The Queen is Dead: The Death and Burial of Mary I
It's probably not unfair to say that Queen Mary I died of a broken heart, though medically it was probably ovarian cancer that lead to her demise. Mary's life was one of unrelenting sorrow and...
View ArticleThe Dispensation to Marry Anne Boleyn
On December 23, 1527, Pope Clement received the draft of a dispensation Henry VIII wanted him to grant. Though Henry was still married to Katharine in the eyes of the church, he was seeking permission...
View ArticleKatharine of Aragon's Heartbreak
Despite my obvious love for Anne Boleyn, I admire Katharine of Aragon. She was a woman of strength and courage, willing to suffer for her convictions. Her life was not easy, nor was it particularly...
View ArticleAn Interview with Chase Lowell, Author of "Seducing Anne"
Anne Boleyn is probably one of the most written-about women of history. She's been a villain to some, a home-wrecking temptress. To others, she's a tragic heroine, an early proto-feminist, a champion...
View ArticleSir Nicholas Carew
Sir Nicholas Carew was a cousin of Anne Boleyn, but he was also named as one of those directly responsible for her fall.Nicholas was born in 1496. Through his great-grandparents, he was related to both...
View ArticleThe Mysterious Nan Cobham
When Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery and treason, John Husee wrote to Lady Lisle and identified her primary accusers:"The first accuser, the lady Worcester, and Nan Cobham with one maid mo; but...
View ArticleJanuary 25, 1533: Henry VIII Marries Anne Boleyn (For the Second Time)
In the pre-dawn darkness of January 25, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn slipped out of Whitehall Palace to the gatehouse, accompanied by a few selected friends. It was a new moon, and so their movements...
View ArticleKatheryn Howard Condemned to Die
On February 7th 1542, ambassador Eustace Chapuys reports that the ladies Katheryn Howard had been allowed to keep with her through these dark days of her arrest and imprisonment had been dismissed by...
View ArticleFebruary 13, 1542: Katheryn Howard's Bloody Valentine
Seven or eight thousand people crowded the Tower green on a cold February morning. It was the day before Valentine's Day, 1542, and the people were gathering to see a rare spectacle, the execution of a...
View ArticleHenry and Anne Boleyn: A Love Story?
While I believe the facts support my assertions in this article, it is merely my opinion. It was inspired by this Tumblr post I saw this afternoon.There have been movies and books that paint Henry...
View ArticleThe Real Face of Anne Boleyn?
The "Moost Happi" medal is the sole surviving contemporary portrait of Anne Boleyn that we know of. It's badly damaged, so it's a source of frustration for people who want to know the true appearance...
View ArticleThe Sad Tale of Henry VIII's First Son, Henry Duke of Cornwall
When Henry, Duke of Cornwall was born on January 1, 1511, England erupted in celebration.He was the second child born to Henry and his young queen, Katharine of Aragon. The first had been a daughter,...
View ArticleAnne Boleyn's Role Models
Anne Boleyn was very fortunate in her educational opportunities. She lived in an era when education for women was becoming fashionable after a long dark age in which it was considered downright...
View ArticleDid Henry VIII Father Mary Boleyn's Children?
On March 4, 1526 Henry Carey was born. He was the second child of Mary Boleyn, who'd had a daughter, Catherine, in 1524. For five hundred years, rumors have abounded that one or both of these children...
View ArticleAnne Boleyn's Last Appeal to Henry
April 30, 1536 is the traditional date assigned to a story Elizabeth was told by Alexander Ales later in life about her mother holding Elizabeth in her arms and pleading for her very life with her...
View ArticleAnne Boleyn's Last Request
On April 26th, 1536, Anne Boleyn asked her chaplain, Matthew Parker, to meet with her. She had a special request to ask of him, something of utmost importance. Perhaps she had a premonition of some...
View ArticleHenry VIII Marries Jane Seymour
On May 30, 1536 - only eleven days after the execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII married his third wife, Jane Seymour. The wedding was performed by Archbishop Cranmer at Whitehall Palace in...
View ArticleAfter Anne Boleyn's Execution: Telling Elizabeth
Elizabeth was only two years and eight months old when her mother, Anne Boleyn, died on the scaffold. Anne had provided for her daughter as best she could in the last days of her reign, buying...
View ArticleDid Elizabeth Inherit Anne Boleyn's Jewelry?
There seems to be some misconceptions about the possible fate of Anne Boleyn's jewelry, and so I decided to update this article. Every queen had a selection of personal jewelry which was not...
View ArticleCamilla Parker-Bowles is the Anne Boleyn of Our Age
The marriage of Charles and Camilla has some striking similarities to the story of Anne Boleyn, and her public perception.~ Like Anne Boleyn, Camilla was the “other woman” luring the (future) king...
View ArticleAnne Boleyn's Final, Small, Strange Victory
Mid-April, 1536 Ambassador Eustace Chapuys had been at court since 1529, and had witnessed most of Henry VIII’s efforts to rid himself of Katharine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Chapuys was...
View ArticleThis is Not Anne Boleyn
This "new portrait of Anne Boleyn" has been making the rounds in social media, and now several news articles. It is not Anne Boleyn.The picture you see above is a copy of a copy of a copy of a painting...
View ArticleDid the "Dogs Lick Henry's Blood" After His Funeral?
I recently came across an article which discusses this gruesome tale as one of the myths of Henry's death. For those of you needing a recap, the tale says that when Henry's coffin stayed overnight at...
View ArticleA Lovely "New" Portrait of Anne Boleyn
Some of you may remember how opposed I was to the “new portrait of Anne Boleyn” that surfaced a few months back. A new miniature portrait was brought to my attention via Facebook today, and I wanted...
View ArticleI Pulled My Book from Publication Because I was Wrong about Jane Parker, Lady...
Last year, I made a promise to myself that when my rights to Under These Restless Skies reverted from my publisher back to me, I was going to pull it from publication until it underwent extensive...
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