Henry VIII: Myths and Reality

Hey followers,
There has been some pretty negative feedback on Henry lately; it is a rough time of the year for all of us "Anne Addicts" because we are counting down to the anniversary of her execution. However, we still need to keep ourselves professional and continue learning about Henry as well as dispelling the mythology that surrounds the time period. Take a listen to this excellent podcast by the British Libraries which explores what peoples' ideas about Henry and what is the truth. I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too!

This Day in Tudor History

On April 25, 1536 Henry VIII wrote a letter to several foreign ambassadors referring to Anne as "...our most dear and entirely beloved wife and Queen..." Additionally he spoke of his hopes for an heir in the near future. This letter came less than a month before Anne's execution. When I read the text of the letter it seems to me that Henry is still quite devoted to Anne despite her miscarriage earlier in the year. Henry was not one to suppress him emotions, what do you think followers? Was Henry still in love with Anne and committed to his marriage or was this all part of his ploy to bring her down?

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.