Tag: Pen and Sword Books

Book Review: “Planning the Murder of Anne Boleyn” by Caroline Angus

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The 16th century was filled with tales of remarkable women. Still, one of the most defining figures of the century was a woman of noble birth who the King of England fell in love with and decided that he was going to divorce his first wife of over twenty years to marry her. The Great Matter caused a great scandal across Europe, however, it was a love match that would not last long. The relationship between Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn would turn volatile and in the end, Anne and the men around her would be executed. We often blame Anne Boleyn’s death at the foot of Henry VIII’s right-hand man Thomas Cromwell, but who was behind the death of this famous queen? Caroline Angus has chosen to re-examine the case to find out who was truly responsible for the fall of this famous queen in her latest book, “Planning the Murder of Anne Boleyn.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed previous books by Caroline Angus, so when I heard that she was writing a book about Anne Boleyn’s “ trial,” I was curious to see what new insights she would bring to the case.

Angus begins by explaining to her audience that this case is hard to put together centuries after the fact because papers pertaining to the case were destroyed after the verdict was carried out. She then dives into how the fall of Anne Boleyn and the men around him happened, starting with the aftermath of the Great Matter, and the divorce between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. We see how the Boleyns rose to power and Henry was so infatuated with Anne that he knew she would be the next Queen of England. Angus explores the men and women who served Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell, it was fascinating to see how they would shape the case against the queen. Finally, we get to see the rivalry between Thomas Cromwell and Anne Boleyn develop regarding religious reform issues and Princess Mary’s place in the line of succession.

The second half of this book focuses on the actual fall, trial, and execution of Anne Boleyn and the men who were associated with her. Angus takes the time to do a diary-style section, starting at the time when the idea to remove Anne from power to her actual execution to show her readers how quick this “case” was and to show that Henry wanted her out of his life permanently. She has taken the available information and the gaps left behind to create a plausible case for what truly happened in these few weeks. Angus shows what Princess Mary and Jane Seymour had to do with the fall of Anne Boleyn. We also see that most people knew that Anne Boleyn and the men around her were innocent and didn’t deserve to die, but it was a foregone conclusion as the king wanted them dead.

Overall, I found this enjoyable and enlightening with the new information Angus brought to the table. Yes, there is a bit of repetition of information already shared in previous books about Anne Boleyn, but it was one of the most infamous cases in English history, so it has been examined for centuries. It’s hard to show new information about this case without repeating facts that we already know but I think Angus does an excellent job of balancing the old and the new information about this case. If you want a solid book specifically about the fall of Anne Boleyn, I recommend you read, “Planning the Murder of Anne Boleyn” by Caroline Angus.

Book Review: “Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors” by Carol Ann Lloyd

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As humans, we love a good love story. Tales of courtships, grand confessions of love, over-the-top weddings, and marriages that last decades. These seem like high expectations, especially when we compare these expectations to royal courtships of the past. The majority of royals married and they were more focused on political matches instead of love. However, few chose a different path altogether, they decided to be single. One of the most famous monarchs with a single status was Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Virgin Queen So why did Elizabeth stay single throughout her reign, and how did she navigate her numerous suitors? Carol Ann Lloyd tries to answer these questions in her latest book, “Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed Lloyd’s previous book, “The Tudors by the Numbers,” so when I heard about this book and that it would be about Elizabeth I and her romances, I knew I wanted to read it.

Lloyd breaks her book down into sections focusing on the suitors and the aspects that made her reign rather unique. While she was a child, Elizabeth’s primary purpose was to create a powerful alliance with another country, however, issues of legitimacy and religion hampered any real chance of her marrying anyone before she became queen. Once she was crowned, the marriage market became even more complicated as she not only had a great number of eligible suitors both in England and abroad, she needed to make sure her kingdom was secure and that she remained in power. She had to balance her natural and her political body of a ruler, a task that was difficult for a man to accomplish let alone a queen whose legitimacy and religious standings were on shaky grounds.

I think Lloyd did a great job of presenting new information about Elizabeth I, her suitors, and how different aspects of courting affected how the queen ruled. I will say that the way the book was organized did hinder my enjoyment of this book a little bit. I think it would have made more sense to have the aspects of Elizabeth’s courting and how it affected her reign before diving into her numerous suitors and why things didn’t go so well, which led to Elizabeth becoming the titular Virgin Queen.

Overall, I did find this a rather informative and fascinating read. If you want a solid book about Elizabeth I and her numerous romances, I recommend you read, “Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors” by Carol Ann Lloyd.

Book Review: “The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper” by Aimee Fleming

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When we think about the great female minds of the 16th century, we often think about those closest to the throne. Women of privilege who were destined to rule or to be a queen consort in a far-off land where their education would be imperative for the success or failure of their respective dynasty. However, some women did not live a life of glitz and glamor and received an equally impressive education. One such woman was the daughter of the great statesman Sir Thomas More, Margaret More Roper. Her remarkable story is told in the debut book by Aimee Fleming, “The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard the name Margaret More Roper mentioned in several books about Sir Thomas More, but she is more of a footnote. I have always wanted to learn more about her life, especially her childhood, so when I heard about this book, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Margaret More Roper was the eldest child of Sir Thomas More and his first wife Joanna. She had three other siblings, Elizabeth, Cecily, and John, and a household filled with other children under Sir Thomas More’s care, including Margaret’s future husband William Roper. Fleming takes the time to show how Sir Thomas More and his second wife Alice gave his children, especially Margaret, a rather remarkable education that proved significant for Margaret and her path in life. We do see the famous More School grow and scholars such as Erasmus recognize the talent of Margaret and her siblings, especially in the fields of translations and letter writing. For the bulk of the first part of this book, Fleming focuses on the rise and fall of Sir Thomas More with the More family and school in the background, which is understandable, but I do wish we got a tad more about the education of these exceptional children.

Many consider the final meeting between Sir Thomas More and Margaret at his prison cell and his final letter to her as the end of her story, but as Fleming explains, there was so much more to Margaret’s story than this singular moment. Margaret was a wife, and a mother of five children (Alice, Margaret, Mary, Thomas, and Anthony). She also translated and published works in her name, which was unheard of for a woman, especially someone who was not of noble birth. When Margaret Roper More died around Christmas of 1544, she left a legacy that would inspire other women in her family, including her daughter Mary, to fight for an academic life.

Overall, I found this was a well-written debut biography about Margaret More Roper. It was a fascinating read to learn about Margaret’s life and the More family with a heavy focus on the academic life in 16th century England. If you would like to read a book about a strong academic woman from Tudor England, I suggest you read, “The Female Tudor Scholar and Writer: The Life and Times of Margaret More Roper” by Aimee Fleming.

Book Review: “Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block” by Helene Harrison

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Tudor ExecutionsTreason is the crime of betraying one’s country or monarch by trying to overthrow the government or kill a sovereign. While many English dynasties dealt with treason in their ways, the most infamous were the Tudors and how they dealt with the nobility. By the end of 1572, there were no more dukes in England, until 1623 when George Villiers became the Duke of Buckingham. What was classified as treason during the Tudor dynasty and why did the members of the nobility have to die? Helene Harrison hopes to answer these questions in her latest book, “Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed Harrison’s previous book about Elizabethan Rebellions, so when I heard that she was writing a new book about Tudor executions, I knew I wanted to read it.

Harrison begins by giving her readers a quick overview of what treason meant during the time of the Tudors through the numerous Treason Acts, the significance of the Act of Attainders and scaffold speeches. She also explains that this book explores the lives and ultimate deaths of nine men and five women and that each chapter can be read separately as an essay. The 14 figures that are featured in this book are: Edward Plantagenet 17th Earl of Warwick, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, Queen Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn Viscount Rochford, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, Queen Katherine Howard, Jane Boleyn Viscountess Rochford, Henry Howard Earl of Surrey, Thomas Seymour 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset, John Dudley 1st Duke of Northumberland, Queen Jane Grey, Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk, and Robert Devereux 2nd Earl of Essex.

With each case, Harrison explores their origins, how they gained fame, their ultimate falls from grace, and their fate on the execution block. The main focus of each chapter is to show what each monarch considered treasonous behavior, which varied from case to case. We see charges range from treason for having royal blood to being too ambitious, adultery to down right rebellious acts. The Tudors did not hold back when it came to noble women as two queens, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, were executed which was a first for England.

I think Harrison does a decent job in sharing the stories about these nobles and their unfortunate ends. Though there were no real surprises in this book, but the way Harrison presented the information was easy to follow. She shows that the closer one is to the throne, the more likely they would fall victim to power, greed and paranoia. If you are a Tudor nerd who is interested in the more gruesome side of the glamorous Tudor court, I would suggest you read, “Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block” by Helene Harrison.

Book Review: “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era” by Amy McElroy

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Women's Lives in the Tudor EraWhen we think about the Tudor dynasty, we often think about the famous men and women who defined the era. An era full of change in all aspects of life, from religious and political, to the arts and literature. Throughout these changes, we tend to focus on how they affected the lives of Tudor men, but there is a growing field of interest in the lives of the average Tudor women and how their lives were affected. In her latest book, “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era,” Amy McElroy explores women’s life stages in 16th-century England and how their roles changed.

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed McElroy’s debut book, “Educating the Tudors,” and when I heard that she had another book about Tudor women, I knew I wanted to read it.

McElroy explains that like the centuries before and since the 16th century, it was riddled with negative views of women in all aspects of life. Women were seen as beneath men, which corresponded with the teachings of Aristotle. Wives, mothers, and daughters were supposed to be obedient and seen rather than heard. However, when we look at the different stages of life, we cannot separate the roles of women from everyday life.

To understand what it meant to be a Tudor woman, McElroy breaks down life into different stages, starting in childhood, going through adolescence, becoming a wife and mother, working life for women, how women relaxed, embracing widowhood, and finally, wills and death. Each stage of life is represented in a chapter in this book. McElroy takes the time to explore what it meant to be a woman at each stage of life and how their social standings changed. We see women receiving an education, going through courtships, getting married and becoming wives, starting their own families and the dangers of childbirth, how women earned a living, what they would do as recreational activities, and how they would survive if their husbands died. In each chapter, McElroy highlights women of different social statuses to show how they survived during the Tudor time.

This was an engrossing and utterly fascinating book. Some elements were completely new information for me, which was quite thrilling. The amount of details that McElroy included in such a short amount of pages was incredible. Another brilliant book by McElroy. If you want a fascinating glimpse into the lives of Tudor women, I highly recommend you read, “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era” by Amy McElroy.

Book Review: “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife” by Laura Adkins

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kateryn parrThe final wife, the one who survived. These words are what people think about when it comes to Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. However, before she even met Henry VIII, she had already lived quite a life, being married twice before meeting the king. She was a scholar, reformer, daughter, stepmother, wife, and mother. A woman who lived a rather intriguing life and happened to marry the King of England, Kateryn Parr’s life has been told in numerous mediums for centuries. Now, Laura Adkins has chosen to write about this famous Tudor wife in the biography, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Katherine Parr is my favorite wife of Henry VIII and one of my favorite Tudor queens. I have read a few novels and nonfiction books that featured Katherine Parr, but I have yet to read a biography about the titular woman, until now.

Adkins begins her dive into the past not in the Tudor era, but in the 18th century as we see a group of ladies finding the tomb of Kateryn Parr at Sudeley Castle and her tomb being opened several times. We then jump back into the past and explore the Parr family. Kateryn was the eldest child of Thomas and Maud Parr. We get to see Kateryn’s childhood with her siblings William and Anne and how the Parr siblings continued the Parr legacy in their own ways.

We then dive into Kateryn’s marriages, starting with Edward Borough, then John Neville Lord Latimer, King Henry VIII, and finally Thomas Seymour. With each relationship, we get to see Kateryn change from a young teen who was trying to survive to a strong woman who is willing to fight for those she loves and the faith she believes in. We see Kateryn become a stepmother to the Latimer children, Mary, Edward, and Elizabeth, and finally become the mother of her child, Mary Seymour. Adkins chooses to focus on the different elements of Kateryn’s life instead of having a traditional chronological biography, which is a unique take on Kateryn’s story. I will say that because of the format of this book, there was some repetition of different stories and facts in this book.

Overall, I think this was a decent biography about Kateryn Parr. It was easy to read and included actual letters written to and by Kateryn. A loyal wife and stepmother who influenced those around her long after she died. If you want to read a solid biography about this remarkable woman, I suggest you read, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife” by Laura Adkins.

Book Review: “The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England” by M.J. Porter

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royal womenWhen we think about England, we often think about a unified country with an illustrious history of wars and triumphs. However, England in the 10th century was drastically different. It was barely a country as it was newly formed through politics, but it faced the risk of elimination with a carousel of kings and Viking raiders. Some of the most notable kings of this era include Alfred, Edward the Elder, Athelstan, Edward the Martyr, and Aethelred II, but the most fascinating figures of this time were the women who were hidden in the shadows of the past. M.J. Porter uses the written record from the 10th and 11th centuries to tell the tales of these remarkable women in her book, “The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard of M.J. Porter and her historical fiction novels ( I even hosted her for a guest post on my blog), but I had never read her books. I saw this particular title and I was curious as the history of 10th century England is a weak area in my historical research and I wanted to know more about the royal women who lived during this era.

Porter begins by explaining the concept of the long 10th century in England, which starts with the death of King Alfred in 899 to the death of Lady Elfrida in 1001/1002. In that span, ten kings reigned: Alfred, Edward the Elder, Aethelweard, Athelstan, Edmund, Eadred, Eadwig, Edgar, Edward the Martyr, and Aethelred II the Unready. Although this was a turbulent time, it was the women who kept England together. Women like Lady Aethelflaed Lady of the Mercians and Elfrida, the first crowned Queen of England, were not afraid to get their hands dirty whether that meant fighting off Viking invaders or potentially killing off her stepson so her son could be king. Some less famous women were daughters, sisters, mothers, saints, and abbesses/nuns who saw England transformed and whose stories survived through wills, charters, and chronicles.

While I did find the information in this book fascinating as I did take copious notes while reading, I have to be a bit critical of the actual structure of this book. The structure as it was published made it a bit difficult to follow along and I was struggling to keep track of who was who as some women shared the same name. I feel like Porter should have done an introduction to the events of the period in the beginning, then dived into what sources she will use in the book, and then gone into the more minutiae details of the lives of the royal women in chronological order.

Overall, it was a decent read that was extremely informative, but it could have been structured differently to make it even better and a more enjoyable read. Porter’s passion for this period of the past is evident on every page and I wonder how it translates to her historical fiction novels. If you want to learn more about the royal house of Wessex and the women who were close to the throne, I would recommend you read, “The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England” by M.J. Porter.

Book Review: “A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England” by Malcolm Hislop

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A Guide to Medieval Castles of EnglandCastles, the monuments of medieval times, are buildings that hold many tales. Tales of sieges and sorrow, triumphs and tribulations. Through the centuries, their stones and foundations held many secrets. Some of the stories are famous, but most are hidden in the shadows of time and are hidden in ruins. Although castles exist in numerous countries and are centuries old, the castles of medieval England tell a story of a country facing turmoil and changing European and world history forever. Malcolm Hislop, a historian and researcher who specializes in architecture and archaeology, has written a single book exploring every medieval castle and its original architecture entitled, “A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I am somewhat of an architecture novice. I did take a class about the history of art and architecture when I was in college. When I saw the title of this book, I was hoping that he would dive into the terminology and the history of how each castle changed over time. Hislop does his best to deliver just that for his readers.

Hislop begins by explaining the premise behind this book and what the time range will be for a castle to be considered medieval, which is if it was built between 1050 and 1500, which means this book covers over 400 castles. It is quite a mammoth task to cover that many castles and so much archeology, but Hislop does include a sort of glossary to help his readers traverse the complex world of medieval architecture. I do wish that Hislop included terms like motte and bailey in his glossary to help distinguish the different types of castles for novices.

The bulk of this book is focused on the gazetteer, which is simply a list of castles from A to W. Each entry explains where the castle is located, whether it is open to the public or not, a brief history of the occupants and builders of the castle, and finally detailed descriptions of the castle. While I do appreciate the effort that it took to write this book if you are not in England or a writer of historical fiction or nonfiction, this particular guide may seem a bit dry as a read. I feel like if I took a trip to England, I might take this book along with me as a starting point for which castles I should visit, but I think it might not be the best book for casual readers. It’s a resource and not necessarily a riveting read and that may be because Hislop’s approach is more academic than casual history.

Overall, it is an academically sound book but it is not a casual read. This is a book for those who are architecture aficionados, castle nerds, medieval academics, and those who want to explore the ruins of England’s past. If this sounds like you, I recommend you read, “A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England” by Malcolm Hislop.

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘How to Dress Like a Tudor’ by Judith Arnopp

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How To Dress Like A Tudor Tour BannerI am pleased to welcome Judith Arnopp to my blog today to share a blurb for her latest book, “How to Dress Like a Tudor.” I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books, The Coffee Pot Book Club, and Judith Arnopp for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

How To Dress Like A Tudor coverBlurb:

Have you ever hankered to dress like a Tudor lord or lady, or perhaps you prefer the status of goodwife, or costermonger, or even a bawd? 

For beginner historical reenactors, the path to authenticity can be bewildering and sometimes intimidating. Judith Arnopp uses her own experience, both as a historian and a medieval/Tudor lady, to make your own journey a little easier.

The author traces the transition of fashion from the relatively subtle styles popular at the court of Henry VII, through the carefully constructed royal grandeur of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I to the pinnacle of majesty and splendid iconography of Elizabeth I. 

In contrast to the magnificence of court come the ordinary folk who, subject to sumptuary laws and regulations, wore garments of a simpler cut and cloth – a strata of society that formed the back bone of Tudor England.

This brief history of 16th-century fashion examines clothing for both rich and poor, adult and child, and offers tips and tricks on how to begin to sew your first historically inspired garment, this book is aimed at helping the beginner learn How to Dress like a Tudor.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: mybook.to/howtodress

Judith Arnopp at Pembroke CastleAuthor Bio:

Judith writes historical fiction set during the late medieval and Tudor periods. Her usual focus is on the women who lived close to the monarch, women like Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth of York, and Mary Tudor but more recently has been writing from the perspective of Henry VIII himself. Her books are on Kindle, Audible, and Paperback.

You can find her fiction books here: http://author.to/juditharnoppbooks

She also writes non-fiction and her work is featured in many anthologies and online magazines. Her latest non-fiction, How to Dress like a Tudor published by Pen & Sword Books is available now. 

Judith is a founder member of a reenactment group The Fyne Company of Cambria, and began making Tudor costumes for herself, her husband, John, and other members of the group. It was this that inspired How to Dress Like a Tudor and she hopes to write more non-fiction Tudor history in the future.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.judithmarnopp.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudithArnopp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetudorworldofjuditharnopp

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-arnopp-ba999025

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tudor_juditharnopp/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jarnopp.bsky.social 

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judith-arnopp

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Judith-Arnopp/e/B003CGLWLA/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4088659.Judith_Arnopp

Guest Post: “The Dos and Don’ts of Tudor Men’s Dress – What to Wear in Sixteenth-Century England” by Toni Mount

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I am pleased to welcome Toni Mount to share her advice about Tudor men’s fashion to promote her latest book, How to Survive in Tudor England. I would like to thank Toni Mount and Pen and Sword Books for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

In writing my new book How to Survive in Tudor England I realised how tricky it was to be fashionable during the sixteenth century: hard work and expensive for men and women. So here’s a taster of what was required for a man to get noticed at court.

Henry VII favors long robes of fine cloth to show his wealth but his son, young Henry VIII, famed for his athletic, shapely legs, wears fitted hose and short robes so he can show off his best features. Now that the robe is so short, the flap that covers the join between the two separate legs of the hose [stockings] for modesty’s sake is now visible and Henry turns this into an asset by attaching a great codpiece to show off his virility. Since the courtiers take their fashion cues from the king, codpieces become a vital accessory. Henry is a well-muscled sporty young man but even so, his natural physique is accentuated by padding the shoulders of his doublet to extreme proportions. 

Henry VIIIHenry VIII wearing a padded doublet 

In this image, you can see the slashes in the sleeves of his doublet so that little puffs of his fine shirt can be pulled through. The doublet has a skirt or peplum, of varying length according to fashion, underneath which are hidden ties (‘points’) or hooks, to attach the breeches. 

The basics of men’s clothing is wearing layers. Next to your skin, you have a white linen shirt. This may be embroidered around the collar band. Katherine of Aragon introducebris ‘black-work’ embroidery from Spain and this becomes very fashionable, looking good on white linen. Later, the collar band is simply what your ruff is pinned onto, unless it has become a separate item by the time of your visit.

Breeches and hose come in a bewildering variety, going in and out of fashion almost weekly – another reason why a courtier’s wardrobe can empty his purse in no time, just trying to keep up. Here is a selection: round or French hose are short, full breeches ending anywhere between the upper thigh to just above the knee and excessively padded at the hips to accentuate your buttocks. These can make dancing or even walking elegantly quite difficult. Canions are tight-fitting tubes attached to the short version of the round hose to extend them to the knee. Below the knee, you wear stockings or ‘netherstocks’ held up with garters.

Whatever the style, the hose must be ‘paned’ – that is cut into narrow panels, joined at the waist and hem, with a colored lining showing between the panes. With so much padding and paning, you can understand why the codpiece is in decline, giving way to a modest buttoned or lace-up opening that doesn’t spoil the symmetry of your panes. Both your doublet and hose may also be decorated by ‘pinking’: slits cut in the fabric, in a pattern, with the coloured lining pulled through, as in Henry VIII’s time. One contemporary commentator of Elizabethan men’s fashion thought things had become quite ridiculous:  ‘Except it were a dog in a doublet you shall not see any so disguised as are my countrymen of England’, he wrote and Elizabethan clothes indeed disguise the wearer’s true physique more than the fashions of any other period. 

Sir Walter RaleighThe fashionable Sir Walter Raleigh

As you’ll see in the portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh [above], men also need to wear a bit of bling. Sir Walter has a single pearl earring, the sign of a truly fashionable man-about-town. Finger rings are a must.

Facial hair is also in vogue ever since Henry VIII grew a beard but at the Elizabethan court, the natural look isn’t enough. Once again, Sir Walter is a fine example to copy with his beard neatly trimmed to a point and his moustache curled. Set your ensemble with a short cape, fur-lined, and edged with a braid. This isn’t a practical cloak to keep you warm and dry but rather an accessory to be draped nonchalantly over one shoulder for that devil-may-care look that’s the height of fashion.

Footwear

No one of any significance goes without shoes. The pointy-toed, medieval styles go out of fashion almost as the first Tudor king sits on the throne. Rounded toes are the thing. But Henry VIII, maybe because he has broad feet, went further, creating a fashion for square toes. With more leather used to make the uppers, it’s also possible to have slashes to show off a contrasting inner lining, as with sleeves. However, these early Tudor styles are thin-soled and flat like their medieval predecessors but around 1500, somebody invents the ‘welt’ – a narrow strip of leather that goes around the shoe, in between the upper and the sole, making the shoe far more sturdy and able to withstand fancier shaping and decoration. 

King Henry is tall and impressive anyway but others who want to emulate him could do with a few extra inches in height and by the time of Elizabeth heeled shoes have been invented. At first, the heel is just a wedge of cork or wood fixed between the leather sole and the upper but soon these become proper heels and part of the sole. With so much innovation in the world of shoemaking, in 1579 the queen grants their coat-of-arms to the Guild of Cordwainers in London.

Women’s dainty dress shoes, called ‘pinsons’, now with heels and a more dainty tapered toe, can be of silk, velvet, or brocade often with bejeweled rosettes. Mid-century, most are slip-ons but lacing and buckles become increasingly fashionable. A pair of Tudor or Elizabethan shoes are made the same for both feet so there is no correct right or left shoe so they can be swapped over for more even wear. 

For outdoor wear, you can either put overshoes on to protect your indoor footwear, or you can have leather boots for walking and riding. Loose or tight-fitting, ‘gamaches’ are thigh-length high boots, and ‘buskins’ come to the calf.  

colour chartActs of Apparel 

In Henry VIII’s reign, realizing some of the up-and-coming wealthier gentry and merchants were wearing more sumptuous clothes than noblemen and courtiers, new laws are passed, termed Acts of Apparel, in 1509-10, 1514, 1515, and 1533. Europe has similar ideas but whereas their regulations tend to be drawn up by and apply only to individual towns, England’s laws come from Parliament and apply throughout the country, in theory, anyway.  

According to the 1509-10 Act against Wearing of Costly Apparel, only the king, the queen, the king’s mother (the act must have been first drawn up before Margaret Beaufort died in June 1509), along with the king’s brothers and sisters can wear cloth of purple silk or gold, while dukes and marquises can only use cloth of gold as linings of their coats and doublets. An earl and those of higher rank may wear sable fur, but those below may not. Certain imported furs can be worn by royal grooms and pages, university graduates, yeomen, and landowners whose estates bring in an income of at least £11 per annum. Barons and knights of the Order of the Garter (the highest-ranking knights) are permitted to wear woolen textiles manufactured abroad but, for those of lesser status, it’s a crime to wear imported cloth. The same applies to wearing clothes dyed with the most expensive crimson and blue dyes. 

CrimsonToo much crimson dye?

Anyone who isn’t a lord’s son, a government servant, or a gentleman with an income from the land of at least £100 per annum is forbidden to wear velvet, satin, or damask, although, if their land is worth £20 or more, satin, damask or camlet may be used to line or trim their clothing but not for the main, visible body of the garment. 

The problem is, as it has been for centuries, more and more successful merchants are becoming richer than the aristocracy. Intermarriage makes matters even more complex. The nobility want to share in mercantile wealth and merchants yearn for titles and high status. The solution is for a lord’s penniless second and untitled son to wed the daughter of a rich merchant but where do their offspring stand on the social ladder? The children aren’t the sons and daughters of a lord and yet they can now afford to live in greater opulence than their paternal relatives who still have titles. No wonder the laws are flouted. 

An additional oddity concerns the way wealth is judged. Annual income from land is always regarded as having greater status than the same monetary income gained from trade. The sumptuary laws passed in the reign of King Edward III, in 1363, equated a landowner worth £200 a year to a merchant worth £1,000. These relative values are still maintained throughout the Tudor period. And there is another problem that becomes more acute in Henry VIII’s reign: that of people – and courtiers were some of the worst offenders – vying with their peers to be the most fashionable and expensively dressed and running up huge debts in the process. This situation leads to An Acte for Reformacyon of Excesse in Apparayle being passed in 1533:

…for the necessaire repressing avoiding and expelling of the inordinate excesse dailye more and more used in the sumptuous and costly araye and apparel accustomablye worne in this Realme, whereof hath ensued and dailie do chaunce suche sundrie high and notable inconveniences as to be the greate manifest an notorious detriment of the common Weale, the subvercion of good and politike order in knowledge and distinction of people according to their estates p[re]emyences dignities and degrees, and to the utter impoverysshement and undoyng of many inexpert and light persones inclined to pride moder of all vices…

Despite the declaration that these laws are intended to avoid the ‘notorious detriment of the common weal’, i.e. everyone, the legislation is aimed, as usual, at morally ‘light persons inclined to pride (mother of all vices)’. The laws also reiterate earlier attempts to mark out prostitutes from respectable women but in 1533 the earlier, medieval customs of what was considered respectable attire are enshrined in law for the first time, in particular, that a married woman must cover her hair – a ‘loose’ woman, i.e. one wearing her hair loose and uncovered is of easy virtue and up to no good. 

An excess of wool production led to an Act of Parliament in 1571, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, to boost the sales of English woolen cloth. It becomes law that on Sundays and every official holiday all males over six years of age, except for the nobility and persons of degree, are to wear woolen caps on pain of a fine of three farthings (¾ of a penny) per day. Whether it works or not in practice, the act is repealed in 1597. In June 1574, Elizabeth issues the following statute from Greenwich Palace: 

The excess of apparel and the superfluity of unnecessary foreign wares thereto belonging… is grown to such an extremity that the decay of the whole realm is like to follow (by bringing into the realm such superfluities of silks, cloth of gold, silver, and other vain devices of so great cost as of necessity the moneys of the realm is yearly conveyed out of the same to answer the said excess) but also the undoing of a great number of young gentlemen seeking by show of apparel to be esteemed as gentlemen not only consume themselves, their goods, and lands which their parents left unto them, but also run into such debts as they cannot live out of danger of laws without attempting unlawful acts… [edited]

Despite the fact that the queen and everyone else understand the cost of trying to keep up with the latest fashions, no amount of law-making can prevent the young gallants from spending far beyond their means.

Another 1597 proclamation on the subject goes into minute detail. Only earls can wear cloth of gold or purple silk. No one under the degree of knight is allowed silk ‘netherstocks’ (long stockings) or velvet outer garments. A knight’s eldest son may wear velvet doublets and hose but his younger brothers can’t. A baron’s eldest son’s wife may wear gold or silver lace which is forbidden to women below her in the pecking order. Who is allowed to wear what is supposed to be strictly controlled as the queen’s subjects must know their place and dress accordingly so that no one can be misled. At least, that’s the theory but you can see that the laws are confusing and is it any wonder that people ignore them? Will you obey the law or wear fashionable clothes, no matter the cost?  

The frequency of acts and the huge number of laws passed proves that the authorities are losing the fight to keep the social distinctions, maintain morals and ethics, preserve the English economy against foreign imports, and restrain the excesses of fashion. However, a good many of the various sumptuary laws, dating back to as early as the fourteenth century, were still on the English statute books as recently as the 1800s, and, who knows, some may as yet remain, hidden in the dusty archives in the twenty-first century.

So this is an introduction of what to wear – or not – for the stylish courtier in the sixteenth century. If you wish to read about many interesting characters, places, food, and pastimes of the sixteenth century, my new book How to Survive in Tudor England will be published on 30th October 2023.  

Pen & Sword Book Cover / Jacket artwork

Blurb

Imagine you were transported back in time to Tudor England and had to start a new life there, without smartphones, internet, or social media. When transport means walking or, if you’re lucky, horseback, how will you know where you are or where to go? Where will you live and where will you work? What will you eat and what shall you wear? And who can you turn to if you fall ill or are mugged in the street, or God forbid if you upset the king? In a period when execution by beheading was the fate of thousands how can you keep your head in Tudor England? 

All these questions and many more are answered in this new guidebook for time-travelers: How to Survive in Tudor England. A handy self-help guide with tips and suggestions to make your visit to the 16th century much more fun, this lively and engaging book will help the reader deal with the new experiences they may encounter and the problems that might occur. 

Enjoy interviews with the celebrities of the day, and learn some new words to set the mood for your time-traveling adventure. Have an exciting visit but be sure to keep this book to hand.

Toni Mount cropToni Mount Biography

Toni Mount researches, teaches, and writes about history. She is the author of several popular historical non-fiction books and writes regularly for various history magazines. As well as her weekly classes, Toni has created online courses for http://www.MedievalCourses.com and is the author of the popular Sebastian Foxley series of medieval murder mysteries. She’s a member of the Richard III Society’s Research Committee, a costumed interpreter, and speaks often to groups and societies on a range of historical subjects. Toni has a Master’s Degree in Medieval Medicine, Diplomas in Literature, Creative Writing, European Humanities, and a PGCE. She lives in Kent, England with her husband.