July 9 - Mary wants to avoid bloodshed and vengeance

On this day in Tudor history, 9th July 1553, three days after the death of her half-brother, King Edward VI, and the day after she'd proclaimed herself queen at her estate at Kenninghall, Mary (future Mary I), daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, wrote to the late king's privy council regarding "some evil" that she'd heard.
 
But what was going on? What had Mary heard and what was she going to do about it?
 
Find out more about the situation and Mary's letter in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/VEGUbLa45AM
 
Also on this day in history, 9th July 1540, Anne of Cleves went from being Henry VIII’s queen consort to being his “right dear and right entirely beloved sister” after their marriage was annulled. Why was their marriage annulled? How did Anne of Cleves react to the news? What happened to her and Henry VIII afterwards? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/DUblFQhi58M 

June 21 - Lady Jane Grey is Edward's heir

On this day in Tudor history, 21st June 1553, letters patent were issued stating that the dying King Edward VI’s heir was Lady Jane Grey, eldest daughter of the king's cousin, Frances Grey (née Brandon), Duchess of Suffolk.
Why was Lady Jane Grey his heir when Edward had two half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, and who else was listed in his "devise for the succession". Find out more about Edward VI's plan for the succession in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:https://youtu.be/DNlNkqcFnA8
Also on this day in Tudor history, 21st June 1529, Queen Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII, stole the show with an incredible speech at the Legatine Court at Blackfriars, a court that was hearing the case for the annulment of her marriage to the king. Find out more about what she said in last year's video - https://youtu.be/mV9DknPWlJA

June 14 - Two courtiers in trouble for supporting Mary

On this day in Tudor history, 14th June 1536, not long after the fall of Anne Boleyn, two courtiers, Sir Anthony Browne and Sir Francis Bryan, were interrogated regarding their alleged support of Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon.
 
Both men had been involved with the Catholic conservatives and Seymours who had worked to bring Anne Boleyn down and who wanted Mary restored to the succession, but now they found themselves in a spot of trouble.
 
What happened and how did Bryan and Browne get out of trouble?
 
Find out more in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
https://youtu.be/iBaK2npqPwY
 
Book recommendation - Sir Francis Bryan: Henry VIII's Most Notorious Ambassador by Sarah-Beth Watkins. Sarah-Beth is also the June 2020 expert speaker for the Tudor Society and her talk is on Bryan.
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 14th June 1571, Sir Christopher Danby died. He died a natural death even though he’d been implicated in a rebellion. How did he survived that? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/FrOKqwN5eSE 

May 23 - Elizabeth the prisoner, "Much suspected by me, Nothing proved can be"

 
On this day in Tudor history, 23rd May 1554, Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, arrived at the Palace of Woodstock in Oxfordshire, where she was placed under house arrest.
 
Elizabeth remained under house arrest there for just under a year, and she didn't make it easy for her gaoler, Sir Henry Bedingfield, and neither did her servants.
 
Find out why Elizabeth was under house arrest and what happened in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
https://youtu.be/OAZzfipAj6k
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 23rd May 1533, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer declared the sentence of the special court that had met at Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire to rule on the case for the annulment of King Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Find out more about this in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/i01ih2JcyGo 

May 3 - A man who served 3 monarchs and kept his head

On this day in Tudor history, 3rd May 1568, courtier, member of Parliament, and privy councillor, Sir Edward Rogers, died. 
Rogers had a long and successful royal career, serving three of the Tudor monarchs, and he managed to keep his head too.
 
Find out more about him, and how he even survived being implicated in rebellion and opposing Mary I, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books.
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/PE5dT0xO4Fs
 
Also on this day in history, 3rd May 1580, poet, farmer and agricultural writer Thomas Tusser died. In last year’s video, Claire shared his verses for the month of May so please do watch that - https://youtu.be/px5PSyryEnA 
And on 3rd May 1536, following the arrest of Queen Anne Boleyn and prominent courtiers, a shocked Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote to King Henry VIII. Find out what was going on in the video for 3rd May 1536 - https://youtu.be/7CokGrvX3HE 

March 29 - Children encourage John Laurence at his sad end

On this day in Tudor history, 29th March 1555, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Protestant and former Dominican priest, John Laurence, was burned at the stake for heresy in Colchester.
 
At his burning, young children encouraged him with their prayers.
 
Find out more about his John Laurence's sad end in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History". 
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/ToYVgj9hQqI
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 29th March 1551, Mary Dudley, eldest daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, married Henry Sidney. Find out more about them, and also how Mary suffered so terribly with smallpox after nursing Queen Elizabeth I, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/OkBlboV2G8o 
 
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/

March 18 - Elizabeth I is arrested

On this day in Tudor history, 18th March 1554, Palm Sunday, the twenty-year-old Lady Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I) was escorted by barge from her home at Whitehall Palace along the River Thames to the Tower of London, and imprisoned there. 
 
Elizabeth had been implicated in Wyatt's Rebellion, a rebellion that sought to depose Queen Mary I and put Elizabeth, the queen's half-sister, on the throne in her place.
 
Where was Elizabeth imprisoned? What happened to her? Find out more about Elizabeth's arrest and her time in the Tower of London in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
 
Book recommendation: "Elizabeth: Apprenticeship" by David Starkey.Link to read "The Miraculous Preservation...." - https://www.exclassics.com/foxe/foxe431.htm May 19 – Elizabeth’s release from the Tower - https://youtu.be/QFJx0u3nx_s 
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/-V45UijJ2yg
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 18th March 1496, Henry VIII's beloved sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, was born at Richmond Palace. Find out all about her in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/Caoll3Fhv7s

March 14 - A man who served 4 monarchs and kept his head

On this day in Tudor history, 14th March 1555, courtier, envoy and landowner, Sir John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, died at his London residence on the Strand aged around 70.
 
Russell was an important Tudor man who served four Tudor monarchs - Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I - AND he managed to keep his head, dying a natural death at a good age.
 
Find out more about this Earl of Bedford, his life, his rise and his career at the royal court, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books.
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/_Lrjhj8v-So
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 14th March 1540, Sir John Port died at Bewdley. Port is remembered for mumbling in a case and changing the outcome, and you can find out more about what happened in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/w2UTIzSv5uw