Tag: answered

Do you have any thoughts on what Anne’s plans for Elizabeth would have been if she lived, or how she would have influenced her daughter’s upbringing? (I’m thinking of COA commissioning Education of a Christian Woman for Mary, being involved in her education that way & wondering if Anne might’ve done similar)

I don’t know about upbringing exactly; I think probably an education that was similar to hers, a focus on languages (which seemed to be what ended up happening anyway, under Henry’s guidance, so maybe that would have been mutual). Evangelical-leaning tutors; if she could manage to secure some as she was sponsoring several scholars that were evangelical-leaning…perhaps Nicholas Bourbon, had he stayed. Anne and Henry were both composers themselves, so probably an immersive music education as well. And she’d want her to read City of Ladies, and works by Marguerite de Navarre.

She seemed to want a French marriage alliance for her (although that was rebuffed); I think had she had a son by that point, the betrothal of Elizabeth and the dauphin would probably have been secured (although he died in 1536, so…). Had Henry made an alliance with the Emperor; they would both try to secure a betrothal with the future Philip II of Spain. 

Just got the Eric Ives Anne Boleyn biography as a treat to myself and I’m SO excited to start reading – thoughts on the book and Ives’ characterisations in general?

The best academic work that exists, to this day, about Anne Boleyn. Every primary source that spoke about her is thoroughly examined and analysed regarding their credibility, as is every claim by them and if there were other sources that said the same. 

I agree with him on his treatment of the figures he examined, with a few exceptions. I don’t agree with his analysis of Jane Parker, I think he perhaps could have taken a more balanced approach to Jane Seymour. His assessment of Henry VIII (in this work, at least, as I haven’t read all his work) is fair/balanced; which is very rare in academic/nonfiction works. I still have doubts about Anne’s birthdate; despite the convincing argument he made for 1501, but other than that I’d say I agree with most of the work’s interpretations.   

I DID NOT KNOW H8 HAD DOGS NAMED CUT AND BALL that is so cute for some reason 😭

Right?? God…he was such a loser…”don’t talk to me or my sons or my sons’ sons, ever again.”

The thing that’s funny about Cutte’s entry in the Privy Purse Expenses, also, is that is says Henry rewarded a poor woman four shillings for “bringing again Cutte the king’s dog” so like…’again’? How many times did the dog wander off castle grounds, just living his best life…

Also’s the mention of Anne’s greyhound cracks me up because I just imagine, like:

Henry: I had to pay a farmer 10 shillings because your dog mauled their cow–

Anne: Interesting that when you want to walk with her, she’s your dog; but when she attacks a cow, suddenly she’s my dog…

Who is your favourite Tudor monarch and why?

Henry VIII. 

And somehow I ran out of steam, maybe I’ll reblog more on ‘why’ later but I guess I’ll just leave it at #HisImpact, and I personally find him the most interesting which is all the matters (sksksksk) and also he’s somehow, of all them, the most accessible (via what there is to read on him from primary sources alone, and how much of it is available for free online) and also the least accessible (”Three may keep counsel, if two be away; and if I thought my cap knew my counsel, I would cast it into the fire and burn it”.)

I loved your analysis of Henry VIII and his former mistresses! The idea that he didn’t support them is complete hogwash, I can’t stand it when people push narratives counter to the facts. You did an excellent job refuting those claims.

Thank you! 

My main issue was that the claim seemed to rest on the assertion that the Carey children had Henry’s paternity; and as that’s not something we have definitive proof of; it’s not the strongest argument.  

I’ve also read that the annual pension of 100 pounds to Mary Boleyn after the death of her husband was a “paltry sum” for the wife of a nobleman; but I assume it was equitable because he wasn’t a very high-ranking one? It’s true he was the third cousin of Henry VIII, but he was only a knight and a courtier. Had Anne not taken wardship of her son, I could see her possibly needing more than that, but as Mary didn’t have to pay for his education, it seems a fair sum. 

In comparison, George Boleyn, who was married in the year 1526, was awarded an extra £20 a year: to “young Boleyn, for him and his wife to live on”. In addition, he made £80 a year for his position as Royal Cupbearer. Thus, Mary’s annual pension was equal to that of her brother’s that year, or at the very least a year not that far off, before he was titled that year as Esquire of the Body and Master of the King’s Buckhounds.