Henry VIII
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2861643/CHRISTOPHER-STEVENS-Damian-Lewis-No-best-Henry-VIII-Sid-James.html Yes, Sid James’ was probably the best portrayal of Henry VIII on screen, but the first (Arthur BOURCHIER, 1911) actually shared the surname of some of that King’s (apparent) relatives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Bourchier
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It is well known that John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was one of the principal opponents of Henry VIII’s attempt to divorce Catherine of Aragon. The boiling to death of his cook for the alleged crime of attempting to poison him is less familiar. The facts are that a number of people in the bishop’s…
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I am sure we have all read the story of a bathing servant, Owain Tudor, who then emerged from the water in even fewer clothes than Fitzwilliam Darcy, watched by the widowed and besotted Queen, Catherine de Valois. The story goes on to relate that they married, had two sons and possibly more children. He…
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The following is based on information found in The Reign of Henry VIII, by James Anthony Froude. A book originally published in 1909. Sir William and Sir George Neville were brothers of Lord Latimer – the same Latimer who was husband to the famous Catherine Parr. They were arrested on mere suspicion – possibly because…
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Given the amount of evidence that has accrued over the past decade both about Edward IV’s bigamy and the cover-ups, both in his reign and those of the “Tudors”, he can now be classified as having no legitimate and fourteen or fifteen illegitimate children. Charles II’s record is almost identical, although he was more open…
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Some people who are fond of Wales are also fond of the dynasty founded by Henry VII because they perceive it as ‘Welsh’. They tend to overlook that Edward IV and Richard III were descended from a real Welsh Prince, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. This was recognised at the time by Welsh commentators in the case…
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Something happened to the British kingdoms just half a century after Bosworth. From 1536, the second “Tudor” (and his like-minded nephew James V) began to execute women for political offences, a practice unknown hitherto. There had been exceptions such as the St. Brice’s Day Massacre in 1002, although Ethelred had neither judged nor attainted his…
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There is an argument in some quarters that Ricardians are “nutters”, “obsessives” and a lot of other ruder words. There is an element of truth in this, given that virtually all human activity beyond eating, sex and sleeping is inherently pointless. Unless one is part of the enthusiasm, it is equally hard to understand why…
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According to Holinshed, the cuddly Henry VIII ordered the executions of some 72,000 people. Adding in the effects of his father’s reign and those of his children might well take the total to about 100,000 although that may exaggerate their rate somewhat. What a good thing this wasn’t a recognised separate dynasty until Hume’s time,…
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Apologies to anyone who expects this to be a five thousand word essay with at least a hundred cases but I was wondering about one thing in particular: when “Tudor” monarchs repealed legislation, how did they usually go about it? The usual procedure was – and still is – to have a new Act passed,…
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