Today, I would like to welcome author Susan Higginbotham on this blog. She had her book on Jane Grey, Her Highness the Traitor, out on 1st June, and I am sure it is going to be a good read. I am delighted that she accepted the offer of doing a guest post for our Henry fans during her blog tour. So here goes, a synopsis of Henry’s relationship with his beloved nieces. Thank you, Susan!
Review – Henry VIII: Reformer and Tyrant by Derek Wilson
This book is supposed to be a biography of King Henry VIII. Wilson claims that based on fascinating new source material, he built up a portrait of King Henry. I was only too eager to read this book, as I had not read any Henry biography for a while now.
However, I am amazed that someone should desire to write an entire book on a subject he dislikes to such a level that he goes all out to endow that person with negative ‘thoughts’ we never can prove he had and to twist actions related to him in a way to make him appear bad, when he never did any such thing.
Rant on Non-Fiction History Books
A couple of days ago, there was a discussion on the blogs of Kathryn Warner and Karen Clark on the depiction of history and historical characters in fact and fiction. Inspired by these posts, and in response to the so-called “non-fiction” book I am reading, I decided to set down a further nine points with respect to non-fiction, from the point of view of a reader, learner, and history enthusiast. I am neither a historian, nor a writer. But I know how to read, and I know what I enjoy. I make no claims to superior knowledge. The following points basically stem from my needs when I read a non-fiction book. And I honestly think that since every second history enthusiast is now writing books for the mainstream media, they could, at the very least, be honest in their writing. So here goes …
Sumptuary Laws under Henry VIII
Sumptuary laws are legal acts that mark a person’s social status by legally specifying what they could wear, what they could eat, and even what kind of furniture they could have in their homes. Henry VIII’s opulent court called for such laws, but these were also applicable to those lower in rank, and even to monks and laypersons. A difference between the Tudor sumptuary laws and sumptuary laws practiced by other countries was that in England, the laws originated in Parliament, whereas in most other countries, these laws were local, and applicable only within the towns.
The Botolf Conspiracy
On 19th May, 1540, Viscount Lisle was arrested on charges of treason. Soon after this, his wife, Honor Lisle was also arrested, along with their daughters. He was not convicted and was slated to be released after two years, but the time in the Tower had taken its toll and he died on 3rd March 1542, a couple of days after he was pardoned.
Coining and Debasement in Henry’s Reign
There are a million and one books written on Henry’s wives, and a somewhat fewer number devoted to the religious schism in his reign. It is amazing to find that there are very few books that deal with the economics of the times.
One of the nicknames Henry VIII was given by his affectionate (and not so affectionate) subjects was Old Coppernose. This refers to the fact that with wear and tear, the silver varnish of his debased coins wore off in time, leaving the copper exposed. So how and why did the debasement happen?
A Bearded Story – Henry VIII style
In a few conversations with a couple of friends, we got a little obsessed with beards. Out of some little interest, I just looked up beards and Henry and found some interesting things. So here is a synopsis of all things beardy in relation to Henry VIII.
Henry, Duke of York
It was the year 1494. Elsewhere, Christopher Columbus had discovered America, and the practice of raping the new world was beginning. Europe was in a furore over the new discoveries, but in England, King Henry VII still struggled to maintain a foothold over his decade old power.
Calendar of Events for the Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of the Cloth of Gold was a mega event that took place in June 1520. Here is a brief calendar of events of one of the most extravagant and costly international peace treaty EVER.
Henry VIII, Martin Luther and Defense of the Seven Sacraments
In 1520, Martin Luther wrote and published a 3 part treatise speaking against the Catholic Church denouncing the Papal system and the doctrine of the sacraments. In response to the increasing popularity of Luther in his protests against the Catholic Church and particularly as a reply to his De captivitate Babylonica, Henry VIII wrote a treatise against Luther’s views entitled Assertio Septem Sacramentorum or Defence of the Seven Sacraments.
A bit of Henry love 