Sunday, February 24, 2008

Question from Monica - Current royals' descent from Tudor-era nobility

I am interested in which Tudor courtiers are ancestors of the present royal family. As Princess Diana was descended from many of the noble houses, Prince William is descended from a lot of Tudor courtiers, including Mary Boleyn. Does anyone know an authoritative website where it goes back as far as the Tudors?

Some I have found claim he's descended from Anne Boleyn (impossible) or don't go back as far. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Question from Sandy - Anne Boleyn connection to mahjong

i am eager to know what the relationship is between Anne Boleyn and the game mahjong. My mother has recently been learning how to play, and the teacher made reference to Anne Boleyn.

Question from Grace - Elizabethan trials

How did a trial run in Elizabethan times? Was it anything like today's system, with judges, a jury and witnesses and so forth? I know there's two types of trial, but what's the difference between them?
(part of a grade 12 english assignment - i have to perform a dramatic monologue and i want to be a witness at a trial, so i need to know how a trial runs)

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Question from Jessica - Existing Tudor garments

I am wondering if there are any examples of original Tudor garments still in existance.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Question from Helen - Trial records for Anne and George Boleyn

I heard that the trial records of Anne and George's trial exists- do you know where it is held and how we can find information on it?

Question from Elizabeth - Anne's attendants in the Tower

Who was in attendance to Anne Boleyn while she was in the tower.

Question from Aimee - Life at court for the nobility

I am curious about life at court for the nobility rather than the king/queen. Did one have to be invited to stay at court? Did the monarch absorb the expense of feeding and lodging the courtiers and their servants or did the courtiers have to pay for their own rooms, meals, stabling horses, etc.?

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Question from Mathilda - Pearl chokers in England

I am researching pearl necklaces. I can find lots of evidence for pearl chokers on the continent, and lots of evidence for long strings of pearls in England. Can anyone point me to evidence of pearl chokers in England?

Question from Katie - Mary Tudor and Thomas Cromwell

I just finished Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Eriskon. In the book, Mary is afraid that her father is going to marry her off to Thomas Cromwell.

Is this true? Did Thomas Crowmell have his eyes on Mary? Was that one of the reasons he was beheaded?

Question from Samit - Last days of the beheaded queens

i have a question about those queen who beheaded. acctually i want a brief account of anne boleyn and katherin howard and lady jeny grey about their last day of life. i mean after judicial decession what are the life style of them, where they stay and what would done to them as they ware found guilty and executed by beheading. i hear that to execute a smooth decapitation some oil massagedone in the nape of a lady or a man. if they ware also treat like that way? and where i get the video series of all the queen? if any body know please help me.

samit

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Question from Colleen - Queen Elizabeth II's descent from Bess of Hardwick

I read that Elizabeth II descends from Bess of Hardwick. Can anyone tell me how?

Question from Rhonda - Colors of Tudor clothing

Greetings! I am directing a production of Shakespeare's "Henry VIII" this summer, and I wanted to find out what colors the Tudors wore during Henry VIII's time. I know that green and white are the "official" colors, but it seems like most of the Tudor clothes follow a autumn color palette (russet, gold, olive, etc).

Any help is appreciated. Thank you very much!

Take care and God bless.


Rhonda

Back up and running...

Sorry for the relative quiet (and to those who are waiting for their questions to show up). The backlight went out on my laptop and it was in the shop. It's kind of sad how helpless I am without the darn thing...

New questions coming shortly!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Question from Sarah - Mary's relationship with her father

Hi, I am a Junior in high school and writing an argumentative paper on Queen Mary I of England. I was wondering about her relationship to her father, King Henry VIII. I've read that they did not get along, but have not found more details... Help?

[Note: This has kind of been covered already, but the submitter didn't leave an email address so I decided to go ahead and post it]

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Question from Elizabeth - Description of Jane Rochford (aka Jane Parker or Boleyn)

I have searched through many books, but have not been able to find a physical description of Lady Jane Rochford. Does anyone know what she looked like? Has anyone ran across any contemporary descriptions? Thank you!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Question from Tanya - Jane Grey on "Wall of Monarchs"

I've recently returned from a visit to the Tower of London and was wondering why Lady Jane Grey (Queen for 9 days) does not feature on the "Wall of Monarchs" as you enter the tower where the Crown Jewels are kept. On asking one of the Beefeaters, I was told that she was never coronated and is not recognised as a past Queen of England. Some text that I have read indicate that she HAD been coronated and IS recognised as a past Queen of England. She is even listed on the Official Website of the British Monarchy as a Queen.

Do and historians know why she was not included on the Wall of Monarachs?

Thank you

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Question from M.Y. - Designer of Elizabeth's dresses and accessories

We know that Elizabeth I was with lots of dresses and accessories. Who dsigned those for her? Did she design some of those?

I am, in particular, interested in accessories she was wearing since I watched the movie "Elizabeth, The Golden Age".

In that movie, she was wearing an interesting necklace/choker that looked like a dancing clown or something with her red/orange dress (see this Japanese site, http://www.elizabeth-goldenage.jp/, for detail of the accessory).
I just had to wonder who would have designed it and why.

Thank you!

Question from Patricia - The Wives' last names

Hello. I have been studying the Tudor era in history class, and am curious. I understand that Henry VIII had six wives, but did they all change their last names to Tudor when they became Queens or retained their marriage names? Also, What was Katherine of Aragon's maiden name? Surely, that was a royal title and not a surname.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Question from Elizabeth - Henry Fitzroy's popularity

Since Henry Fitzroy was an illegitimate son of Henry VIII was he popular at all among the people of England? And was there ever attempts to kill him, I have heard that there were.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Question from Phillip - Mary Tudor before becoming Queen

I am doing a project on "Bloody" Mary Tudor for school. I find her a very fasinating person but I can't find many books written about her.

I'm mainly looking for information about her youth (before she became queen and after Anne Boleyn's death.) Did she ever have a love interest? How was her relationship with her father after she was recieve back to court?

Question from Lonnie - Map of Tudor dioceses

Does anyone know of a book or website with a good map of the Tudor dioceses? This if for a Ph.D. dissertation on poor students at Oxford and Cambridge. I'm trying to hunt down where they went after graduation and how well their livings paid. I have a modern map, but it is only somewhat helpful for my research.