Writing Blog – Page 11 – CAROLINE ANGUS

BOOK REVIEW: Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I – The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History by Tracy Borman

Published on April 23, 2024 by Caroline AngusLeave a comment

Anne Boleyn may be best known for losing her head, but as Tudor expert Tracy Borman reveals in a book that recasts British history, her greatest legacy lies in the path-breaking reign of her daughter, ElizabethMuch of the fascination with Britain’s legendary Tudors centers around the dramas surrounding Henry VIII and his six wives and Elizabeth I’s rumored liaisons. Yet the most fascinating relationship in that historic era may well be that between the mother and daughter who, individually and collectively, changed the course of British history.

The future Queen Elizabeth was not yet three when her mother, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded on May 19, 1536, on Henry’s order, incensed that she had not given him a son and tired of her contentious nature. Elizabeth had been raised away from court, rarely even seeing Anne; and after her death, Henry tried in every way to erase Anne’s presence and memory. At that moment in history, few could have predicted that mother and daughter would each leave enduring, and interlocked, legacies. Yet as Tracy Borman reveals in this first-ever joint portrait, both women broke the mold for British queens and for women in general at the time. Anne was instrumental in reforming and reshaping forever Britain’s religious traditions, and her years of wielding power over a male-dominated court provided an inspiring role model for Elizabeth’s glittering, groundbreaking 45-year reign. Indeed, Borman shows how much Elizabeth–most visibly by refusing to ever marry, but in many other more subtle ways that defined her court–was influenced by her mother’s legacy.

In its originality, Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I sheds new light on two of history’s most famous women–the private desires, hopes, and fears that lay behind their dazzling public personas, and the surprising influence each had on the other during and after their lifetimes. In the process, Tracy Borman reframes our understanding of the entire Tudor era.

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In Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History, Tracy Borman offers a captivating exploration of the complex and enduring long-distance relationship between two of the most iconic figures in English history. This work delves into the intertwined lives of Anne Boleyn, the ill-fated second wife of Henry VIII, and their daughter Queen Elizabeth I, one of England’s most celebrated monarchs.

Borman begins by providing an essential background on Anne Boleyn in her classic style of bringing out details others tend to miss, tracing Anne’s rise from a young courtier to Henry VIII’s queen consort. With meticulous attention to detail, the author paints a vivid portrait of Anne’s intelligence, charm, and ambition, as well as the political and religious forces that shaped her life. By exploring Anne’s influence on Henry and her role in the English Reformation, the author sets the stage for understanding her impact on her daughter, Elizabeth.

The heart of the book lies in the examination of the relationship between Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I, given they knew one another for less than three years. Borman delves into how Anne’s brief but tumultuous reign left a lasting imprint on her daughter, shaping her personality, her politics, and her approach to governance. Through meticulous analysis of historical records and contemporary accounts, the author uncovers how Elizabeth both emulated and distanced herself from her mother’s legacy.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is its exploration of Elizabeth’s upbringing and education. The author discusses how Elizabeth’s early years were marked by uncertainty and danger, as she navigated the treacherous political landscape of Tudor England. By examining the influence of Anne’s teachings and example on her daughter, the author offers valuable insights into Elizabeth’s development as a ruler and a woman.

Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I sheds light on the ways in which Elizabeth’s reign was shaped by her mother’s memory. Borman explores how Elizabeth used Anne’s legacy to her advantage, presenting herself as the rightful heir to the Tudor dynasty and emphasizing her connection to her mother’s royal lineage. Through careful analysis of Elizabeth’s speeches, portraits, and public persona, the author reveals how Anne’s ghost haunted and helped the Elizabethan court.

Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I is a captivating exploration of the enduring influence of Anne Boleyn on her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I. Borman’s engaging prose makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in Tudor history, the lives of remarkable women, or the dynamics of power and politics in early modern Europe. It is a pleasure to read about such powerful women, written by a masterful female author.

BOOK REVIEW: Arthur, Prince of Wales by Gareth Streeter

Published on April 23, 2024 by Caroline AngusLeave a comment

For too long, Arthur Tudor has been remembered only for what he never became. The boy who died prematurely and paved the way for the revolutionary reign of his younger brother, Henry VIII.
Yet, during his short life, Arthur was at the centre of one of the most tumultuous periods of England’s history. At the time of his birth, he represented his father’s hopes for a dynasty and England’s greatest chance of peace. As he grew, he witnessed feuds, survived rebellion and became the focal point of an international alliance.
From the threat of pretenders to West Country rebellions, the dramatic twists and turns of early Tudor England preoccupied Arthur’s thoughts. At a young age, he was dispatched to the Welsh border, becoming a figure head for a robust regional government. While never old enough to exercise full power in his dominion, he emerged as a figure of influence, beseeched by petitioners and consulted by courtiers. While the extent of his personal influence can only be guessed at, the sources that survive reveal a determined prince that came tantalisingly close to forging his future.
Finally, after years of negotiation, delay and frustration, the prince finally came face to face with his Spanish bride, Katharine of Aragon. The young couple had shared a destiny since the cradle. Securing the hand of this prestigious pride for his son had been a centre piece of Henry VII’s foreign policy. Yet, despite being 14 years in the making, the couple were to enjoy just five months together before Arthur succumbed to a mysterious illness.
Arthur’s death at the age of 15 was not just a personal tragedy for his parents. It changed the course of the future and deprived England of one of the most educated and cultivated princes in their history. Arthur would never wear the crown of England. But few Princes of Wales had been better prepared to rule.
‘Arthur, Prince of Wales: Henry VIII’s lost brother’ shows that Arthur Tudor was more than a prince who died. He was a boy that really lived.

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In Arthur, Prince of Wales Gareth Streeter meticulously reconstructs the life and legacy of one of Tudor England’s questioned royal figures. What sort of king would Arthur have been? It is an interesting question, but the fifteen years Arthur spent alive are often forgotten in the wonders of what could have been. Drawing on historical sources and archival material, this book offers a portrait of Prince Arthur’s life, his childhood, upbringing, and education, and his lasting impact on English history.

Streeter begins by tracing Arthur’s early years, from his birth in 1486 as the first son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, to his education and training as the heir to the English throne. Through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis, the author explores the challenges and expectations that accompanied Arthur’s position as the future king, painting a picture of the royal court and the political intrigues of the time.

One of the book’s most compelling aspects is its exploration of Arthur’s marriage to Katharine of Aragon, a union intended to forge an alliance between England and Spain. Streeter delves into the complexities of their relationship, from their initial meeting to their wedding and wedding night(s), offering insights into the dynamics of their marriage and the role it played in shaping the course of English history.

Arthur, Prince of Wales provides a detailed account of Arthur’s brief reign as Prince of Wales, a period marked by hope and anticipation for the future of the Tudor dynasty. The author examines Arthur’s efforts to establish himself as a future ruler, as well as the challenges his father faced in asserting his authority in a kingdom still recovering from years of civil war and instability.

Tragically, Arthur’s reign was cut short by his untimely death in 1502, just months after his marriage to Katharine. The author explores the circumstances surrounding Arthur’s demise, including the various theories and rumours which have surrounded his death for centuries, and the realities his death brought to Katharine, his parents, and England.

Arthur, Prince of Wales is a patiently researched biography that offers a different perspective on one of England’s most intriguing royal figures. The narrative style makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in the Tudor era and the individuals who shaped it.

Available from Pen & Sword here

BOOK REVIEW: Holbein’s Hidden Gem: Rediscovering Thomas Cromwell’s Lost Book by Dr Owen Emmerson & Kate McCaffrey

Published on April 23, 2024 by Caroline AngusLeave a comment

In a discovery branded the most exciting Thomas Cromwell finding ‘in a generation’, historians Kate McCaffrey and Dr Owen Emmerson chart their discovery of a Book of Hours that once belonged to Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII’s Chief Minister. Hidden in plain sight, and recognised by Hever Castle’s curator Alison Palmer, the book is one of the only extant objects captured in a Tudor portrait, for it features in Hans Holbein the Younger’s celebrated painting of Cromwell.

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Anyone familiar with this site or my work will surely understand how excited I was when I heard whispers of the discovery of Thomas Cromwell’s Book of Hours. To think Cromwell’s book, shown in the one and only surviving portrait of the man, could have sat undiscovered in the Wren Library for hundreds of years, only to be discovered as part of a different project, is the dream of a lifetime for any historian.

Holbein’s Hidden Gem: Rediscovering Thomas Cromwell’s Lost Book delivers a captivating exploration of a remarkable historical artefact and the discovery of the prayer book belonging to Thomas Cromwell, one of the most influential figures of Henry VIII’s court.

Emmerson and McCaffrey provide essential context about Thomas Cromwell and the work of Hans Holbein, but at the heart of the book lies in the analysis of the Cromwell Book of Hours itself. The authors take readers on a journey through the pages of this beautifully preserved book, exploring its contents, its symbolism, and its historical significance. Through detailed descriptions and insightful commentary, the authors highlight the ways the Book reflects beliefs, religious practices, and cultural interests in the Tudor period.

This book tells the story of the authors’ discovery and the evidence that links it to the Sadler family – Ralph Sadler being Cromwell’s ward, friend and protégé between 1514 – 1540. Emmerson and McCaffrey show readers how the discovery was made, and the trail of evidence that links it to the Sadler family – Ralph Sadler was a close friend and protégé of Cromwell, and it was the wife of his grandson who donated it to the college. Emmerson and McCaffrey also examine the evidence that proves this Book to be the exact one in the famous 1532 Hans Holbein portrait of Henry VIII’s chief minister. The book takes readers through the journey to ensuring the authenticity of the Book and its provenance, guiding readers through the various stages of how an item is proven as authentic, followed by well-written and knowledgeable insight proving what can be guaranteed in the study, and what remains unknown.

Cromwell’s Book of Hours was discovered while the authors were hosting an exhibition of the exact same Books belonging to Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn on display at Hever Castle, and how this third copy came to be shown to the world once again. These authors have literally redefined history with their work in these books, and for this Cromwell lover, it gives hope that certain items of the great man may still exist. The world should be grateful these remarkable Books, created in the late 1520s, are in such safe hands with people like Dr Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey.

Holbein’s Hidden Gem: Rediscovering Thomas Cromwell’s Lost Book is only available through Hever Castle.

HENRY VIII’S CHILDREN – PART 5: Etheldreda Malte

Published on May 10, 2023May 9, 2023 by Caroline Angus2 Comments

PART 5: ETHELDREDA MALTE

This portrait painted in the 1550s, was once considered to be Queen Mary

Among the women King Henry VIII is thought to have bedded, few stand out; but of those thought to have become pregnant, one was listed as a royal laundress. What did persist was the suggestion that Henry fathered a daughter named Etheldreda Malte. King Henry had his pick of women at court and had no reason to keep his indiscretions and choices a secret. So why did Etheldreda’s mother’s name get lost among the bevvy of women unfortunately remembered as royal mistresses? A daughter born to a laundress would have been forgotten, and yet the baby of this rumoured affair instead lived her life in the orbit of her supposed half-sister Queen Elizabeth.

The window between 1525-1535 is littered with supposed affairs between King Henry and ‘forgettable’ women, among them Joan (or Jane or Joanna) Dingley alias Dobson. Dingley was a common name at court among the lesser-ranked members right through to those working in the privy chamber. Sir John Moore, from the merchant hub of Dunclent (also spelt Dunkelyn, Douklin or Dobson) in Worcestershire, had a daughter named Joan (or Jane), who married James Dingley at a young age in the mid-1520s, but James died soon after. Later rumours claimed Joan ‘met’ King Henry, and Etheldreda (or Audrey) was born in the late 1520s, and the Moore and Dingley families remained working quietly at court.

A man of a similar social standing as Joan Dingley was John Malte, the king’s tailor. By 1530, Malte was doing well in the king’s household, and by the mid-1540s had been lavished with manors and lands far beyond what a servant could expect, earning thousands from the leases granted to him while he designed, created, and finished King Henry’s attire. But in January 1547, as Henry was aware of his failing health, he finalised a 1,312l 12d (over £550,000 today) gift of lands, manors, and livestock to ‘John and Etheldred Malte, alias Dyngley, bastard daughter of the said John Malte and Joan Dyngley alias Dobson’. The fine lands and grants were for Etheldreda and her heirs, not for Malte’s sons.

King Henry had ordered Malte to ensure Etheldreda’s education, and she married Sir John Harington of Stepney, an attendant of Sir Thomas Seymour, and then the Grey family while Etheldreda served Princess Elizabeth, including spending time in The Tower with her during Queen Mary’s reign. Etheldreda remained close to Elizabeth only to die just months after seeing her alleged half-sister be crowned queen in 1559.

Up next, the making of Henry Fitzroy, Wannabe King of the North

HENRY VIII’S CHILDREN: Part 4 – The Many Illegitimate Sons

Published on May 9, 2023 by Caroline AngusLeave a comment

Ahead of the release of Henry VIII’s Children: Legitimate and Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Tudor King on 30 May (Pen & Sword Currently have a 30% off special throughout May), I am doing a 15-part series on some of the smaller, lesser-known details that are covered in the book. These details played out in the background of the defining moments of the lives of each of Henry’s children. Here is a tiny snippet of each of the men who claimed (or were later claimed) to be the sons of Henry VIII. Many men claimed to be illegitimate sons of Henry VIII, for assorted reasons. As with claims made by others through the centuries, the information is impossible to verify, just assertions made by bold men in return for favour or protection.

PART 4: THE ILLEGITIMATE SONS

John Perrot

Perrot was born in the second week of November 1528, likely at Haroldston manor in Pembrokeshire, Wales.24 Perrot’s mother was Mary Berkeley of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, daughter of Thomas Berkeley and Susan FitzAlan. Mary Berkeley lived as a ward with her uncle Maurice Baron Berkeley, alongside another ward Thomas Perrot, son of Sir Thomas Perrot and Lady Katherine Poyntz. Fellow wards Thomas and Mary married at a noticeably young age and lived in Pembrokeshire, with their daughters Jane and Elizabeth when baby John was born in 1528. Assertions have been made that Mary Berkeley was a lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon, yet there is no evidence to prove this. The Berkeley/FitzAlan families were prestigious and well-connected families in England and Ireland, while the Perrot men fought at the Battle of Flodden and were wealthy Welsh landowners. John Perrot would go on to live at court and in noble circles in Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I’s reigns, spend time in control of parts of Wales and Ireland under Queen Elizabeth’s and lead a dramatic royal life.

Thomas Stuckeley

Despite the rumours of the king and the Boleyn sisters, many others were put forward as possible lovers of the king, one such lady being Jane Pollard. By 1525, Jane had married Sir Hugh Stukeley and was almost thirty years of age. Sir Hugh and Lady Jane had ten children, five sons and five daughters, however, with sketchy details, the birth order of the children is hard to judge. Their marriage went ahead around 1512, with their youngest son born in 1529. Thomas Stuckeley was roughly the middle child of this surprisingly healthy large family, with all ten children living until adulthood. Jane Pollard herself was one of eleven children and had married well into a high-ranking family. Hugh Stukeley’s father Sir Thomas was the eldest of seven, had been Knight of the Body to King Henry in 1516, and had inherited the vast glamourous estate of Affeton in Devonshire. Sir Hugh and Lady Jane certainly had the family connections to move in royal circles, and Affeton was a home fine enough to host the king and many nobles, including the respected and beloved Courtenays.

Her son Thomas Stuckeley worked for Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk under Henry VIII, and then went on to lie, cheat and swindle his way through Edward VI, King Henri of France, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Holy Roman Emperor Philip, and Pope Gregory, before disappearing alongside King Sebastian of Portugal during a battle in Morroco.

Richard Edwardes

Edwardes was born in North Petherton, Somerset in 1525, to William Edwardes and his wife Agnes Blewitt. The legends say King Henry visited hunting grounds and met Agnes, who cannot have been more than fifteen in 1525, and fathered her child. The trouble with the theory is that King Henry did not travel on progress anywhere near Somerset in the 1523-1525 window in which Agnes gave birth. Agnes was not a lady at the royal court. A tale that King Henry paid Agnes a stipend for her baby’s education is similarly nothing but theory.

Agnes’ son Richard Edwardes grew up in North Petherton before attending Oxford in 1540, studying under George Etheridge, becoming a fellow in 1544 and joining Christ Church College Oxford in 1546. But Edwardes’ talents lay in composing, poetry, and writing plays, and joined the Chapel Royal in 1557. A life at court writing now-famous and Shakespeare-inspiring plays, and composing music for Queen Elizabeth I saw Edwardes happy and successful, only for him to die right before receiving a substantial gift from the queen now rumoured to be his sister.

Henry Lee

One of the more unusual claims was yet another son named Henry, this child born in 1533-1534. This child was born at a time when King Henry was married to Anne Boleyn and their daughter Princess Elizabeth had just been born. Baby Henry’s father, Sir Anthony Lee was an attendant to Thomas Cromwell, who married Lady Margaret Wyatt, daughter of Cromwell’s dear friend Sir Henry Wyatt. The pair likely met as Margaret Wyatt was close to Thomas Cromwell, and she spent time with him and his wife before her marriage, and again in later years when her husband was in prison. But Margaret Wyatt, Margaret Lee after marrying in 1532, was a lady-in-waiting for Anne Boleyn, albeit a quiet woman. Margaret would have spent much time at court, well within King Henry’s sights.

Henry Lee lived a reasonably quiet life among his educated circle of family and friends as he worked in parliament, and rose to become Queen Elizabeth’s Champion in 1570, at the age of fifty-seven. Henry remained close to the queen for another twenty years before doing the one thing almost no one (except his grandfather Henry Wyatt) did in a Tudor court – retire happy in old age.

Up next – Etheldreda Malte