Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide

Books 2018 – two books on sale today…

Posted on 24th January 2019 by Tamise

24th January 2019 – Cecily Duchess of York (paperback) by J.L. Laynesmith

Bloomsbury Academic

‘This is the first scholarly biography of Cecily Neville, duchess of York, the mother of Edward IV and Richard III. She was said to have ruled Edward IV ‘as she pleased’ and Richard III made his bid for the throne from her home. Yet Cecily has been a shadowy figure in modern histories, noted primarily for her ostentatious piety, her expensive dresses, and the rumours of her adultery. Here J. L. Laynesmith draws on a wealth of rarely considered sources to construct a fresh and revealing portrait of a remarkable woman. Cecily was the only major protagonist to live right through the Wars of the Roses. This book sheds new light on that bloody conflict in which Cecily proved herself an exceptional political survivor. Skilfully manipulating her family connections and contemporary ideas about womanhood, Cecily repeatedly reinvented herself to protect her own status and to ensure the security of those in her care. From her childhood marriage to Richard duke of York until her final decade as grandmother of the first Tudor queen, the story of Cecily Neville’s life provides a rich insight into national and local politics, women’s power and relationships, motherhood, household dynamics and the role of religion in fifteenth-century England.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Amazon.co.uk

24th January – Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots (paperback) by Nancy Goldstone

‘Valentine’s Day, 1613. Elizabeth Stuart, the sixteen-year-old granddaughter of Mary, Queen of Scots, marries Frederick V, a German count and ally of her father, James I of England. In just five years a terrible betrayal will ruin ‘the Winter Queen’, as Elizabeth will forever be known, imperil the lives of those she loves and launch a war that lasts thirty years.

In a sweeping narrative encompassing political intrigue, illicit love affairs and even a murder mystery, Nancy Goldstone tells the riveting story of a queen in exile, and of her four defiant daughters.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – W&N

Further details – Nancy Goldstone

Further details – Amazon.co.uk

Posted in Books 2019 | Tagged Books 2019, J L Laynesmith, Nancy Goldstone | Comments Off

My review of ‘Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII’s Sister by Melanie Clegg

Posted on 22nd January 2019 by Tamise

This is a highly readable account of the life of the Tudor Princess who became Queen of Scotland, Margaret Tudor. Often overlooked in favour of her famous brother Henry VIII, Clegg brings Margaret vividly to life as we follow her from pampered princess, through her successful reign as Scotland’s Queen consort and then her struggles as Queen Dowager.

As her granddaughter (Mary, Queen of Scots) found to her cost, balancing the demands of the Scottish factions was a difficult task and Margaret did not make it any easier with her later marriage choices. Margaret showed the same iron will as her Tudor siblings but was often caught between her brother and her adopted country.

Although Henry VIII overlooked Margaret’s descendants in favour of those of his younger sister Mary, it was Margaret’s great grandson who inherited the throne of England when the Tudor line died out. This book goes a long way to restoring Margaret to the recognition she deserves.

Thank you to Pen and Sword History for my review copy

Posted in Book Reviews, Books 2019 | Tagged Book Reviews, Margaret Tudor, Melanie Clegg | Comments Off

Books 2019 – on sale today – White King: The Tragedy of Charles I (paperback) by Leanda de Lisle

Posted on 10th January 2019 by Tamise

‘Less than forty years after the golden age of Elizabeth I, England was at war with itself. At the head of this disintegrating kingdom was Charles I, who would change the face of the monarchy for ever.

His reign is one of the most dramatic in history, yet Charles the man remains elusive. To his enemies he was the ‘white tyrant of prophecy: to his supporters a murdered innocent. Today many myths still remain.

It is an epic story of glamour and strong women, of populist politicians and religious terror, of mass movements and a revolutionary new media: one that speaks to our own divided and dangerous times.’

Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Leanda de Lisle

Amazon.co.uk

Posted in Books 2019 | Tagged Books 2019, Charles I, Leanda de Lisle, White King | Comments Off

Winchester Cathedral and Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishop’s Palace)

Posted on 7th January 2019 by Tamise

Last summer I visited Winchester Cathedral, where Mary I married Philip of Spain and the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, the old Bishop’s Palace (where their first meeting took place and their wedding feast was held). We had better weather than they did!

Ruins of Wolvesey Castle

‘…At about 10 in the evening, (Philip) made the short journey across the gardens to the bishop’s palace, for his first meeting with Mary Tudor.’ (1)

Ruins of Wolvesey Castle

‘As he came up the private stairs, she was waiting at the top to greet him, supported by her leading councillors and ladies-in-waiting.’ (2)

Winchester Cathedral

‘The wedding of Mary and Philip took place on 25 July, the feast day of St James, the patron saint of Spain. This compliment to the groom was not matched by any improvement in the weather. Mary was married in the rain. But in all other respects the wedding was one of the most magnificent in English history.’ (3)

Winchester Cathedral

‘Its setting, in the beautiful cathedral begun in 1079, was partly dictated by security fears and the danger of epidemics in central London. Winchester was also chosen because it was the bishopric of Stephen Gardiner, who performed the ceremony in the continued absence of a Catholic archbishop of Canterbury.’ (4)

Bishop Gardiner’s Chantry Chapel

‘The cathedral itself was richly hanged with arras and cloth of gold, and in the midst of the church, from the west door unto the rood, was a scaffold erected of timber…’ (5) ‘Entering the cathedral by the west door, Mary ascended the steps to the dais where her bridegroom was waiting.’ (6)

‘The ring was placed upon the Bible to be blessed and Philip, in accordance with custom, added three handfuls of fine gold. Lady Margaret Clifford, the queen’s 14-year-old cousin and chief attendant, opened Mary’s purse, ‘and the queen smilingly put up in the same purse…Now joined as man and wife, Philip and Mary returned hand in hand to their places on the raised dais as trumpets sounded.’ (7)

Ruins of the East Hall, Wolvesey Castle

‘The couple proceeded on foot to the bishop’s palace, where the finest of wedding receptions was prepared for them. There they ‘dined most sumptuously together’ under the cloth of state, just the two of them at their table, while music played.’ (8)

Sources

1. Porter, L. (2007) Mary Tudor: The First Queen, Portrait, p.318.
2. ibid, p.319.
3. ibid, p.321.
4. ibid, p.321.
5. ibid, p.322.
6. ibid, p.323.
7. ibid, p.324.
8. ibid, p.324.