The Tudor Fair Blog
Tudor Minute May 21, 1527: Happy Birthday Philip II of Spain
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 21. Today is the birthday of Philip II of Spain, in 1527, to Charles V – the Holy Roman Emperor – and Isabella of Portugal – in Valladolid, in Spain. He played…
This week in Tudor News: May 18 Edition
The news cycle is fast, and it’s hard to keep up with our favorite interests and topics! That’s why once a week I make up this post with the top stories that have caught my attention. How Unflattering Royal Portraits Could Break a Marriage Contract Henry VIII would go to…
Tudor Minute May 18, 1593: Accusations against Christopher Marlowe
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 18. Today in 1593 the playwright Thomas Kyd gave evidence against Christopher Marlowe. There is still a lot of mystery around the death of Marlowe – who was one of the greatest…
Watching The Tudors Season 2 Finale, Destiny & Fortune
As Season 2 ends, so does Anne’s life. Jonathan cried during this episode. Maybe you did, too. Maybe I’m just jaded, but I didn’t. I did cry over the music they used, though. I mean, come on! Women choristers?! Vaughan Williams?!? Good grief. Listen to the episode above, and then…
Tudor Minute May 17, 1536: The Executions of Five Men
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 17. Today we have more on the downfall of Anne Boleyn. The five men accused with her, including her brother, were all beheaded today in 1536. The first to be beheaded was…
Tudor Minute May 16, 1536: Archbishop Cranmer visits Anne
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 16. Today in 1536 Archbishop Cranmer visited Anne in her cell in the Tower. Some have theorized that he offered Anne some kind of deal – she could confess to something that…
Mary Queen of Scots’ Cipher, and the art of hiding messages
One of the most interesting aspects of Mary Queen of Scots was the relationship with Francis Walsingham, who has gone down in history as Queen Elizabeth’s Spymaster. As Mary tried to communicate with the outside world, she wrote in code so that her messages could not be easily read. Writing…
Tudor Minute May 15, 1536: Anne Boleyn’s Trial
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 15. Today in 1536 Anne Boleyn was tried in front of nearly 2000 spectators in the King’s Hall in the Tower of London. The Queen defended herself honorably, and admitted only to…
Tudor Music as Propaganda: Three examples
A few years ago I did an episode on Tudor portraits as propaganda, and it’s still one of my most popular shows. I’m not the first person to notice that the Tudors were masters of messaging and propaganda – it’s obvious when you look at the portraits of both Henry…
Tudor Minute May 14: The Creeping Parliament
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 14. Today in 1571 Scotland saw the Creeping Parliament. This was part of the civil war that consumed Scotland after Mary Queen of Scots abdicated, and her son was still very young.…
Tudor Minute May 11, 1536: Coup against Anne Boleyn
Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for May 11. Today in 1536 we have more movement in the coup against Anne Boleyn. The Grand Jury of Kent met – on the 10th they had met at Middlesex, so this was…
Quiz: Shakespeare or Harry Potter?
How well do you know your Shakespeare and/or your JK Rowling? Take the quiz and find out: [tqb_quiz id=’4028′]