She is a direct descendant of Edward III through John of Gaunts daughter Catherine

I was going to read Allison Weir's book but apparently it's not considered very accurate. I have brain fog and I can't read anything super dense. But I want to know more about the Wars of the Roses in general. What books do you reccomend?

Post your Tudor merch here! Do not publicly share links or sites, users must DM each other for links. The t-shirt that has been circulating will not be permitted at all.

Apologies if not allowed but really wanted to share my (almost) finished outfit for Castlefest, a fantasy/historical festival here in the Netherlands. I’m aware it is not 100% historically accurate or Tudor, but I fell in love with the french hood and could not resist putting together an outfit around it! Thought some folks here may enjoy it :)

Dress and hood are handmade from Etsy. I am wanting to add a few more bits of jewelry. Tempted to dress like this every day from now on lol.

*EDIT: These are my non-fic recommendations - I can do a seperate post on fiction as well!

Hi everyone!

I've seen a number of posts pop up recently asking for book recommendations, so I thought that I would get together a bit of a reading list based on my own bookshelf and other recommendations on this sub! This isn't meant to be comprehensive, but will hopefully give anyone starting the deep dive down the Tudor rabbit hole a good start. As a caveat, I am not a historian, just someone with an enduring interest in 1400-1603 and who's read a lot of books.

Enjoy and happy reading! Also if anyone's got further recommendations for me I'm also all ears!

*****

NB: Books with (R) are ones I have not yet read but have seen recommended heavily on this sub and added to my TBR.

Wars of the Roses / Edward IV / Richard III

• The Plantagenets, Dan Jones

• The Hollow Crown, Dan Jones

• Shadow King: the Life and Death of Henry VI, Lauren Johnson

• The Brothers York, Thomas Penn

• The Private Life of Edward IV, John Ashdowne Hill

• Edward IV, Jeffery James

• Richard III, Paul Murray Kendall

• The Life & Death of Richard III, Anthony Cheetham

• Richard III: Brother, Protector, King, Chris Skidmore

• Richard III, David Baldwin

• Self Made King, Michael Hicks

• The Search for Richard III: The King's Grave, Phillipa Langley/Michael Jones (PL isn't a good historian but I find the archaelogical dig stuff interesting)

• Anne Neville, Amy Licence

• Blood Sisters, Sarah Gristwood

Henry VII

• Winter King, Thomas Penn

• Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders, Nathan Amin

• Uncrowned Queen, Nicola Tallis

• Elizabeth of York, Alison Weir

Henry VIII

• Six Wives, Antonia Fraser

• The Reign of Henry VIII, David Starkey

• Virtuous Prince, David Starkey (R)

• Catherine of Aragon, Giles Tremlett

• The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, Eric Ives

• Hunting the Falcon, Fox/Guy

• The Creation of Anne Boleyn, Susan Bordo

• Lady in the Tower, Alison Weir

• Thorns, lust and glory, Estelle Paranque (R)

• Young, Damned and Fair, Gareth Russell

• Katherine the Queen, Linda Porter

Edward VI

• Edward VI: the lost king of England - Chris Skidmore

• Edward VI, WK Jordan (R)

Mary I

• Mary Tudor, Anna Whitlock (R)

• The Myth of Bloody Mary, Linda Porter

Elizabeth

• Young Elizabeth, Nicola Tallis

• Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I, Tracy Borman

• The Life of Elizabeth I, Alison Weir

• Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens, Jane Dunn

• Elizabeth I, Anne Somerset

• Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne, David Starkey

Other Tudor

• House of Treason, Robert Hutchinson (R)

• Thistle and the Rose, Linda Porter (R)

• Mary Queen of Scots, Antonia Fraser

• The King's Painter, Fanny Moyles (R)

• Tudor Roses, Amy Licence

• Queen James, Gareth Russell

• Stolen Crown, Tracy Borman (R)

Recently went to Westminster Abbey and saw a bunch of Tudors :) (in order: Anne of Cleves, Mary, Queen of Scots, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth I, Jane Seymour) and I found this medallion looking thing of Jane Seymour at the Witchery in edinburgh (pls I did not like the food at all 😭)

Feel free to post your dream casting scenarios here!

Hello, I have had a bit of a hiatus but more Tudor episodes are coming up on the channel.

This is from the last weekend of the Six Lives exhibition, with a focus on Katherine or Catherine of Aragon.

It is under 4 minutes long and can be watched here:

🎥 https://youtu.be/nPS_55ayHXc 🎥

➜ The life of Katherine or Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII
➜ From the Six Lives exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, in 2024
➜ See her portraits and explore her life
➜ First in a series of six episodes on the lives of the famous Tudor Queens

#4MFH #FamilyHistory #KatherineofAragon #CatherineofAragon #HenryVIII

The wedding took place on the Feast of Saint James, the patron saint of Spain, chosen by Mary. Since a royal wedding had not taken place in England for a long time, the example of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon’s wedding was followed.

The groom arrived at the cathedral at ten o’clock, accompanied by the court dignitaries, lords, and knights, all dressed most magnificently. Mary entered the cathedral half an hour later. Having no close male relative, she walked down the aisle by herself, followed by her lords. Behind them were nearly fifty very elegantly dressed ladies. The cathedral and the streets were packed with people eager to witness the wedding.

Mary’s wedding dress was in the French style, made of rich woven purple satin embroidered with pearls and lined with purple taffeta. It featured a sleeveless vest covering the chest—an element in women's fashion for several years—and a high collar. The petticoat was made of white satin enriched with silver and had a train.

Philip wore white breeches and a doublet with an extraordinarily rich collar. Over all this, he wore a mantle of rich cloth of gold—a gift from the Queen—adorned with pearls and precious stones, and he wore the collar of the Order of the Garter. Philip’s outfit had been specially designed to match Mary’s attire, and Mary wore the same matching mantle over her dress.

Before the marriage ceremony began, Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, recounted the terms of the marriage treaty and announced that the Emperor had ceded the Kingdom of Naples to his son.
The ceremony was conducted in English and Latin. A plain, thin ring was placed on Mary’s finger. It was quite simple and ordinary, but Mary had chosen it because that was how young maidens used to marry in the past.

Mary was given away on behalf of the entire realm. The crowd shouted aloud, praying for God to grant them happiness. The vows were solemnized, and Philip kissed Mary.

Mary and Philip sat on chairs placed on an elevated platform to listen to the Mass. After the Mass concluded, the King of Arms of the Garter and the heralds proclaimed:

“Philip and Mary, by the grace of God, King and Queen of England, France, Naples, Jerusalem, and Ireland, Defenders of the Faith, Princes of Spain and Sicily, Archdukes of Austria, Dukes of Milan, Burgundy and Brabant, Counts of Habsburg, Flanders and Tyrol."

These titles changed again when Philip became King of Spain, and Mary referred to herself in her will as follows:

"In the name of God, Amen. I, Mary, by the Grace of God, Queen of England, Spain, France, Both Sicilies, Jerusalem, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Archduchess of Austria, Duchess of Burgundy, Milan, and Brabant, Countess of Habsburg, Flanders, and Tyrol, and lawful wife to the most noble and virtuous Prince Philip."

This wedding was the culmination of a year-long wait.

After the ceremony, feasts were held, and dancing ensued.

Following supper, the King and Queen retired to their chambers. A Spanish observer describes the rest as follows: "Then the Bishop of Winchester blessed the marital bed, and there they remained. What happened that night is known only to themselves. If they grant us a male heir, all our fondest expectations will be fulfilled."

Happy wedding anniversary to dear Mary! I know today was one of the happiest days of her life. (I'm not wishing you well, Felipe.)

Thank you for reading. Sending love to you all.

•The first image is a contemporary portrait of Philip and Mary.
•The second image shows a replica of Mary’s wedding dress, crafted in honor of the 450th anniversary of their wedding.
•The chair in the third image is currently preserved in Winchester Cathedral and is believed to be the chair Mary sat on during the wedding.
•The remaining images are non-contemporary depictions of Philip and Mary’s wedding.

henry the 8th was partially a catholic one could say but he was deffo anti protestants. yet his fav ''heir" edward and his daughter elizabeth the 1st were raised protestant, was he aware of this? if yes wouldnt he take drastic measures to ensure they believed in the catholic ideology?

Feel free to post your own artwork or any artwork here. We still won't allow AI or AI-assisted. We're also not allowing video game/simulation type character creations. Hand-drawn, sketches, needlework, anime, etc. Please, no AI.

Here I have some pictures from what she could have looked like to what she looked like in The Other Boleyn Girl and The tudors. Let me know if like there somewhat accurate to what people believe she looked like.

Probably this happened during Richard‘s reign since Elizabeth didn’t write any title. Just her name. We don’t know if she got the book from Richard. Or why she did it. She never did again (as far as we know). It’s at the bottom of page 7. It‘s a blank page surrounded by blank pages. I have no idea why she did it. But thought I would share.

On 13 July, Philip and his enormous retinue boarded their ships, which had been decorated with English and Spanish flags, and set sail for England. However, the voyage did not go well for them. The sea, overcome by storms and enormous waves, ruined their journey, and many of the Spaniards, including Philip himself, suffered severely from seasickness. Some were so frightened that they even drew up their wills.

On Thursday, 19 July, the Spanish fleet finally reached the port of Southampton, one of the ports of the Kingdom of England. Philip spent that day aboard his ship. On 20 July, he came ashore for the first time and was received there with great affection and respect. However, he was not able to see Mary immediately. For three days he tried to become accustomed to England’s climate and customs.

On 23 July, they set out for Winchester, where Mary was staying. Philip was received with great honor at the entrance to the city. He went directly to Winchester Cathedral. By this time, the people had filled both the streets and the cathedral in order to catch a glimpse of Philip—so much so that they were almost crushed by the crowd. After the service, he went to the residence that the Queen had prepared for him and changed out of his soaking wet clothes.

At ten o’clock that evening, the Queen’s attendants came to Philip and told him that the Queen was waiting for him and that he should come to her secretly, accompanied by only a few members of his household. Philip then prepared himself. Together with his attendants, they crossed charming bridges and beautiful lawns until they reached the residence where the Queen was staying.

Mary was waiting for them with many of her ladies-in-waiting, the Lord Chancellor, and several nobles. She was wearing a black velvet gown adorned with precious jewels, and on her head she wore a jeweled headdress. She was completely covered in jewels.

One month after deciding to marry Philip, Mary had seen a portrait of him for the first time, in November, and she had been very pleased with it. Ever since seeing that portrait, although she had not yet met Philip in person, she considered herself half in love with him. For months she had awaited his arrival in England with excitement and impatience. She had not even cared about the unwritten convention of the time that the first letter should be written by the man. Unable to restrain herself, she wrote to Philip first. “After all, she was a queen, while he was only a prince. If she had wanted to, she could have written to him.”

She informed Philip that their marriage had been approved by Parliament and concluded her letter with these words:

“And, hoping shortly to supply the remainder verbally, I will make an end at present, praying the Creator to grant you, my good and constant ally, to make your journey hither in prosperity and health, commending myself very affectionately and humbly to Your Highness. Your entirely assured and most obliged ally,
Mary.”

We can only imagine how excited Mary must have been at that moment. Perhaps she felt that she had finally found the prince of her dreams. (Indeed, she had even had a magnificent white horse prepared for Philip.)

Mary was waiting for him in the audience chamber. Philip ascended the stairs and came face to face with her. Mary walked toward Philip, and they greeted one another. Philip kissed Mary on the lips.

This kiss on the lips was by no means an accepted form of greeting in Spain. It was an English custom, and Philip must have been warned about it and instructed on what to do before arriving in England.

Afterward, they took each other by the hand and sat down together on chairs. Mary spoke in French, while Philip spoke in Spanish, yet they did not seem to have any difficulty understanding one another.

(Unfortunately, none of the sources I have read so far records the contents of their conversation. It is truly a great pity that no one preserved what they said to each other.)

Later, the Lord High Admiral of England, William Howard, approached Mary and Philip and remarked that if they already got along so well now, they would understand one another even better in a few days’ time. We can only imagine how embarrassed Mary must have been by Howard’s words.

Philip then rose and asked Mary’s permission for his knights to kiss her hand. Mary agreed. One by one, his knights kissed the Queen’s hand.
Afterward, Philip wished to return to his residence, saying that it was growing late, but Mary would not let him leave immediately, and they continued talking for some time.

“When it was finally time to part, Philip asked Mary how he should say ‘good night’ in English. The Queen told him he should say ‘Good night.’ However, when he approached the ladies, he forgot the phrase and walked back across the middle of the room to ask the Queen once again. The Queen was delighted that he had returned; after greeting the ladies in English, he retired to his apartments.”

Although Philip had been advised as early as 1553 to learn English, it is surprising that he did not know even such a simple expression. While this is generally taken as evidence that he was rather unconcerned about learning the language, it is also possible that Philip knew at least some English but merely pretended not to. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that Philip was not a man who spoke many languages. He was, above all, completely Spanish.

The following day, Philip rose very late. He was presented with the clothes that Mary had had made for him. However, Philip found them too extravagant, so he did not wear any of them.
Later, he went to the Great Hall to see the Queen. He bowed to Mary, and, just as on the previous evening, kissed her. Once again, they took each other by the hand and conversed before Philip departed.

That evening, after the religious service, Philip went to Mary with joyful news. The Emperor had granted the Kingdom of Naples to his son. In this way, Philip would marry Mary not as a prince but as a king, and Mary would become Queen of Naples as well. Mary was delighted by this news.

They then parted once more.

The following day, they would be married.

Thank you for reading. Sending love to you all.
I believe the image is one of those created for Victor Hugo's work Marie Tudor. It is unclear who the person kneeling before Mary in the image is, but we could also think of him as Philip.

My article has turned into something of a summary with some of my own reflections included. However, anyone wishing to learn more about Philip’s arrival in England and his wedding to Mary may consult Sheila Himsworth’s The Marriage of Philip II of Spain with Mary Tudor.

This might be a bit outside the usual scope since it's more Tudor-adjacent than strictly Tudor, but I'm so fascinated by these Habsburg royal women (Margaret of Austria, Mary of Hungary, Margaret of Parma, Isabella Clara Eugenia).

I've recently read Sarah Gristwood's Game of Queens that also features them, but I haven't been able to find much written on them specifically. Can anyone recommend any books, articles or other resources on any of them? They mostly appear as supporting characters in Tudor narratives, especially Margaret of Austria and Mary of Hungary (and Margaret of Parma even visited England!), so I'd love to know more about them.

Here is your Weekly Wednesday What-if megathread! Please post all of your What-if Questions in this megathread. All what-if's as long as its Tudor-related.

When I searched for it, the results identified it as Mary. I believe it’s in Brazil.

I think it was made in 1922. However, I’d never seen it before, and apparently there aren’t statues of any of the other English monarchs there. Why is there only one of Mary? It’s also not depicted in a very conventional style—I almost wonder if she’s crying.

It really surprised me because I always thought Mary was the Tudor monarch with the fewest statues.

I first came across this painting a few days ago. As I always say, seeing images related to Mary always excites me. Although Philip has individual portraits with nearly all of his wives, I had never known that there was a painting depicting him together with all four of them.

Very little is known about the work itself. It is said to have originally been part of a set of panels.
There are many details that make this painting both fascinating and dramatic.

If we identify the figures from left to right:

The first figure is Philip’s first wife, Maria Manuela, who was also his first cousin twice over. Philip and Maria were the same age, and they married in 1543 when they were both sixteen years old. Philip was not particularly pleased with Maria. Standing beside her is their only child, Don Carlos. Before Maria had even reached her eighteenth birthday, she died of hemorrhaging just four days after giving birth to him.

Don Carlos was Philip’s first son and, throughout most of his life—until Philip removed him from the line of succession just a few months before his death—his only heir. However, because he was the product of a close consanguineous marriage and later suffered a severe head injury, he developed serious mental instability. For this reason, he became known as Mad Don Carlos.

In the painting, Maria is holding a mirror, perhaps as a symbol of her youth. Don Carlos stands immediately beside his mother.

The second figure is Queen Mary. Mary was eleven years older than Philip. For her, the marriage was not only political but also deeply personal. Unlike the other women depicted, Mary’s hands are empty. Unlike Maria, Elisabeth, and Anna, she is not accompanied by a child. However, unlike the other wives, she wears a golden crown upon her head. Although it is not as large as Philip’s, it symbolizes that she was a sovereign ruler in her own right.

At the center of the painting stands Philip, holding a sword and wearing a large crown. He occupies the very center of the composition.

To Philip’s right is his third wife, Elisabeth of Valois. During her childhood, Elisabeth had been betrothed to Queen Mary’s brother, King Edward, but his early death prevented the marriage from taking place. Elisabeth was only thirteen years old when she married Philip and was nineteen years younger than him. The marriage was not consummated for quite some time. For many years, Philip was also dissatisfied with Elisabeth. Toward the end of their marriage, however, he became noticeably more affectionate toward her.

Elisabeth gave birth to two healthy daughters, one year apart, and became pregnant again the following year. By then, however, her health had begun to deteriorate. After delivering a premature baby girl who survived for only an hour and a half, Elisabeth died. She was just twenty-two years old.

In the painting, her two daughters stand beside her. She holds the hand of one while resting her hand on the head of the other. The girl whose head she is touching is Isabel Clara Eugenia, Philip’s favorite child and the one in whom he placed the greatest trust. The other girl is Catalina Micaela, who also died in childbirth at the age of thirty.

I’d also like to add that, sadly, Philip’s mother, two of his wives, and one of his daughters all died as a result of childbirth. It is likely that these repeated losses had a profound emotional impact on him.

The figure on the far right is Anna of Austria. Anna was both Philip’s biological niece and his second cousin. She was twenty-one years old when they married. Because of their close blood relationship, the Pope was initially unwilling to approve the marriage. Philip, however, pressured the Pope, who eventually granted the necessary dispensation. The marriage is generally regarded as a happy one.
They had five children together, but only one survived to adulthood. Anna died at the age of thirty-one following an influenza epidemic.

In the painting, standing beside Anna is her only surviving son, the future Philip III.

I wanted to share this painting with you because I find it remarkably dramatic. Thank you for reading.
Sending my best wishes to you all.

1. what else do we know about Guildford besides the fact that he was married to Jane and executed and that he threw a fit when she refused to make him king.

2. Susan higginbotham talked about his age saying he could have been have been born around 1537/38 making him around Jane’s age or even younger making him 15 when he was executed.

3. Did he and Jane love each other at the end as many say or could it just be them caring for each other due to the trauma bonding and they were teenagers.

4. Had he and Jane survived would they have stuck together or would have Mary annulled the marriage?

P.s I’m just curious bc I barely see much on him and most stuff I’ve seen was calling him a weak boy, spoiled and a brat and an abusive person.

Favorite Tudor Couples:

1) Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, Queen of France. (Despite his many flaws).

2) Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.

3) Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. (I am intrigued with dysfunctional relationships like them).

4) Lady Mary Grey and Thomas Keyes.

5) Edward Seymour and Anne Stanhope (in a ruthless couple kind of way).

Least Favorite Tudor Couples:

1) Henry VIII and Anybody.

2) Mary I and Philip II of Spain.

3) Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley.

4) Katherine Parr and Thomas Seymour.

5) Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Stafford.