The Tudors and the Dudleys who served them
Plus how we will explore the private life of Anne Boleyn
Hello fellow history lover!
This week:
The Tudors and the Dudleys who served them.
Historian Interview | The House of Dudley with Dr Joanne Paul is now available to watch, or listen to!
Gareth Russell joins me to talk about The Private Life of Anne Boleyn Tour.
Booklist Shortlist announced for the Historical Book Club - Join Book Club
History After Dark looks at Robert the Bruce
Tea Time History Chat Live: Katherine of Aragon dies, Whitehall burns and Nelson is buried.
Elizabeth I’s Coronation
The Tudors and the Dudleys
Three generations of Dudley’s served three generations of Tudor monarchs, their fortunes, and legacies, were intertwined and often interdependent.
The rise from unknown to right-hand man to the King, left Edmund Dudley in a precarious position following the death of his master, Henry VII, and was beheaded under his son, the next Tudor king, Henry VIII. The concern Henry VIII had by being associated with Edmund Dudley was not mirrored in his concern for spending the spoils of the activities for which Edmund had gained that unpopularity, however.
The family position and royal favour was regained under Edmund’s son, John Dudley, through loyal service on, and off, the battlefield. Service that was to cost John dearly, with the loss of his eldest son, Henry. John’s long friendship with Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset put John in ever greater positions at court and even close to the boy-king, Edward VI. When Edward VI devised his ‘Device for the Succession’, John was by his side. Whether to implement it to Edward’s wishes or manipulate the plan to his own ends, remains a contentious debate. John was also to lose his head, as was his son Guildford when they fell on the wrong side of history with their active role in supporting Jane Grey’s (Jane Grey was married to Guildford Dudley) claim to the throne of England against that of Mary Tudor. Mary’s premature death brought the final Tudor monarch to the throne, her half-sister, Elizabeth I.
The remaining Dudley brothers had been somewhat restored to favour under the patronage of the late Queen’s husband, Philip of Spain. However, the friendship of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth was already established when she succeeded her sister and Robert’s star rose so high that he was even in a position to ask for the Queen’s hand in marriage. The marriage was never to be and it is with Elizabeth and Robert that both the Tudor and Dudley lines, respectively, died out.
For an eye-opening and fascinating new take on the Dudleys and the Tudors, watch my interview with Dr Joanne Paul. The stories she uncovered for this book shine new light on a topic that was thought to have been exhausted, but not so!
Gareth Russell joins me to talk about The Private Life of Anne Boleyn Tour
Gareth Russell, historian, best-selling author and royal commentator is the tour historian in my ‘The Private Life of Anne Boleyn’ tour on 29th June, this year.
We got together to talk about how we will explore the life of Anne Boleyn and the woman she was in private, the places we are going and where we will be staying.
Book Club - Booklist for 2023 Announced
The shortlist of books for Book Club has been announced. Voting will continue until 29th January. The final list, order and schedule for book club virtual meetings will be announced on Monday 30th January. Join now to be able to cast your vote.
The Shortlist is:
The Ship of Dreams. The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian era - Gareth Russell
The House of Dudley - Dr Joanne Paul
Blood, Fire & Gold - Dr Estelle Paranque
The Hollow Crown - Dan Jones
Mortal Monarchs, A 100 years of Royal Death - Dr Suzie Edge
The Sisters Who Would be Queen - Leanda de Lisle
The Red Prince - Dr Helen Carr
Elfrida - Dr Elizabeth Norton
James I and The English Witch Hunts - Tracy Borman
The Winter King. The Dawn of Tudor England - Thomas Penn
Houses of Power. The places that shaped the Tudor world - Dr Simon Thurley
You can watch me talk through a synopsis of each book by clicking here.
History After Dark
This week’s topic: Robert the Bruce
Tea Time History Chat Live
This week, amongst other tangents, I discussed the death of Katherine of Aragon and how it closely linked to Anne Boleyn, the loss of Whitehall Palace from a fire and the State Funeral of Vice-Admiral Nelson following his body's long trip back from Trafalgar. We also talked about Book Club, which is starting very soon and my interview with Dr Joanne Paul about the House of Dudley (see above).
and finally…
…on this day in history, the 15th January 1559, Elizabeth I is crowned at Westminster Abbey. You can watch my short video about the preparations for the coronation and the coronation itself by clicking here.
Until next time!
Philippa x