Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide

Books 2023 – on sale today – ‘The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty’ by Carol Ann Lloyd

Posted on 30th June 2023 by Tamise

‘The Tudors by Numbers is a fresh look at a well-known dynasty ― through its numbers. Take a new look at old friends by learning the complicated path to 1 possible king symbolized by 1 rose, viewing the extraordinary 42 percent of the dynasty under the rule of 2 women, and considering the impact of 4 English language translations of the Bible printed in England. The Tudors by Numbers takes you behind the scenes through a different path and reveals new ways of seeing the Tudors.’

From – Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Amazon.co.uk

Posted in Books 2023, Books that feature Jane | Tagged Books 2023, Carol Ann Lloyd, The Tudors by Numbers | Comments Off

‘Children of the House of Cleves: Anna and Her Siblings’ Blog Tour – Guest post by Heather R Darsie

Posted on 19th June 2023 by Tamise

I am delighted to host a stop on the blog tour to celebrate the publication of ‘Children of the House of Cleves: Anna and Her Siblings’ by Heather R Darsie. Thank you to Heather and Amberley Publishing for asking me to take part.

It was the Wyatt Rebellion in January and February 1554 which led to Lady Jane’s execution. In this guest excerpt, Heather looks at how the rebellion affected Anna of Cleves.

‘Anna of Cleves’ life in England improved substantially after her stepson Edward VI died in 1553. Anna and Mary I of England were very friendly with each other. Anna resumed coming to court, and even tried to help her friend Mary find a suitable husband. Mary wound up desiring a Spanish match, of which some in England unfortunately did not approve,

“For any number of reasons, which are still debated by historians, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger, Sir Edward Courtenay, and their friends were not in favor of Mary’s Spanish marriage. The rebellion began shortly after the marriage announcement in January, and quickly fell apart within weeks. Unfortunately for Anna, she was implicated in the rebellion. Simon Renard, writing to the sickly Emperor Charles V,

‘Sire: To-day [9 February 1554], … this present dispatch will partly serve as an answer to the … intrigues which have now been discovered..… I assure you that there never was seen a more steadfast lady than the Queen [Mary], nor one more devoted to you… I expect to see the King of France make war on England … because he does not wish the Queen well…[and] because he has promised the Duke [Wilhelm] of Cleves…thus to revenge himself for Henry VIII’s repudiation of his sister [Anna]…’

A few days later, Mary investigated. Renard wrote to Charles V on 12 February,

‘Sire: The Queen of England …tolf me that the Lady [Anna] of Cleves was of the plot and intrigued with the Duke of Cleves to obtain help for Elizabeth [Tudor… The Queen …is now absolutely determined to have strict justice done ….”
Whatever part Anna may or may not have played in Wyatt’s Rebellion, Mary believed, at least outwardly, that Anna was a danger…Neither Anna nor Wilhelm were ever reprimanded because of the accusation.”

This curious accusation explains why Anna was once more away from court for the bulk of Mary I’s reign.’

If this excerpt piqued your interest, consider reading Children of the House of Cleves: Anna and Her Siblings, set for release in the UK on 15 June 2023 and in the US/Internationally on 12 September 2023. Can’t wait until September? The US Kindle version is released on 15 June, too!

You might also like to read Heather R. Darsie’s biography on Anna of Cleves, the first researched and written from the German perspective, Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The King’s Beloved Sister.

Amazon UK

Children of the House of Cleves, Anna and Her Siblings hardcover (15 June 2023)
Children of the House of Cleves, Anna and Her Siblings Kindle (15 June 2023)

Amazon US

Children of the House of Cleves, Anna and Her Siblings hardcover (12 September 2023)
Children of the House of Cleves, Anna and Her Siblings Kindle (15 June 2023)

About the Author

Heather R. Darsie works as an attorney in the US. Along with her Juris Doctorate she has a BA in German, which was of great value in her research. She completed multiple graduate-level courses in Early Modern History, with her primary focus being the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V. She runs the website MaidensAndManuscripts.com, and is a co-host of Tudors Dynasty podcast.

Sources & Suggested Reading

Darsie, Heather R. Children of the House of Cleves: Anna and Her Siblings. Stroud: Amberley (2023).
Darsie, Heather R. Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The King’s Beloved Sister. Stroud: Amberley (2019).

Follow Heather on Social Media:

Heather’s website: Maidens and Manuscripts
Twitter: @HRDarsieHistory

Other stops on the tour

Posted in Book Blog Tour | Tagged Book Blog Tour, Books 2023, Children of the House of Cleves, Heather Darsie, Thomas Wyatt | Comments Off

Books 2023 – on sale today – Children of the House of Cleves: Anna and Her Siblings by Heather R Darsie

Posted on 16th June 2023 by Tamise

‘Children of the House of Cleves describes and analyses the lives of Sybylla, Anna, Wilhelm and Amalia, the children of Johann III, Duke of Cleves. Though their parents were staunch Catholics, Wilhelm of Jülich‑Cleves‑Berg was a Lutheran – when it suited him. He challenged the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, over the strategically important Duchy of Guelders. He believed that France would support him, but Francis I left him defenceless and Guelders became part of the Habsburg Netherlands. Sybylla became the Electress consort by marriage to electoral Prince Johann Friedrich of Saxony. He would be captured during the Schmalkaldic War, and Sybylla defended the city of Wittenberg under siege during his absence. Both she and her husband were passionate supporters of the Reformation. Amalia was considered as a possible bride for Henry VIII before he chose her sister Anna. She was a great lover of music and poetry, with her own poems recorded in a song book. These four children had an illustrious lineage – descended from both the kings of England and France and closely related to Louis XII and the dukes of Burgundy. Their various trials and triumphs illuminate the convulsions of sixteenth‑century continental and Tudor politics and the spiritual and civic revolution that was the Reformation. It began in the German states, and these four lives were intimately involved in it. Based upon primary documentary sources, Children of the House of Cleves explains what motivated or caused some of the largest wars in continental Europe in the run‑up to the Thirty Years War in Germany, a time of massive religious and political strife.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Amazon.co.uk

Posted in Books 2023 | Tagged Books 2023, Children of the House of Cleves, Heather Darsie | Comments Off

Another book that features Jane to look forward to….

Posted on 8th June 2023 by Tamise

14 September – Mid-Tudor Queenship and Memory: The Making and Re-making of Lady Jane Grey and Mary I (Queenship and Power) edited by Valerie Schutte and Jessica S Hower

‘This book explores (mis)representations of two female claimants to the Tudor throne, Lady Jane Grey and Mary I of England. It places Jane’s attempted accession and Mary I’s successful accession and reign in comparative perspective, and illustrates how the two are fundamentally linked to one another, and to broader questions of female kingship, precedent, and legitimacy. Through ten original essays, this book considers the nature and meaning of mid-Tudor queenship as it took shape, functioned, and was construed in the sixteenth century as well as its memory down to the twenty-first, in literary, musical, artistic, theatrical, and other cultural forms. Offering unique comparative insights into Jane and Mary, this volume is a key resource for researchers and students interested in the Tudor period, queenship, and historical memory.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Springer

Further details – Amazon.co.uk