Jane Seymour's bedroom at Hampton Court Palace
The real Margaret Beaufort with Dr Nicola Tallis
Dear Fellow History Lover,
I have been on the road again this week. The tour off-season is spent doing a lot of back office work and meetings about tours for the next season and into the future and researching places for future tours. So, you will notice that I am on the road quite a bit over the next few months and will have exciting news about the 2025 calendar coming up!
This week I have visited the historic town of Worcester, central to many events in the country at various times. For example, they were the first city to declare for the crown in the English Civil Wars of the 17th century and the town saw the final battle, in 1651, from which the future Charles II made his famous escape.
I also headed down to Hever Castle where I had various meetings with the wonderful event staff, to go through preparations for the two ‘The Anne Boleyn Tours’ which we will be holding there in 2024 (click here for details) and plans for The Anne Boleyn Tour in 2025. Our groups are limited to 20 people so that our guests get the best access to the historians and places during the tour. We have exclusive use of the Astor Wing where Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was once entertained and where Gareth Russell has been able to ascertain she decided to marry the future George VI! That’s just for starters!
Take a look at the view from Jane Seymour’s bedroom (and inside the room too)
The real Margaret Beaufort with Dr Nicola Tallis - was she really just power hungry and pious? (spoiler alert….no, she was far more interesting than that!)
Reminder of how you can join in with our historical book club and help choose our book list for 2024.
The Real Margaret Beaufort with Dr Nicola Tallis
My fascinating interview with Dr Nicola Tallis is out next Sunday on YouTube and on the British History Podcast.
There are two ways of getting early access to the interview. If you are a paying Substack subscribers you have early access to the podcast (see below), whilst members of the British History Patreon can access the extended, ad-free version of the interview here - click here.
Jane Seymour’s Bedroom at Hampton Court Palace
Queen Jane Seymour gave birth to the future Edward VI at Hampton Court Palace on the 12th October 1537 (the anniversary is this week). The joy over the much awaited son and legitimate heir to Henry VIII was marred when Jane fell seriously ill with post-partum complications. Jane died when her baby son was only 12 days old, never having left the birthing room.
Since Jane’s time, the palace has undergone huge alterations, not least the destruction of half of it and the building of a Renaissance palace for Mary II and her husband William III. Then the Georgians moved in and for all I can appreciate their external architecture, Georgian interiors were plain and boring! As a result, the inside of Jane’s bedroom is stark and void of any of the Tudor interior which Jane would have recognised, EXCEPT, that is, for the fireplace.
Her view, however, remains very similar.
Wolsey’s Arms, visible now over the archway below the astronomical clock, would have been covered up, and if she looked left she certainly wouldn’t have seen the baroque colonnade but this view is almost exactly that which Jane would have seen.
Historical Book Club
Reminder of how to join and get involved in choosing the books for 2024
Delve into recommended history books and discuss them with like minded people at the Historical Book Club.
I am really excited to see which 5 books the members of Book Club choose for 2024! I had real trouble even getting the long list down to 15 so I am more than happy to hand over the choice to a vote!
I went through each of them and why I picked them on last week’s Tea Time History Chat Live - Watch Now.
Have a great week everyone!
Philippa
PS: Remember to grab your tickets for The Tudor Online History Festival - £20 Click Here
