in February 1537. It is recorded by court doctors that her pregnancy was easy, Jane suffered from almost no morning sickness. Despite her easy pregnancy, Jane's labor would be far from simple. Edward's delivery took two full days and three nights, with the long-awaited heir making him apprearance in the world early on the morning of October 12. He was named after Edward the Confessor, whose feast day was the following day. Following her long labor and delivery, Jane was able to sit and greet guests before the Edward's christening on October 15, but it was evident she was not well. Two days later, the Queen's health had deteriorated so drastically that she was administered her Last Rites by her personal confessor. On October 24, 1537Jane Seymour expired. So what caused her demise? Is Henry and/or his physician to blame? Using the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, as well as numerous books on Jane and information on renaissance medicine I have explored the pregnancy, labor and post-partum health of Henry's third queen.
Jane was a young, presumably healthy woman. At the time of Edward's birth she was twenty-eight years old and as a wealthy member of the nobility she would not have suffered from the malnutrition that often causes pregnancy issues and was common amongst the lower class, in fact she was often referred to a "plump" As we have already discovered her pregnancy was easy but labor was difficult. It is safe to assume that this drawn-out delivery was as a result of a badly positioned baby. The uterus is the muscle used to deliver a baby and it would have become seriously strained given the length of labor Jane experienced. In a normal pregnancy, where the baby is not breeched, the usterus expels the placenta and other post natal bodily fluids. Given the exhausted state of Jane's uterus it might have been incapable of ridding itself of these fluids. If the fluids were retained, they would begin to decay quickly causing an infection in the body. Jane's immune system and overall health would have been compromised due to the labor, rendering her unable to fight infection. Further damage to her health would have been caused by the dirty hands, rags and tools used on her body. Little was known about hygiene and microbiology in this time period so hand washing and sterilizing was not a priority nor was there an effective treatment for infections. Historian Alison Weir claims Jane died from puerperal fever due to an infection contracted when her perineum tore. Because Queens were not examined closely by physicians and vaginal inspections were completely forbidden, we will never know what caused Jane's infection. However, we can be sure it was an infection because her doctors recorded her having "bloody flux" and heart arithmeas, sure signs of septicemia. Jane's doctors did what they could to keep her comfortable including trying to control her fevers, encouraging her to take fluids and rest as much as possible. So were they or Henry responsible for her death? My conclusion is no, social rules and medicinal treatment of the time period failed Queen Jane, not her husband. The rate of maternal mortality was very high because of the lack of infection treatments. Jane's death was unavoidable given the level of medical knowledge and intervention of the period.

Sources: NIH, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour: A Biography, Puerperal Fever and Medicine in the Middle Ages, Female Mortality in Tudor England.