New Release: The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory

The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory release 8.25.15
"By the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the Starz original series The White Queen, a riveting new Tudor tale featuring King Henry VIII’s sixth wife Kateryn Parr, the first English queen to publish under her own name.
Why would a woman marry a serial killer?

Because she cannot refuse…

Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has buried four wives—King Henry VIII—commands her to marry him.

Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride and Kateryn’s trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as Regent.

But is this enough to keep her safe? A leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry’s dangerous gaze turns on her. The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy—the punishment is death by fire and the king’s name is on the warrant…

From an author who has described all of Henry’s queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last: a woman who longed for passion, power, and education at the court of a medieval killer".

Book Review: THE KING'S CURSE by Philippa Gregory

 Margaret Pole was a true survivor in every sense of the way. She had had made it through her uncle Richard III’s rule, Henry VII’s conquest of her closest confidant Elizabeth of York, and again she survived the wrath of Margaret Beaufort, which is no easy task. Margaret was one f the few royals that had survived the War of the Roses and the transition to Tudor England. The war came to an end with Henry VII’s marriage to her cousin Elizabeth. The cousins through the years had been very close. They shared every tear and heartbreak up until Elizabeth’s death.

The biggest tragedy to strike the cousins was the loss of Elizabeth’s son Arthur. Henry VII had executed Margaret’s own brother to finalize the agreement between Spain and England for the marriage of the infant of Spain: Catherine of Aragon to Arthur. After the marriage took place the new couple were entrusted to their mothers closest friend Margaret for their care and managing. Margaret had already cared for Arthur most of his life and loved him like he was her own son. Shortly after the marriage Arthur's health had suddenly started to dramatically decline and he was gone with in a day. Greif stricken Margaret knew then that the curse on the Tudors was still very real. Arthur’s own grandmother, and mother had cursed who ever had murdered their lost princes that would have been Arthur uncles. There had always been rumors of the Woodville women being witches even his great grandmother Jaquetta had been put on trail for witchcraft during the war. The Woodville women wanted revenge and cursed “those that had murdered our princes” and had inadvertently cursed their own future line because Elizabeth had been forced to marry the enemy. Margaret had lost the prince she loved but had gained a princess. Catherine of Aragon had become a close confident of Margaret’s over the years and even closer yet after Elizabeth’s tragic death.

After years of tragedy bestowed on Margaret’s family everything changed in the blink of an eye when young King Henry came to the throne upon his father’s death. Her family’s fortune was reversed and she was back in the lime light because the new queen was Catherine of Aragon her closest friend. The new courts blissful happiness was slowly chipped away by the Tudor curse when Catherine of Aragon gave birth to dead child after dead child. Devoted to Catherine and her only surviving child princess Mary, like Prince Arthur Margaret had been asked to care for Mary though the years and had also loved her like her own daughter maybe even more than that. King Henry had sworn to love Catherine until death do them part but the nagging question of the curse weighed heavy on him. Eventually he turned from Catherine to another leading the whole country into civil out cry over the unjust treatment of Catherine his legal wedded wife. Margaret had survived many trials but her friendship with Catherine would lead her to the greatest tragedy of her life, protect the princess or sacrifice all to a deranged King that sought to destroy all in his path.

5/5 I LOVED this one out of all of the books in this series this one is now my second favorite. My first will always be “Lady of the Rivers” but this one comes right after now. Margaret’s story is tragic to say the least but I really enjoyed how the author wove Margaret’s alliances and intriquet relationships with her many many children. This one I think could be read as a stand-alone novel but if you do it that way you will loose all of the back history of the curse, which I would not really, recommend because what leads up to the curse is great historical fiction reads. I would highly recommend this to Tudor lovers because Margaret’s story is one of the most dramatic cases of the times.

FTC ~ this novel is from my personal collection

PG ~ 13 For mild violence.

Amazon: The Kings Cure by Philippa Gregory

S T A Y C O N N E C T E D W I T H M E :
S U B S C R I B E ~ T W I T T E R ‪ ~ F A C E B O O K ~ I N S T A G R A M ~ G O O G L E +‪
~L I Z Z I E~

Upcoming Release: The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory

The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory Releasing~ 9.9.2014

"This is the story of deposed royal Margaret Pole, and her unique view of King Henry VIII’s stratospheric rise to power in Tudor England. Margaret Pole spends her young life struggling to free her brother, arrested as a child, from the Tower of London. The Tower – symbol of the Tudor usurpation of her family’s throne – haunts Margaret’s dreams until the day that her brother is executed on the orders of Henry VII. Regarded as yet another threat to the volatile King Henry VII’s claim to the throne, Margaret is buried in marriage to a steady and kind Tudor supporter—Sir Richard Pole, governor of Wales. But Margaret’s quiet, hidden life is changed forever by the arrival of Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon, as Margaret soon becomes a trusted advisor and friend to the honeymooning couple. Margaret’s destiny, as an heiress to the Plantagenets, is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws her into poverty and rebellion against the new royal family, luck restores her to her place at court where she becomes the chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine and watches the dominance of the Spanish queen over her husband, and her fall. As the young king becomes increasingly paranoid of rivals he turns his fearful attention to Margaret and her royal family. Amid the rapid deterioration of the Tudor court, Margaret must choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical king, Henry VIII, or to her beloved queen and princess. Caught between the old world and the new, Margaret has to find her own way and hide her knowledge of an old curse on all the Tudors, which is slowly coming true . . ."

BEHIND THE BOOK RELEASED IN 2014 
"This is a novel which changed its nature, content and significance from when I started research until publication. Right up until the last stage of copy editing I was revising and adding material and characters to this dark story. I started it, thinking that it would be a relatively simple telling of the tragic story of Margaret Pole - daughter of George, Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville. George was the brother of Edward IV, probably drowned in a vat of Malmsey wine for treason against Edward and Queen Elizabeth. As the book progressed I discovered that Margaret was a central figure in the Tudor court, and probably actively involved in the endless conspiracies against the Henry VIII and his advisors. This hidden rebellion reached its peak in the uprising of the North called the Pilgrimage of Grace. The pilgrims won their aims of defending the Roman Catholic traditions and the return of the traditional advisors, but Henry reneged on his promises and sent his troops for a terrible persecution to men who held a royal pardon. Margaret, and her entire family, came under suspicion too and this novel moved far from the template of a persecuted heroine and became the story of a merciless murder of a family. Margaret's betrayer, and her defenders all come under the gaze of a king who was increasingly frightened and, I believe delusional. It's been a chilling and powerful book to write and the image of Henry VIII, composer of 'Greensleeves' beloved of primary school history, will never be the same again for me. He was a serial killer and this book traces his steps towards psychosis. THE BOOK OPENS IN 1499 England is under a Tudor king, Henry VII has two sons with Elizabeth of York which should have secured his line, yet his court is still filled with fear and suspicion. Plantagenet is a dangerous name to carry and the heiress Margaret Pole is swiftly married off to a staunch Tudor supporter, but her brother Edward's claim cannot be ignored. Henry executes him on Tower Hill, leaving Margaret to face a lifetime of uncertainly". Source: Philippa Gregory

For more on Philippa Gregory's book check out her really cool site that puts all the book in order by time periods 
Amazon ~ The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory
~Lizzie~

Book Review: ROYAL INHERITANCE by Kate Emerson

Kate Emerson is a long-standing favorite author of mine. She really knows her Tudor’s. Her extensive background really shows through in each and every one of her novels. What I love about Kate is her novels are easy to read, fast paced, and she really has a gift for leading you through the Tudor courts secrets. I literally inhaled “Royal Inheritance” and it brought back a reminder of why I love reading so much. It is always a pleasure to live and breathe Kate Emerson’s Tudors.

Audrey Malte, was the daughter of a Windsor castle laundress and the royal tailor John Malte. Her life was not easy to begin with and she was sorely abused until she ran off in the palace one day only to be found by King Henry VII. Audrey had never known her father and it was then that King Henry took Audrey to him. From that day on her happy childhood had begun. She was lucky from that day on. She had a loving father and family well except her nasty half sister Bridget who would be a constant pain in the rear. Bridget though out the years became even nastier to Audrey and their relationship took a really nasty turn when King Henry commanded that his tailor bring Audrey along to court with him. No one in the family had any reason or logic behind why all of the sudden the King of all people favored Audrey. On her first visit to the palace Henry had given her one of his beloved dogs. A sweet little pocket beagle she named “pocket”. Pocket was not the only favor he had given her. He made sure she had music lessons from a hunky courtier named John Harington, dance lessons, and even a female companion to escort her on her trips to court. Audrey had it all but as she grew up into womanhood the only thing she lacked in her life was love and a husband.

As a young girl Audrey had fallen madly in love with her music teacher but King Henry had other plans for her future and they defiantly did not include John the music teacher. She was given an order to marry another man she did not even like let alone love. As fate would have it though Audrey held her ground and Henry quickly went downhill. Sadly King Henry and her father John Malte passed away very close together. When both king and tailor had passed Audrey’s nasty sister Bridget was named the executor of her fathers will. Bridget had always been jealous of her sister but now it had reached its highest point. Her fathers will had left Audrey a very well endowed because King Henry had also named her along with her father to inherite in his passing also. There was no way Bridget would easily let Audrey claim her rightful inheritance. Audrey had to think fast or else Bridget was going to steal her future away from her. She could only think of one safe place she could go and that was to the now widowed Queen Catherine Parr. She was safe there but what did the future have in store for her she wondered. With no husband or father to defend her how could she rightfully take what was hers?

5/5 Kate did it again! She might as well be called the Tudor goddess. I loved every page of "Royal Inheritance" because it was so exciting. The best part of Kate’s style is that you never ever have any idea how her novels will end and you never know what secret of the Tudor court it will expose. Kate makes for excellent reading. I highly recommend all of Kate’s novels because they are so much fun to read. They seem to surprise me every time.

FTC-this book was sent to me by the publisher for review.

Amazon 

• Royal Inheritance by Kate Emerson
• Secrets of the Tudor Court Series

~Lizzie~

Henry VIII goes Gangnam Style

I could not help myself so sit back and have a good laugh.
~Lizzie~

Today In History: The Start of The Field of Cloth of Gold

A favorite setting for historical fiction novelist. Set to take place nearby of Calais in the area of Balinghem. The field of cloth of gold was opened on June 7Th and followed through to June 24Th in the year 1520. Intended for Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France to strengthen the bond of friendship following the signing of the Anglo-French treaty of 1518. It more so became a challenge of each kings egocentric personalities. Both kings going above and beyond the norm to upstage one another. The days were taken up with tournaments, in which both kings took part. There were banquets in which the kings entertained each other's queens. The many other entertainments included archery displays and wrestling between Breton and English wrestlers. The French account of events stated that apparently things turned sour for Henry when he lost a wrestling match with Francis.
~Lizzy~

Henry VIII's Mary Rose Limited Edition New Pens

Alan Titchmarsh Pledges Support to New Mary Rose Museum Campaign

Broadcaster and author Alan Titchmarsh is putting his weight behind the campaign to build a spectacular new £35 million Mary Rose museum, by launching a set of limited edition Mary Rose pens, made from wood found at the Tudor ship’s wreck site.

 

The Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire and long term supporter of the Mary Rose Trust, the charity responsible for the conservation and preservation of King Henry VIII’s flagship, today launched the limited edition of 200 pens in time for Christmas.

 

The Trust hopes to raise £50,000 from the sale of the pens, to help support the work of the Mary Rose and the new museum project.

 

Only 50 each of four types of hand crafted pen (including a fountain pen, a ballpoint pen, a rollerball pen, and a propelling pencil) have been fashioned from oak, beech, elm, boxwood and poplar timber found on the wreck site of the Mary Rose. However, the wood is not believed to be from the ship or any of her artefacts.

 

Each limited edition pen is marked with a unique number beginning with “MR”, to signify it was recovered from the Mary Rose wreck site. 

Speaking on the pen launch at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Alan Titchmarsh said, “I have always been fascinated by this iconic English wreck. As a resident of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, I often look across the Solent and think of that fateful day in 1545 when The Mary Rose sank in such mysterious circumstances.  This is a chance for people to get a little closer to those historic, yet tragic, events.”

 

Deputy Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust, Robert Lapraik, added, “We are grateful for all the help we have had to date, but financial support from the public must continue in order to ensure this national treasure is preserved for future generations. We hope people will take this opportunity to buy a truly unique Christmas gift for a loved one and help the Mary Rose secure her rightful place in British heritage.”

 

David Plummer, who was responsible for handcrafting each of the pens, commented, “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to work on such a distinctive project and to lend support to the Mary Rose in this way. When carving the wood, I was amazed by the unique aroma and at the integrity of the ancient wood.”

 

The limited edition Mary Rose pens can be ordered from the Mary Rose Gift Shop, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, 023 9283 9938, at a price of £250 each. They come in a beautiful presentation box, together with a certificate of authenticity signed by Rear Admiral John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust, and David Plummer.

 The New Mary Rose Museum , scheduled to open in Autumn 2012, is a major step towards the final chapter in the conservation of the great ship, which began in 1982.  Taking the form of a finely crafted wooden ‘jewellery box’, clad in timber planks, the museum will house the Mary Rose’s fully conserved hull and reunite her with the 19,000 beautifully preserved Tudor artefacts found inside of the wreck. 

 

The existing temporary museum, located 300 metres away from the ship itself, which has space to display only one twentieth of the Tudor items recovered with the wreck, will remain open throughout the construction of the new £35 million museum.

 

The Trust was awarded one of the largest Heritage Lottery Fund grants ever for the new museum project and has an appeal for £15 million to add to this. They now have a final £3m to raise to complete the appeal.  The Trust receives no central funding and is entirely reliant on donations, along with museum entrance fees and profits from its shop, to reach its ambitious final target.

 

To help secure the future of The Mary Rose visit www.maryrose.org  

 

Ends

For media enquiries, contact:

Charli Beale, Bell Pottinger Business & Brand

cbeale@bell-pottinger.co.uk

07800 582 266

 

Or

 

Stuart Disbrey, Bell Pottinger Business & Brand

sdisbrey@bell-pottinger.co.uk

020 7861 2495

 

 

The Mary Rose

The Mary Rose is the only 16th century warship on display anywhere in the world. Launched in 1511, she was one of the first ships able to fire a broadside, and was a favourite of King Henry VIII.

After a long and successful career, she sank during an engagement with a French fleet in 1545. Her rediscovery and raising were seminal events in the history of maritime archaeology.

 

A dedicated Mary Rose museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, remains open while the ship hall housing the preserved wreck is temporarily closed during construction of the new Mary Rose Museum . The amazing artefacts discovered with the great ship, remain on display and new exhibits, including Hatch, the ship’s dog, are being introduced to maintain the highest quality of visitor experience.

 

The new Mary Rose Museum will, for the first time since her sinking, re-unite the ship and her contents, fully preserved and presented in a time capsule of Tudor life at sea.

Today In History, Henry VII and Henry VIII

I really find this particular day in history very intriguing. For a few reasons one being that today January 28th 1457 King Henry VII was born. Then exactly 100 years later his son Henry VIII died on January 28th 1547. Weird fluke of fate or just a coincidence? I am not sure but either way it is kind of creepy. Maybe him and his father were more alike than they ever thought possible.
















This was the only piece of art I could find with both of them together. In the back it is Henry VII with Elizabeth of York. In the front it is Henry VIII and Jane Seymour.
Happy birthday Henry VII

Today In History, Anne Boleyn Marries Henry VIII

477 years ago today Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn. The marriage that rocked the world and changed the fate of England. England would never be the same after the pair married. Henry moved mountains to be with Anne including separating from Rome and the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

There is not much out there on Anne as far as art work goes since Henry had everything of her destroyed after her execution but I did happen to find a letter from Henry to Anne. Can you make out any of it? The only part I could make out is towards the bottom right "gentyile home", scary right, him offering a gentle home?






















For More on Anne and Henry:
Henry's Birthday
Tudors on ShowtimeField of Cloth and Gold
Anne Crowned Queen
Anne Boleyn by Charles Knight
Henry Marries Jane Seymour
Anne's Execution
Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table: Marie Burton and Anne Boleyn

3:00 PM Update: Rosemary from Booking it Bus Style sent me this really cool article link about Alison Weir and her new Anne Boleyn book. Check out her cool Link!

Today in History, Happy Birthday Henry VIII

Happy Birthday Henry VIII, born June 28Th 1491. Bed, wed, and behead was Henry's norm. I have posted many articles about the wives of Henry, especially Anne Boleyn because she is my favorite. Today is Henry's day and yes he did have six wives. First, Catherine of Aragon died in banishment from the court. Second, Anne Boleyn was beheaded on Henry's trumpet up charges on adultery and incest. Third, Jane Seymour died shortly after giving birth to Henry's son. Fourth, Anne of Cleve's marriage was annulled because it was never consummated. Fifth Catherine Howard ( wife number two's cousin) was beheaded for adultery. Sixth Catherine Parr was the only one who lived past Henry. It has been speculated that he would have divorced her too if he had lived longer. She was a good nurse to Henry in the end. She went on to marry Thomas Seymour (brother of wife three).

Henry was an avid sportsman. He enjoyed hunting, jousting, wrestling, and anything else physical. Obviously he was arrogant but he also enjoyed the softer things of life like composing music and poetry. He was a constant supporter of the liberal arts, employing Hans Holbein in his court. He was also dedicated to higher learning and contributed to the colleges often.

Henry had a special quality a glittering magnetism that made people drawn to him not only because he was king but because they were drawn to him. Like an Arabian horse drawn to an oasis in a desert. He was a deeply religious man, whether it changed from catholic or protestant. Daily he went to church and read from the scriptures. He was a faithful man to his beliefs but was never faithful to any of his wives. He would change everything, no one would be safe from the kings wrath, not even the church. The Act of Supremacy in 1534 declared that the King was "the only Supreme Head in Earth of the Church of England" and the Treason Act 1534 made it high treason, punishable by death, to refuse to acknowledge the King as such. England separated with Rome leaving many theological issues for many successors to follow.

Crazy that in this life I should be so lucky as to be very close to two people that share the same birthday. First of all my mother in law, second my sweet daughter who happened to be born five days over my due date. They all share the same birthday June 28Th, and I swear moody, moody, crabby crabs. I feel it is only fitting to include his astrology sign, it opens a window to what type of person he was.

OVERVIEW: 2009

"As we enter the Golden Age of Aquarius, you are ready to receive all the blessings that are there for you, especially in the areas of communications and relationships.

Being understood and getting the responses you desire helps you believe in your ability to succeed and reach your highest potential. Your focus is excellent, and you know what you want. Use this to your advantage when working with others, but don't demand that they see your ideas as visionary -- even if you do. As ideas start flowing freely to you, make sure you articulate your insights clearly.

This year, you will be strongly motivated by transformation, especially in romantic unions. When balanced in your heart and mind, you easily express your emotions and are quick to support others. It is important for you to have a partner who is willing to explore different ways of doing things. You will experience many changes as you learn new ways of expressing yourself.

As you make this shift, avoid putting restrictions on yourself and stopping the flow. You are learning to behave in a new positive way, not worrying about the outcome. This will curb your need to control situations and enable you to take your relationships -- work and personal -- to a higher level of consciousness."

Sundays Art: Tudor's Jonathan Rhys Meyers

I had to do this, I found this by chance he he. I remember a post by Amy of Passages of the Past where it had come up of "how could anyone hate this man". Point very well taken Amy. I am a avid Tudor's fan and I have noticed the changes they have done in the most recent episodes of how he is suppose to be mean old Henry. When Anne was executed he was colorful and towards her end he had a slight mow hawk of defiance. He is currently sporting longer slicked back hair and wears all black. Like that is going to make him mean. He is still hott and yes the show is scandalous but that is what makes it Tudor's.

Today in History: The Field of Cloth of Gold 1520

A favorite setting for historical fiction novelist. Set to take place nearby of Calais in the area of Balinghem. The field of cloth of gold was opened on June 7Th and followed through to June 24Th in the year 1520. Intended for Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France to strengthen the bond of friendship following the signing of the Anglo-French treaty of 1518. It more so became a challenge of each kings egocentric personalities. Both kings going above and beyond the norm to upstage one another. The days were taken up with tournaments, in which both kings took part. There were banquets in which the kings entertained each other's queens. The many other entertainments included archery displays and wrestling between Breton and English wrestlers. The French account of events stated that apparently things turned sour for Henry when he lost a wrestling match with Francis.

Today in History, Anne Boleyn Crowned Queen

Today in history, Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey, followed by an elaborate dinner feast. For further reading about Anne check out a previous post here,

P.S. Happy Birthday 3rd B day J.J.

Today in History, King Henry VIII Marries Jane Seymour

May 30Th 1536, Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, a previously lady-in-waiting for Queen Anne. Henry VIII was betrothed to Jane Seymour on May 20th 1536, the day after Boleyn's execution, and married her ten days later. In 1537 she gave birth to a son the future Edward VI. She participated in the young princes christening and became deathly ill with puerperal fever. She died on October 24Th, 1537 at Hampton Court. After her death, Henry wore black for the next three months. Henry was later buried beside her in 1547.

This was written above her grave for awhile:

Here lieth a Phoenix, by whose death
Another Phoenix life gave breath:
It is to be lamented much
The world at once ne'er knew two such.

Today in History: The Execution of Anne Boleyn

Anne was executed on a scaffolding erected on the north side of the White Tower, in front of what is now the Waterloo Barracks on May 19Th, 1536. Before she was executed She spoke and was quoted saying:

"Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul"

Anne Boleyn is one of Histories most prolific women. Born ahead of her time and destined to become a doomed Queen. It has been concluded by historians that Anne did not have a sixth finger and it was quite possible she was Rh negative. For those of you who do not know what Rh negative you can read more about it here. Her body was found during renovations done by Queen Victoria and they found her hands were slim and normal.

She was highly educated and was an opinionated woman. Growing up she had spent time abroad as Margaret of Austria's maid of honour. Later she was sent to France to attend King Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor, for Mary's marriage to Louis XII of France. Her father recalled her back home in January 1522 for a marriage to her cousin that would never take place.

In 1526 King Henry began his pursuit, but as it happened her sister Mary was recently dismissed from being his mistress after having his children. It was even rumored that Henry had had relations with the girls mother also. King Henry VIII empowered Anne with his undying lust for her & thus she became a powerful force to be reckoned with. Henry had dismissed his pious catholic first wife Catherine of Aragon. Catherine was formally stripped of her title as Queen and banished from court. Their only child Mary was proclaimed to be a bastard. Anne was consequently crowned on June 1, 1533. She was a lavish Queen who had a taste for enjoying the finer things in life. . There were over two hundred and fifty servants to tend to her personal needs, everyone from priests to stable-boys. There were over 60 maids-of-honour who served her and accompanied her to social events.

Anne was key in the driving force behind the separation of England from Rome. It is said because of her experiences in France that she was a devote Christan in the new tradition of Renaissance humanism. While she would later hold the reformist position that the papacy was a corrupting influence on Christianity. The Catholic church at the time had laid an unbroken "cloth of Christendom" all over the known modern world. At that time men of the church only had to awnser to one man the pope, who spoke for god. Anne brought the reformist position to the table. Why should the priest not awnser to the king first, they live in his country, on his land, serve him, & yet they did not awnser to him. A bonus for Henry was the church had a lot of money & goods that could be confiscated by the crown. Then he would be supreme authority over the church of England not Rome. Parliament declared Henry "the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England". Leaving him with no one to awnser to but god himself.

Elizabeth, Anne and King Henry's only child was born on September 7Th 1533 at Greenwich palace. She was named after Henry's mother Elizabeth of York who was the only woman to be mother, wife, & daughter of the crown. Anne's downfall began around when Catherine of Aragon died and her heart was said to have been blackened by poison, Anne being blamed for her death. Modern doctors concluded she died from heart disease, which was not understood then. The King and new queen wore yellow head to toe to celebrate Catherine's passing. Anne found she was pregnant again after having up to three previous miscarriages, she was desperate to have a son. Her life depended on providing an heir to the throne. Later that month, the King was unhorsed in a joust tournament and knocked unconscious for two hours, a worrying incident that Anne believed led to her miscarriage five days later. Given Henry's desperate desire for a son, the sequence of Anne's pregnancies has attracted much interest. While Anne recovered from the miscarriage Henry declared that he had been seduced into the marriage by means of "sortilege" which is a French term for either "deception" or "spells". He quickly moved his new mistress Jane Seymour in and refused her brother George The Order of the Garter.

It all went downhill so quickly from there. Mark Smeaton was a Flemish musician in Anne's employment, he was arrested and tortured for having carnal knowledge of the queen. Followed by Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, & William Brereton were all arrested. All Innocent men used as a scape goat for king Henry to be rid of Anne. The most despicable is George, her brother. Accused of two counts of incest, treason, adultery, and he was arrested. Anne was taken to the tower of London on May 2ND 1536. Once in the tower she collapsed and went into hysterics. She and the other men were all tried and found guilty of plotting the king's death, to ostensibly marry one of them afterwards. Henry himself issued the crucial instructions: his officials, including Cromwell, carried them out. They broke Anne's moral character and although the evidence against them was unconvincing, the accused were found guilty and condemned to death. George Boleyn and the other accused men were executed on May 17Th 1536. The King commuted Anne's sentence from burning to beheading and sent for a swordsman for the execution, quick and painless, one strike only. When They came for her on the morning of May 19Th she wore a red petticoat under a loose, dark grey gown of damask trimmed in fur and a mantle of ermine to her own execution.

For further reading on Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth of York, my favorite Author Robin Maxwell has written some amazing books called Mademoiselle Boleyn, Secret Diary, Virgin Prelude to the Throne, Queens Bastard, and Tower Born.

Within the Tower of London there is a monument to commemorate the two English Queens consort and five other British nobles who were executed by beheading. It is a beautiful made glass pillow on a circular platform, Anne and the others names are etched in the rim of glass. Anne in my eyes was a heroine and I am sympathetic to her case. She did what she thought was right, even thought it might not have been right. With out her who knows what the world would have been like today if king Henry had not moved heaven and earth to be with her.

Today in History, The Execution of George Boleyn

Today George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was executed on Tower hill on May 17th 1536. He was brought to trail with four other men for having cardinal knowledge of the Queen of England. It just happened that the queen was his sister Anne Boleyn. During the hearing his own wife testified against him that conniving Jane Parker. George was found guilty of incest by the court judges, his own father insanely being one of them. Everyone had turned their back on him and Anne. No one dared speak out for fear of the kings wrath.

Poor George entangled in a web of deceit, known as the modern day rat race but, in the court of Henry VIII it was a deadly game to play with very high stakes, your head. The higher they are raised, the harder they fall, this applies to George. He was a scape goat for king Henry, someone to blame for Queen Anne's terrible miscarriages & wild antics. George was a avid politician and henchman for Henry during his campaign urged by Anne, to the dissolution of the catholic monasteries. It was also rumored that he was gay, and one of the other men executed, a musician named Mark Smeaton was his lover. Mark is also accused of being the later Queen Elizabeth's father. A vicious slander on Anne set in place by the supporters of the catholic faith. He met a terrible end, & when I watched him executed on Tudors on showtime, I cried for him and mark.

My favorite book that has more of my view of George is The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Also with her follow up book The Boleyn Inheritance you can follow the demise of Georges wife Jane Parker other wise known as Jane Viscount Rochford. Jane played a key role in George's down fall and later in Queen Catherine Howard's death, one of their cousins who went on to marry King Henry. But that is a whole different story for another time. I wish it were different but there is no existing or surviving portrait of George Boleyn.

Welcome! Historically Obsessed

" When young Anne Boleyn is sent to French court with her father and sister Mary, she believes she's going for an innocent adventure. But when the ambitious Ambassador Thomas Boleyn leads them into the highly sophisticated and sexually permissive court of Francois I, Anne quickly learns that they are merely pawns to be used for their father's own political purpose. Since all good English girls are expected to do their father's bidding, Mary becomes mistress to the outrageous French king and is ultimately seduced into his dangerous world by the luxuries of court. But Anne has a different fate in mind. Anne is younger, cleverer, and stronger willed than her elder sister, and with the guidance of chosen, powerful allies and unlikely friends, such as Leonardo da Vinci, she learns how to navigate the challenges, passions and betrayals of court. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Anne undergoes her own sexual awakening, each daring exploit taking her one step closer to the life that is her destiny."

Welcome all to my historical book blog. I have always been Historically Obsessed. My latest obsession was triggered with a book that found me and it was meant to be, Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell. Robin brought me into a new beautiful world of Anne Boleyn in France. It light a fire in my mind. Lucky for me Mademoiselle Boleyn was only the beginning part of Anne's story. I loved every word of this book, the intricate details were amazing.This book is a must buy.

I immediately went on to read The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn also by Robin Maxwell. Since I now was on a furious crusade for the rest of Anne Boleyn's story. What I did not expect was it was her daughter Elizabeth who is reading the diary. Instead you get two intertwined stories that take place in totally different time periods. This book opened my eyes to what Anne could have been thinking realistically. I have come to view her more in what others would view as "sympathetic". Torn from her real love Henry Percy. Forced by family ambition to love the pursuing king. Anne had no chance. She realized the unattainable demands she made in trying to rebuff the king would entice the great Henry into moving the heavens and earth to be with her. But at the price of civil unrest, separation from Rome, and abruptly her own head.

"Anne was the second of Henry's six wives, doomed to be beloved, betrayed and beheaded. When Henry fell madly in love with her upon her return from an education at the lascivious French court, he was already a married man. While his passion for Anne was great enough to rock the foundation of England and of all Christendom, in the end he forsook her for another love, schemed against her, and ultimately had her sentenced to death. But unbeknownst to the king, Anne had kept a diary.

At the beginning of Elizabeth 's reign, it is pressed into her hands. In reading it, the young queen discovers a great deal about her much-maligned mother: Anne's fierce determination, her hard-won knowledge about being a woman in a world ruled by despotic men, and her deep-seated love for the infant daughter taken from her shortly after her birth. In journal's pages, Elizabeth finds an echo of her own dramatic life as a passionate young woman at the center of England 's powerful male establishment, and with the knowledge gained from them, makes a resolution that will change the course of history."