Horrible Histories....are actually awesome?

Horrible Histories are satirical looks at serious historical events. It is an attempt to help modern people connect with history through humor. The episode embedded is on Anne's execution. What do you think? Is the approach effective for engaging an audience?

E-Book Recommendation!

For all of you Tudor history lovers out there, you have undoubtedly wondered about the clothing worn by our favorite historical characters, especially Anne who was famous for her beautiful clothes. Now all of your questions can be answered; Amazon is offering the e-book Inside The Wardrobe of Anne Boleyn! It is a steal at only $2.99! Check it out here. I can't wait to read what you all think about it!

The Death of Catherine of Aragon

On January 7, 1536 Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII and mother to Mary I, died at Kimbolton Castle. Catherine was the Queen of England from 1509-1533, when she was deposed by Anne Boleyn. Prior to her marriage to Henry, Catherine was styled Princes off Wales, as she was the wife of Prince Arthur, heir to the throne. 

Catherine was the daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, she was betrothed at age three to Arthur. In 1501 she was sent to England to marry the heir, he died less than six months later. Henry was elevated to the position of heir and Catherine's parents quickly began negotiations to have Catherine married to him. The two married in 1509 and remained together for many years, despite having no surviving sons. In 1516 Mary, their sole living child and heir, was born. 

In the 1520s Henry's interest in his once beautiful wife declined drastically and he began taking mistresses. In June 1519, Henry's acknowledged bastard son, Henry Fitzroy, was born. He carried on a known liaison with Mary Carey, sister to Anne Boleyn, as well. By 1527 Henry was actively seeking an annulment of his marriage on religious grounds with Wolsey and his other advisers pleaing with the Vatican for an intervention.

When the Pope, intimidated by Catherine's vast, powerful family, declined to give him an annulment despite years of negotiations Henry set into motion a break from Papal authority that would have enormous religious implications. Henry declared himself head of the Church in England and with the help of Thomas Cromwell, granted himself a divorce. The actions broke Catherine's heart and she spent the remainder of her life continuing to insist that she was Henry's true wife. She endured a great amount of suffering including being kept from her daughter and being stripped of her many titles. She was banished from court and lived out her life at Kimbolton. Her situation garnered a lot of sympathy from her supporters around the kingdom. Even her enemies admired her; Thomas Cromwell himself said "If not for her sex, she could have defied all the heroes of history. She was a scholar, a friend and patron of famous humanists. She was loved by her people for her programs to help eradicate poverty and educate women. Catherine died alone. claiming her right to the queenship until the very end. It was a sad end to her great life.

Was 11/14 Henry and Anne's Wedding Day?

There is much speculation regarding the date of Henry and Anne's wedding; some historians argue that it is November 14, 2014 which is St. Erkenwald's Day and ironically, the day that Arthur, prince of Wales and Catherine of Aragon were married. Read about this possibility here!

Read of the Week

I have been doing quite a bit of reading since the last time I shared my thoughts with you. I'll start with one of the best books I have read lately: The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens who Made England by Dan Jones is a great addition to any British historian's library. I have been trying to expand my general knowledge about high medieval England and this book gave great insights into the rise of the Plantagenet family including the root of their name, family trees and vignettes that gave you very detailed looks into the life of these spectacular rulers. It is a great survey book of the Plantagenet reign. That being said, it would have been nice if the author had included some social history. After all, he claims, the Plantagenets 'made England' but failed to show how their actions affected every day common English people. As far as gender emphasis is concerned, Jones was careful to weigh in on how women impacted the rise of the English nation state including Eleanor of Aquitaine and Matilda, some of the most fascinating, powerful females in English history.


The book covered nearly 400 years of history and so was understandably sparse in some areas, but I had a bit of a problem with the author ending his narrative with the deposition of Richard II when in fact that Plantagenet line continued until the brutal death of Richard III as Bosworth and the rise of the Tudors.


In addition to being incredibly informational, the book was very well written. It engaged the reader the entire length of the narrative and was well cited. The books mixes hard facts with engaging stories and makes for a fun, rather quick read. I suggest grabbing this affordable volume from your local book store today!