Questions from Roland - Tudor "20 Questions"

Hi every, a few months ago someone started a ‘get to know you’ thread, which I regrettably never got around to filling out. With Lara’s ok, I’d like to start a new one. Please copy the questionnaire, delete the previous answers, and put in your own. Great way to learn more about each other and about our common interest in all things Tudor. Have fun!

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1) Name (or web ID):

Roland

2) How did you get into the Tudors?

When I was small, my family went on vacation to England. We went to ‘Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum’. I don’t remember much about that first visit except that the ‘Chamber of Horrors’ scared the **** out of me! Anyway, we bought a guidebook. Some years later, I went through it, and became absolutely fascinated with the picture of the wax group of Henry VIII and his wives. I started reading up on them, and have been hooked ever since.

3) Favorite Tudor book(s)?

‘Anne Boleyn’ by Marie Louise Bruce, ‘Anne Boleyn’ by E. Ives, and the various ones on Tudor art by Roy Strong.

4) What Tudor book(s) are you currently reading, or have read most recently?

‘Edward VI’ by Chris Skidmore, and ‘Lost Faces: Identity and Discovery in Tudor Royal Portraiture’ pub. by the Philip Mould Gallery.

5) Favorite Tudor personality, and why?

Anne Boleyn. Her life was filled with so much high drama, and she was a fascinating and powerful figure in her right.

6) Favorite Tudor films or tv series?

: ‘Anne of the 1000 Days’, ‘Henry VIII and His Six Wives,’ ‘Mary Queen of Scots’, ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Elizabeth – The Golden Age’, ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’, ‘Elizabeth R’, ‘Lady Jane’, ‘A Man For All Seasons’ (1966 version), and ‘Elizabeth I’.

7) Best portrayal of Henry VIII (Richard Burton, Robert Shaw, Ray Winstone, Charles Laughton, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Eric Bana, Keith Michell, Charlton Heston, etc.)?

Keith Michell (no comparison!)

8) Best portrayal of Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett, Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson, Anne Marie Duff, Flora Robson, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Judith Anderson, Florence Eldridge, Jean Simmons, etc.)

Glenda Jackson!

9) Best portrayal of Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman, Dorothy Tutin, Helena Bonhan Carter, Genevieve Bujold, Johdi May, Merle Oberon, Vanessa Redgrave, Natalie Dormer, Barbara Kellerman, Charlotte Rampling, etc.)?

Genevieve Bujold (though I like Vanessa Redgrave as Anne in ‘A Man For All Seasons’ too. I thought Vanessa looked a lot like what the historical Anne was supposed to look like.

10) Best portrayal of Mary Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave, Vivian Pickles, Barbara Flynn, Samantha Morton, Katharine Hepburn, etc.)?

For me, a tie between Vanessa Redgrave and Samantha Morton.

11) Do you think Anne Boleyn was guilty of adultery?

No. I think she was framed by Thomas Cromwell. But I also think she helped get herself in hot water by having unwise, indiscreet conversations with Henry Norris and Francis Weston before her arrest.

12) Do you think Katheryn Howard was guilty of adultery?

Yes. I think her denials under interrogation were just a frantic attempt to save herself.

13) Do you think Mary Stuart was involved in the Babington Plot to assassinate Elizabeth I

Yes, despite her many denials. Though I don’t blame her. If I was confined for close to 20 years, I would be desperate for escape too.

14) Imagine it was the beginning of February 1587 - if you were Elizabeth I, what you have done with Mary Stuart (execution, secret assassination, continued imprisonment, exile, pardon, etc.)?

I would have seriously considered washing my hands of Mary and sending back her to Scotland. There, I know her son King James would keep her under very close watch saving me the expense and headache. For me, Mary’s execution would be risky as the Pope, France, and Spain might retaliate with force. Lastly, executing a fellow monarch would have moral and legal ramifications.

15) Do you think Richard III murdered his nephews?

I think so. Frankly, killing one’s rivals to the throne was hardly new news. King John murdered his nephew Arthur, Edward IV killed Henry VI, and Henry VIII wiped out a few of his Yorkist relatives.

16) Have you ever visited Tudor related places? Or if not, where would you like to go?

I’ve been to the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Hever Castle, Greenwich, Hampton Court, and Edinburgh Castle.

17) Have you seen any Tudor related exhibitions?

Yes, the 1991 Henry VIII one at Greenwich, and the 2003 Elizabeth I one also at Greenwich. I’d like to see the Henry VIII one in New York City (the Grolier Club) this year if I can.

18) If you can own (yes, own!) any Tudor related museum piece, what would it be?

I would love to have the locket ring with the portraits of Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn inside.

19) What legally obtained (LOL) Tudor related items do you have if any?

I have shelves of books, and I collect movie memorabilia (photos, press books, posters, etc. on Tudor films I enjoy. As for actual 16th century Tudor items, I have some Tudor era coins.

20) What interests do you have outside Tudor history?

I like to paint/draw and work in stained glass. I like to travel (Britain and California are my fave destinations). I like old Hollywood films (especially ones with Bette Davis or Joan Crawford), and I’m a huge Stevie Nicks fan.