Today in 1533 Mary Tudor arrived in the Tower of London in a barge to prepare for her coronation where she would stay for two days before leaving for Westminster Abbey to be crowned. You will remember that over the summer there was an attempted rebellion to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne. Jane would have been in the Tower at the same time as Mary during this period, but with very different experiences. Mary was creating Knights of the Bath, and preparing to be crowned while Lady Jane was a prisoner, having been found guilty of treason along with her husband Guilford Dudley.
It was traditional for monarchs to spend the nights before their coronation ceremonies in the Tower, as it was a sumptuous royal palace in addition to being a jail, but surely for some of them, like Elizabeth, whose mother had been killed there, the association must have been difficult to handle. For Mary, though, the event was a joyful one.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Episode Link:
Melita Thomas on Mary Tudor at the Tudor Summit September 2017
https://www.englandcast.com/2017/09/supplemental-melita-thomas-tudor-summit/