Tag: The Great Matter

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: “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I” by Alison Weir

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The Passionate TudorA king’s eldest child is usually the next in line to inherit the throne and become the next ruler. At least that is how the line of succession is supposed to work if the heir is male. Mary I knew this better than anyone. As the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, she knew that once her mother Katherine of Aragon had a son, Mary would become a pawn in the marriage game. She was willing to accept this fate until her father fell in love with Anne Boleyn. Mary is declared a bastard and must fight for her inheritance and the crown of England while maintaining her Catholic faith. Alison Weir tells the tale of this remarkable woman, from her tumultuous childhood to her short reign that marked her legacy, in her latest novel, “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed the previous novels in The Tudor Rose trilogy by Alison Weir about Elizabeth of York and King Henry VIII, so when I heard she was writing a book about Mary I, I knew I wanted to read it. Mary I is one of those figures who shows how devastating it can be to be close to the throne and the hard decisions one makes when king or queen of a country.

Weir began her novel with Mary at the age of nine in 1525. She is her parent’s pride and joy as she is their only child. Her mother Katherine of Aragon is arranging an advantageous marriage for Mary that would create a strong alliance for England. Not even the birth of her half-brother Henry Fitzroy could dampen Mary Tudor’s spirits. However, that all changed when Anne Boleyn entered the picture and the Great Matter was made public. Katherine of Aragon is no longer queen, Anne Boleyn is Mary’s stepmother, and Mary is now declared a bastard in favor of her half-sister Elizabeth Tudor.

Mary’s life after the birth of Elizabeth Tudor begins to become even more tragic. Her mother Katherine of Aragon dies before she can see her daughter again and Anne Boleyn is executed for treason soon afterwards. Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, has his desired male heir Edward VI, before Jane tragically dies quickly. As the Supreme Head of the Church of England, Henry wants his daughter Mary, a devout Catholic, to submit to his will, which she ultimately does. We also get to see how Mary interacted with her other stepmothers, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr, until the death of her father Henry VIII. Before he died, Henry VIII revised his Act of Succession, making Mary Edward’s heir if he did not have children. However, Edward VI has his idea for who will succeed him after he dies and he names Lady Jane Grey as his heir, although that plan does not last long and Mary is proclaimed the first queen of England to rule on her own.

Weir shows Mary’s life and reign in a very sympathetic way. Even though she does still give her the nickname “Bloody Mary”, we can see a woman who is concerned about the faith of her kingdom and the well-being of her family, especially Edward, Prince Philip her husband, and Elizabeth, who she argues with on matters that matter to her. It is such a tragedy that Mary never had a child that she desperately wanted to have as she suffered through phantom pregnancies. At the end of the day, whether it was matters of faith or family, Mary was someone who was passionate and someone who desired to be loved.

This is a delightful novel about a woman who has often been vilified but maybe we should have sympathy for everything she had to endure starting at a young age. I enjoyed this novel very much and I look forward to the next novel by Weir. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the Tudor Rose trilogy or you just want a different take on Mary I’s story, I highly suggest you read, “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel

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Wolf HallThe 1520s in England were a raucous time. As the years pass, King Henry VIII’s desire for a legitimate son grows and his resentment towards his wife Katherine of Aragon increases. Henry has decided to divorce his wife of over 20 years to marry a new fling, Anne Boleyn, who would surely give him the son and heir. All of Europe, especially the Pope, is horrified at the direction Henry is taking, but one man stands firmly on the side of the King. Thomas Cromwell rose through the ranks to become Henry VIII’s right-hand man, even though he had rather humble origins. Can Thomas Cromwell help the man who made him and survive the king’s wrath? Hilary Mantel explores the origins of Cromwell’s rise and The Great Matter in the first book in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy, “Wolf Hall.”

“Wolf Hall” is a novel that I have meant to read for a while now. I have heard from the Tudor community how great this novel is plus I saw the advertisements for the television show of the same name. I just never picked it up until I went into a used bookstore, saw it on a shelf, and decided to give it a try.

We are introduced to our main protagonist Thomas Cromwell, getting beaten bloody by his father, a drunkard blacksmith, Walter Cromwell. His childhood is harsh, but his sister Kat and her husband Morgan Williams convince Thomas to run away from his home. Thomas becomes a soldier fighting for the French and spends some time in Italy before he goes back to his native England to become a lawyer, working his way up to work with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Thomas Cromwell married Liz Wykys and had three children; Gregory, Anne, and Grace. The first part of the book focuses on Cromwell’s service to Wolsey, Wolsey’s fall from grace, and the tragic deaths in his family.

The majority of this novel focuses on Cromwell’s rise in power to become King Henry VIII’s right-hand man. The main issue that Cromwell must focus on is The Great Matter, the divorce of King Henry VIII from his first wife Katherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. It is a taboo topic, but Henry realizes that the Pope will not go with his plan. While navigating the tumultuous Tudor court and his home life, Cromwell also has to come up with a plan to make Anne Queen of England and Henry the Supreme Head of the Church of England. A tall task for anyone, but this is Cromwell, a man who will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Reading this particular novel was a struggle for me, not because of the contents, but rather Mantel’s unique writing style. It took me a long time, almost 200 pages, to get into this novel and become invested in the story. There were points in reading this novel where I wanted to give up and wait until I had access to the audiobook to try again, but I chose to keep reading. Once I did get invested in Cromwell’s tale and the ones who surrounded the powerful figure, I was hooked. I think if the beginning was not so convoluted, this would have been an almost perfect novel, except for how she portrayed figures like Mary Boleyn, Jane Rochford, and George Boleyn, which I did not agree with, but that is my own opinion.

This novel is an arduous adventure, but it almost mirrors the same rigorous journey Cromwell took from the son of a drunkard blacksmith to one of the most powerful men in Tudor England. I think I need to take a break from this trilogy to truly digest what I have read before tackling the other two books, but I understand why Mantel and this novel are so beloved in the community. If you want to tackle this book, I would suggest taking your time in the first two hundred pages of this novel before you dive in completely. “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel is a uniquely complex yet unforgettable look at Thomas Cromwell and the Tudor era that will make you question if you know the truth of Cromwell’s story.

Book Review: “The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The Life and Times of Lord William Paget” by Alex Anglesey

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The Great SurvivorRulers cannot govern alone. They require a team of men and women behind them to operate as a cohesive unit. The same can be said for rulers during the Tudor dynasty. We know the stories of men like Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell, two men who rose through the ranks to prominent seats of power to ultimately have disastrous falls from grace. However, there was a third Tudor politician who should be in this discussion about rags-to-riches stories. He was the son of a common merchant who went to serve most of the Tudor monarchs as an advisor. Conspiracies and rebellions kept him on his toes, but he ultimately survived the Tudor dynasty, which was a difficult thing to achieve. His name was Lord William Paget and his story is told by his descendant Alex Anglesey in his debut book, “The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The Life and Times of Lord William Paget.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard the name William Paget in previous books that I have read about the Tudors, but he is one of those figures that felt like a footnote to me. When I heard that there was going to be a biography about Paget, I wanted to read it and learn more about this Tudor politician.

Alex Anglesey, the current Marquess of Anglesey, tells the story of how when he was a child living in the family home of Plas Newydd. Anglesey was able to use family letters to piece together the story of his ancestor, William Paget, a man of low status who rose through the ranks and served four Tudor monarchs.

The beginning of Paget’s international political career was traveling all across Europe to convince other European countries to accept the Great Matter. During this time, William married Anne Preston and they had nine children. He was the secretary for both Queen Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves, and he witnessed the dissolution of the monasteries before making his way into the Privy Council as a clerk.

Paget’s first major role was as the English ambassador to France during the reign of King Francis I and gave news to the king about the downfall of Katherine Howard, but it did not last long as he was needed back in England to become Secretary of State. He was King Henry VIII’s private secretary towards the end of his life and helped craft Henry’s last will and testament. After siding with Edward Seymour during the reign of Edward VI, William barely survived a stay in the Tower of London, but he did. During Mary I’s reign, he helped organize the marriage between Mary I and Philip and witnessed the infamous burnings of Protestants. Paget only saw a few years of Elizabeth’s reign before he passed away.

Anglesey shows how Paget and his family were able to survive the Tudor dynasty by staying neutral on matters like religion while still promoting peace. I did find this book a bit dry in places and some of the references to the modern age felt a bit out of place. Overall, it was informative and not a bad read for a debut book. If you want to learn more about a lesser-known political figure who lived during the Tudor dynasty, I suggest you read, “The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The Life and Times of Lord William Paget” by Alex Anglesey.

Book Review: “Jane Seymour: An Illustrated Life” by Carol-Ann Johnston

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Jane SeymourKing Henry VIII’s six wives each have their unique story that transcends time. Katherine of Aragon was his first wife, the mother of Mary Tudor, and the one Henry left behind after 24 years to marry his mistress Anne Boleyn, the most famous of his wives and the mother of Elizabeth Tudor. Anna of Cleves had the shortest marriage to Henry VIII and ended up with an excellent annulment deal. Catherine Howard was young and a bit naive when it came to the ways of men, which led to her downfall while Catherine Parr survived until the end of Henry VIII’s reign. These five women are stories we know by heart, but the one whose story remains a mystery is Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife, and the mother of the future King Edward VI. In her debut book, “Jane Seymour: An Illustrated Life” Carol-Ann Johnston tells the story of the wife who gave Henry his desired son.

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Jane Seymour is someone who I have wanted to learn more about ever since I started studying the Tudors. When I heard that the founder of the Jane Seymour- Henry VIII’s Third Wife was turning her research into a book, I knew I wanted to read it.

Johnston begins by tracing the origins of the Seymour family to the town of Touraine, Saint-Maur-sur-Loire, and a man named Richard de St. Maur from the 7th and 8th centuries. She then traces the family to John Seymour, the Sheriff of Hampshire, the one who inherited Wolf Hall, and the grandfather of Jane Seymour. Johnston also explores how Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn, and Catherine Howard were related, as they were all half-second cousins. Sir John and Margery Seymour had a large family with at least 9 children including Jane, Thomas, and Edward, who would play important roles in the Tudor court.

The bulk of this particular book explores the time Jane Seymour spent at the Tudor court, starting with her time with Katherine of Aragon, exploring her relationship with Anne Boleyn, and finally her time as Queen of England. We get to see how she dealt with big events in the reign of Henry VIII like the Great Matter, the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the Pilgrimage of Grace, and the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Johnston also explores what made Jane Seymour famous, the birth of her son Edward VI and her death a matter of days afterward.

For her debut book, I think Johnston does a decent job telling Jane Seymour’s story for a modern audience with lovely photographs of ways she was remembered through art and architecture. There were some really interesting facts about Jane’s life that I did not know about including her family’s origin and her suitor before Henry, but a lot of this felt like information that I already knew from other books. I think it would be nice if Johnston does write another book that she focuses on the origins of the Seymour family because it covers centuries of English history and I am sure there are some intriguing tales in their family tree.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the information I learned from reading it. If you want to learn more about Jane Seymour’s life and her family, I recommend reading, “Jane Seymour: An Illustrated Life” by Carol-Ann Johnston.

Book Review: “Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII’s Queen” by Roland Hui

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Anne Boleyn IllustratedThe wives of King Henry VIII have been discussed for centuries in length through novels and nonfiction books. Katherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr are all very popular queens, but there is one that you have all been waiting for, the most famous Tudor queen, Anne Boleyn. Her story has been told so many different ways by historians and historical fiction authors for centuries, and now it is time for another historian to write their spin on her story. In his latest book, “Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII’s Queen,” Roland Hui paints a picture of the tumultuous life, love life, and death of Anne Boleyn.

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for a new approach to the lives of the Tudors in books, and when I heard about this title, it caught my eye.

Like so many books about Anne Boleyn, this biography covers Anne’s childhood, her reign and rocky relationship with Henry VIII, her tragic downfall, and her gruesome execution. Hui begins with the origins of the Boleyn family and Anne Boleyn’s childhood. I am glad Hui decided to focus on Anne’s upbringing in the court of Margaret of Austria because this is the aspect that I was always curious about when it came to Anne. We often talk about how the French court shaped Anne’s upbringing, but Hui shows his readers that the Burgundian court was just as transformative and impacted her life.

This book focuses on the relationship between Anne and Henry VIII and how she helped influence his reign, especially regarding religious matters. With the Great Matter and the creation of the Church of England alongside the rise of the English Reformation, we see Anne Boleyn’s opinions on religious matters. Anne had books written by humanists and reformers like Jacques Lefevre d’Etaples, Johannes Brenz, Simon Fish, and William Tyndale. She also surrounded herself with men like Nicholas Bourbon, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Shaxton, William Betts, William Latymer, and John Skip. Finally, Hui discusses how Anne Boleyn fell from her husband’s good favor and was executed.

This is an excellent book to introduce people to the story of Anne Boleyn, as you can easily read it in one sitting. I found some of the material in this book repetitive compared to other books about Anne Boleyn, but Hui does lift it with new facts and the images he includes in this book. Overall, I did enjoy the new information Hui had in his nonfiction book. If you are a fan of Anne Boleyn and want to learn new facts about her life, I suggest you check “Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII’s Queen” by Roland Hui.

Television Series Review: “The Six Wives of King Henry VIII”

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81uwnQbeXvL._SY445_Many actors and actresses have portrayed the lives of Henry VIII and his six wives in modern films and dramas. When asking Tudor nerds which Henry VIII stood out the most, the most popular response is Keith Michell in the 1970s BBC series, “The Six Wives of King Henry VIII.” I had not heard about this series until I started “Adventures of a Tudor Nerd.” Many people have wanted me to watch the series solely for the performance of Keith Michell, so when a coworker allowed me to borrow her DVD copy of the series, I finally decided it was time to tackle this legendary series.

For those unfamiliar with the older Tudor dramas like this series, it should be noted that the focus is not on sex or bloody battles but on the relationships between Henry and his six wives. Therefore, the costumes and the scenery take a step back in quality that one would expect when compared with modern dramas. I think the English brides’ outfits are well done, but the native gowns for Katherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves felt a bit off for me.

Keith Michell plays the titular king, but I will discuss his performance later. I want to look at the actresses who played Henry’s six wives. Each episode focuses on each wife’s story, how they became his wife, and how their story ended.

We begin with Katherine of Aragon, played by Annette Crosbie, who was the wife of Prince Arthur, but when he died, Katherine struggled to survive in a foreign land until it was decided that she would marry her former husband’s brother, Henry VIII. The couple seems to be in love until Katherine cannot deliver a son for the king, so he decides it’s time for a divorce, which we call The Great Matter. With Katherine out of royal favor, it is time for Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, played by Dorothy Tutin, to make her appearance. When it comes to Anne Boleyn’s performances, I don’t know if I like Tutin’s portrayal; it just rubbed me the wrong way.

My favorite episode of this series was Jane Seymour, played by Anne Stallybrass, who shows a more complex side to Jane’s story. We see her interacting with the Seymour family and her desire to reunite Henry VIII and his daughter Mary. The way the episode was structured with Jane on her death bed and witnessing flashbacks to her time with Henry VIII, the issue of the Pilgrimage of Grace, and the birth of her beloved son Edward. With Jane’s death, we see the more human side of Henry as he is in deep mourning for his beloved queen.

It would be several years until he married again to Anne of Cleves to secure a German Protestant alliance. Anne of Cleves, played by Elvi Hale, is a young woman of average looks and very little money who wants to learn everything she can about England. I like how we are introduced to Hans Holbein in this episode and to see how Anne felt about her marriage and ultimate divorce from Henry VIII.

With the divorce of Anne of Cleves settled, Henry VIII turned his gaze on the young Catherine Howard, played by Angela Pleasence. Catherine is young, naive, and only concerned about being queen and having men fawn over her. It was interesting to see Catherine Howard as a nursemaid to the King and how angry he was with her uncle after her execution. Finally, we are introduced to Henry’s final wife, the devout reformer Catherine Parr, played by Rosalie Crutchley. We witness the end of the King’s reign and the rise of the Seymour family to help the young king Edward VI.

Of course, these stories could not be told without side characters like Thomas Wolsey, Thomas, and Edward Seymour, King Henry VII, Eustace Chapuys, Jane Boleyn, and Will Somers. I was a little surprised that they included torture scenes for Anne Askew and Mark Smeaton, especially since they did not show the execution scenes for Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Several small Easter eggs for Tudor fans sprinkled in are quite delightful to discover.

Now, it’s time to discuss the big guy, King Henry VIII, played masterfully by Keith Michell. Before watching this drama, I was only familiar with Keith Michell from his performances in Murder She Wrote and the episodes I would watch with my mom. We begin with Henry as a young king enchanted with Katherine of Aragon. They are madly in love, and it is hard to believe they would ever separate, but they eventually do when Anne Boleyn catches his eye.

Throughout this entire series, we see Michell’s acting range through the rapid emotional change of the king. One minute he could be lovey-dovey, the next raging mad, and then bawling his eyes out. What impressed me the most about Michell’s performance was how we saw Henry VIII’s size and shape change in each episode. As Tudor fans, we have screamed at the TV when we see modern adaptations of Henry VIII that do not meet our standards for what older Henry should look like. Michell exceeds all expectations and gives his audience one of the most believable King Henry VIII performances in modern history.

Overall, I found this a decent show where the political and romantic drama of the reign of King Henry VIII shines through the screen. The queens and the counselors did take a back seat to the titular king, but I did not mind that. If you want to watch a legendary series about the reign of King Henry VIII that does not have the sex and scandals of a modern drama, I highly recommend you watch the BBC series, “The Six Wives of King Henry VIII,” starring Keith Michell.

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Book Review: “Cardinal Wolsey: For King and Country” by Phil Roberts

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cover264519-medium (1)When we think about those who rose through the ranks to achieve significant titles in the Tudor Court, we instantly think about Thomas Cromwell. However, we should also consider his mentor as one of these great men, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. The son of Robert Wolsey, an Ispwich businessman, and his wife, Joan Daundy, who worked hard and ended up being the right-hand man of the young King Henry VIII. The man behind Hampton Court helped start the Great Matter and The Field of Cloth of Gold, Wolsey had numerous achievements. Who was the man behind these significant Tudor moments? This is the question Phil Roberts tries to address in his book, “Cardinal Wolsey: For King and Country.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Netgalley, for sending me a copy of this book. When I heard about this title, it was intriguing to me. I had not read many biographies about Thomas Wolsey, so I was excited to read this book.

Roberts begins by showing how Wolsey has been portrayed in other books and media such as films and TV dramas. He then dives into the complex task of tracking the Wolsey family from the Norman Conquest to the Wars of the Roses, which did feel a tad rushed. I wish he had included some family trees so that his readers could follow along with the different branches of the family.

Wosley had a personal life outside of his public persona with his illegitimate children, his loyal friends, and the enemies he made along the way, including Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Roberts spends a lot of time looking at the different aspects of Wolsey’s life, like his policies, the schools he built in Ispwich, and his own homes. Finally, Roberts explores how Wolsey fell from the good graces of King Henry VIII and the last days filled with anguish as he slowly died from an illness.

Although Roberts presented interesting facts about Thomas Wolsey, I think the structure of his book was a bit all over the place. In the beginning, he spent a lot of time looking into the history of Ispwich and its schools and church, including a lengthy segment about a missing statue, before getting into Wolsey’s life story. I found this information fascinating, but I don’t know if it was important enough to spend that much time on it. These facts would have been more appropriate in a book about Ispwich. Another thing that threw me off was that Roberts did not write this biography in chronological order of the events until the end of this book.

Overall, I thought this book had enlightening factoids about Thomas Wolsey, but it needed some tweaking to make it a brilliant biography. This is a book for someone who knows the general facts about the Cardinal but wants to learn more about this man. If this sounds like you, I recommend you read “Cardinal Wolsey: For King and Country” by Phil Roberts.

Book Review: “The Forgotten Tudor Women: Gertrude Courtenay: Wife and Mother of the Last Plantagenets” by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

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59617178._SX318_In any dynasty, those closest to the throne are the most at risk of dealing with suspicions and conspiracies. Those who were not next in line for the throne were seen as threats, especially those whose bloodline was a bit stronger than those who sat on the throne. The Tudor dynasty’s biggest threat was the few Plantagenets who still lived at court. The family that had the most Plantagenet blood in their veins and poised the most significant threat was the Pole family. However, one woman who was very close to Henry VIII and his family married a man who had Plantagenet blood in his veins. Her name was Gertrude Courtenay, the Marchioness of Exeter, and her story is finally getting the light it deserves in Sylvia Barbara Soberton’s latest book, “The Forgotten Tudor Women: Gertrude Courtenay: Wife and Mother of the Last Plantagenets.”

I want to thank Sylvia Barbara Soberton for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for new stories from the Tudor dynasty, especially about strong women, so I was intrigued when I heard about this title.

Gertrude Blount (later Courtenay) was the daughter of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy, a distinguished humanist scholar and chamberlain to Katherine of Aragon. William would marry one of Katherine of Aragon’s ladies-in-waiting, Inez de Venegas, and was made a Knight of the Bath by King Henry VIII. As the daughter of such an esteemed gentleman at court, Gertrude received an outstanding education and served Katherine of Aragon as one of her maids of honor.

In 1519, Gertrude married Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter and the first cousin of Henry VIII; his mother was Katherine Plantagenet of York, the younger sister of Elizabeth of York. Gertrude and Henry would stay loyal to Katherine of Aragon and her daughter Mary through The Great Matter, even when Anne Boleyn was queen; Gertrude was a godmother to Anne’s daughter Elizabeth. Even though Henry Courtenay and his son Edward was seen as a potential opponent to Henry VIII, they continued to curry royal favor.

Gertrude’s life was by no means perfect as she was involved in several scandals, including the one around Elizabeth Barton and the Exeter Conspiracy, which resulted in the death of her husband in 1538. Gertrude and Edward would spend time in the Tower, but fate had another twist to their story as young Edward was seen as a potential husband for Queen Mary I.

The strength and tenacity of Gertrude Courtenay are nothing short of admirable. To survive so many conspiracies and scandals during the Tudor dynasty was nothing short of extraordinary. Soberton’s writing style brings to life Gertrude’s story and illuminates one of the forgotten women of the Tudor dynasty. I hope others will appreciate Gertrude Courtenay’s story as much as I did when they read Sylvia Barbara Soberton’s latest book, “The Forgotten Tudor Women: Gertrude Courtenay: Wife and Mother of the Last Plantagenets.”

Guest Post: “ Gertrude Courtenay: Forgotten Tudor Woman” by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

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banner-blogtour1Today, I am pleased to welcome Sylvia Barbara Soberton back to discuss another forgotten Tudor woman, Gertrude Courtenay, who is the subject of her latest book, “The Forgotten Tudor Women: Gertrude Courtenay. Wife and Mother of the last Plantagenets”.

The biography of Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, is the third volume in my best-selling series Forgotten Tudor Women. As the title of the series suggests, I am writing about the lesser-known women of the Tudor court. When I say “lesser-known”, I don’t mean that little is known about these women. Quite the contrary; they left an extraordinary trail of letters, papers, and documents and made their presence known to various chroniclers and ambassadors.

Why Gertrude, you may ask? Long story short: She was amazing! I wanted to write a biography of Gertrude for a very long time. Why was she so special?

Married to Henry VIII’s first cousin Henry Courtenay, Earl of Devon and then Marquis of Exeter, Gertrude was the wife and mother of the last Plantagenets at the Tudor court. Her husband, after whose noble title the Exeter Conspiracy is known today, was executed in 1538, and their son, Edward, spent fourteen years imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Gertrude was among the key political players of Henry VIII’s court during the infamous annulment, known as the Great Matter, commencing in 1527 and ending in 1533. A Catholic and staunch supporter of the King’s first wife, Katharine of Aragon, and their daughter, Princess Mary, Gertrude took an active part in the most turbulent events of Henry VIII’s political and private life. She was far from a passive observer, though. She exchanged letters with Eustace Chapuys, ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and even visited him in disguise when it was dangerous to become Henry VIII’s enemy. She gave ear to the Nun of Kent’s prophecies (for which the Nun was executed in 1534) and remained Katharine of Aragon’s supporter even after the Queen’s banishment.

Gertrude’s hatred of Anne Boleyn, the King’s second wife, and everything she stood for achieved epic proportions and made Gertrude’s support of Katharine and Mary even more resounding. It was Gertrude who took an active part in the fall of Anne Boleyn and the rise of Jane Seymour in May 1536. Godmother to two Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth I and Edward VI, Gertrude was prominent in court circles until her luck ran out when her husband was executed in December 1538. His crime was having a close friendship with Henry Pole, brother of Cardinal Reginald Pole, with whom he discussed politics. Although Henry Courtenay died on the scaffold and their son was imprisoned for fifteen years, Gertrude was released from the Tower of London and survived under the radar until Henry VIII’s elder daughter, Mary, ascended to the throne in 1553. Gertrude’s lifelong friendship with Mary was tested when the Queen rejected Gertrude’s son as a prospective husband.

Gertrude’s story had to be told, and I am overjoyed that I can introduce her to a wider audience.

book-cover-forgotten-3-kdp-uploadAbout the Book

Gertrude Courtenay led a dangerous life, both personally and politically. Daughter of a prominent courtier, she started her career as maid of honor and then lady-in-waiting to Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.

She sided with the Queen during the Great Matter, as the divorce case between Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon was then often known. A bitter enemy of the King’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, Gertrude, plotted and intrigued with Henry VIII’s enemies, brushing with treason on many occasions.

Wife and mother of the last Plantagenets of the Tudor court, Gertrude was an ambitious and formidable political player. The story of her life is a thrilling tale of love and loss, conspiracies and plots, treason and rebellion.

This is Gertrude’s story.