As a daughter of Spain, Katherine of Aragon’s personal emblem was the pomegranate. The fruit had strong ties with motherhood, Christianity, and the Virgin Mary, …
KATHERINE OF ARAGON’S POMEGRANATE EMBLEM
MARY & CATHERINE HOWARD
It is well-known that the relationship between Mary and her fourth stepmother, Catherine Howard, was tense. Their relationship was the opposite of the warm affection …
A POEM ON MARY I’S LADIES
There is a curious poem, written at some point between 1553 and 1555, about eight ladies who served Mary I. The poem is signed R.E., …
THE EMPEROR’S INSTRUCTIONS TO EUSTACE CHAPUYS
On the 25th June, 1529, Emperor Charles V appointed Eustace Chapuys, a lawyer and diplomat from Savoy, as his ambassador to England. When Chapuys arrived …
THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH OF YORK
The 11th of February commemorates both Elizabeth of York’s birth in 1466, and tragic death in 1503. She is remembered as the daughter of Edward …
RICHARD III VISITS YORK
Following their coronation on 6th July, 1483, King Richard III and Queen Anne, along with their young son, Edward of Middleham, set off on a …
HENRY V’S VALENTINE?
One of the earliest mentions of Valentine’s Day in English literature comes in the form of a poem by John Lydgate. Lydgate was a 15th …
HENRY FITZROY’S LETTER TO HIS FATHER, HENRY VIII
At the end of January, 1528, an 8 year old Henry FitzRoy, already duke of Richmond, wrote this lovely letter to Henry VIII, seeking his …
HENRY VIII AS DEFENDER OF THE FAITH AGAINST MARTIN LUTHER
In 1519, Henry VIII read Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. As a devout son of the Catholic Church, one who may even have been intended for …
JANE SEYMOUR: A BALLAD ‘OF GREAT DERISION’
Though Anne Boleyn was notably lacking in popularity as queen, that did not mean people were happy about her downfall, a subject I touched upon …
