the TUDOR TUTOR
Your cheeky guide to the dynastyArchive for This-n-that
Switzerland, Sweden, and Me
Just wanted to post this as an FYI…
I hope you will all forgive me (or this may be preferred by some), but whilst discussing the events of the Tudor era, I try not to take sides.
I can understand why, for example, Mary Queen of Scots did what she did, as well as the same for Elizabeth I. This also goes for Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, Mary I, the Vatican, Anne Askew, the vast majority of the Tudor folk we run into.
Just throwing that out there. Thanks. =)
Write On!
- HENRY VII
- Elizabeth of York
- Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke Norfolk
- HENRY VIII
- Sir Thomas More
- Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex
- Catherine of Aragon
- Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond
- Anne Boleyn
- George Boleyn
- Jane Seymour
- Anne of Cleves
- Katherine Howard
- Catherine Parr
- EDWARD VI
- Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset
- LADY JANE GREY
- MARY I
- Philip II
- ELIZABETH I
- William Cecil, Lord Burghley
- Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
- Mary Queen of Scots
- Sir Walter Raleigh
A President’s Library Fit for a King
Walk into the Library of Congress and look up: Wow!
On a trip into D.C. last week, I finally applied for my reader card at the Library of Congress! I was excited to finally get my very own card, complete with my picture (how official! lol), which allows me to delve into lots of juicy research material at this gorgeous facility (see above).
Before I got comfy behind a computer for some in-depth searching of the State Papers Online: The Government of Britain 1509-1714, I explored the tourist end of the building. There is a wonderful exhibit on the second floor which I’d like to recommend to you: first, because it’s impressive and second, because you will find some books about our Tudors and the history of England in general on its shelves.
It’s Jefferson’s Library, a recreation of the 6,487 volumes (!!!) from Thomas Jefferson’s personal library which had been purchased by Congress. The third president of the United States had said “I cannot live without books” and there’s no reason to doubt him. His personal collection was organized by subject (as it is in the exhibit), such as Surgery, Botany, Mineralogy, Pastorals, Logic, and Tragedy; his interests were as highly-specified as they were varied.
Of particular interest in the History category are:
- Life and Reign of King Henry the Eighth (Herbert)
- The Workes of Sir Thomas More (London-1537)
- Introduction to the History of Great Britain (Macpherson)
- Annales of England: Containing the Reignes of Henry the Eighth, Edward the Sixth, Queen Mary (Francis Lord, B.P. [book publishing] of Hereford)
- A Description of the State of Great Britain (London, 1652, Gildas)
To find these books, head to the third case from the left, and count four shelves down. There they are!
Take a Bite Out of the Tudor Tutor Social Network!
What can you expect from the Tudor Tutor in the social networking world?
If you “like” my Facebook page, you’ll hear from me once or twice per weekday, on average (and sometimes on weekends). I’ll link you to the latest blog post, share a Tudor-related newsstory with you, commemorate “this day in Tudor history,” or ask open-ended questions on the time period and its players, starting up a discussion among those who “like” the page.
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll get lots of Tudor-related news, video, facts, and photos during the day (mostly on weekdays). I’ll also link you to the latest blog post, reflect on “this day in Tudor history,” and go off on occasional tangents about coffee, food, Harry Potter, and current events. I love to retweet, so I’ll put interesting tweets I see right in your path as well.
Join me on the Tudor Tutor Facebook page, Twitter account, or both and I promise to keep you in the loop on the “latest” from 500 years gone by!
* Like those awesome cupcakes in the pic above? They’re from this Etsy page.
I Heart London
As write this, London burns at the mercy of horrible rioters. Sorry, no sympathy from me! (So you’ve burned your neighborhood down and now you have a brand-new telly you’ve nicked. Congrats?)
I cannot think of a better time to thumb my nose at these thugs and celebrate my favourite city:
The Tudor connections are many…
- Westminster Abbey, where you can see the tombs of Henry VII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
- The Tower of London, where Elizabeth I was imprisoned, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard were executed and are buried, and Lady Jane Grey may be immortalized in graffiti, among lots of other Tudor history
- Hampton Court Palace, my fave Tudor place!
- The Globe Theatre, although it’s a rebuild of the original theater, is a treasure. The exhibition is described here. The ceiling above the stage (“the Heavens”) is gorgeous, as are the wrought-iron gates at the entrance, in front of which I stand here.
But there’s plenty of non-Tudor London to enjoy as well…
- I’m a big fan of the Natural History Museum (and it’s free!); I especially love their dinosaur exhibits. Rawwrr!
- The Sir John Soane Museum is the most interesting crowded collection of art and “stuff” you will ever visit
- The view from St. Paul’s is simply wonderful. I am enjoying it here.
- The church garden of St. Dunstan in the East is charming.
- The Tate Modern is just fab!
- This may be unpopular but I love eating at the Texas Embassy, near Trafalgar Square. It’s a dependable Tex-Mex menu with decent prices and a fun atmosphere.
- The wonderful National Portrait Gallery is also near Trafalgar Square.
- I hear there’s a charming little residence just off Constitution Hill, but I prefer the Victoria Memorial right in front of said residence.
Additionally,
- There are so many things to love about London in this print by Linzie Hunter
- If you are on Twitter and can only follow one Londoner, make it Laura Porter, the knowledgable and dedicated About.com guide to the City
- There are pages and pages of quotes about the City here
- Here’s a clickable map of places with “hidden London” gems
- Lately I’m reading London: A Biography by Peter Ackroyd. I also like London in the Footsteps of the Famous by Nicholas Best, 360º London by Nick Wood, and Frommer’s Irreverent Guide to London by Baillet and Fitzgerald.
- This page offers London recs from Sir Michael Caine, Arlene Phillips, Heather Small, Tom Aikens, and other famous names
- Please never refer toTower Bridge as “London Bridge.” That’s a different bridge. Thanks. =)
Keep London (and other affected areas such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Bristol) in your thoughts and prayers during the current abuses. Updates continue to be posted via video and text on the BBC news website.
And You Thought the TUDORS were Dysfunctional
Cover of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
The Tudors are the Waltons next to the Cavendishes/Spencers, I have learned. If you are following me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ve heard my occasional groanings/rantings as I soldiered through Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman. I finally finished it last night so see ya, spoiled 18th century brats!
Don’t get me wrong: Foreman did a bang-up job in her writing and research. It’s a fine book. But I hated these people more and more with each passing chapter.
So Henry VIII married six times, so he had two of his wives executed, so he ripped the common thread of religion out from under the feet of the entire country just so he could pass on his XY chromosome. So Elizabeth I practically wiped out the Irish and had her own cousin beheaded. So Mary I had so many Protestant bonfires there’s a drink named after her with the word “bloody” in it. So the long-awaited heir to Henry VIII was, well, kind of a bore.
The Tudors were one big happy family compared to the gambling, drunkard, speech-affecting, spouse-sharing opium addicts of the Devonshire house circle. I agree that Georgiana seemed remarkable in her magnetism, devotion to friends and family, and rabid interest in politics and science.
But was she as dumb as a box of rocks to insist that her husband’s girlfriend stay in their house, let alone accompany them on all their travels?? Yes, Elizabeth Foster, that manipulative social climbing shrew. Back in the good ol’ 16th century, having a hold on a person like that could only mean one thing: witchcraft! In our Tudor era, pathetic and conniving Bess would have been riding a dunking stool instead of… oh nevermind.
I vacillated between wanting to strangle Bess with her own hat ribbons and pitying her sorry self. And when Foreman mentioned that Georgiana chose to nurse Bellatrix Bess through a high fever instead of celebrate her own daughter (Little G)’s birthday, there was no turning back for me.
Now I’m back with our Tudors for a while! I have started the next book in my queue, 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII by Suzannah Lipscomb (who is on Twitter as @sixteenthCgirl if you are there are well; she is just lovely and I highly recommend giving her a follow).
However, after my time in 1536 I plan to resume reading Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser (which I’d started last fall). As the French queen and Georgiana were very close friends, I fear I haven’t seen the last of the Duchess of Devonshire. Mon dieu!
A Pasty for the Wife?
Image via Wikipedia
I was feeling peckish in the worst way this morning and decided only a pasty would do. I headed to the pasty shop I’d just heard about over the weekend, The Pure Pasty, only to see that dreaded ”Closed Mondays” sign on the door. Craving thwarted! Ah well, shall try again later in the week. (Should you need an English-food-item fix, gaze upon the lovely Pure Pasty pics on this blog.)
But as I poked around on their Web site and read some of their reviews, I noticed that Vienna Connection did a bit of Tudor name-dropping in their pasty background: ”The earliest historical reference to pasties was in the time of King Henry VIII, when Anne Seymour asked they be made for her husband, the king.”
Which wife was that? Anyway, I did a Google search and found this boast on pasty Web site after pasty Web site: “There’s a letter in existence from a baker to Henry VIII’s Jane Seymour, saying ‘Hope this pasty reaches you in better condition than the last one.’ “
Than the last pasty did? Than the last wife? Ah, the trouble with dangling modifiers! But I can’t find a reputable source that connects this tasty treat (which, for my fellow Americans, is pronounced PASS-tee) to any of Henry VIII’s wives, let alone Jane Seymour (nor Anne Seymour?).
What say you, Tudor fans and/or tasty treat fans? Rumor or the real thing?
Tea Rex
Image via Wikipedia
Have you wondered what the “R” stands for when you’ve seen a Tudor monarch’s fancy-schmancy signature? “Elizabeth R” is not short for “Elizabeth Renee,” nor is “Henry R” short for “Henry Ricardo” or anything of the sort!Rather, the 13th letter of the alphabet is there as a reference to the Latin words rex (“king”) or regina (“queen”).
I wish we used Latin half as much today as we used to. It has such a serious air to it! (Heck, I’d love to go to Mass in Latin if I could.)
But rex/regina isn’t just an old-school styling. Take a look at a modern-day pound coin. It says “Elizabeth II – D.G. – Reg. – F.D.” In Latin, that’s “Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor.” Translation: “Elizabeth II, by the grace of God (Dei Gratia), Queen (yep, Regina) and Defender of the Faith (Defensor).” Not only does the present monarch keep the cool Latin title, she’s also gets to show off Henry VIII’s title of Defender of the Faith.
Do you have a yearning for the words of yesteryear? Try an online beginner’s guide to Latin here. There is also a great list of Latin phrases here. Bona fortuna!
iWitness
There’s nothing like reading about history through the accounts of people who were actually there. I am truly fascinated by eyewitness accounts of the past, and have just found this lovely collection of first-hand reports on EnglishHistory.net. It includes reports on Tudor love stories, executions, speeches, etc.
Not to say that eyewitnesses aren’t biased in some way, or have injected willfull thinking into their observations, but it sure is awesome to see snippets of history in this sense. Enjoy!
Royal Name-Calling
Image via Wikipedia
We could probably think of a lot of names to call Henry VIII, if we were into that kind of thing. But, name-calling isn’t nice, for one thing. For another thing, sticks and stones would bounce right off that tubby guy (sorry, I guess that counts as name-calling?) and I doubt names would hurt him either.
No, what I’m getting at is the official title used for the head honcho of Jolly Ol’. Today, if we are lucky enough to meet with the queen, we first address her as “Your Majesty,” and then further in the conversation we switch to, simply, “Ma’am.”
So then: ”Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to join you for martinis and scones this morning,” folllowed later by, “Yes, ma’am, I would love another martini though I must graciously turn down an additional scone. But please feel free, ma’am, to ask about a third martini. You are most kind.”
“Majesty” wasn’t a common form of address for English monarchs until the 16th century. Before that, the usual terms were “Highness” or “Grace” (in Scotland it was “Grace” as well). But when Henry VIII got wind of the king of France and the Holy Roman Emperor using “Majesty,” he snatched that right up and decided it should apply to him, too. And you know what happened if anyone disagreed with him! So “Majesty” it was and is still.
Incidentally, Elizabeth II is officially “Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”
Henry VIII had a few incarnations, the last of which was “King of England and France, Defender of the Faith, Lord of Ireland, and Supreme Head of the Church of England and of Ireland.”
Because England’s territories changed so much, some titles got very flowery, such as that of Mary I, who at one point was “Queen of England, France, Naples, Jerusalem, and Ireland; Defender of the Faith; Princess of Spain and Sicily; Archduchess of Austria; Duchess of Milan, Burgundy, and Brabant; Countess of Habsburg, Flanders, and Tyrol.” Trying to remember all that deserves a martini in and of itself.
