Becoming Elizabeth - Episode 4 - Lighten Our Darkness - Becoming Elizabeth or Becoming Mary?

This week’s episode of Becoming Elizabeth, Lighten our Darkness, had us thinking that Elizabeth might just be pregnant, saw the end of Queen Catherine Parr, and should, Claire feels, have been called Becoming Mary.

Let historian and author Claire Ridgway share with you the history behind this week’s episode and her views on how things played out, as we say goodbye to Catherine Parr, see Elizabeth becoming independent and a new Elizabeth, and watch Mary reacting to the violence aimed at her beloved church, a violence caused by her own half-brother Edward IV's religious policies. Oh, and Claire points out a Tudor character who is sadly missing from the series.

If you love talking Tudor, particularly about Elizabeth I, then you'll want to be a part of Claire's Elizabeth I online event which features 8 experts and lots of Tudor talk.

Find out all the details and register at https://claireridgway.com/events/elizabeth-i-the-life-of-gloriana-the-virgin-queen-online-event-7-16-september-2022/

Becoming Elizabeth - Episode 3 - Either Learn or Be Silent

Trigger alert - some discussion of the abuse Elizabeth I suffered.

In this week’s episode of Becoming Elizabeth, episode 3 "Either Learn or Be Silent", things come to a head between Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth, but is historian Claire Ridgway still angry, or has she calmed down? How does she feel about the Elizabeth and Seymour storyline and just how close was this episode to history?

Claire looks at what history tells us about Seymour's behaviour with Elizabeth, including the dress-slashing scenes, as well as looking at the timeline of events, the Mary/Elizabeth letter storyline, Elizabeth's 15th birthday, Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey, the Greys, Edward VI and Lord Protector Somerset, Pedro de Negro and Catherine Parr's feelings about her pregnancy. Phew!

The link to Susan Higginbotham's article on Frances Grey - https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-maligned-frances-grey-guest-post-by-susan-higginbotham/

The link to Miranda Kaufmann's article on Pedro de Negro - http://www.mirandakaufmann.com/pedro-negro.html

Becoming Elizabeth - Episode 2 Part 2 - feedback from Tom Cullen and Anya Reiss

Thank you to all those who commented on my last video with their views on the Elizabeth and Seymour storyline. It's such an important topic and it was great to open up that dialogue.

Huge thanks go to Tom Cullen, who plays Thomas Seymour, and Anya Reiss, the writer, for reaching out to me, sharing their views and giving some insights into how and why Elizabeth and Seymour are depicted this way and where their storyline is going.

But what about the rest of the episode? Well, don't worry, in this episode I look at the relationship between Edward VI and Princess Mary, the fuss over Catherine Parr's jewels, and the characters Lady Jane Grey and Robert Dudley.

Here's the link to my article featuring Tom Cullen's comments, which he gave me permission to use - https://www.elizabethfiles.com/actor-tom-cullen-responds-to-my-anger-over-becoming-elizabeths-thomas-seymour-and-elizabeth-storyline/10295/ You can see Anya's comments replying to me on Twitter as the Anne Boleyn Files - https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles/

Becoming Elizabeth - Epsiode 2 - Elizabeth I’s #metoo moment is ruined

Trigger alert: Claire discusses the harassment and abuse experienced by Elizabeth I, as featured in the episode.

Historian and author Claire Ridgway is rather cross this week as she talks about a key storyline in this week's "Becoming Elizabeth" episode. Claire says. "I’m so angry, spitting mad actually. I feel that Becoming Elizabeth has taken the #MeToo movement, thrown it on the floor and stamped all over it. This was an opportunity to educate; instead, we’ve ended up with a trashy romance."

Find out exactly what Claire thought of the Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour storyline. Spoiler alert - she didn't think much of it!

Join Claire in her weekly chats and all the goodies on offer with the online event "Elizabeth I: The Life of Gloriana, the Virgin Queen" by registering at https://claireridgway.com/events/elizabeth-i-the-life-of-gloriana-the-virgin-queen-online-event-7-16-september-2022/

Do make sure you register in time for this week's chat. It takes place on Friday 24th June at 10pm UK/ 5pm New York time.

Becoming Elizabeth - Episode 1 - Keep the Knife Bright - Fictions versus history

In the first of these weekly videos on the Starz series "Becoming Elizabeth", historian and best-selling author Claire Ridgway discusses Episode 1 "Keep your knife bright".

Claire looks at the main scenes of this episode and explores just how close they were to the real history of the events of early 1547, just after the death of King Henry VIII.

• What really happened in early 1547?
• Was the timeline correct?
• Was Catherine Parr really already involved with Thomas Seymour?
• Did Edward Seymour dash off to Scotland?
• And what about Thomas Seymour and the young Elizabeth I?
• We know that Thomas's behaviour with Elizabeth caused a scandal, but were his advances welcome?

Claire explores these issues and will be going into even more detail this Friday, 17th June, in a live chatroom chat that's part of her online event "Elizabeth I: The Life of Gloriana, the Virgin Queen". These chats will be held weekly to discuss each episode. You can find out more about the event and how to register at https://claireridgway.com/events/elizabeth-i-the-life-of-gloriana-the-virgin-queen-online-event-7-16-september-2022/

25 Interesting Facts about Elizabeth I

4 August - Elizabeth I’s spirit, William Cecil

On 4th August 1598, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, died. He'd been Elizabeth's chief advisor and a man she called her spirit.

Hear a few more William Cecil facts in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:

https://youtu.be/YUQaeGO2bo4

Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/

Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:

On This Day in Tudor History - https://amzn.to/3oceahH

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown - https://amzn.to/3m8KaSi

George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat - https://amzn.to/2TdwyZr

The Anne Boleyn Collection - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T

The Anne Boleyn Collection II - https://amzn.to/3o9LUwi

The Anne Boleyn Collection III - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T

The Life of Anne Boleyn Colouring Books - https://amzn.to/3jkJ5Vz

Claire has also done an online history course, The Life of Anne Boleyn, for MedievalCourses.com - https://medievalcourses.com/overview/life-anne-boleyn-mc06/

You can find Claire at:

https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com 

https://www.tudorsociety.com

https://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles/

https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/

https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles 

https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety 

https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/ 

https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/

1 August - John Ashley, or John Astley

On  this day in Tudor history, 1st August 1596, courtier John Ashley or Astley died. He and his wife Kat Ashley were loyal servants and friends of Queen Elizabeth I. 

Find out more about John Ashley in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/VppDg8yZpic

Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/

Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:

On This Day in Tudor History - https://amzn.to/3oceahH

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown - https://amzn.to/3m8KaSi

George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat - https://amzn.to/2TdwyZr

The Anne Boleyn Collection - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T

The Anne Boleyn Collection II - https://amzn.to/3o9LUwi

The Anne Boleyn Collection III - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T

The Life of Anne Boleyn Colouring Books - https://amzn.to/3jkJ5Vz

Claire has also done an online history course, The Life of Anne Boleyn, for MedievalCourses.com - https://medievalcourses.com/overview/life-anne-boleyn-mc06/

You can find Claire at:

https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com 

https://www.tudorsociety.com

https://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles/

https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/

https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles 

https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety 

https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/ 

https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/

30 July - Writer Robert Parry

On this day in Tudor history, 30th July 1563, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, writer and diarist Robert Parry was born.

Find out a bit more about Parry in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway.

You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/JlQoVDRfM30

25 July - A kidnapped child actor

On this day in history, 25th July 1602, in the reign of King James I, thirteen-year-old Elizabethan actor Salomon Pavy was buried at the Church of St Mary Somerset, near Blackfriars Theatre. 

Find out more about Salomon Pavy and how he came to be an actor in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway.

You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/t0mW8GWVy-M

Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/

Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:

On This Day in Tudor History - https://amzn.to/3oceahH

The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown - https://amzn.to/3m8KaSi

George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat - https://amzn.to/2TdwyZr

The Anne Boleyn Collection - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T

The Anne Boleyn Collection II - https://amzn.to/3o9LUwi

The Anne Boleyn Collection III - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T

The Life of Anne Boleyn Colouring Books - https://amzn.to/3jkJ5Vz

Claire has also done an online history course, The Life of Anne Boleyn, for MedievalCourses.com - https://medievalcourses.com/overview/life-anne-boleyn-mc06/

You can find Claire at:

https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com 

https://www.tudorsociety.com

https://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles/

https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/

https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles 

https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety 

https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/ 

https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/