Galleries

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

Published on 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.

—

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 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.

—

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 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.

—

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.

PLANNING THE MURDER OF ANNE BOLEYN

Published on by Caroline AngusLeave a comment

Almost 500 years have passed since the death of Anne Boleyn, and yet, there has never been a suggestion she was guilty of the crimes that saw her executed. Attempts to muddy Anne’s reputation throughout history have not lessened her popularity, nor convinced anyone she was an adulterer. But many myths surrounding Anne’s conviction for sleeping with George Boleyn, Henry Norris, Francis Weston, William Brereton, and Mark Smeaton, have cropped up as a result of centuries of lies, slander, and misinformation from detractors.

One month after Anne was executed, the Convocation of Canterbury ratified the paperwork detailing her arrest, conviction, execution, and the annulment of the marriage between King Henry VIII and his second wife. As parliament had already ruled Anne’s only child, Princess Elizabeth, was no longer heir to the throne, all the paperwork surrounding the trial was destroyed. No trace of her charges, witness statements, evidence, or even Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s reasoning for annulling the royal marriage survived the mass destruction. Everyone was supposed to forget Anne Boleyn and accept Queen Jane.

But why did Anne Boleyn ever need to die? King Henry had started little more than an infatuation with Jane Seymour in December 1535, and yet many saw the opportunity to pounce, not to reduce Anne’s influence but to increase Princess Mary’s standing. As Vicegerent Thomas Cromwell and Ambassador Eustace Chapuys whispered of alliances in secret meetings, the Catholic nobility and the White Roses began to hatch their plan to restore the king’s daughter Princess Mary to her rightful place at court. Just as Katharine of Aragon died, Anne Boleyn felt secure as England’s queen, only to find that her adversary’s death would soon bring on her own.

Who ultimately planned Anne Boleyn’s death? Why did political and religious enemies of Thomas Cromwell go to him in the months leading to Anne’s death, expecting his co-operation to restore Princess Mary? Did Jane Seymour have any significance, why did King Henry and Thomas Cromwell get into a public shouting match at a dinner party, and just how easy was it to convince Henry to remove his wife for good?

The answers lie not in what evidence remains of court life in early 1536, but in the gaps left behind. None of the characters that played a role in Anne Boleyn’s death were strangers; all had connections, alliances, and opportunities, and when their pasts and futures are laid together, we can see how a haphazard plan to end a queen’s life had almost nothing to do with her at all.

Henry VIII’s Children

HENRY VIII’S CHILDREN – PART 5: Etheldreda Malte

Published on by Caroline Angus2 Comments

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 short introduction to Etheldreda Malte, daughter of the king.

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