The Tudor Fair Blog
Elizabeth Tilney: Grandmother to Queens and Mistresses
Five hundred years ago a woman who was born into the gentry (but not one of the leading noblewomen in the country by any mean) became the founding matriarch of England’s premiere family during the Tudor period. Elizabeth Tilney was the grandmother of two different wives of Henry VIII, as…
Five Things About Jasper Tudor You Really Will Want to Know (if you don’t already)
In my latest episode of the Renaissance English History Podcast I talked to Melita Thomas of Tudor Times about Jasper Tudor, uncle to Henry VII and perhaps the true Kingmaker of the 15th century. I hadn’t know much about Jasper, other than what I’ve read in historical fiction (there is a lovely…
New Podcast Up
So I just posted a fresh podcast on the Iron industry in the Weald of Kent in the 16th century. It’s an area I’m interested in, as I explain in the podcast, because one of the things that I really find most fascinating about the 16th century is the movement…
It’s that time of year! The Trinity Carol Roll and caroling in general
The Caroling season is beginning! A month from now, many of us will be attending candlelight Christmas Eve services where, if you’re like me, you’ll end up a bit weepy as the church goes dark, and you try to sing Silent Night in your voice part because you’ve sung it…
Tudor and Elizabethan Fashion, Clothing, and Sumptuary Laws
I just posted a fresh Renaissance English History Podcast on Fashion, Clothing, and Sumptuary Laws in Tudor and Elizabethan England. Below is the audio to listen, and the show notes are on the podcast website, englandcast.com. Here are some fun things I learned this episode: Decorating a fur with jewelry,…
John Stowe: Grumpy Old Man with a Parchment Polaroid
In 1598 a very old man decided to write a history of his changing city, a snapshot of a city that was going through enormous transformation, and he wanted to capture the city he knew as a younger man for posterity. The man was called John Stowe, and the city…
Horace de Vere Cole – Poet and Prankster
In the midst of the stress and anguish in the past Downton Abbey (for those in the US who won’t be seeing it for another 4 months or so, I won’t give away the story – just suffice it to say that my heart was in my throat) a bit…
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
When I was 24 I moved to London because I was in love with the English choral tradition, and wanted to immerse myself in music and history. I also happened to have a crazy crush on an Unavailable Man who lived there, but even though the man and I didn’t…
Medieval gay royal scandals, buddhist David Hume, and a really boring Queen: a roundup of history articles online this week.
Three of the best history-themed articles I’ve read this week. Scandal, drama, buddhism in 18th century Europe, and boring vanilla queens. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. From historytoday.com: http://www.historytoday.com/js-hamilton/menage-roi-edward-ii-and-piers-gaveston For nearly 700 years people have been debating whether a) Edward II was gay, and b) if he was…
Visiting Gibraltar: How to Capture a Piece of England in Spain
When I first arrived in Spain back in June, I wanted to go exploring – Seville, Granada (the Alhambra) – there were very few cities in Andalusia through which I didn’t want to wander. But it was summer. And Europe was in the midst of this awful heatwave. So we planned all…
The Week in Books: Mary Queen of Scots wasn’t Actually a Catholic Martyr
I’ve been working on a podcast about Mary Queen of Scots, which I’ll be recording this week, and as part of that I’ve been reading John Guy’s book, Queen of Scots (available to read on Oyster, too). Most people who know Elizabethan history are familiar with the story of the tragic Catholic queen,…
Six Reasons why Studying History is Still Important (a cheat sheet for parents of reluctant students)
This won’t surprise anyone who knows me, but I was a history geek in school. Somewhere around sixth grade I realized that I loved history. In high school I was introduced to early choral music, the great English anthems of Byrd and Tallis, and suddenly my passion for history became…
-
Previous
- Page 1 of 2
- Next