#i also really liked howard and anne boleyn

[kaspenhoward]

Art of the Queens, paintings done by me :), they’re not cool like digital art and I did post one of them on one of my other blogs (@aspenstarflare ) but I thought I’d share them here too! (Note I crossed out my last initial for privacy purposes)

As one might tell I might be a Katherine Howard fanboy 🩷🩷🩷

[fideidefenswhore]

extremely annoyed in retrospect how often the phrase 'great whore' was scripted in BE.

[boleynqueenes]

Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

Weirdly, Jane Boleyn? I was never a fan although I never hated her , for a while I was more like … ambivalent. I’m writing scenes with her rn and it’s just flowing. Her family legacy even before her own tragedies is so deeply mired in tragedy, her sort of … adaptability and ability to survive so many changes in court and power I’m sort of now understanding as a continuation of her own family legacy.

[dkmbookworm]

I have such a complicated relationship with Six: The Musical, at times. While it is very entertaining and a fun little forray/introduction to Tudor history with all of the songs and the different musical styles and artists they pull from for the queens

At the same time some of its feminist messaging is kind of undercut by the way they tell these stories. The theme of this musical is 1. There is no use in comparing the suffering of these women or any women in abusive relationships and 2. It is wrong to define them solely by their relationship to Henry as they are more than just the horrible things that happened to them. They were political figures in their own rights with their own accomplishments

However, this feels lost because the only accomplishment’s we learn about are Catherine Parr’s, and when we get to the final song, we don’t hear about the other queens, but instead we go into a what-if scenario where they had no attachment to Henry

And beyond that, we don’t gain a new understanding of the queens aside from the last two. Katherine Howard reveals how she wasn’t just some flirt or cheater, she was a victim of serial abuse throughout her very short life. We learn what Catherine Parr did outside of Henry.

However, there’s also something troubling about how her song ignores the fact her husband, Thomas Seymour, was actively grooming Elizabeth Tudor, her stepdaughter.

And then you get to Anne Boleyn where it also misrepresents her history because Henry’s accusations against her were completely fabricated in order to justify her murder. Especially considering they also accused her of sleeping with her own brother. Not only that but her relationship with Elizabeth is completely erased outside of a few references and any discussion of motherhood is limited to Jane Seymour, who I argue isn’t really expanded upon beyond what she is largely known for.

To say the least if how Anne of Cleves, while she does get out of this easier, they spread around try myth that she was rejected for being unattractive when it was that Henry had embarrassed himself in front of her with a ridiculous stunt before they were married. And going further into this, i wish the musical could have added the element that several of these women had interacted in their lives, had even started out as ladies in waiting. And you could have explored their relationships. Like you have Anne of cleves with Katherine Howard and how they knew each other in court. You have several of the queens relationships with Mary and Elizabeth, and even Edward before he died.

Idk if I’m putting unfair expectations on the musical or maybe even that this wasn’t the creators intention and thus I shouldn’t be expecting them to do what I think should be included. But I guess leave your thoughts on this if any of you come across it

[i-eat-homeless-people]

Silly six- rtc parallel

ok hi! this isn't anything big, i just kind of wanted to scream into the void about this parallel i found between six (the musical) and ride the cyclone. enjoy!!! <3

(the comparisons will be pretty loose so just stick with me)

so first, the premises are rather similar, six dead people battling through song in a competition- like fashion. in this case, the "judges" are different (in six, it's the audience, and in rtc it's karnak, so they think), but karnak is the only one to speak directly to the audience, so they both have some connection to the outside of the fourth wall.

onto characters!!! (i'm analyzing them in the order that they go)

ocean o'connell rosenberg/catherine of aragon

very confident in themselves and their ability to win

has a sibling- rivalry type dynamic with the next person, but loves them despite their constant rivalry

noel gruber/anne boleyn

i don't really have a lot for this one

beef with the previous person

france 🇫🇷 🥖

likes men (i'm running out of ideas)

mischa bachinski/jane seymore

(i'm not counting MLIA as his song for this 😔)

their songs are both love ballads (ish)

definitely their songs are where the show slows down

the babygirls of the fandom

HAUS OF HOLBEIN - MY LIFE IS AWESOME PARALLEL APPRECIATION POST

(best song)

(sunglasses)

ricky potts/anna of cleves

they are the wildcard of the group

dont fit in with everyone else and have stopped trying atp

the fact that their songs are totally different is just hilarious and proves my first point even further

they both don't care about the competition (ricky straight up dropping out; anna singing about how her life is awesome) (mischa reference???😱)

both have the best costume change in the middle of their songs

jane doe/katherine howard

BEHEADED BABES🥰🥰🥰

either don't remember their life or don't want to

their songs are both laments (yes, the BALLAD of jane doe is actually a lament)

(while i'm at it, noel's lament is actually a ballad)

constance blackwood/catherine parr

BEST CHARACTER (in my opinion)

super underrated (also in my opinion)

song starts out sad, picks up the pace

cast's favorite song to perform

their song brings everyone together

both characters are relatively quiet throughout the show

that's it!!! i hope you guys liked it!! :)

[freakofnerdsher]

Went to see SIX today and let me just say the way they staged Katherine Howard’s song has me shook

The song in the soundtrack is really fun and kind of flirty and whatever but they staged it as with every guy she’s talking about more hands of the others are grabbing onto her and pulling at her and the last little *kiss sigh* in the song was like *kiss DESPERATE GASP* and she was beheaded and it was visceral

And then you look in the program and the fun facts about each of them include the fact that she died (was beheaded) at 17 and all these men she was being used and abused by happened within a FOUR YEAR PERIOD. That ended will her being killed!

Fantastic show 10/10 would see again so much fun (these poor women, fuck Henry VII)

(Also Anne Boleyn was fucking hilarious, all of them sounded amazing, they had a all female pit orchestra that they called their ladies in waiting which I thought was superb, just SO GOOD)

[gulnarsultan]

You know what. I imagined that Reader (Henry’s and Mistress precious child) is sweet and nice to everyone, including Henry’s wives. But she won’t hesitate to put someone in his place, and no one dares to do hurt her, because those who did are regretting it. Not because Henry 8 would punish them for hurting his sweet daughter, but because Reader is very scary and dangerous. But at first Henry’s 8 wives didn’t know that.

Anne Boleyn start to tease Reader and all. At first Reader doesn’t react, because teasing is harmless, but when Anne says something bad about Reader’s mother or sister Mary (Elizabeth is still a baby) that’s when the danger comes.

Reader grabs Anne’s neck and push her to the wall: “It seems like you forgot who you are talking to…” Reader squeeze her throat with a wide smile and a terrifying look in her eyes “I guess I shall punish you for it.”… And Anne Boleyn is scared because she never thought that Princess would be scary and violent, but Princess releases Anne’s throat and her face returns normal “But I won’t do it. For Elizabeth… You should be thankful that you have a child, that I cherish and love so much. But don’t you think I won’t hesitate to hurt you, you should understand that I can and will hurt, just like my father.” And then she leaves. When there’s dinner Henry asks “Is everything alright?” Reader “Of course, don’t worry about it. Me and my stepmother spend a really good time.” Then she looks at Anne with a smile: “Right?” but Anne knows what that means: “Of course sweet girl” Anne is scared of Princess, but tries not to show it, at least in front of Henry.

The same goes for Katherine Howard when she’s alone with Princess, but worse (Katherine shouldn’t stayed alone). When Reader hears insult from Katherine towards her mother and Mary (after the talk, Mary cried because of Katherine’s words), she slaps Katherine’s face so hard that she falls to the floor and aggressively grabs her to get her up and push her against the wall, again with a terrifying look on her face with more anger, but Reader’s smile goes wider: “Oh, what’s wrong? Did the cat got your tongue? Not so tough anymore, are you?” Then she laughs at Katherine and gets closer to her: “Tell me, how’s your lover doing, hmm? I’m pretty sure father wouldn’t like to hear that. He’s a good guy, it would be a shame for him to die because of the whore like you. Oh, and you are NOT pregnant, gives me more reason to hurt you.” Reader starts squeezing her throat and whispers in her ear: “It seems Anne didn’t tell you NOT to make me angry. Trust me, you wouldn’t like to know what I do to those who did.” And then she lets go Katherine’s throat, she looks at her, but her smile disappears “I can understand everything and I can be patient, but if you ever hurt my siblings, if I hear and see their tears… You’ll regret ever being born”. And Princess leaves.

I think Henry 8 wouldn’t believe that his beloved daughter would do such things and he would threaten his wives for saying that, there’s nothing wrong with a smile she gives to his wives, so why are they shaking all of a sudden, he would think. Reader won’t be so aggressive towards all wives. No, she’s friendly and kind towards them, but she will be violent and aggressive if they dare to insult and hurt her, her mother and her siblings. Also I imagine that during Reader’s conversation Mary would be around, whether by accident or not, because of her obsession towards her sister and she would appreciate Reader for protecting her and would love her even more, the same goes for Elizabeth and Edward. But I think Elizabeth and Edward would be scared a little, but they know that they’re older sister would never hurt them.

So what do you think? How would Henry’s wives treat Reader afterwards? The same goes for children. And if Henry finds out, Reader would explain that she was protecting herself and her siblings. The reason why she didn’t say that to her father is because people would think she’s defenceless and some would try to hurt her, when he’s not around, so all she did was putting them in their place.

When I think about it, I already imagining how Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard try to get away from Reader, especially when Reader gives them the same smile and look, or at least they try to be nice to her, since they know she won’t hesitate to hurt them.

I think she is the third child and first daughter of Princess Henry and Mistress. The princess has two older brothers and sister Mary. I think Mary and I will get along better since they're real siblings. Do you remember that he did talk to Anne Mary? This is how to speak. Anne Mary threatens to accept her as Queen. The princess sees this. The reason why Anne never gave birth to a baby boy is the Princess. The princess is really protective of her siblings. She loves Elizabeth and Edward. However, she does not love as much as his own siblings. Elizabeth and Edward are afraid of the Princess. Henry would never admit that his daughter is dangerous. In Henry's eyes, the Princess is perfect.

[elizabethan-memes]

Hi there,

Love your blog! Do you know much about The Duke of Norfolk's relationship with Cromwell? I'm currently re-watching the Tudors and unfortunately the Howards are cut out by Season 3 and 4. I read a theory recently that the Howards including the third Duke wanted to take out Cromwell because he took down Anne Boleyn. Is there any truth to that? Would love to know if there is.

I don't think Anne Boleyn's downfall helped, but I think Cromwell and Norfolk already had plenty of reasons to want each other out of favour. Cromwell was Wolsey's servant, after all, and Norfolk was very sensitive to hierarchy. As an aristocrat he was very aware of 'new men' like Cromwell, Wolsey, and yes- More too. More was the grandson of a baker, so in Norfolk's eyes he's only one generation higher than Cromwell, son of a brewer.

And while Norfolk supported the Break with Rome, he was a traditionalist in terms of religion. And while More, Cromwell, and Wolsey were all enthusiastic about renaissance humanism, judicial reform in favour of ordinary citizens, (and also critics of enclosures) these aren't policies that benefit the likes of Norfolk. More is often portrayed as friends with Norfolk, but the only real evidence I see for that is the hagiography written in the 1550s- at a time when Cromwell was controversial at best, while Norfolk was supporting Mary I. When More's grandson was born in the 1530s, it was Cromwell his parents chose as godfather.

Norfolk is often portrayed as boorish and uncultured, which is a gross simplification. But Norfolk preferred medieval chivalric literature to ancient literature. Erasmus called such medieval literature 'barbarous fables' and perhaps Cromwell would agree- certainly, Cromwell and More both loved Erasmus' New Testament, Cromwell learning it off by heart.

Also, Cromwell had a 'genuine and selfless' (Macculloch) friendship with... Norfolk's wife Elizabeth. If Cromwell needed more reasons to despise Norfolk, Elizabeth would give him PLENTY.

So Cromwell and Norfolk really have no shared culture, their worldviews and goals don't align. I think Norfolk would want Cromwell out, even if 1536 never happened.

[2009jorose]

Hi, I just want to send a huge thank you for your recent appreciation to one of my edits! :D As well your work for The Six Musical are amazing. I am curious too, why did you cast who you did?

Aww thank you <3 and no problem you make some really amazing edits :)

As for Six I went through a few different options for a few of the Queens before deciding.

Catherine of Aragon - Esmeralda has great church and praying scenes that match with Catherine's plea to Henry. She was pretty much the only one I had in mind for this since her scenes fit so well.

Anne Boleyn - I went between Jasmine and Meg for a while. Meg has that sass that Anne has and that same sexuality. I ended up going with Jasmine because she has so many good scenes that work for Anne, she has the sassy attitude and the sexual scenes but also some good emotional scenes that I felt worked well.

Jane Seymour - I was originally looking at Aurora for her because of her "death" scene as well as the scenes of her in the bed because of how much that plays a part in Jane's song. The thing with Aurora is she has such little screen time so trying to edit multiple long videos with her was going to be a challenge. Then I remembered Odette's death scene and she has so many good emotional scenes as well as big singing numbers that match so well with Heart of Stone and I have so many ideas for that one with her.

Anne of Cleves - This was a toss up between Pocahontas and Mulan. The both have similar makeover scenes where they're made to look like a completely different person which fits both Haus of Holbein as well as Get Down. I went with Mulan though because her transformation is so much more drastic when you look at her makeup version vs the Ping version since Pocahontas is still feminine in her original outfit.

Catherine Howard - I was originally just going to make one video and it was this one which is why the series is so out of order cause it wasn't until I was like 3/4 of the way done that I decided to do more of them. I saw this animatic All You Wanna Do | Six the Musical animatic [FLASH WARNING] (youtube.com) which was one of my main inspirations to do the series and the way they drew the character as well as the way the character is in the musical I wanted a character who was sexual and had a lot of dance scenes which of course is Holli. I cast Thumbelina as her younger self because in my opinion they look similar but also Thumbelina has that naive youth about her plus I didn't want to cast a really young character in a romance role with an adult character.

Catherine Parr - Books and writing, there's so many verses in that song that focus on that. Belle is the perfect fit scene wise for a song about writing letters as well as a super emotional song.

I have seen other people's casts and there are so many different characters that you could use for each role. For me it mainly came down to footage for the scenes I wanted to make. I would be interested to see you make an edit with your casting choices ;)

[edwardseymour]

soo ... about that seymour adaptation...

edward seymour

i adore his whole ‘prodigal son’ vibe; norton repeatedly calls him “the star of the seymour family”. scard recounts his position as the second son as: “the eldest surviving son, john, may have lived until he was about 20 but he appears to have been overshadowed from an early age by his brother edward”. because edward does have a good start to his career, in some ways paralleling anne boleyn: he is selected to be a page of honour to the king’s sister, mary, when he was about fourteen years old. he therefore spent time in france, with scard pointing out that edward was a part of “one of the grandest households in europe”, before being the first recorded seymour to study at oxford.

i think his treatment of his first wife and their children is probably less to do with any kind of quasi-incestuous, patrilineal affair between katherine and his father (although, i am not opposed to that being included in an adaptation — with the stipulation that her youth and john’s position of authority over her be sufficiently acknowledged; i really enjoy the dissonance of two teenagers playing at adulthood, playing house while edward’s father accommodated them) and more to do with a ruthless willingness to take advantage of the system for his own benefit. he would similarly meddle “very craftily” (according to cromwell and audley) and “aggressive[ly]” (according to scard) over land ownership. he was ruthlessly opportunistic, “adept at trying to manipulate legal loopholes for his own benefit”; he would later attempt the same with katherine parr (frustrating her so much that she ranted to his brother that she would have bitten him). one contemporary professed “it is hard trusting to his courtesy, for he hath small conscience”.

likewise, he also aggravated the howards, through being of lower birth and newer money. i do not care for whether or not it is factually accurate, i very much intend to have henry howard, who hated edward, punch him in the face. (also iirc, edward later struck gardiner in the face. fabulous.) i would very much want to keep that element as a throughline in an adaptation; this monstrous class system, with it's horrific wealth divides, and the absurdity of old versus new money — especially given edward’s later complicity in the desperately punitive vagrancy act. the aristocracy of england is monstrous, and the howards and seymour exemplify different facets of it’s monstrosity: the ancient, old feudal monopoly of lands and resources (and that sense of innate superiority to others), and the ruthless drive to bleed resources dry in a constant pursuit of more. i have no interest in shying away from that; the sumptuousness of edward's career was paid for with the toil of the commons. somerset house, the grand and beautiful renaissance residence he built, was built at the same time and nor far from the religious houses edward tore down for building materials: st john of jerusalem (smithfield), was “undermined and overthrown with gunpowder” for it’s stone, st paul’s cloister and charnel house was partially demolished for rubble, the bones of those laid to rest there dumped in finsbury. he was granted and spent thousands on syon abbey. plundering of religious buildings and desecration of human remains was inexorably tied to the wealth and prestige of edward seymour’s (and the howards) career; “if the seymours had drunk innocent blood, then the howards had allowed them to do so” (childs). (“and thus behold my kind, how that we differ far; [...] i can devour no yielding prey, you kill where you subdue. my kind is to desire the honour of the field, and you, with blood to slake your thirst of such as to you yield. [...] and if to light on you my hap so good shall be / i shall be glad to feed on that that would have fed on me.”)

i think his marriage to anne stanhope, would be fabulous as a relationship dynamic. it seems like a successful marriage; the pair are active at court and are, certainly, the centre of the seymour faction at court, in the 1530s. it is the pair who facilitate jane seymour’s courtship with henry viii, for example. under edward vi they occupy the awkward position of functional royalty, with no real claim to it (yet, who is to say they are autocratic power-grabbers when assuming they have no legitimate claim to that power and wealth assumes it is possible to ever have a legitimate claim to that level of power and wealth). they had several children and through his disinheriting his children by katherine filliol, he sought to protect his family with anne, with the same ruthlessness we should come to expect from him.

good wolf imagery with anne stanhope's family emblem being a wolf. thumbs up.

his successful career as a military man, despite his inflexible, abrasive attitude makes me think that his otherwise promising career was handicapped by flaws in his personality rather than his skillset. van der delft recorded that edward was “looked down upon by everybody as a dry, sour, opinionated man”. i feel like he fundamentally failed to co-operate at court, amongst those more attuned to courtly love tropes etc., arguably in-keeping with the idea of the seymours being less chivalrous/romantic, and more practically minded, a la edward’s sisters being educated in bastard script.

(also arguably a foil to anne boleyn in that idea of two up-and-coming, humanist leaning, reformist courtiers (with slightly controversial betrothal/marriage histories prior to court) whose talent is undermined by their arguably ‘unpalatable’ personalities and their overreaching ambition... could be fun to play on that as edward undermines anne in 1536, especially when he has to carry her motherless (made motherless by his actions) daughter for his nephew’s baptism, and ultimately they wind up buried together.)

tbh the way i envisage edward is summed up nicely by this quote from tudor times: “it may be that his talents fitted him to be a second-in-command, but that the very attention to detail that had made him a successful commander in the field, made him unsuited to the strategic vision and ability to delegate and consult that mark out the true leader. consequently, he became defensive, unwilling to take advice, and quick to take offence”.

primary sources: margaret scard, tudor king in all but name: the life of edward seymour; stephen alford, kingship and politics in the reign of edward vi; diarmaid macculloch, tudor church militant: edward vi and the protestant reformation

henry seymour

kind of obsessed with second sons, the embodiment of ‘the spare’ (henry was born around the same time as henry viii ascended to the throne, so he’s named after another spare).

he entered royal service in 1526, so a few years ahead of jane seymour probably going to court — which is also interesting considering they both joined catherine of aragon's household. i actually would like their relationship explored more — jane’s will bequeathed him “several valuable chains”, and he named his daughter after her.

i actually have zero interest in the idea that henry was the ‘good’ brother… he was clearly very much part of the seymour ‘faction’ of the 1530s — he was willing to pick at the carcass of anne boleyn’s household, as he took mark smeaton’s position after anne boleyn’s fall. likewise, jane rewarded him with several offices and entrusted him with administering her estates as queen. so, whilst he may not have been as ambitious as his brothers, he was clearly an active part of the seymour family’s ambitions, and was adaptive and willing to reap his spoils at court.

in spite of norton describing him as “content to remain in the country”, a man who “never sought the glittering careers of his siblings”, he was at court for a significant time, occupying significant positions. he ultimately did not seek, or at least did not achieve (as we don’t know enough about him to conclude he did not want them) the kind of promotions his brothers achieved, but i don’t honestly think his career was distinctly less ‘glittering’ than thomas’ or his father’s…

and his court career otherwise argues for him to be of more significance than he gets recognised for. the idea that henry “remained in the shadows” (scard) is rather difficult to reconcile with someone who held onto such a ridiculously expensive and coveted position such as queen’s carver under multiple queens. given the prominence of strict hierarchy in carving and serving food, henry would surely have been well-versed in the court dynamics, the politics of meat (to steal the phrase).

his responsibilities and seeming skill as carver also lend itself to imagery of hunting and butchery that goes so well with wolf hall and savernake forest. henry would have been skilled at carving and dismembering animal carcasses for the queen — which would be potent imagery to play with considering the seymour rise (like a phoenix) out of the ashes of anne boleyn, an old, dead bird (falcon); more bluntly with the imagery of carving and meat and picking at the remains of anne boleyn's carcass....

(fabulous wolf imagery continues with him marrying barbara wolfe.)

i think it’s interesting that of all john’s sons, henry’s seems to follow his most closely. he has a decent career at court, and clearly enjoys favour (being made knight of the bath & receiving royal grants of land under edward vi) with some military positions, but never seems to establish himself as a major personality. he ultimately establishes himself more locally, elected the mp for hampshire, and serving as high sheriff of hampshire between 1568-69.

as for family motivations, he may well have been close to his family as he was the sole executor of his mother's will. but when edward seymour asked him to send troops for support, henry supposedly ignored him and did not reply. he also did well under john dudley's administration, showing the same ability to reap the spoils of someone's fall as he did during anne's fall, only this time it was his own brothers.

it must also have been a challenging time for him in the 1560s-1570s; he was with his mother when she died, and had (at this point) lost his father, jane, thomas, edward, and three other siblings. it seems like he had lost a few children of his own at this point, too. his niece, mary seymour, quietly disappears from the record, and probably dies young, removed from her seymour family. he is presumed to be the last seymour child of this generation to die.

therefore, henry seymour (alongside sisters dorothy and elizabeth) becomes witness to the decline of the seymour family that he knew — the family would remain prominent (edward’s children, for example, retained careers and significance at court) — but in many respects the seymour ‘faction’ was obsolete at this point, and because he was at court, i feel like his perspective of this decline is the most significant: he would have seen the highest highs, in ways his sisters would not have.

primary sources: david loades, the seymours of wolf hall; elizabeth norton, jane seymour: henry viii’s true love

thomas seymour

🐀

firstly, i think it’s profoundly significant that thomas seymour would have been at wolf hall when katherine filliol came into his father’s house. he and katherine were around the same age. he would have been about eleven when katherine gave birth to her baby, john, in 1518. i think it’s really worth remembering that thomas seymour may well have witnessed his father groom his teenage ward. the set up for thomas’ relationship with lady elizabeth is there from the beginning.

his first position, under francis bryan, can be dated to the mid 1520s — so there seems to have been a mass exodus of seymour children from the family home to court (as henry and jane also come to court around this time), and in more than one case, probably in connection to francis bryan. which i think makes for fun potential, considering the dormer’s allegedly not wanting to associate with the seymour's on account of scandal, which has been attributed to the vicar of hell’s reputation.

in an adaptation, he’s a fabulous foil to edward: he seems to have been considerably less able, his career far more being credited to the successes of his immediate relatives, his blood carrying him further than any innate talent. throckmorton’s decription of him — “hardy, wise and liberal […] fierce in courage, courtly in fashion, in personage stately, in voice magnificent, but somewhat empty of matter” — creates this fun parallel of thomas having the charisma that edward lacked, but none of his ability; as elizabeth described him, thomas was “a man of much wit, but very little judgement”, or, according to nicholas throckmorton, “somewhat empty of matter”. norton likewise describes him as: “he was not a man of half measures. he entered into everything with gusto and determination, but not always skill or foresight.”

and there is something poignantly frustrating about how impotent and insignificant thomas seymour is, as the youngest seymour son (even if henry arguably had a less distinctive career, it seems considerably more stable, and he was with their mother when she died). his personality was praised, he seems to be popular with members of court, but he seems to fail to achieve much off of that in his own right. his first known role was in the service of his kinsman, described as “servant to sir francis bryan”, so a minor role at court and likely a family affair. he was made a gentleman of the privy chamber in october 1536, almost certainly on account of his sister's marriage to the king, and had the honour of being one of the gentlement who held the canopy over baby prince edward’s canopy at his christening in 1537, and knighted at the same ceremony that saw edward made earl of hertford. numerous grants of lands and titles probably can be attributed to his (and his family’s) friendship with thomas cromwell — “these two are more likely to have come via cromwell's mediation rather than that of the queen”. whilst edward was inducted into the order of the garter in 1541, thomas took longer to get there, despite being nominated every year from 1543 to the year of his eventual induction: 1547.

so there is this strong set up for a resentment and jealousy, not specific to edward, but to this general sense of resistance to his own juvenile status. which is, to some extent, an inevitability within a system that relies of primogeniture: he is the third surviving son, after all. he has no claim to a solid inheritance. but it also smacks of entitlement when you remember how privileged he was, and how many rewards he enjoyed on behalf of his family. we can’t identify these thoughts or feelings in the historical man, and assuming them of him would be an anachronism, but i think it would be interesting to explore in an adaptation.

still, i think he could be interesting as a man desperate to assert himself: loades speculates that presumably thomas was a gentleman volunteer on the king’s ships for some considerable time before his being made captain of the sweepstake in 1537, as such a position would demand experience of which no evidence survives. i do enjoy the idea of this, and would like to carry it through into an adaptation - of thomas throwing himself at opportunities to try and make his mark. clearly, he otherwise must have proved himself, since he did receive rewards in 1532 - his first grant, forester of enfield chase, which he likely did not obtain through his brother or bryan, and certainly not his sister jane. so, it would not be unreasonable that thomas was capable of progressing his career on his own merit. but, i think there’s something significant in the fact that most of his ‘achievements’ were granted by virtue of his blood rather than any personal achievement, both as an indication of how parasitic the court world of tudor nobility was, but also as characterisation of a man who had a lifelong relationship with doing the utmost to climb to the top of said parasitic ladder. thomas was a monster a monstrous system created.

so he's tossed about in marriage negotiations with mary howard, up until around 1540, which he seems enthusiastic about (irrespective of the fact that mary very much is not), and these two families that do not like each other are forcibly trying to force themselves to be tied to each other, all in the name of the prestige of being a little closer to the royal circle.

on that note, it would be interesting to adapt his time as ambassador to the king of hungary in 1542, where he travels to nuremberg with charles howard, both brothers to late queens of england (katherine howard, and jane seymour), especially after thomas seymour was the one to confiscate the queen’s jewels from katherine. fun foreshadowing for the later drama between his wife (katherine parr) and anne stanhope, as well as a play on the timeline of his relationship with katherine parr, as their courtship is interrupted by henry viii’s marrying katherine, in an ironic repetition of recent history as the same seems to have taken place between katherine howard and thomas culpeper.

by 1543, he has met katherine parr, and she later claims that she would have married thomas after latimer died, but it's not known what thomas felt about her. perhaps controversially? i do think he had feelings for her: she was an attractive, resolved and intelligent woman. norton points out that they shared a common interest in religious reform, and arguably one can see a compatibility between them, considering parr’s noted love of finery. and moreso in an adaptation, if we characterise thomas as ambitious and trying to accumulate more wealth, power and prestige for himself, i don’t think parr was enough of a notably, wealthy widow to be that attractive to him without some kind of personal incentive. and i am not interested in characterising thomas (or any of these people) as fundamentally incapable of love.

and i do think thomas, with that constant, entitled sense of juvenile inadequacy, raging against the patriarchal, primogeniture system, while still determined to co-operate within it, and seemingly only able to cope with it if he is able to be at the top of the pecking order he feels he is oppressed by... being in a competition over a woman with henry viii, himself an aberration against the ideal of masculinity (old, obese, his virility thoroughly undermined in both his ability to father sons and his being cuckolded). well, i adore exploring toxic masculinity with sensitivity, but also, it’s fascinating and very funny. it completely exposes the ridiculousness of these systems and structures.

it’s the same with his relationship with edward vi: whilst i don't doubt he may well have felt genuine affection for his nephew (and i did like how the brothers saw edward, in part, as an extension of their dead sister in becoming elizabeth — and i am shamelessly stealing that idea), edward vi is also the embodiment of peak masculinity whilst inherently an inversion of it by virtue of his age.

primary sources: david loades, the seymours of wolf hall; elizabeth norton, catherine parr; elizabeth norton, the temptation of princess elizabeth; stephen alford, kingship and politics in the reign of edward vi

[mmkin]

two handsome chonkers

So after drawing the six wives of Henry VIII, I decided to take on the big man himself.

There was a ridiculous amount of detail in the painting, which I had to essentially condense as this took me about 20 min. Still, I'm quite proud of it for it being a doodle done with black pen on white printer paper.

The six wives of Henry VIII - Part 1 (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour) Part 2 (Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr)

And since I was proud of this chonky drawing, i wanted to draw more chonk. So here's Hody Jones from One Piece, drawn similarly to Henry VIII.

I really like Henry's coat so I decided to put that on Hody (as well as giving him Henry's knife) I hate that dog pelt thing he wears so I replaced that with a normal scarf as he wore these when he was a kid/young adult. Also I put him under the sea instead of Henry's palace because I thought it suited him better.

[kaspenhoward]

Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth the First book written by Tracy Borman commentary:

I recently just finished tackling the 240 pages somber fest of the book written about Anne Bolyen and her daughter and have already started re-reading it, as I read it the initial time I made notes to go along with it, here are some of them:

(Please note these notes are just quotes, comments, jokes, over exaggerated summaries, or stuff I remembered while reading, these are not to be taken seriously as I wrote these to keep it light hearted because the book was tragically sad, I decided to share this with the internet to share my raw opinion and thoughts on this captivating book, note I didn’t really put a filter while writing so these are a bunch of unsolicited thoughts)

Heads up! Spoilers below! Tw for Tudor Era darkness (slight discussion of SA of Elizabeth the 1st and Katheryn Howard)

Page 12 - Anne’s Admiration for and amount of knowledge obtained by Marguerite is impressive, along with her mastery of French. I’m also intrigued that Anne was in the presence among humanist scholars such as Erasmus.

Page 28 - Anne is petty and funny AF, this is the most humorous stuff I’ve read, declaring herself queen before a coronation and obviously hinting at her pregnancy by shouting “she wants apples” is amazing, this is woman is smart, calculating, dangerous, petty, but so so so funny

Page 30 - Anne apparently had another cousin named Katherine (not to be mistaken with K. Howard) who married to Edward Stanley Earl of Derby who was an in-law of Anne’s through her brother George, really keeping it in the family here. Anne also had a like for Yellow Orche.

Page 31 - Anne had Irish and Norman Ancestry.

“Perhaps, too, the fact that the falcon is a bird of prey of which the female is larger than the male appealed to a woman known for her domineering nature” (Borman 31). I don’t understand why I fond this so amusing but I do.

Page 34 - Henry put Anne and her baby’s health at risk simply for showing her off at her coronation, the bastard never cared.

Page 42 - Anne doted and loved Elizabeth from the start even though she was now at risk.

Page 47 - “Aware of the hostile gossip, Anne protected her daughter as fiercely as a lioness her cub — even against members of her own family” (Borman 47). Man that is so freaking cute wth

Page 49 - Mama Bear Anne is the most heartwarming thing ever

Page 50 - More Mama Bear Anne

Page 54 - Elizabeth learned some Welsh

Page 58 - Anne tried to give all that she could to Elizabeth especially knowledge

Page 59 - Apparently both beheaded cousins adore animals, dogs especially

Page 68 - Girl boss Anne supporting education and the poor

Page 70 - Reformist Anne super cool 😎. But no Anne is losing her confidence 🥲

Page 71 - Jane shows up!!! But your writing is good Borman but how dare you call Jane “plain”, she is so much more than that 😤

Page 72 - No! Depressed Anne 😢, you deserve better girlie you’re amazing!!! (Although you could’ve been a bit nicer to Mary..)

Page 75 - Anne has another miscarriage, goodness she must have been so terrified, someone please give her a hug. Jane is also smart and playing one of Anne’s cards.

Page 76 - Mama Bear Anne desperately trying to protect Elizabeth and doting on her 😖 (Can Anne be my mom?)

Page 77 - Bada*s Anne playing people for reform, super cool girl boss

Page 79 - Anne worried about Elizabeth so she picks her up and carries her around in panic, she’s such a protective mum ❤️❤️❤️

Page 80 to 90 - . . .

Henry is the bastard here and deserves worse, poor Anne must’ve been petrified, she didn’t want this she just wanted better religious reforms and to be a mom, this whole situation being put into a perspective for me to imagine just.. breaks my soul, for someone to go through something so inhumane and heart wrenching. Literally abandoned and betrayed by everyone except her Brother and Daughter. And the fact that through the end of it all, about to lose her d*mn head for something she didn’t do, Anne still thinks and puts Elizebeth first.

I’m rendered speechless this is so damn unfair. Anne Boleyn deserved so much better, she did everything she could to survive and still lost the game of living in a life dictated by men. The fact everyone was so freaking bent on killing her that they didn’t even put together a coffin for her is messed up.

Page 88 - The fact that her thoughts are still on Elizabeth when she’s about to lose her life is astounding. I’ve never heard of a mother with such instinct to be able to shut off a fight or flight in a guaranteed death situation simply for the safety of their child.

Page 90 - Anne had her lasting impact. She deserved better and her impact on and creation of Elizabeth, along with her reforms make her one of the greatest monarchs to have reigned in England.

Page 92 - These allegations against Anne are so freaking stupid

Page 93 - “Closeted away at Greenwich, Elizabeth was apparently oblivious to the earth-shattering event that had just taken place five miles away at the tower. She had lost not only her mother, but her place in the royal succession, her importance to her father— and by extension to England. Robbed of her chief protector, hence-forth Elizabeth would be buffeted by the ‘storms and tempests’ of life as a royal outcast” (Borman 93).

. . .

SHE WAS YOUNGER THAN 3!! SHE WAS TWO! WHAT HECK! WHY THE HECK DID THEY STEAL THAT POOR CHILD’S LOVING MOTHER!

Page 96 - I just.. don’t know how to feel no one is there to protect little Elizabeth anymore.. Poor child must have felt so lost and alone

Page 99 - Because her mum was no longer around no one was there to send Elizabeth anymore clothes 😖, do you hear my heart shattering into a million pieces Borman?? Do you???!?!

Page 101 - Baby Elizabeth really wants to know what happened to her mum 🥺. Also wth, in tudor times you’re considered an adult by 6?!?!

Page 102 - “‘The harm done to Elizabeth as a small child resulted in an irremediable condition of nervous shock’ asserted one author. ‘In the fatally vulnerable years she had learned to connect the idea of sexual intercourse with terror and death’” (Borman 102).

Good hecking job Henry, you traumatized her for life!

Page 103 - The loss of her mother left Elizabeth so traumatized she really needs a hug and her mum

Page 112 - Excuse me Borman?? Your attitude towards K. Howard is not appreciated. That was a child who was taken advantage of! But I will hand it to you, I do love that you wrote about the connection between Kitty and Elizabeth.

Page 115 - Ha take that Henry! Like mother like daughter, cunning, smart, and p*ssed with you.

Page 120 to 122 - . . . That is so effed up. Elizabeth was only a child. Nor should she have almost been blamed for it. No one to protect or save her. Anne would’ve lost it if she was still alive.

Page 122 - Elizabeth seems really attached to Kat I’m glad she had someone but sad she lost her

Page 138 - Poor Elizabeth is terrified I also loved the line; “Much suspected by me

Nothing proved can be” (Borman 138).

Page 140 - KATHERINE CARY (Elizabeths Cousin) HAD SIXTEEN KIDS?! HOW IS THAT SURVIVABLE?!

Page 142 - Elizabeths fear of marriage is honestly a little petrifying but relatable and understandable, she went through a lot and saw a lot, having her mom and her step mom being beheaded on charges of being associated by men must’ve fueled this, children learn from their environments

Page 146 - “If Elizabeth was to hold onto the throne, she knew that she would need to focus her efforts on bolstering her legitimacy— something that Anne had not survived long enough to do” (Borman 146). What the heck, must you make me sad at this time of day Borman?? Anne tried so hard for Elizabeth and yet she still lost and Elizabeth had to fight for herself, strong like her mum. 🥺

I love that document lmao, girl bossing just like her mum, “‘I am the most English woman in the kingdom’” (Borman 146). Her majesty is just as prideful and boastful as her mother.

Page 153 - “This was the first time in more than twenty years that Anne had been publicly — and positively — represented. The fact that Elizabeth gave her mother equal status with her father demonstrates not only her loyalty towards Anne but her determination to prove she was the child of a legitimate marriage” (Borman 153). Oh my goodness that is so cute, Elizabeth wants to be proud of her mom while flipping the court off.

Page 154 - “The symbolism could not have been more obvious: the reformed faith, championed by Anne and adopted by her daughter, had triumphed” (Borman 154). It’s really touching seeing Elizabeth continue what Anne could not, her loyalty to her mother is the sweetest thing ever.

Page 155 to 156 - Elizabeth must’ve been horrified but felt seen by such a thing, Ales really did the right thing

Page 157 - “But his words had left a profound impression on the new queen, stoking her already fierce loyalty towards her late mother. It also strengthened her determination to avenge Anne’s death by firmly establishing the religion of which her mother had been such a passionate advocate” (Borman 157). Listening to Six while reading this makes me want to cry, this is just really heartbreaking and touching wth

Page 159 - It must’ve been so refreshing for Elizabeth to learn so much about her mom and to hear nice things about her, the fact she took this to heart is amazing, it really really is cute and touching 💚💚

Page 164 - “Now that she was queen, she felt at liberty to express the reason why she held him in such high esteem: that his father had ‘died in a noble cause and in justification of her mother’s innocence’. This is one of the clearest indications Elizabeth ever gave of just how much Anne Boleyn meant to her. It was also one of the rarest because it was expressed in words, as well as actions” (Borman 164). This really warms my heart, wth Borman, thank you for this.

Page 171 - Kat’s back! And the two are likely half sisters? “Elizabeth ‘loved Lady Knollys above all other women in the world’” (Borman 171). That honestly really is nice and cute. I love that Elizabeth finally has someone. Although I would have preferred if it had been Anne 😶

Page 174 - “She therefore focused her energies on realising Anne’s ambitions by becoming the most successful of Henry’s heir’s” (Borman 174). Yeah you go girl! Get that revenge in your mother’s name!

Page 175 to 177 - Elizabeth being protective over her mother is the cutest thing ever 🥺

Page 179 - NOOO KAT DIES??? Who’s gonna be Elizabeths companion now??

Page 180 - WHAT THE HECK LADY KNOLLYS TOO??? IS SHE JUST NOT MEANT TO HAVE COMPANIONSHIP??!

Page 184 - Oh Elizabeth girlie, I understand you’re queen and you’re not doing well but that’s not okay to do

Page 185 - “Their fickle, changeable nature enabled both mother and daughter to wield greater power than sixteenth-century society would otherwise have allowed them. They did not just break the mould: they shattered it” (Borman 185). Wooo I love this mother daughter duo! Go you girlbosses!!!

Page 193 - “Her [Elizabeth’s] decision to remain the Virgin Queen had been inspired by her mother and it condemned her father’s dynasty to extinction. It is perhaps carrying the argument too far to say that this was a deliberate act of vengeance on Elizabeth’s part, but it certainly handed her mother a posthumous victory” (Borman 193). Omg lmao, imagine being so petty towards your father you end his entire bloodline in retribution.

Page 198 - Poor Elizabeth can’t handle executing people, poor queen is reminded of and needs her mom 😖

Page 199 - “Elizabeth’s confidence as queen was evidently secure enough for her to abandon her former discretion about her mother and celebrate the fact that she was a Boleyn, not just a Tudor. She adopted one of Anne’s mottos, Semper Eadem (‘Always the Same’), which became increasingly prominent in her portraits and documents . . . The queen’s subjects soon realised that complimenting her mother was a sure path to favour” (Borman 199). I love this sososo much, Elizabeth can finally openly and proudly love her mother after years of having to hide it. 💚💚💚

Page 207 - Lmao Elizabeth nicknamed Francis Duke of Anjou and Alençon as “her frog”, goodness 16th century nicknames are hilarious

Page 214 - “It was issued at a time where new Catholic plots in favour of Mary, Queen of Scots were gathering momentum; the queen might have preferred not to draw attention to her scandalous past. But by now, her pride in Anne Boleyn would not be silenced” (Borman 214). AWWW not even fear will scare her out of being proud of her mummy.

Page 216 - “But there was more to it than that. The only other occasion in the long history of English monarchy when an anointed queen had been executed was 50 years earlier. The victim that had been her own mother, Anne Bolyen. The prospect of order the beheading of another queen — one of her own blood — provoked such horror that Elizabeth almost broke down under the strain” (Borman 216). COME ON SOMEONE JUST GIVE HER, HER MUM RIGHT NOW. POOR GIRL IS TRAUMATIZED.

Page 219 - “But the genuine horror that Elizabeth felt at having sent a queen to the same death as her mother would haunt her for the rest of her days” (Borman 219). My heart, how much more can I take? How much more can she take??? Give her, her mum!

Page 223 - NOOO, why is everyone dying on Elizabeth! Girlie is alone enough as it is!

Page 230 to 231 - “His betrayal left her reclusive and fearful. ‘These troubles waste her much’, reported Sir John Harington. ‘She walks much in her privy chamber . . . the dangers are over and yet she always keeps a sword by her table’” (Borman 230-231). Please goodness. Please just have Anne appear and hug her please. For the love of god, just please. She lives her literal entire life in fear, she’s 60, queen, and yet she’s still terrified!

Page 233 - “Familiar guilt over Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution made her cry out in torment. Robert Carey described how she ‘shed many tears and sighs, manifesting her innocence that she never have consent to the death of that Queen’. Thenceforth, Elizabeth lost any desire to go on living” (Borman 233).

… What the heck am I supposed to say to that. This is fricking unfair, give her, her mum! She knows too much about loss that she’s just given up.

Page 235 - Goodbye Queen Elizabeth, shall thou and your mother, Queen Anne, not be forgotten.

Page 238 - That scene of Anne predicting the future in that movie will always be iconic lmao

Page 239 - “She had defied convention — just as Anne had broken the mould of a meek and compliant queen consort. Elizabeth had been the living embodiment of her mother’s legacy and, as queen, she had constantly striven to avenge Anne’s death — and, more positively, to celebrate her achievements” (Borman 239). 🥹 Anne you would be so proud of your little girl.

Page 240 -

The fact they really wanted Elizabeth back when she was gone is a little funny cause they tried to rid of her when she was in power, shows how unappreciative people were of her when she did live.

“It seems that in the story of the Boleyns and the British monarchy, there a few more chapters yet to be written” (Borman 240).

Wow, that’s it, Anne left such a lasting legacy. That amazing woman did that. I didn’t know I’d be so proud of someone who died 500 years ago, but I am. God bless you Queen Anne, forever shall thou be remembered 💚

_Post reading analysis_

Starting my second read of this book I took notice it’s likely best to write all my unsolicited thoughts before I develop new opinions with my second read.

Both Elizabeth and Anne Bolyen are tragedies within themselves, involving themselves in the tudor political environment whilst being women, damning them from the start. The difference is, Anne willingly entered the game and lost, while Elizabeth was born into it but won, albeit with lots of setbacks and significant losses on the way. These two very influential women in history are so significantly close and influential for one another for only having been in each other’s lives for 2 and a half years. Elizabeth at the age of two lost her protector for when she was alive, did everything she did in her power for her daughter. Elizabeth at a young age wouldn’t see much impact by this except the discussion of her legitimacy but as she grew, without her mother to protect her, she began to face the horrors of life as a tudor era woman. From being sexually assaulted by her stepfather Thomas Seymour to being locked up in the tower of london twice by her siblings, awaiting death there just like her mother, to thankfully survive and make it to queen hood just to have assignation attempts directed at her and an entire continent against her reign whilst her short list of companions slowly died off until she gave up. Yes the rule of Queen Elizabeth the First was glorious and brought upon the golden age of England, but it also wasn’t easy. Elizabeths life was not easy by any means and without her mother to guide and protect her it must have been even more rough. But the little pieces of Anne that Elizabeth kept makes my heart happy, the ring of their portraits, Anne’s Falcon, and defense of her mother. There’s so much of Elizabeth I know Anne would be proud of, Elizabeths smarts and personality resembling Anne’s. If I was Anne, I’d be cheering Elizabeth on proudly from the afterlife until I saw her again. This book is one of the most beautiful and captivating pieces of history I’ve ever read of. The number of information also gathered about Anne makes my soul happy, knowing the intelligent french-like reformist who produced the best queen in english history will not be forgotten. No one deserves to be forgotten or separated from their loved ones. Hearing their story fills my heart and breaks it. If only the two had more time.

I rank this book a 10/10, I would say “I’d read it again” but I currently am reading it again. Never did I think this book was gonna be that good.

[fryingpan1234567]

maybe. maybe I’ve been inspired by a TikTok by data_craft (pls their Ren cosplay?? help). Hermitcraft SIX the musical au.

It will make more sense when I get into it

So I’m thinking Henry can be Doc, not for a similarity in personality, but because I think he’s been shipped with pretty much everyone XD I can use that to my advantage

Bdubs! Grian! Ren! Xisuma! Etho! Scar! Can you imagine them in glitter like that I-

Bdubs as Catherine of Aragon. Glowstone fit, yelling “NO WAY!” in Doc’s face (a foot or two up I might add) as a reminder of the mansion days😔

Grian is Anne Boleyn. Green isn’t exactly his color, but the song is SO PERFECT PLS- just him flouncing around the stage, flirting with one of the most dangerous men on the server, and then… well, he pays the price (L).

Jane is tough because I could do Etho for the color palette or X for closest personality, but Etho’s won out bc I want X for someone else more. Etho, uh, “died”, but he really just faked his death and went into hiding lol because raising a kid? Ew.

REN FOR ANNA. AS PER THE TIKTOK. HELP.

You know what I’m just gonna show you

SEE. Like dude

Anyways! My dude Ren is perfect for this song like wow. And! Red is totally his color! That spiky crown looks great on him.

Scar, our favorite server resident manwhore (affectionate), for Katherine Howard. Because tell me you can’t imagine his character (the fandom’s decided he’s hot and entirely ripped so) in glittery pink, dyed hair as well, and wouldn’t that be sick?

Finally, X as Catherine Parr. I can’t exactly explain it, I just like him for that character? Idk what to say, but I know he’s perfect for it, so. X. Cathy Parr. Also, he’d rock the blue sparkles, fight me.

These losers (affectionate) are such a fun combo, like just imagine them onstage together

VELCOME TO ZE HAUS TO ZE HAUS OF HOLBEIN JAH

I’m sorry I can’t get the glitter images out of my head just PLEASE THE GLITTER

The spiky crowns are a vibe

OH and the musicians? Impulse on drums, Tango on guitar, xB on bass and Hypno on keyboard (THE SUNGLASSES)

I’m not quite sure the context for why this show even gets put on in the first place, it might just need to be an actor au (probably different from the one with @zzzaru but honestly who knows)

Whether or not you imagine the fits with skirts or redone for a more masc look, it’s fantastic either way omg

The German accents kill me (they killed Doc too lemme tell you)

SPARKLY. COMBAT. BOOTS.

Even though Grian is Scar’s actual bf, he has to pretend he’s not dying inside during the song where he’s fuckin dirty dancing and talking about being railed because GRIAN IS ONSTAGE TOO AND HE CAN’T BREAK CHARACTER

No one knew Etho could sing until this but? Dude? Wow? What?

It’s funny because it works for both the Americans and the British people

Listen just next time you listen to either of the recordings just. Picture it

[hawaiianpizzaenjoyer]

Duuuuuuude please make a Peggy gcse headcanon list that sounds so fun!! If you decide to do it too I'd love to be tagged in it!

AAA STOP ILYSM YOUVE LITERALLY GIVEN ME MOTIVATION FOR THIS NOW 🫶🫶

so, without further ado...

PEGGY CARTER GCSE HEADCANONS!!

!! FOR ANY NON-BRITS/PEOPLE WHO DONT KNOW WHAT GCSES ARE, I'VE LINKED A WIKI ARTICLE HERE !!

!! also i know that different schools have different systems for GCSEs, but im just gonna go with what mine did :) !!

SO.

We all know Peggy had to do Maths, both of the Englishes and triple Science, but i feel like she wouldve LOVED English Lit the most. She would've definitely been one of those kids who were like best mates with their English teacher fruity behaviour?. She was also definitely one of the student librarians for her school's library.

~---💬---~

For language, I am a firm believer that Peggy did German and Latin. She probably would've picked German because Michael did (the classic familial language gcse sitch), but i also feel like she would've really liked classics in year 7 and 8 (grades 6 and 7 i think) and decided to stick with it for GCSE. I also think she didn't like French at ALL.

"Why in gods name do I have to memorise the gender of a chair?? Who decided that bloody rubbish??"

(shes so real though ngl, genders are the bane of my existence)

~---🌍---~

Like language, Peggy was probably a double humanities student. She probably did History and Geography, and her favourite topics in each would've been the Tudors for history (she would avidly defend Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard in lessons) and the human side for Geography!! She probably looked at NY as a case study for overpopulation and rapid-rate industrialisation and rolled her eyes, muttering about what sort of madman would willingly stay in a city like that.

~---🔨---~

Lastly, her practical subject. This was a tie for me between PE and Product Design, but I realised I know nothing about GCSE PE (core pe girlies unite), so I'll go with PD for now.

Peggy definitely put her heart and soul into her NEA (non-examination assessment, basically coursework) for Product Design. By the first week, she probably had like a billion sketches done up and had started looking at materials. I feel like her mother didn't like Peggy doing a "man's subject", until Peggy built her a birdhouse that looks like their house and all was forgiven. She definitely met all her NEA deadlines on time, too. Like, she was an academic WEAPON. Even her teacher was scared of her when she was using the saws and that.

~---✏️---~

In terms of overall results, she was definitely one of those people who got all 9's (grade A**), and would probably've cried if she got an 8 (I would be too scared to tell her my results ong 😔)

In terms of A-Levels, I'd have to think about that one ngl, so if this post does well, I might do an pt2!!

~---💕---~

@captainsophiestark thank you sm for the ask and giving me motivation to actually write this out and post it 😭🙏

[fideidefenswhore]

If someone came to you tomorrow and said we need you to make a movie or TV series about Anne Boleyn who would you cast (for Anne or for any other characters you would include)?

I would need a time machine for some of them (unless we were doing a series about her through flashbacks of those who survived her...could be great, actually), such as:

Sarah Foret as Mary (Howard) Fitzroy, Duchess of Richmond:

The above would be like, her in the 1550s? Sarah Foret circa 2004 is truly how I envision Mary in the 1530s tho:

(Left)

Ok, good a starting point as any, let's go with the rest of the relevant Howards:

Lotte Verbeek or Caitronia Balfe as Elizabeth (Howard) Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire (these would be perfect if we began around 1520), Natasha McElhone for late 1530s

Colm Meaney as Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk:

Jeremy Irons as Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1540s...for earlier I can't think of who has the right juice to pull this role off, maybe Pablo Schreiber?):

Now, onto the Boleyns,

Either Aidan Turner or Ben Barnes as Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire (again, circa 1520, they are actually the right age for this, had to remind myself of this, too), Tobias Menzies for late 1530s

Theo James (this is cheating, unless I'm casting an AU where the Boleyns rise and do not fall 1536-, aha...unless?, but I know he can convicingly play a wide array of ages from Time Traveler's Wife) or Leo Suter (more accurately aged) for George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, or somewhere in between, Jonathan Bailey:

For Mary Boleyn, I'm going to shortcut again and go with a previous documentary casting, Elizabeth McCafferty (I loved Lois Brabin's acting but it's really clear the casting department wanted to play on the 'contrast' btwn sisters for BSR, the one confirmed portrait we have of Mary suggests that she was actually brunette with amber eyes, not the ScarJo typecast that has had such staying power):

For Jane (Parker) Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, I would cast Morfydd Clark:

Phoning in the Henry&Anne, I'm going to stay with the casting of the newest Borman documentary short (I simply love it, so),

But I'm going to try my hand at Henry VIII circa 1540s and cast Eric Keenleyside:

I've stayed in the familial but I'm also going to play my ace of casting Sarah Pidgeon as Margaret Wyatt (hopefully BSR has broken the mold and in the future we're going to get the full cast of AB's confidantes and friends, among them:

[attackfish]

Wed, bed, behead: Henry VIII's six wives (chose two for each)

On a side note, wed bed behead sounds like Henry VIII modus operandi.

Catherine of Aragon: I have beef with Catherine of Aragon. The thing is, Catherine and Anne, and the whole saga of Henry's wives and the English Reformation gets told in such different ways depending on whose side you're on, whether you are Catholic or Protestant, and of course Catherine of Aragon is beloved by Catholic historians, and Catholic sympathizing historians, while Anne is beloved of the more radical Protestant side, and you would think that as a Jew who hates the monarchy, I would not have a dog in this fight, but in fact I have so many dogs in this fight. And back when she was still the Dowager Princess of Wales, she sold out one of the major servants of her household to the Spanish Inquisition, because he was more loyal to her and to the memory of her mother, then to her father. This man was trying to help her, and she sold him and also his sister to the Inquisition for Judaizing. I bet she made her parents, Ferdinand and Isabella, fucking founders of the Spanish Inquisition, proud. So fuck her, Behead.

Anne Boleyn: on one hand I sympathize a lot with Anne Boleyn, because she did her best to make the best out of a horrible situation, where the king of her country was stalking her, and would not take no for an answer. I really feel for her. On the other hand she was a horrible stepmother, and also way too Protestant for me. But on the third hand, and I refuse to be limited to two hands, she was clearly very intelligent, and very charismatic, and I would happily spend the night with her. Bed.

Jane Seymour: this is the other wife that the Catholics love, because she really tried to play the peacemaker between Henry and Mary, and urged reconciliation with Catholicism, and also Henry married her after Catherine of Aragon was dead, so the Catholics could be okay with considering her his lawful wife. She also died before she did much, while giving Henry his son, which of course made her Henry's favorite wife. But I really get the feeling that she was fake nice, and also her son was terrifying and her brothers sucked, so behead. I don't like her vibe.

Anne of Cleves: oh come on, we all know that I would let Anne do whatever she wanted with me. Also, she showed remarkable and commendable religious flexibility, riding the waves of the various Reformation movements under Henry and Edward, and then converting to Catholicism for The Counter Reformation under Mary. She survived the longest out of any of Henry's wives, and was known for her kindness, both at court, and to the "lower orders" and those who worked for her. I would happily meet her under a chuppa. Wed.

Katherine Howard: Katherine spent her entire life being treated like a sexual object, and her consent never really factored into it. It's not so much that I want to wed her, as I want to wrap her in a blanket give her some soup, and let her have a fucking break. Wed.

Catherine Parr: Catherine Parr, Henry's eventual widow, was fucking brilliant, the first English woman writer to see her name in print, a scholar, a theologian, and once more way too Protestant for it to work long-term. Also she was really iffy as a stepmother in certain ways. But, brilliant scholar that she was, I would happily go to bed with her. Not that she would have me. Way too Protestant.