Question from Tracey - Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots

I am looking for information regarding a specific portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. This portrait shows Mary herself on one side, but then when the portrait is 'shifted', a skull emerges...I believe over her face.

Where is this located? Who painted it? Is it ever on display?

Thanks!
Tracey

Question from Liz - Original letters

How does one find out where to see surviving letters, etc of Anne & Henry?

Question from Patricia - Elizabeth I and Dudley's Death

I was wondering where Elizabeth was during Robert Dudley's death... I can not find anything off hand that states where she was during his death. I am curious also of her reaction to his death. I did read "Robert's Last Letter" but I am interested in more...

Question from Amanda - Primary sources for Tudor women's education

Hi, I am doing a big internal on the effects of women in Tudor England(from the reformation, the limits of their education and the changes in marriage and freedom of lack of choice in marriage between the classes) and I am having a alot of trouble finding any diary entries of women or pictures of girls learning as I need more primary evidence to support my questions. Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks :)

I am doing NCEA Level 3 (New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement). I'm not sure about my 'grade' but I am in year 13 or Form 7.

Question from Cindy - Hanging, smoking pots in Elizabeth I on HBO

Just completed watching the second part of the HBO mini-series and I have a question about the hanging pots that looked like they were smoking. I saw them in a few scenes, mostly when they were walking through the hallways. Were they for incense? I didn't know if this was something made up or if it has a historical base. Thank you.

Question from Joshua - Countries and the Tudors

hi,in school im learning about the tudors and where they came from,i have 3 questions to ask;
what countries did the tudors know about in 1489?
countries that the tudors had discovered by 1527?
countries that the tudors did not know about?

thank you for your help
joshua

Question from Tamara - Changes in medicine

Hi i am doing a reaserch assignment at school in year 13(last year of high school) i have to show the change in medicine between 1558-1667 e.g.doctors,drugs and care during the tudor stuart period. Any sugestions would help greatly.

Question from Shannon - Another illegit. son of Henry VIII

I have come across information that an Agnes Bewitt Beupine married to William Edwardes had an illegitimate son,Richard, for Henry VIII and that is how the family recieved Edwards Hall in Wales. Henry never claimed him, as Agnes was already married. Does anyone know about this?
Thanks

Question from Sophia - Daily life of royals

What was the daily life life of royals (monarchs) like during the renaissance between the years 1560 and 1630

age: 14
grade: 9

for: english essay, we're going to read romeo and juliet

Just a reminder...

The instructions for submitting a question are in the upper left hand corner of the blog, just under the Tudor Rose. It will take you to a page with instructions and a link to the submission form.

Question from Sue - Henry's wives and live births

Editor's note: if you reply by email, please post your reply in the comments section too, so others can read it

I'm a professor of communication, and have recently finished The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. In reading that book, I was struck by how difficult it was for all of Henry VIII's wives --not just his first-- to give birth to live children. Katherine of Spain, for example, was pregnant a total of 10 times but only one child survived, her daughter Mary. Why was this?

Please reply to suepar@bu.edu

Question from Cat - Children in Tudor and Stuart England

Hey just doing the whole school project thing and just wondering if you could give me a brief baclround to my questions or if you had any really good sites that would help me find some stuff that would answer my focussing questions-
1- To what extent did social class and sex effect the work or play of Children during 1557-1668?
2- In what ways did the high death rate of minors effect the English Economy?
3- To what extent were the expectations of parents towards their children fulfilled during the time period 1557-1668?

Question from Lara (a different one!) - Lettice Knollys & Elizabeth in Tower

Does anybody know if Lettice Knollys was one of Elizabeth's ladies during her imprisonment in the Tower of London? I had always been under the impression that she and her family had fled to Germany during Mary I's reign, but the BBC drama "The Virgin Queen" and several historians claim that she had stayed in England with Elizabeth. So I was simply wondering if anybody really knows for sure or if its all conjecture. Is there any contemporary evidence to support either claim?

Catching up...

Hello all,

I just wanted to apologize to the folks that submitted questions over the past week or so that I haven't gotten around to posting yet. I had to go out of town for a funeral and I only briefly logged on once to see if any important work emails had come. So, I'm still in the process of sorting and answering emails. I'll get the Q&A messages up soon!

Question from Sara - Henry Fitzroy's appearance

Do you know what Henry Fitzroy looked like? I especially would like to know hair color, but anything is good. Thanks!

Question from Sue - Mary Boleyn

Where is Mary Boleyn buried?

Question from Star - Elizabeth I and Amy Dudley

Did Queen Elizabeth know Amy Dudley? In the movie Elizabeth (1998) she didn't know Amy and had no idea that Robert Dudley was even married. But in Phillipa Gregory's book "The Virgin's Lover", Elizabeth knew Amy and even danced at thier wedding. I know that Gregory writes historical fiction, but I was wondering if there was any proof that Elizabeth knew Amy Dudley.

Thanks!

Question from Emily - Elizabeth of York = Queen of Hearts?

Hello! A very strange question.... I am getting a tattoo of the Queen of Hearts flower that she holds in her hand, and while researching the symbols of playing cards, I learned that the Queen of Hearts was believed by some to be Elizabeth of York. Is there any proof of this? If so, I would assume the flower is the Tudor flower in the crest, which does bear a resembalance to the flower on the card... Just thought I'd ask!
Thanks,
Emily

Question from Laura - Katherine Parr sources

Editor's note: If you email a response, please also post it in the blog comments so other readers can see your answer.

Hello! I am a graduate student working on my masters degree in history, I am hoping to start working on my thesis this fall and which I am hope will be on Kathrine Parr and her religious writings. Right now I am doing research just to see what sorts of information are out there and I was praying someone out there may by able to help me in finding books, articles, or even a website devoted Kathrine Parr. I have a very extensive library on Tudor England but I am always looking for more. If anyone can help me please or has any suggestions for me please email me. redelf@hotmail.com

Question from Melissa - Medical reasons for the Wives child-bearing history

Where might I find information that might explain why Henry, with six wives, only fathered 3 children and why his wives suffered more than the usual number of miscarriages? Is there a modern take on a known medical condition that is something treatable today (RH factor, etc.) I know there is the "syphllis" theory, but I believe it has been addressed and dismissed.

Question from Jen - Henry VIII and his Wives

Hello.
My name is jen, and im doing a project of on Henry Tudor VIII and his wives. Mostly on his relationship with each. The information specifically is how and when they met, intimacy, and why they divorced.
Grade 9, 15

Question from Lucy - Tudor Past Times

I am a ten year old girl doing a Tudor Project at school. The title I have chosen is Tudor Past Times for Rich & Poor. Please can you reccomend some good materials/ websites or short books. I live in London so I want to see some things - games in museums if I can I need to finish my project by the end of March Thanks for your help

Question from Hannah - Tudor school lunches?

What did the children eat at school in the tudor times?
Please can you find out for me!!!

[This post has been getting a bunch of spam comments lately, so I'm closing it. If you wish to legitimately comment, please contact me. - Lara]

Question from Charmaine - Leisure and Pleasure

I am doing a presentation on leisure and pleasure in the tudor age. In particular, fashion, dining and sex. I was suprised to find that it has been almost impossible to get information on these topics! Can you give me a starting point, a book or website to get me going?

Question from Sheila - The Tudor name

Why are the Tudor monarchs called the Tudors?