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Henry’s Queens:

Obviously King’s wives were not like the average Tudor woman, but even though they were in charge of large households and budgets, Alison pointed out that the decisions were still made by the King. The queen’s role was to produce heirs and be the perfect model wife for the court.

But, what was the model wife? Here, Alison used Catherine of Aragon’s words when she pleaded with Henry VIII at the divorce hearing, saying that she was his “true, humble, obedient wife.” This summed up what a wife should be and her accepted role in the divine order. Even Catherine Parr applauded this ideal in her book Lamentations of a Sinner, writing that young women should be “sober-minded.” Alison pointed out the mottoes of Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard – “Bound to Obey and Serve” and “No Other Will but His” – these women accepted their role!
 

Adultery:
Alison emphasised that on marriage a woman became a man’s property and that it was even a man’s legal right to kill his wife on the spot if he caught her in the act of adultery. An adulterous woman brought shame on her family. Here, Alison mentioned Catherine Parr’s brother, William Parr, and his call for his unfaithful wife to be put to death. Fortunately, a divorce was granted instead! But look at Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both accused of adultery and both executed. The man’s word was law and although Weir stated that Anne was the “victim of a bitter court struggle” and was “framed by her enemies,” the adultery charge stood and Anne lost her life. After Catherine Howard was executed, a law was passed that it was high treason for a woman of dubious past to marry the king.

Education

In Medieval times, people believed that women should not be taught to write unless they were nuns and that the only education they needed was in home-making, to make them fit to be a good wife. However, the Renaissance made education for women more acceptable and Alison gave the examples of Margaret Roper (Sir Thomas More’s daughter), Catherine of Aragon, and Catherine Parr as models of educated and virtuous women. Too much learning could get a woman into trouble though–take the example of Catherine Parr, who was plotted against.

Mary and Elizabeth:

Alison pointed out that the only experience England had had of a female ruler was Empress Matilda in the 12th century and she didn’t last long. Mary I was England’s first real female monarch and she had many difficulties to contend with. For example, she couldn’t even do the ceremony of the Knights of the Bath because she couldn’t get into a bath with a bunch of men! Then, there was the question of marriage because of the traditional roles of husband and wife, with the woman being submissive to the man, yet she was Queen of England!

Alison spoke of how it was Elizabeth I who proved that a woman could rule successfully, but she wasn’t afraid of using her femininity to her advantage and using her feminine wiles to get her own way. The marriage issue was still a problem for Elizabeth though, but she solved it by remaining single while encouraging suitors to gain political advantage. Alison quite rightly noted that Elizabeth paved the way for future queens and that she was “one of the most important women to wield power.”

Final Words:

Alison Weir concluded her talk by stating that although 16th century women were seen as second to men, they still managed to rule countries and run businesses and estates. Life certainly was not easy for Tudor women, but, according to Alison, it did have its compensations and many marriages were loving relationships.

It really was a joy to hear Alison speak and to talk to her afterwards. She has so much knowledge and is happy to share this and answer questions. It was a great night and it raised £600 for the Mary Rose Appeal too.

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Claire Ridgway writes The Anne Boleyn Files (blog here, Facebook page here) and the Elizabeth Files  (blog here, Facebook page here).  Thanks again, Claire, for your fantastic article!

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 I’ve been wanting to catch one of Alison Weir’s talks for a long time so I was really excited when I managed to get a ticket for this talk to aid the Mary Rose Appeal. Alison explained that this talk was not based on any particular book, but on research she has done dating back to the 1970s, and it was a truly enlightening talk, educating the listeners about what it was really like to be a Tudor woman.

Alison started with a quotation from John Knox’s “The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment  of Women”, a treatise directed at Mary of Guise but which also could be applied to Mary I and her successor, Elizabeth I, a diatribe against the “monstrous regiment” of female rulers. This quotation set the scene for the talk, a talk about the roles that Tudor society expected women to play versus the roles that they actually did play.

Alison explained how men were traditionally seen as the hunters, gatherers and protectors, whereas women were descended from Eve and were the cause of Adam leaving Paradise. Women were viewed as instruments of the Devil, temptresses and “the only imperfection in God’s creation”. Alison quoted Vincent de Beauvais from the 13^th century:-

“Woman is the confusion of man, an insatiable beast, a continuous anxiety, an incessant warfare, a daily ruin, a house of tempest and a hindrance to devotion”

and this belief, that women were more prone to sin and could lead men astray, was still prevalent in Tudor England. Tudor women were given little freedom and Chaucer’s character, Patient Griselda, was held as the ideal that girls should aspire to.                  

Marriage:

Alison went on to discuss betrothals, pre-contracts, dowries and marriage, explaining that a marriage ceremony was not needed to legalise a marriage, even a verbal contract witnessed by two people and then consummated was enough. This helps us to understand the concerns over Anne Boleyn’s alleged pre-contract to Henry Percy and Catherine Howard’s to Francis Dereham.

Alison pointed out that sex before marriage was forbidden but that it was seen as acceptable for a man to sow his wild oats before settling down; however, a woman was expected to be virtuous and guard her reputation with her life, and this is why Henry VIII courted Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard in front of chaperones, to guard their reputations. Talk about double standards!

For the woman, sex was seen as simply necessary for procreation and it was believed that women were not meant to experience sexual pleasure. Alison stated that when someone in the 16^th century questioned this belief and said that women were made to experience pleasure, he was accused of heresy. Also, a shocking fact – women with sexual experience could not accuse a man of rape!

Marriage for love was seen as pure insanity and arranged marriages were the norm. Henry VIII bucked tradition by following Edward IV’s example and marrying for love, but this certainly was not normal. Boys could cohabit from 14 and girls were deemed ready for a sexual relationship from 12, and Alison noted that there was a very practical reason for this: life expectancy. In Tudor times, women had a life expectancy of around 30 so it was sensible to marry young.

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Part 2: Henry’s queens and adultery, stay tuned!

Image via Wikipedia

Today marks the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s execution in 1536 and the question on everyone’s lips is the same, I’m sure: “What does one wear to such an occasion?”

Henry’s second queen was not about to just throw on any old thing for the last morning of her life. Her choices were deliberate, if deliciously fashionable as well. To start with, Anne wore a heavy black damask robe for her “small, private” audience of about a thousand people. The damask she wore would have been a thick fabric made of silk (or possibly linen or wool) embroidered with a shiny satin pattern over top.

The robe was trimmed in ermine. Ermine is that white fur (sometimes with little black spots) so often seen in frou-frou portraits of nobility. There is even a portrait of Elizabeth I called “The Ermine Portrait,” in which the little critter is sitting on her arm instead of woven into her clothing.

The ermine, a type of weasel, is a symbol of royalty. You can interpret that as you like. Heck, even the members of the House of Lords wear robes trimmed in ermine today. Anyway, Anne certainly broke out the ermine to drive home the point that she was still the queen, damn it.  

Underneath the weasel-trimmed threads, Anne wore a rich red petticoat. Red symbolized martyrdom at that time, so she was making a statement about her innocence. This message would have gotten across loud and clear to everyone watching.

Some accounts describe her as wearing a gable hood, that early-to-mid 16th-century fashion I find so strange and off-putting as it looks like there is a roof on your head. Beneath this, she wore a netted coif to keep her locks from getting in the swordsman’s way, because no one wants to hit a speedbump during a beheading.

Witness say she strutted to the scaffold in a composed way, with a bit of sass, even. (Well why not, in those clothes?) After she kneeled and her ladies removed her headdress, she prayed aloud for Christ to take her soul, and was distracted by the executioner’s call for his sword. Her pretty head turned, the man whipped the weapon from its hiding place in the straw on the scaffold, and that was the last this fashion plate and strong woman knew of this life.

Whew, tell us how you really feel about your son, George II! Two hundred years post-Tudor, the Hanoverians were famous for poor father-son relations, but George II’s feelings toward his son (who died before he could become George III, so it went to his own boy) were probably the most extreme. Victoria’s male successors weren’t about to win any father-son awards, either.  And although Henry VIII was very proud of his intelligent and talented children, we see how he used the girls in a genetic shuffleboard when it came to the succession, and famously obsessed over the XY chromosome.

Under the crown, children were primarily potential heirs and/or devices to marry into other royal families.  Most royals did not have hands-on parenting experience either, as their kids were raised by nannies, and even breastfed via a wet-nurse. No attachment parenting for them! (And I suspect no “mommy wars,” either.)

Regardless of  norms in royal parenting, it’s a good weekend* to hail those women who carried and gave birth to some of the biggest names in history. Let’s have a roll call of prominent Tudor moms…

• Lady Margaret Beaufort (mom to Henry VII)
• Elizabeth of York (mom to Henry VIII)
• Catherine of Aragon (mom to Mary I)
• Anne Boleyn (mom to Elizabeth I)
• Jane Seymour (mom to Edward VI)
• Mary de Guise (mom to Mary Queen of Scots)
• Lady Francis Brandon (mom to Lady Jane Grey)

These moms may not have received macaroni necklaces made with sticky fingers, but I suppose “look at me, Mom, I’m the ruler of the whole country” had a certain caché.

(* Mother’s Day is this Sunday, 9 May, in the U.S. Mothering Sunday in the U.K. is celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent; this year that date was 14 March.)

Image via Wikipedia

A definite place for fun (no matter your locks) for us Tudorphiles! Rockin’ video from Showtime with Natalie Dormer touring the Tudor goodies at the British Library for Henry VIII’s 500th anniversary. Thanks to Claire at The Anne Boleyn Files for the tip!

Image via Wikipedia

Nestled on the inner grounds of the Tower of London is a darling little stretch of grass called the Tower Green. Today it may strike you as a cozy place to get a fresh air break during your tour of the Tower, but in the Tudor period it played host to a handful of beheadings.

Most of the poor souls who were beheaded at that time met their fate on Tower Hill, just northwest of the Tower of London and a place that today is…well, the Tower Hill tube station. But a few very special prisoners were given the gift of a private execution on the secluded spot within the Tower walls. “Private” was a relative concept, as there could have been a hundred or so people present. The seven “priviledged” victims of a private Tower Green beheading were:

• William, Lord Hastings in 1483 (two years before the Tudor dynasty began)
• Anne Boleyn in 1536
• Margaret, Countess of Salisbury in 1541
• Katherine Howard in 1542
• Jane, Viscountess Rochford (Anne Boleyn’s brother’s wife, and royal busybody who arranged for Kitty Howard to get a bit on the side) in 1542
• Lady Jane Grey in 1554
• Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (a former Liz I fave who became too big for his britches) in 1601

Today a plaque marks the spot where the Famous Seven lost their heads, the only grisly reminder in an otherwise sweet and seemingly-peaceful spot.

Image by cliff1066™ via Flickr

The Six Ladies of Henry VIII were part of a fraternity that fascinates history buffs as well as those who just plain love a good, juicy soap opera. While it may have seemed the Massive Monarch blew through the line quickly, the amount of time he was married to each may surprise you. Here’s how long each gal wore that traveling wedding band:

1. Catherine of Aragon  About 24 years, not together for the last few (June 1509 – May 1533)

2. Anne Boleyn   3 1/2 years(January 1533 – May 1536)

3. Jane Seymour   1 1/2 years (May 1536 – October 1537)

4. Anne of Cleves   A measley six months (January 1540 – June 1540)

5. Katherine Howard  1 1/2 years (July 1540 – February 1542)

6. Catherine Parr 3 1/2 years (July 1543 – January 1547)

Image via Wikipedia

Happy (?) Anniversary to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn! On this day in 1533, Anne became the blushing bride of the fickle monarch in a secret ceremony in his private chapel at Whitehall Palace. Only a handful of people were present but they had to promise to stay mum about the newlyweds.

Speaking of “mum,” Anne was already a few months pregnant with the future Elizabeth I at the time. What some historians (including David Starkey, and I’m not about to argue with him) have suggested may have been true: Anne and Henry were first secretly married the previous November. She’d gotten pregnant almost immediately.

Either way, their union wasn’t considered valid until Henry’s marriage to poor Catherine of Aragon was officially labeled “kaput” in May. Anne, not known for her discretion, let it be known way earlier that she was craving apples like no one’s business. And Henry got himself so drunk at a banquet that he was laughing and slurring all about his new wife. Klassy.

It turned out badly, but no one can deny that the few years these two kids were together created a soap opera worthy of TMZ or Hello Magazine. A delicious secret, for sure.

Image via Wikipedia

Another quickie about Katherine Howard today, this one to establish how the dear girl got mixed up with the royal family to begin with:

Flashback to the Wars of the Roses, which were basically a military expression of a family feud between two sides of the royal family, the Yorks and the Lancasters. The Howard family was on Team York, and their guy became Richard III (the one described as a murderous hunchback by Shakespeare) in 1483. The king rewarded one of the Howard men, John (above), with the fancy title of Duke of Norfolk.

John was so loyal he stuck with the king as he went up against a certain Welshman named Henry Tudor in 1485. Richard III and John Howard were killed, and Mr. Tudor became Henry VII.  However, Howard’s son Thomas became the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (in fact, all the Dukes of Norfolk have been descended from Richard III’s buddy).

Thomas married and had a slew of kids, including an Elizabeth and an Edmund. Elizabeth eventually had a little girl named Anne (Boleyn) and Edmund’s little girl was Katherine (Howard).  

So, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard were first cousins, and had the great misfortune to be close to the royals because their great-grandfather was a close friend of the defeated Yorkist king, Richard III. And you thought your family had problems!