British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics

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Hang Out with Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace (ep 30) Nov 18, 2020

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I’m taking you time-traveling again! Just a short train or boat ride from the heart of London is one of England’s most famous pleasure palaces: Hampton Court Palace. From the heyday of Henry VIII to Shakespeare’s performances in the Great Hall, and from plans for the King James Bible to huge renovations under William and Mary—Hampton Court Palace has been at the heart of the British monarchy. In fact, during the Hanoverian reigns, it was the site of a queen fleeing while in active labor and the accusation of a baby smuggled into the palace in a warming pan! Since Queen Victoria opened Hampton Court to the public, people have flocked to see the palace, the gardens, the maze, and the wonders of a world gone by.
Thomas Wolsey was the first owner of Hampton Court. Wolsey’s extravagance certainly caught the eye of his visitors, and of his king. John Skelton, a well-known poet and former tutor of Henry VIII, wrote a satirical poem calling Wolsey’s wealth and influence into sharp focus:

Why come you not to Court?

To which court?

To the king’s court?

Or to Hampton Court?

Nay, to the king’s court!

The king’s court

Should have the excellence

But Hampton Court

Hath the pre-eminence!

In my opinion, this was the worst thing for someone like Henry VIII to hear. It was one thing for him to have Wolsey basically run the country while the king pursued his own interests and pleasures. It was quite another for people to joke about Wolsey having pre-eminence. That, combined with Wolsey’s inability to get Henry’s annulment from Katherine of Aragon, plus the whispers that Wolsey was conspiring with the Pope, turned Henry against his long-time devoted servant.

Wolsey maintained the whole point of Hampton Court was to glorify his King. The best apartments were for Henry VIII. Henry had always acted as if the place were his own when he visited. But as Wolsey proved unable to meet the king’s wishes, he found Henry wanted to take his sense of ownership further. In September 1528, Wolsey received a letter telling him to leave Hampton Court. The king was about to turn Hampton Court into his own pleasure palace.
Walk with Henry VIII, his wives, and his children through the Great Hall, the Great Watching Chamber, the royal apartments, the kitchens, the maze, and more! You can meet history at Hampton Court!

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Take a Walk into History in Winchester (episode 29) Nov 11, 2020

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I’m recording this in the final months of 2020. It’s been quite a year. We’ve faced an international pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of souls lost to a relentless illness. We’ve lived through political upheaval and social unrest. We’re faced with the daunting task of battling a deadly virus, mourning loss of loved ones, rebuilding trust and communities, overcoming economic challenges, creating new ways of conducting and growing businesses—and doing it all in ways that allow us to take care of and strengthen each other and refill our own reservoirs of strength and resilience.
How do we do all this?
We have different ways, but I always find learning and sharing ideas and opportunities is a good way to start. Learning. Sharing. People’s stories. History.
Back in 2019, when we jumped on an airplane worrying only about jetlag, I went to England and spent a marvelous couple of weeks immersing myself in history, walking where history comes alive. So please join me as I take you to three spots you might consider a bit off the more familiar path of London, places you can reach easily by train, and opportunities to experience history.
Today we’re going to Winchester.

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Tudor Spies: A Special Repeat Journey to the Heart of Elizabethan Spiery (episode 28) Nov 04, 2020

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November 2020 seems like the perfect time to travel once more to a time of intercepted and hidden messages, foreign interference, transfer of power, betrayal, and...spies!
Travel back in time to the birthplace of modern espionage: the court of Queen Elizabeth I and sneak into the world of Tudor Spies!
The chaos in religious policy and its political implications laid the foundation for treachery, betrayal, and deception. And one element made this time, particularly as we move into the reign of Elizabeth I, a hotbed of what was then called “spiery”: that element was literacy. People now had the ability to deliver messages across distances and in large groups.
Literacy became a weapon in the war of religion. Once literacy makes communication this widespread, there’s an immediate desire to control it. Enter the spies.

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Six Books for the Six Wives of Henry VIII (episode 27) Oct 28, 2020

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Whether you know me personally or not, if you’re listening to the podcast you’re probably not surprised to hear I LOVE the six wives! I loved seeing the new musical SIX in London and in New York. I love the television specials. I fell in love with history and the Tudors and began my obsession with Anne Boleyn watching the BBC production from back in the seventies (rebroadcast on PBS here in the US). I am a big six wives fan.
It makes sense, then, that I wrap up my focus on books by looking at books about the Six Wives of Henry VIII. I decided to choose a book for each wife. The publication dates span more than 100 years, with the earliest book published in 1896 (!) and the most recent in 2014. Even 2014 feels like a long time ago, so I might have my next project identified!
My criteria was that the book focus on the wives instead of the husband—he makes appearances, of course, and inserts his larger than life body and personality into the books just as he did into his marriages. But for the most part, Henry is placed in a supporting role, the husband that brings this fascinating group of women together. So let’s meet the six wives through six authors’ views of them.
Amy License, The Six Wives and Many Mistresses of Henry VIII: The Women’s Stories (pub date 2014) and Katherine of Aragon.
Karen Lindsey, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived (pub date 1995) and Anne Boleyn.
Sarah Tytler, Tudor Queens and Princesses, (pub date 1896) and Jane Seymour.
Alison Weir, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, (pub date 1991) and Anne of Cleves.
Antonia Fraser, The Wives of Henry VIII (pub 1992) and Katherine Howard.
David Loades, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (pub 1996) and Katherine Parr.
I get the feeling that Henry VIII would describe his life with himself at the center, as the sun, with other people rotating around him, including these six women. But I think that in fact, the women had the real light—the intelligence, courage, determination, compassion, and abilities that created the power of Henry VIII’s reign. They were not just the power behind the throne, they were the power of the throne.

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Fighting from Inside: Books about Women and the Wars of the Roses (ep 26) Oct 21, 2020

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The so-called “Wars of the Roses” is one of the most fascinating periods of English history. There is the uber-king, Henry V, vanquishing the enemy in France and inspiring his troops (and Shakespeare!) to a stunning victory at Agincourt. There’s his son, the under-king, Henry VI. Crowed as a child, Henry VI never came anywhere near the ease or effectiveness on the throne his father had. There are the York brothers, Edward, George, and Richard. All sons of Richard Duke of York, the three brothers displayed a level of ambition and ruthlessness that led to of them to the crown of England. And there are some Beauforts and Nevillles and Tudors lurking about as well.
I can tell you right now that one of my very, very favorite things about this time period is the women!!
They weren’t all dressed in armor and riding into battle like Joan of Arc, but the English women involved in the Wars of the Roses were fierce, fearless, and fantastic. They were queens, and almost-queens, and duchesses, and all-around fighters. They were also mothers and daughters and sisters who had a level of access to the of course male leaders of the time. These women broke the rules—and I mean BROKE the rules—and made new ones. Working from the inside, they changed everything.
There are some terrific books about these women, and I’d like to share three with you:
**She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor.
**Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses by Sarah Gristwood.
**Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch by Nicola Tallis.

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Reading Victoria: Books about the Queen and Her Empire (episode 25) Oct 14, 2020

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She was the youngest woman to be crowned Queen of England. She was the second queen to marry while ruling, and the first to have children while on the throne. She oversaw extraordinary changes in the country, as well as the establishment of the British Empire. She became Empress of India. By the time of her death, she had ruled longer than any monarch.
With such a long reign, covering decades of world events, there’s no shortage of reading material about Victoria and her time. I’ve chosen a few of my favorite books about Queen Victoria. Of course, it’s not an exhaustive list, and it’s based on my preferences.
I wanted to know other things about Victoria: as a young woman coming into power, as a new queen who made mistakes, as a working mother who had to balance her reality against expectations, as a daughter and a mother navigating complicated family relationships, as a woman who finally allowed herself to celebrate her accomplishments and broke into a big smile, belying the old adage, “We are not amused.”
So please join me to meet this extraordinary and complicated woman and explore some of my favorite books about the life and reign of Queen Victoria: The Life and Times of Victoria by Dorothy Marshall; Victoria the Queen by Julia Baird; Victoria’s Daughters by Jerrold M. Packard and Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury.

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Books! Reading about Spies in the Court of Queen Elizabeth I (episode 24) Oct 07, 2020

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While we all know that Elizabeth ended her reign peacefully, dying in her bed, that outcome was not guaranteed. From the beginning of her reign, Catholics in England and abroad questioned her right to rule.
When Mary Queen of Scots came to England in 1568, 10 years into Elizabeth's reign, there was a Catholic option right there! English Catholics, supported by France, Spain, and the Pope, rebelled against Elizabeth and attempted to replace her with Mary Stuart.
This period was a time of a communication explosion in England and Europe. When there are more means of communication, there's an immediate attempt to monitor and control communication. And that, of course, leads to an increase in attempts to hide communication.
The battle between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots was a battle of messages and a battle of ways to hide messages. It's an exciting time, rich with amazing characters and fascinating stories. Here are three of my favorite books about that time:
God’s Traitors: Terror & Faith in Elizabethan England by Jessie Childs. I found this book incredibly enlightening as a way to get a glimpse into the lives of English Catholics. . I hadn’t really thought about his work in that way, and now I can’t think of any of Walsingham’s actions without remembering his early experience in Paris. I found that such illuminating way of considering his single-minded approach to the rest of the century.
Her Majesty’s Spymaster: Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Walsingham, and the Birth of Modern Espionage by Stephen Budiansky. One of the things I really appreciate about this book is that it starts with the St. Bartholomew Day’s massacre and looks at Walsingham’s work as Elizabeth’s Spymaster through the lens of that experience.
Rival Queens: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots (also published as The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival) by Kate Williams. There are many great books about Elizabeth I and about Mary Queen of Scots. There are several very good books about the two of them. I really liked Kate Williams’s book because it offers a fresh perspective that makes it easy to relate to these two queens as women and humans as well as queens.

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Top Ten Tudor Scandals...After the Henrys (episode 23) Sep 30, 2020

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The Tudor dynasty changed England, Europe, and the world. And the scandals changed the dynasty!
This week we’ll be looking at the top 10 scandals that plagued those who ruled England in the second half of the reign: a boy and two women. That reality was what the Tudors were so desperate to avoid: a child king had been at the heart of the troubles of the Wars of the Roses. Both Richard II and Henry VI had taken the throne as children, and both reigns had ended in disaster.
Edward wasn’t old enough to rule the country, and that meant years of some kind of regency or council-driven reign, with other men holding power and having the opportunity to make the key decisions. It also opened the door to personal agendas and potential battles within the heart of government.
And then…two women! Both of them crowned queen on her own, breaking hundreds of years of traditional male rule. No woman before Mary Tudor had been crowned Queen of England. And for her to be followed by another woman! The fact of them on the throne was scandal enough.
But each of these three children of Henry VIII who represent the second half of the Tudor dynasty had plenty of scandals beyond that.

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The Scandals that Shook Up Tudor England (episode 22) Sep 23, 2020

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The Tudor dynasty was NOT your average dynasty. For one thing, the so-called “dynasty” lasted just three generations and 118 years. It started with a power grab. It saw a staggering number of executions. It thrust England into years of religious chaos. The wars in France fought over this period were expensive and ultimately disastrous. There were periods of crop failure, economic collapse, poverty, and hunger. The safety net of religious support was eliminated as the monasteries were dissolved and the funds recovered went to the crown.
AND, it included two crowned Queens (first time in history!) and one uncrowned but proclaimed Queen (also one of a kind). It included a stunning naval victory over the famed Spanish Armada. It saw the establishment of the first permanent playhouse and the works of great English playwrights and poets, including Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, Thomas Middleton, Sir Philip Sydney, and (of course), William Shakespeare. It also saw the first book published by a Queen.
Dickens might have called it the best of times and the worst of times.
It was also a time of scandal. That’s what we’ll be looking for the next couple of episodes. Considering this dynasty includes a first king who might have been legally barred from taking the throne, a king who managed to get married more times than any other monarch in English history, two queens executed by the command of their royal husband, a contested succession, two extreme shifts in the politics of religious observances, and only one “normal” transfer of power from father to adult son—there are plenty of controversies to explore.

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Secrets of the Six Wives of Henry VIII (episode 21) Sep 16, 2020

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In September 2020, the government of the United Kingdom instituted the “rule of six” to attempt to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus. It means that, with a few specific exceptions, it is illegal to gather in groups larger than six.
This created some wonderful memes featuring images of the Six Wives of Henry VIII, smiling happily, because when they gather there is no room for the King! It echoes the creative team behind the musical SIX, a retelling of the story in fun rather than historical ways. Each wife gets a turn to tell her story. There are references to the man who brings them together, but he never gets to appear on stage. Once again, no room for Henry!
Of course, it’s all fanciful and fun rather than accurate. But it does invite us to think about these women as individuals, each fascinating in her own way. And it raises the question: what are the secrets, or at least lesser-known facts, of each of the Six Wives of Henry VIII?
The person who might be able to fill in some of the secrets of the six wives for us is Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke. Born in 1515, she became a Maid-of-Honor to Katherine of Aragon in 1528. She continued in that role for Anne Boleyn, embracing Anne’s interest in the new faith. After Anne Boleyn’s fall, Anne remained in the service of Jane Seymour and was one of the few women present at the baptism of Prince Edward. She married Sir William Herbert in 1538 and returned to court to be in the household of Anne of Cleves, which quickly became the household of Katherine Howard. Finally, Anne Herbert was a witness to the wedding of Henry VIII and Katherine Parr in 1543. Katherine Parr’s royal household may have been Anne Herbert’s favorite assignment, as Katherine Parr was her sister. The only person known to have served all six of Henry’s wives, she would have some amazing secrets to share!
The rest of us will have to make due with enjoying the unique, captivating, and endlessly fascinating stories of the Six Wives of Henry VIII!

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