Books 2018 – on sale today – Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire by Amy Licence (paper back)


Amberley Publishing


‘Anne Boleyn’s unconventional beauty inspired poets ‒ and she so entranced Henry VIII with her wit, allure and style that he was prepared to set aside his wife of over twenty years and risk his immortal soul. Her sister had already been the king’s mistress, but the other Boleyn girl followed a different path. For years the lovers waited; did they really remain chaste? Did Anne love Henry, or was she a calculating femme fatale?

Eventually replacing the long-suffering Catherine of Aragon, Anne enjoyed a magnificent coronation and gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth, but her triumph was short-lived. Why did she go from beloved consort to adulteress and traitor within a matter of weeks? What role did Thomas Cromwell and Jane Seymour of Wolf Hall play in Anne’s demise? Was her fall one of the biggest sex scandals of her era, or the result of a political coup?

With her usual eye for the telling detail, Amy Licence explores the nuances of this explosive and ultimately deadly relationship to answer an often neglected question: what choice did Anne really have? When she writes to Henry during their protracted courtship, is she addressing a suitor, or her divinely ordained king? This book follows Anne from cradle to grave and beyond. Anne is vividly brought to life amid the colour, drama and unforgiving politics of the Tudor court.’

From Amazon.co.uk


Further details – Amberley Publishing

Further details – Amazon.co.uk



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Guest Article by Derek Wilson


I am delighted to host this guest article by Derek Wilson.


View Through a Dusty Glass: Catherine Parr’s Circle and the English Reformation


Derek’s latest book, ‘The Queen and the Heretic: How Two Women Changed The Religion of England’ was published earlier this year by Lion Books.


(c) Lion Books



You can buy it from:

Amazon.co.uk


(c) Derek Wilson


Follow Derek on Social Media:

Derek’s website: Derek Wilson
Twitter: @DerekAlanWilson


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Books 2018 – on sale today – Blood Roses: The Houses of Lancaster and York before the Wars of the Roses by Kathryn Warner


(c) The History Press


‘In 1453, Richard, Duke of York, claimed the throne of England from his Lancastrian kinsman Henry VI, and set off a series of conflicts between rival branches of the English royal family, better known as the Wars of the Roses. Blood Roses traces the origins of this bitter rivalry all the way back to 1245 with the birth of the first Earl of Lancaster, Henry III’s younger son, Edmund. Thomas, the second Earl, was the first cousin and most dangerous enemy of King Edward II, and ended up being executed after a decade and half of rivalry and conflict. Thomas’s nephew Henry, the first Duke of Lancaster, was one of the great figures of the fourteenth century and was the father-in-law of Edward III’s third son John of Gaunt, probably the most famous member of the House of Lancaster. Edward III’s fourth son Edmund of Langley founded the House of York in 1385; his son Edward was killed at Agincourt in 1415 and was the uncle of Richard, duke of York. Blood Roses takes the reader through 170 years of bloody warfare and political intrigue, and sets the scene for one of the most famous conflicts in English history.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – The History Press

Further details – Kathryn Warner

Further details – Amazon.co.uk



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Exhibition featuring paintings of Lady Jane opens in the USA


Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits from Holbein to Warhol’ opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston yesterday and runs until 27th January 2019.


Lady Jane Dudley (née Grey)
(c) National Portrait Gallery


‘Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits from Holbein to Warhol sheds new light on changing ideas of monarchy and nationhood in Britain. The exhibition features portraits of British royalty spanning 500 years, by artists from Hans Holbein and Sir Joshua Reynolds to Annie Leibovitz and Andy Warhol.

In a sweeping survey, Tudors to Windsors covers the cavalcade of kings, queens, princes, and princesses who have graced the British crown. The MFAH is the only U.S. venue to host this unprecedented exhibition, part of a major partnership with the National Portrait Gallery in London. Some 150 objects—most never before seen outside of England—tell the story of Britain’s monarchy through masterworks of painting, sculpture, and photography.

Visitors have an extraordinary opportunity to come face-to-face with the fascinating figures of British royalty. Tudors to Windsors explores four royal dynasties: the House of Tudor (1485–1603), the House of Stuart (1603–1714), the House of Hanover (1714–1901), and the present-day House of Windsor. Among the many works of art on view are portraits featuring King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, King George I, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Prince William.’

From The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston


The exhibition includes the portrait of Lady Jane that was discovered in a house in Streatham in January 2006 and was purchased later that year by the National Portrait Gallery.


(c) NPG
Montacute House


The portrait was first on display in Room 3 of the Tudor Galleries from spring 2007 to April 2009 and then at the entrance to the ‘Lady Jane Grey’ display from December 2009 until 15th August 2010.

Between March 2013 and May 2014 it was on display at Montacute House in Somerset. It was back in Room 3 at the National Portrait Gallery as part of ‘The Real Tudors: Kings & Queens Rediscovered’ exhibition from 12 September 2014 until 1st March 2015. The portrait returned to Room 2 of Montacute House in the late spring of 2015.


Also on display is ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ by Delaroche, which is on loan from the National Gallery.


(c) Paul Delaroche, 1797 – 1856
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
1833
Oil on canvas, 246 x 297 cm
Bequeathed by the Second Lord Cheylesmore, 1902
NG1909
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG1909


For more information about the exhibition and to buy tickets: Tudors to Windsors: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

To see which portraits are on display from the National Portrait Gallery: National Portrait Gallery – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, USA



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‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ by Delaroche to go on display in the USA


The National Gallery’s ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ by Delaroche will be on display in the USA as part of a new exhibition at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.


(c) Paul Delaroche, 1797 – 1856
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
1833
Oil on canvas, 246 x 297 cm
Bequeathed by the Second Lord Cheylesmore, 1902
NG1909
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG1909


‘Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits from Holbein to Warhol’ runs from 7th October 2018 until 27th January 2019.

For more information about the exhibition and to buy tickets: Tudors to Windsors: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The painting was previously part of the exhibition, ‘Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey’ at the National Gallery from 24th February to May 23rd 2010.




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