#niece of Katherine Parr

[tudorqueen6]

29 May [1575]: Lady Anne Talbot writes the Countess of Shrewsbury

Lady Pembroke and her daughter, also named Anne (Lady Talbot). Wilton Church. Lady Anne Talbot (born Lady Anne Herbert) was the daughter of Sir William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke & his first wife, Lady Anne (Parr). As such, she was the niece of Queen Kateryn Parr. Lady Anne married Sir Francis, Lord Talbot. Lord Talbot was the son of Sir George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and his first…

[dailytudors]

FRANCES GREY, DUCHESS OF SUFFOLK, MOTHER OF A QUEEN

Born Frances Brandon, named after St. Francis of Assisi but also in honour of the King of France, Francis I, who was once the stepson-in-law of her mother and who had granted the marriage of her parents. Daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor, Princess of England and Dowager Queen of France, she was the eldest daughter of her parents' union and after the death of her brother their eldest child. Sister to Eleanor Clifford, later Countess of Cumberland. She had two full brothers one elder and one younger, who did not reach adulthood. By her father, she had four half-siblings, like her full brothers her younger brothers did not reach adulthood. Granddaughter of Henry VII, King of England and Elizabeth of York, Queen of England. Making her the niece of Henry VIII, King of England and per the Act of Succession 1536 the first person in line for the English throne outside of her uncle's marriages, as her mother's heirs took precedence over her Scottish cousins who were through her aunt - the elder of Henry VII's daughters - Margaret, Queen of Scotland's line. Her first marriage was to Henry Grey, initially Marquess of Dorset who later acceded the Dukedom of Suffolk after her father's death. Henry Grey was related through their common ancestress Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England, Henry through Elizabeth's first marriage and Frances through her second. Her second husband was Adrian Stokes, the Master of the Horse to her cousin Mary I. Mother to Jane Grey, Queen of England for nine days (technically thirteen if you take the date of the death of Edward VI) who was made heir by Edward VI brushing over Frances's own claim. Also, the mother to Katherine Grey and Mary Grey, who at times during Elizabeth I's reign were considered viable heirs by the court. She had a loving relationship with her stepmother Catherine Willoughby and socialized in the same circles, including the protestant circles of her uncle's latter reign and her cousin Edward's reign. Beloved friend to her Aunt by marriage Catherine Parr, Queen of England who was also a good friend of her stepmother. Friend to her cousin Mary I, even after Mary had put her Husband, Daughter and son-in-law to death. Mary, Frances and their cousin - through their aunt Margaret, Queen of Scotland - Margaret Douglas were all close in age and brought up in the court of Henry VIII. Mary ended up on the throne, with Frances being the mother of a Queen and Margaret being the mother of a King Consort of Scotland and later the grandmother of James I, King of England.

[Anna Chancellor as Lady France Grey, in Amazon Prime's My Lady Jane]

[edwardseymour]

How to evaluate the intimate relationship between Katherine Howard, Jane Parr, and Katherine Tilney? Why does Catherine like them?

✨ terfs/zionists fuck off ✨

i assume you mean jane parker, not ‘jane parr’. there was a parr in katherine’s household: anne herbert was a younger sister of katherine parr. she was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the queen’s jewels. it’s not particularly evident if katherine had an especially close relationship with her, she likely retained her court position in the queen’s household due to experience rather than personal proximity to katherine, who would not have known her long at the point of her marriage. according to josephine wilkinson and james taffe, anne had a sexual relationship with thomas culpeper during katherine’s tenure in anne of cleves’ household, as supposedly katherine mocked him during one of their meetings over it: “i marvel that you could so much dissemble as to say you loved me so openly and yet would and did so soon lie with another, called anne herbert” (quoted in wilkinson)…. but other sources don’t specify her, and i can’t find anything corroborating anne’s involvement with culpeper. nevertheless, katherine possibly felt comfortable enough to voice her dislike for her uncle to anne, as thomas howard (norfolk) professed his niece’s disdain for him was “not unknown to such ladies […] as my lady herbert […] which heard what they [anne boleyn and katherine howard] said of me”. so… there’s that.

as for the women you named, it is not immediately clear why katherine favoured them. jane parker’s relationship with katherine howard is a mystery. they weren’t closely related or close in age so it’s hard to identify the foundation of their relationship. jane facilitated katherine’s rise by testifying against anna of cleves and disclosing the embarrassing details of anna’s ignorance around sex, and perhaps there is something to be said about that early collusion, but if so it’s not clear in the documentary evidence what their relationship was like while both were in anne’s household. strangely, historians/authors don’t seems to have made much of this point in their relationship; james taffe recently suggested her testifying against anna is what promised jane a position in katherine’s household, but there’s not much to go off there.

we have two recent revisionist attempts on jane’s biography. i would argue that both take their approach to an extreme i would not entirely agree with. both characterise katherine as an authoritative and demanding figure: “katherine could be difficult […] katherine could be as imperious and demanding as her royal husband” (fox), “frivolous, often juvenile and quick-tempered katherine was reportedly ‘more imperious’, ‘commanding’, ‘troublesome’, and could be ‘difficult to serve’” (taffe). but they view jane’s relationship with katherine differently. fox relies upon jane’s testimonies, and posits that jane was socially vulnerable as the wife of a convicted traitor, and therefore katherine entrapped jane, and that jane, once involved, had no safe way out, and had to go along with things as they escalated past the point of no return. the issue here is fox dismisses the evidence from multiple other parties, identifying jane as an instigator. by contrast, taffe gives more credence to the collective testimonies of culpeper, katherine, margaret morton, and katherine tilney, suggesting jane’s relationship with katherine developed from culpeper reaching out to jane, and jane using him to curry katherine’s favour. he directly disagrees with fox: “jane was not merely obeying orders. […] the meddlesome jane, by persuasion, and deception, recklessly, but quite deliberately, endangered the queen, her lover, and herself”. there are some complications in this reading, however, as taffe readily accepts that jane testified against the boleyns in exchange for security and profit, while fox dismisses this as a woman examined under pressure. this difference colours their view of jane’s relationship with katherine. ultimately, however, motivations come down to self-preservation and self-advancement: “her motive was thus political – it was power” (taffe). i don’t agree that katherine was effectively dominated by jane — and nor do i believe both women were being harangued into a treasonous affair by a controlling and abusive culpeper, as has been argued by others such as warnicke. equally, i don’t think there was some kind of sexual or romantic gratification on jane’s part. i think fox goes too far in casting jane as a victim without agency, while taffe over-compensates in challenging this by casting jane as “conniving, meddlesome, and an inveterate plotter and schemer”.

as for katherine tilney, i think there was an element of familiarity there. they both lived at the dowager duchess’s house and shared a bed. they had grown up together, which was a distinct experience and relationship for a queen who had not been at court long before becoming queen and therefore had not had the chance to form connections with courtiers before becoming everybody’s superior. that history might also have incentivised katherine to attempt to keep tilney quiet: “she had felt obliged to take katherine tilney into her household because of what tilney knew of her past” (wilkinson). i think it’s also worth remembering the feudal mindset of aristocratic relations and the fact that tilney was a blood relation to the dowager duchess and therefore had a familial connection to the queen — something joan bulmer lacked, hence her not getting a position at court despite her knowledge of katherine’s past. there’s no indication that katherine had any personal issue with tilney: “katherine seems to have got on quite happily with these women, who gave her every outward sign of deference. she remained close to katherine tilney, her old friend and bedmate from chesworth” (russell). considering katherine involved tilney in errands pertaining to her liaisons with culpeper, possibly there was a sense of trust — or, at least, wanting to keep her close, which would have been perceived as favouritism by the other women: “margaret morton […] had not liked being pushed aside after katherine tilney’s arrival” (clark). if jane parker was otherwise unfamiliar to katherine howard, tilney was the friendly — or at least familiar — face.

[courtneysmovieblog]

The Mufasa prequel we didn't ask for and other trailers

I Am Celine Dion: If you love Celine, this documentary about her illness and the toll it's taking on her is going to be brutal.

Fancy Dance: Lily Gladstone searches for her missing sister and tries to gain custody of her niece. Yeah, I'm still bitter that she didn't win the Oscar, but this looks good.

Didi: A Taiwanese-American boy comes of age. It's getting good buzz from Sundance.

Firebrand: The story of Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), Henry VIII's (Jude Law) final wife. I'll probably have to wait until it's on rental, but I'll be watching it at some point.

Megalopolis: This doesn't have a release date yet, but it's all the take at Cannes. And according to the reviews from Cannes, just because Francis Ford Coppola directed it doesn't make it good.

Reagan: Dennis Quaid plays Reagan. I'm pretty sure this is a MAGA funded movie just like that Sound of Freedom movie. Ick. Hard pass.

It Ends With Us: I've seen this book on display at Barnes and Noble yet never read it. It wasn't until the trailer came out that I finally found out what it was about: romanticizing domestic abuse. No, really. HARD PASS.

Never Let Go: Halle Berry and her kids fight an evil spirit in the post apocalypse world. Okay, so it's basically like A Quiet Place only instead of not talking they have to literally tether themselves to their house to survive?

Mufasa: The Lion King: Why? Just WHY?! I'm sorry, but I didn't like the CGI Lion King and sure as heck didn't want a prequel!

You Are Cordially Invited: Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon are parents that find out that the wedding venue they rented for their respective children's wedding has been double-booked...to each other? This look hilarious. Unfortunately, it doesn't come out until next year. So I don't know why we got a trailer this early.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Royal Households and How they Work

When I say Households, I mean the entourage that follows around the royal family. The household went everywhere with them to care for their needs from the people who would empty their chamber pots to their noble companions. Most royal households are basically the same as noble ones, only on grander scale. Every royal had a household and an entourage as well as every noble at court.

Palace Personnel ~ The Commons

The commons were an intregal part of every household. They made up perhaps 80% of the work force. Royal courts were often on the road and never spent more than a few months at every palace. The court was constantly moving. Some positions were not permanent, meaning certain servants did not travel with the court because they were employed at the palace only. They would be paid by the Monarch's paymaster.

Scullion: The scullion was a relatively easy position to fill so they were often changed as the court went from palace to palace. They would be responsible for scrubbing and cleaning the servants quarters and the kitchens. They would scrub floors with lye, scour pots with sand, sweep put the fireplace and clean up after the other servants. They were the first to rise in a castle and tasked to light all the fires in the kitchens. Scullions would just be employed to the palace and serve a multitude of chambers

Laundress: The laundress was responsible for the cleaning of anything made of fabric in the household. Since they are handling unmentionables, they knew what happened behind closed bedchamber doors. They knew when the King visited the Queen or hadn't, they knew when marriages were consummated or not and they knew when the Queen and royal women were not pregnant. They often sold secrets to pad their pockets. Laundresses might be permanent staff but sometimes not.

Minstrels: The minstrel was a commoner hired to play an instrument or sing for the entertainment of the royal. A royal might staff a few at a time but they would always have one on hand. The minstrel would likely come with their masters as they travelled. The minstrel might serve the main royal household but a royal might retain their own.

Cook: The cook was one of the most important servants in the household. They would have the task of overseeing the running of the kitchens and keeping supplies in order. They would likely be on call at all times. Henry VIII's cook was often woken in the night because his royal master wanted a midnight snack. The cook was a valued member of the household and would have been highly sought after if they were a very skilled cook. They would have travelled with the joint. Cooks were apart of the greater royal household but often royals retained private cooks for their own use.

Maidservant: The maidservant cleans the castle. She would sweep the floors, scrub them, empty the chamberpots, get rid of the ashes from the fire and ready the fire for later. She would make up the bed or strip it for the laundresses. She would wash anything that needed washing including furniture and ornaments. She was likely not a travelling servant and would be strictly employed at a single palace.

Jester: The jester was the hired entertainer. Working under the master of revels, the jester had the daunting task of making the monarch and their family laugh. They would tell jokes, tell stories, cause havoc in the court for laughs and lighten the mood. The most successful jester of all time was Will Somers, jester to Henry VIII. Will broke bad news to the infamously bad tempered monarch and got away with things that would have sent others to the block. Will survived most of Henry's reign, his head intact. Jesters would be apart of the main household though each royal might have one of their own.

Positions within the Royal Household ~ Noble

Nobility were always welcomed at court. They eat at court, slept at court and were cared for by the monarch. Some nobles had to sing for their supper and most were hired as royal servants. They weren't exactly scrubbing floors and would be paid handsomely with land that would generate wealth for them

The Steward/Seneschal: This person was the head of the royal's staff. They would have the task of running the lands and servants their master or mistress. The steward served as a backup and assistant in all the tasks even representing their master or mistress when they were unavailable. Would be a high ranking noble. Each royal household would have them.

Treasurer of the Household: The treasurer was the accountant and pay master. They would be in charge of ensuring debts were settled, wages were paid and the household was running within the budget. This was a coveted position because it gave the treasurer insight into the financial situations of the royals. Such info was wroth its weight in gold. Each royal would have one.

Usher: The Gentleman Usher would be in charge of escorting guests into the royal chambers and into the royal presence. They would act as a go between their royal master/mistress and the guest often going back and forth with messages. It was just as coveted as the position of chamberlain but with less responsibilities.

Master of Horse: The Master of Horse was in charge of seeing to the horses of their master. They would oversee the grooms or the stableboy/hands who were employed at the stables to actually care for the horses. The master of horse would ensure that the stables were in order and the horses were up to parr in order to bear royalty across the kingdom. Each royal would have one but there would a main one who acted as overseer.

Master of the Wardrobe/Mistress of the Robes: These are the nobility who are employed to look after the clothes of the royal they serve. This would mainly involve a managerial position, overseeing the inventory of the royal wardrobe (a warehouse like building that housed the clothing) and placing orders for new clothes. It was a tidy job that rarely involved getting the hands dirty. Each royal would have one.

Chamberlain/Valet: The chamberlain is employed to look after the Lord's bedchamber. This was the most sought out position as they effectively were the gateway into the royal presence. Their main task was making sure their boss was comfortable and happy. Could be a well born commoner or a noble. Each royal would have one.

The Page: All royal households had pages. They would be a young noble boy about seven years old sent to their royal master. He would be in charge of tidying up after the lord, carrying messages to other servants and occupants of the castle and serving him at meals. Unlike others on the list, the page would not be paid. His experience was his payment as he would learn the running of a court and how to be courtier. Each royal would have one.

Squires: Squires were like pages though they only served the men. They would accompany their royal master to battle, look after his armour and mail, ensure that his lord's horse was saddled, caring for their master's weapons. The squire would always be a young nobleman on the cusp of becoming a knight.

Governess: The governess is a noblewoman woman employed to oversee the Monarch's children's household. She would be the first teacher a royal child would have and would oversee the nursemaids who would have care of the physical person of the child. She would be appointed when the child was four or five. Notable governesses include Katherine Swynford (wife of John of Gaunt and mother to the Beaufort line), Margaret Pole (wife of Tudor Loyal Sir Richard Pole, sister of the last York heir Edward of Warwick, daughter of George Duke of Clarence and niece to King Edward VI and Richard III), Kat Ashley, Margaret Bryan, Madame de Maintenon and Baroness Lehzen. Most unmarried Princesses retained their governesses while Princes generally outgrew their governesses after they were breeched.

Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber: They were the male companions of a King or Prince, sort of like ladies in waiting but manly. They would accompany the King or Prince everywhere they would go and shared duties with Groom of the Stool (royal toilet paper dispenser) and the Chief Gentleman of the Chamber (overseeing the staff and maintaining the chamber). They would help their master get ready, serve him at the table and organize hunting and games to keep him entertained. Gentlemen and companions where often chosen for their connections as well as their master's own opinion. Henry VIII's gentlemen included: Sir William Compton (ward of Henry VII and heir to rich lands), Sir Henry Norris (the grandson of William Norris who fought with Henry's father at Stroke and a relation to the Yorkists Lovells), Sir Anthony Denny (son of Sir Edmund Denny Baron of the Exchequer) Sir Michael Stanhope (brother in law to Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset), Charles Brandon (ward of Henry VII and son of Tudor Loyalists)

Ladies in Waiting and Maids in Waiting or Maids of Honour: These are the female attendants to the Queen or Princess. Ladies in Waiting were married while the Maids were unmarried. They would have to attend their mistress wherever she went, help her get ready, keep her chambers in order, write letters for the Queen and maintaining her honour. They were chosen for their connections. Using Katherine of Aragon as an example, her Ladies in Waiting included: Maria de Salinas (daughter of Juan Sancriz de Salinas secretary to Isabella, Princess of Portugal and a Spanish courtier in the service to Katherine's parents, wife of Baron Willoughby de Ersby), Elizabeth Howard (the daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, sister to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and wife to Thomas Boleyn, ambassador to France), Anne Hastings (daughter of William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, wife to George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord Steward.), Agnes Tilney (wife to Thomas Howard, Earl of and 2nd Duke of Norfolk.), Elizabeth Scrope (wife of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, a loyal Tudor lord), Margaret Scrope (wife of Sir Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk cousin to the King), Anne Stafford (sister of the Duke of Buckingham, married Sir George Hastings, Earl of Huntington and daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (cousin to the King) and Lady Katherine Woodville (sister of King Henry VIII's grandmother and his great aunt by her marriage), Elizabeth Stafford (sister to Anne Stafford wife Robert Radcliffe, Lord Fitzwalter and Earl of Sussex around). Their connections are what got them their places and you can see why they were chosen.

Accommodation

Accommodation can be a difficult thing to sort both as a writer and a steward. You might have a palace of 200+ bedchambers in which you must house a staff of 500-/+, a varying amount of nobles, the royal family (of a varying amount) and their own households. When assigning rooms it is best to think of a Russian nesting doll. Start from the inside and work your way to the outside.

The best rooms go to the monarch, their consort and their children/siblings/parent(s). These chambers would include the bedroom, a drawing room/ common area, a privy, a closet (a small chamber that can be used for prayer or work). They would be furnished with the best cloth, the best candles and whatever furniture brought by the resident since most royal courts travelled from palace to palace. They will also have chambers for their personal servants such as ladies in waiting and grooms.

The second best set of rooms would go to the highest ranking nobles/people in the court. These rooms would be less fancy and a little smaller. These would be given to from titled nobility descending from those of Ducal rank (Dukes/Duchesses) or even members of the council such as Thomas Cromwell in Tudor times.

The next set would be considerably smaller, perhaps minus a closet or a drawing room. Given to lower nobility.

The next level of chambers would be smaller perhaps only the bedroom and a common area given to minor nobles.

The last set of rooms would be small and only hold enough room for a bedroom. Servants would have to sleep on the ground on pallets beside their masters.

Any other guests at court would have to stay at off-site locations around the palace in the city. Some nobles at houses around major palaces just in case they arrived late or were kicked out of court.

[the-quiet-winds]

The Gravity of Tempered Grace (part five)

[part one] - [part two] - [part three] - [part four]

[Part 5: Leave Tonight or Live and Die This Way]

The Life and Times of Jane the Queen, Chapter 12 - The Queen’s Dearest Brothers

“Jane’s brothers, Thomas and Edward, were not subtle in using their sister’s new position as queen to rise through the ranks themselves. Edward, as the Duke of Sommerset, was one of Henry’s most trusted confidants. Thomas became the First Baron Seymour of Sudeley and later married Catherine Parr following Henry’s death.

It could well be argued that every man in Jane’s life - her father, her brothers, and her husband - all simply used her to get what they wanted. Jane’s marriage secured fortune for her aging parents, distinguished titles for her brothers, and, of course, a son who would become king of England. But due to the lack of records from before Jane’s arrival at the court of Queen Catherine, it is unknown how many of her decisions were truly her own, and how many were made for her by the men in her life.”

“He can what?”

Katherine’s face is extremely pale, while the others mostly look a combination of scared and confused. Jane, as expected, doesn’t look fazed.

“He can kill her,” Cathy repeats softly. “He can force her into dangerous situations or to do something stupid-”

“He can crush my heart.”

All eyes in the room fixate on Jane, whose hand has come to rest over her very empty chest as she stares blankly at Anna’s socks.

“He’s telling me right now,” she whispers. “Now… now that everyone knows. He can crush my heart in his hand and kill me. And he isn’t afraid to-”

Her calm monotone is sharply ended by her own piercing squeak. Jane grips at her shirt, gasping for air, almost falling over if Kat and Catherine hadn’t caught her first.

“Leave her alone, dickhead,” Kat hisses, hoping that Henry can somehow hear her through Jane.

Slowly, Jane manages to catch her breath, and genuine fear shines in her otherwise empty eyes as she looks to Cathy for guidance.

“Did he say anything else to you?” Cathy asks gently. “Any idea of what he’s got planned?”

Kat and Catherine help Jane sit on the bed. “He… he said that I’m his one true wife. And that he’ll stop at nothing to have me back.”

“Do you know where he is?” Anne asks.

Jane shakes her head.

“Is he saying anything else to you?”

Jane shakes her head again.

Cathy narrows her eyes slightly. “Did he tell you not to speak?”

This time, Jane nods. Then she winces, hand coming to her chest but receding a moment later.

“Okay, this is what we need to do,” Cathy says. “We all need to keep eyes on Jane. In case Henry shows up or tries to hurt her, we can’t leave her alone. We’ll all take shifts, alright?”

Everyone gives some sort of affirmation, and “Operation Save Jane,” as Kat dubs it, is a go.

Cathy is the first to take Jane-watch, allowing the others to get some much-needed sleep. Gradually, Jane too falls asleep on Cathy’s bed while the bookworm does more research. Of course, there’s very little information about the possession of a heart, but Cathy finds herself reading more about her sister-in-law’s life.

She reads the entirety of “Jane Seymour, The Matron Queen” without much hesitation, and finds herself captivated by the writings of Jane’s life. This book, just as the others about the queens’ lives, focuses primarily on Henry and how Jane entered his life, despite the book supposedly focusing on her.

If they all survive this, perhaps Cathy will just have to rectify that.

She flits a glance over to Jane, who is curled up on her side, sleeping so peacefully one might think her dead.

At that dark thought, Cathy tiptoes across the floor and watches carefully. Okay, good, she’s breathing. 

A few hours later, a still-half-asleep Catherine stumbles into the room, mumbling something about how it’s her turn to watch Jane now, and how Cathy should get some sleep.

“I’m not tired,” Cathy tries to protest. “I can keep watching over her.”

“You need sleep too, love,” Catherine interjects. She looks at her goddaughter, so stubborn and hard-headed, and sighs. “How about I go make us some tea and we can stay up together, alright?”

Cathy seems much more open to that idea, so Catherine tiptoes downstairs into the dark to put a kettle on.

It’s only when she’s alone, in the quiet of the night, that Catherine realizes the gravity of the situation before her. 

There is only three ways this can end: They can either somehow recover Jane’s heart from Henry, they don’t recover the heart and Jane lives out the rest of her days without emotions and being controlled by their vengeful ex-husband, or Jane dies.

A shiver runs down Catherine’s spine at the last option. Jane can’t die. Not when they’ve been given this miraculous second chance. Not when they’ve only just begun to bond.

Not when Jane has barely even experienced life again.

Catherine forces the dark thoughts from her head and brings two cups of tea up to Cathy’s bedroom, where her niece is sitting next to Jane’s sleeping form on the bed.

“Can you believe this is really happening?” Cathy whispers, accepting the mug without even looking at her godmother. “This… this is ridiculous, right?”

“I would say so,” Catherine mumbles. She eases down into the armchair near the bed. “Of all the things I thought I would see in my life, a friend not possessing her heart wasn’t one of them.”

“Well, I didn’t expect to be able to ever walk the Earth again, so the insanity doesn’t stop there.”

Catherine gives half a chuckle and looks to Jane. “How do we do this?”

“All we can focus on now is making sure Henry doesn’t kill her,” Cathy admits quietly. “He could be anywhere in the world right now with her heart. It’s not like we can find him.”

“So what do you suggest we do?”

“Honestly?” Cathy takes a sip of her tea. “We just have to wait. Until he lets slip where he is, until he… I don’t know, shows up here or something. We have to wait for him, but we have to keep Jane safe as well.”

Catherine is silent for a while, then, “this is torture.”

“Agreed.”

“There has to be something-”

“There isn’t,” Cathy sighs. “Not without her heart. And we don’t know where it is.”

They both deflate slightly into their seats, and the lull in activity comes just as Jane’s eyes open suddenly.

Cathy tenses, but doesn’t react at first. Maybe she just woke up.

Jane, without a word, sits up. She doesn’t even flit a glance at either Catherine as she shifts to the edge of the bed and stands. 

Silently, daring not to make the barest hint of a sound, Jane slips out of the room and down the hall.

Cathy and Catherine give her a lead, then follow.

Jane descends the stairs and crosses the living room without disturbing a floorboard or knick knack, headed for the front door.

Her shadows pause at the bottom of the stairs, just out of sight, as Jane unlocks and opens the door.

A tall, large shadow lumbers at the door. Cathy and Catherine are already halfway up the stairs before the shadow even speaks.

But speak the shadow does, a hand gently caressing Jane’s cheek. 

“Hello, love.”

[catherinesboleyn]

The Ladies-In-Waiting: Margaret Douglas

A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at court, royal or feudal, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman, but of lower rank than the woman to whom she attended.

Margaret Douglas was born on October 8th of 1515 as the daughter of Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s older sister) and Archibald Douglas. Growing up, Margaret was close with her cousin, Princess Mary, and the two would be lifelong friends.

When Anne Boleyn became queen in 1533, Margaret was appointed as one of her ladies-in-waiting, and it is here where she would meet Anne Boleyn’s uncle, Lord Thomas Howard. By the end of 1535, the two were secretly engaged.

It wasn’t until after Anne Boleyn’s fall that Henry VIII would find out about the engagement between his niece and Lord Thomas Howard, and to say he was upset is an understatement. Margaret was very high in the line of succession for the throne since Mary and Elizabeth had been declared illegitimate, and it was very dangerous for her to marry the son of a powerful nobleman who was close to the now disgraced queen. Margaret and Thomas were put into the Tower, and on July 18th of 1536, Thomas was sentenced to death for attempting to “interrupt ympedyte and lett the seid Succession of the Crowne.” Henry VIII had believed that Thomas was with Margaret to make himself king of England, but the many love letters between the two could make one think otherwise. By some miracle, Thomas was not executed, but remained in the Tower until his death on October 31st of 1537.

Margaret was released from imprisonment on October 29th of 1537 and was allowed back at court. Two years later, Margaret and Mary Fitzroy were appointed to meet Henry VIII’s soon to be fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, at Greenwich Palace. Unfortunately, this never happened since Henry was impatient and decided to meet Anne at Rochester instead.

In 1540, Margaret would again find herself in the midst of a love scandal when Henry VIII found out she had been having an affair with her now dead lover’s half-nephew, Sir Charles Howard. She was lucky that her uncle was fond of her, for who knows what would have happened to her if not.

In 1543, Margaret was one of the few in attendance of the marriage between Henry VIII and his final wife, Katherine Parr. Margaret and Katherine had known each other since the 1520s, and she became one of the new queen’s chief ladies.

Moving forward to November of 1553, Princess Mary was now Queen Mary I of England. Mary said that Margaret would be best suited for the throne if she were not to have heirs, but this of course did not happen, and Elizabeth succeeded the throne in 1558. In 1565, Margaret successfully had her son, Lord Darnley, married to Mary, Queen of Scots - a marriage that Elizabeth I was not fond of. For this, Margaret was put into the Tower in 1566, but was released after Lord Darnley was murdered in 1567, which is a murder that remains unsolved to this day. Margaret’s luck seemed to be going on a downward spiral, because when her husband, Matthew Stewart, became regent of Scotland in 1570, he would be assassinated the next year.

Margaret would be escorted to the Tower for a third time when she angered Elizabeth I by marrying her son Charles to Elizabeth Cavendish, but was again released when Charles died in 1576.

After a very interesting life, Margaret died on March 7th of 1578 at the age of 62. Despite being in debt when she died, she was given a grand funeral at Westminster Abbey and was given a fine monument and effigy that you can still visit today.

Other ladies-in-waiting:

Bessie Blount

Anne Stanhope

Elizabeth Browne

Mary Howard

[lady-pembroke19]

Beginner Guide to the Six Wives (Part 3/3)

Kathryn {Kitty} Howard (Wife #5)

The young niece of the powerful and ambitious Duke of Norfolk and a cousin of ill-fated wife #2 Anne Boleyn, Kitty Howard was a vivacious young woman with a sad past. Kitty was 17-20 when she married the 49 year old Henry just 19 days after his annulment from Anne of Cleves in July of 1540 . Kitty had been used by older men her whole life, having first been manipulated by her music teacher at 13, she was naïve and full of jovial cheer that made her easy to use as a pawn for power. Henry was besotted with his young wife, dubbing her his “rose without a thorn”. Kitty was found to be flirting with a groom of Henry’s, a Master Thomas Culpepper. She was tried for “her” adulteries both before and during the marriage as well as treason. Culpepper was arrested for treason too, and was eventually executed at Tyburn where he was hanged, drawn, and quartered. Kitty was beheaded for her infidelities' (even though she had been a child when they happened) on the 13th of February 1542.   

Katherine Parr (Wife #6) 

Katherine Parr had been married and widowed three times by the time Henry turned his eyes to her as his last wife. They wed on July 12th of 1543 and stayed together till Henry’s death in 1547. Kate Parr acted as a nurse as well as wife to Henry, a mother figure to his two youngest children Edward and Elizabeth, and a friend to the King’s eldest daughter Mary. She convinced Henry to reconcile with his daughters Mary and Liz, and restored them to succession behind their brother. She was the first English Queen to publish a book, and was a well learned lady interested in the rapidly spreading new protestant faith. After Henry’s death she married her fourth husband, Thomas Seymour, her stepsons uncle. Their union produced Catherine’s only child, a daughter named Mary Seymour, before her death of childbed fever. 

[darkdisrepair]

coffee shop angel

back at it again with another little thing for you guys! in this installment, bessie is the owner of jane’s favorite cafe. up until now, jane always came alone, or with the other queens, so bessie is surprised to see the blonde walk in with a little pipsqueak of a girl.

notes: timeline-wise, this would be about week 1 of kat’s stay with the queens. i have no idea how european money works so i’m sticking with american money, sorry to you cool people across the pond :)

~

It was 8:20, and Jane Seymour was late. 

Not that Bessie was really keeping track, or looking at the clock. Definitely not.

But Jane’s chocolate chip muffin and London Fog was getting cold, and Bessie never liked it when her regular customers’ orders were anything other than perfect. They deserved the best. 

For the past three months, Jane had come into the cafe at approximately 8:12 in the morning, rain or shine, work day or day off. If she was

Bessie tried not to project her irritation (and sadness) onto the next customer in line, but she couldn’t help but glance at the door every time she heard it jingle open. 

8:25, and Jane still hadn’t arrived.

Bessie was in the middle of serving another customer (a grey haired older woman, who ordered a frozen chai with extra whipped cream) when she saw a familiar flash of white-blonde hair out of the corner of her eye.

When she’d finished serving the older woman, she turned to the next customer, fixing her trademark smile onto her face as she did so, only for it to become genuine when she realized that it was indeed Jane who stood in line.

“You’re late,” she commented, as she moved toward the side counter where she’d set Jane’s order. “The usual, I assume?”

“Actually, I’d like to add a few things, if that’s quite alright with you.”

“Of course,” Bessie said quickly, sidestepping over to the monitor. “What would you like? I can add Parr’s order if you want.”

Jane was known to bring drinks to the writer when she was on a time crunch, which almost always involved a lot of espresso.

“You know, that’s probably best. And Kat, what would you like, darling?” Jane asked.

That was when Bessie realized that Jane wasn’t alone.

Standing there, with her head just barely visible from the counter, was a petite little girl, with chocolatey brown hair that faded into pink, dressed in a black peacoat and pastel pink pants. 

“Who’s this?”

“This is Katherine. Kitty, meet my friend Bessie. She makes the pastries you’ve ever tasted. I see her every day, she’s very friendly.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Bessie said with a gentle smile. She made no effort to shake the little girl’s hand- it was too easy for her to tell that Katherine’s shyness went deeper than the surface level. She’d been working at a coffee shop for too long and had the chance to read too many people for a kid like Katherine to fool her.

“Do you want to look at the menu?” Jane asked, pulling out one of the laminated cards and showing it to Katherine.

“If you like sweets, our peppermint hot chocolate is very popular,” Bessie offered. “And our sugar cookies are really pretty. There’s even a little ballerina with pink shoes that match your hair.”

After much consideration, Katherine shyly pointed to the ballerina cookie and the hot chocolate, hiding behind Jane as soon as she was done.

“There you are. Be careful with the hot chocolate, I don’t want you to burn yourself.”

Bessie handed the little bag over to Katherine as gently as she could, not wanting to scare the child, and then gave her the cup of hot chocolate. 

~

Bessie spent the entire week wondering about the pink haired child. She was so quiet and reserved for a girl of, what, four or five? And yet she was alert, watching Bessie’s every move as she’d prepared the peppermint drink.

Jane hadn’t ever mentioned a little girl in the family. Was she married? Jane tried to remember if the blonde had ever mentioned a husband... there was something about expecting a child, but that was a few years ago, and Bessie had eventually figured out that Jane must have miscarried.

She’d said nothing about trying again, or a father.

Who was Katherine? Was she a cousin, or a niece? She didn’t look anything like Jane. The clever glint behind her eyes was certainly a Cathy Parr thing if Bessie ever knew it, but then again, there was no resemblance other than that. The fashion sense seemed influenced by Anne and Jane, and the mature mannerisms came from Aragon...

She could have been any one of theirs.

The door jingled and Bessie sighed, not wanting to deal with yet another customer wanting another one of those horrendous gingerbread men. She hated frosting those.

“Hi, welcome to- Cleves, how lovely to see you again!”

“Hello to you, too, Bess,” Cleves said. “I’m just here to tell you that Jane and Kitty are coming, and we’ve been instructed to have Kitty try and order something herself. So, just, be patient? Not that you wouldn’t be, but... the kid’s got anxiety, and just-”

“Of course,” Bessie said quickly. 

Not soon after that, Jane and Katherine arrived. 

Bessie could immediately tell the difference between the week before and today. Whereas before Katherine had seemed a little skittish but otherwise calm, today she was all nerves and tightly coiled energy.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Bessie said, a genuine smile on her face this time as Jane gently pushed Katherine to the counter. “We have some more cookies today, if you want to look in the case over there.”

Katherine slowly stepped over to the display case, looking for a brief few seconds before returning to the stand.

“Do you know what you’d like, or would you like me to recommend something for you?”

The little girl shrugged.

“Well, we still have what you ordered last time, but there’s also a new sugar cookie drink that we just came out with the other day. It’s very colorful and fun, with lots of sprinkles.”

Katherine played with the beanie she clutched tightly in her hands, and said nothing.

“Whenever you’re ready, I can take your order.”

It took a long time for Katherine to work up the courage to speak. Bessie busied herself with reorganizing the register (which was admittedly a bit of a mess) while the little girl steeled herself.

“Can I have the sugar cookie drink?” she asked finally, in the tiniest whisper.

“Of course. Do you want a cookie with that?” 

Katherine nodded.

“Do you want me to pick for you, or did you see one you wanted?” 

“The snowflake?”

“Sure. That’s a good choice- I frosted that one,” Bessie said with a grin. “That’ll be $5.50.”

Katherine handed Bessie the money without a word, then threw herself into Cleves’s arms, burying her head in the other woman’s shoulder as Bessie assembled the drink.

“Here you go. You did great, kiddo. You’re a better customer than most of the people here at ordering,” Bessie said as Katherine cautiously took the bag, careful to maintain distance between them. “Come back next week and let me know what flavor you want next.”

Needless to say, Katherine came back the next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. Each time, she was just a little bit bolder, and her eyes sparkled just a little bit more.

~

On Bessie’s birthday, she came into the shop with Aragon. Bessie wasn’t expecting them, so she was surprised when the two walked in the door rather than the usual customers she had at this time.  

“Can I see you?” she asked, in her soft voice.

Bessie was confused, but took off her apron and came around the counter, thankful that there was barely any customers. 

When she emerged, she was nearly knocked over with the force of Katherine’s hug as the pink haired handed Bessie a pink bag.

“What’s this about?”

“Thank you for believing in me,” Katherine said simply.

“Oh, you don’t have to thank me. I love having you come into the shop every week,” Bessie said.

Katherine said nothing, blushing now.

“Can I give you a hug?”

That was the only invitation Katherine needed to throw herself into Bessie’s embrace, practically melting into the barista’s arms. 

“Happy birthday, Bessie.”

Needless to say, when Aragon and Katherine left, Bessie cried.

[secondbutthole]

Legendary

“What was she like?” Anne had asked one day in the living room, a rerun of Jeremy Kyle playing on the TV in front of them with some plot about a missing daughter. Really, Anne hadn’t been paying attention, not really, mind focussed elsewhere until the question had bubbled outside of her mouth. “Elizabeth, that is. My Lizzie.”

The other queens seemed taken aback at how sudden it was, and they took note of the trembling in the other queen’s shoulders as she sat on the sofa, legs over Aragon’s lap being the only sign of normalcy that Anne could show. 

Aragon slowly rubbed Anne’s leg to offer some sort of comfort as she leaned back. She knew she had nothing to offer in the conversation, but she hoped that at least she could help out in some way and if it was making sure the second of the lot was calm, she could live with that. 

“Your Liz,” Jane started with a small smile, a sort of faraway look in her eyes. “She was such a bright child. I always felt a twinge of guilt when she called me mama,” She paused, meeting Anne’s gaze with a small smile. “But I’d always point her to your portrait. Such a bright girl. And so good with her words too!”

Anne could only smile, the trembling seeming to stop a bit as her gaze flicked to Anna. “Such a cool niece,” She commented softly, leaning against the arm of the chair with a hum. “She always tried to share her toys with me and it was so cute watching her a lil Mary play. Henry used to let them come to Richmond for the weekend sometimes and Lizzie just loved the garden...”

“I was, obviously, young when I met Liz!” Katherine chimed in with a grin, “By then she was a little older, so I got to tell her that I was your cousin! She used to waddle over to me and chirp ‘Cousin Kitty!’ and it was the cutest. She... She asked about you sometimes...” And, at that, Kat fell quiet, looking down at her lap with a soft, soft frown.

“I got to see her grow up,” Parr sighed as she took a small sip of her tea. She was a little bit tense, and rightly so- her husband wasn’t the most amazing man, but- she shook that thought off. “It was incredible, seeing her turn from a curious little girl to one with passion and understanding. It was like she knew she was going to be queen one day, but she took everything with poise and grace.”

There was pause as the queens took time to reflect. “God, Anne,” Catherine smiled at the other woman rather tearfully. “She loved you. You would have been so proud of her. Everything she did, she really did do it for you.”

“I... Thank you, guys,” Anne sniffled, rubbing at her eyes ferociously because she didn’t want to lose her Cool Guy streak. “I really am proud of Lizzie and I’m so glad my little girl loved me.”

[theangryhistoriananna]

What I intended The Bull and the Rose to be when I conceived it 3 years ago: A story about George being pardoned and released from the tower in 1536 and becoming an influence in his nieces life

What it became: What if Jane Parker became the secret powerhouse behind Cromwell and through Cromwell-Henry. What if Anne of Cleves had stayed married to Henry and given him a son-securing her crown for the foreseeable future and sparing Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr their fates. What if George Boleyn had been named protector instead of Edward Seymour and held influence over Edward VI. Also what if Jane Parker and Anne Boleyn had been in love.

[fideidefenswhore]

i also find it strange that she was supposedly sent to live with katherine willoughby, rather than the herberts, or even with in the somerset household.

i also found this strange, so i looked into it a bit more, and i suppose she wasn’t sent to the somerset household (not permanently, anyways) as a matter of cost (they were pretty wealthy, but i guess, cheap) &  the duchess of suffolk resisted initially for the same reason (but it seems like she was sent with her specifically because of her closeness to katherine parr, and that it was one of thomas seymour’s final requests):

[Thomas] Seymour had asked [for his daughter] Mary to be sent to live with her mother’s friend, the Duchess of Suffolk. Lady Suffolk did not readily agree to this [due to the cost] ; […] to persuade her, the Duchess of Somerset promised that Mary’s possessions, including her silver tableware, should be transported with her. 

so far so reasonable, right? 

well, apparently not:

This settled the matter and [Mary did indeed reside the Duchess of Suffolk] […] Unfortunately, however, Lady Somerset’s promise proved worthless, and Mary’s valuables disappeared into the Duchess [of Somerset]’s grasping possession. At the same time, Protector Somerset refused to pay the infant’s pension.

so mary seymour’s aunt-in-law is pilfering from her inheritance and her uncle is refusing to pay for her board. blood isn’t thicker than water, in this case, for whatever reason. eventually willoughby wrote to cecil to beg him to intercede with edward seymour in securing her financial assistance for his niece, to no avail. 

eventually mary seymour received some degree of financial restitution by the close of 1549, and more firmly received grants via the council in march 1550. mind you, this is after edward seymour is no longer lord protector, so if we’re really going to credit this (using the ‘follow the leader’ theory), it seems that would fall to john dudley, the perma-vilified, rather than mary’s uncle. nothing else was heard of mary in the records after that point, so all told, it rather seems that she was finally permitted her inheritance, finally had it placed out of reach of her grasping relatives, but did not survive the resolution. 

hey! i was wondering if you had any thoughts or info on mary seymour. i know we know next to nothing about her, and it’s thought that she died (very) young, but i’ve always thought it a little odd that we don’t have christening records or even know who her godparents were. i also find it strange that she was supposedly sent to live with katherine willoughby, rather than the herberts, or even with in the somerset household.

just curious if you had any insight!

Honestly, I really don't have much to go on, I believe she died very very young in the care of Catherine Willoughby or in the early stages of being looked after by her Uncle and Aunt. I wish Thomas Parr or Anne Herbert were granted care of her or even Mary I. 

There are a couple of reasons why I think this:

She was the daughter of a Queen of England (not of royal blood though) and would have had the care as such doubtless of her father being a traitor, so we would have seen requests and records for her upkeep and who was granted her wardship as both her parents were dead. After 1550 nothing really pops up.

If she survived she would have been seen as a possible wealthy heiress not only to Catherine's estates but some of Thomas' too, logically if she was married or betrothed her husband/potential husband and his family would have been wanting some of her inheritance and would of in turn been granted a lowly title (in true Tudor fashion) related to her parents' titles and some land from their estates. No such thing exists. 

My other more wishful thought is if Catherine truly mended bridges with her stepdaughters - with the inclusion of the possibility of Mary I being her godmother - we would assume Mary would have been granted a position in one of their courts but no mention of this is made when we have mentions of Catherine's other relatives especially her brother Thomas Parr.

[redxluna]

The Tudors and/or the White Queen?

send me a tv show/book/fandom and I’ll say the top 5 things I’d change about it

the tudors:

Having Henry’s sisters portrayed in a way that actually made sense. Particularly to avoid the confusion of Henry out of the blue referring to James V as his relative and the sudden writing out of Jane Grey in the post credits scene.

We get it, Showtime, you like to pump sex into stuff to make it interesting. But we really don’t need you to make Katherine Howard go through the motions of laying her head upon the block before the day of her death while naked. That’s the last time we need you to shove in our faces that she’s ~sexy and fun~.

And, okay, because I’m a nerd...can someone else be the all the time sex escapades guy other than Henry? Because, as someone who was interested to this part of history via this show, it was quite a ride to discover that he very much wasn’t that.

Katherine Parr’s husband slut shaming her on his death bed because that was a) weird as heck and b) unclassy.

Although it made for a great scene with Wyatt calling out that he’s the only guilty one---let’s just mark down that Anne probably didn’t have sex with him. I’m overall done with writers of any sort thinking it’s hip for Anne to have come to her marriage bed very much not the virgin she claimed to be.

+++ FIX THE BS THAT WAS GEORGE AND JANE BOLEYN’S WEDDING NIGHT.

the white queen:

Remove the curse entirely since it holds up not at all as a concept.

What do the continued mentions of Melusina do throughout this novel? Because, honestly, it seems to be nothing but confusing and overall incorrect. 

Gregory, not everything has to contain incest, okay? Take our hot little hands away from the keyboard and forget entirely about Richard III ever doing anything like that to his niece.

And in another follow up, Gregory, not everything needs to have rape either. So, um, remove that whole mess of a scene with Anne Neville and Edward of Westminster.

Elizabeth Woodville somehow saving one of her sons is something I wished happened. Just...not in this way with Gregory at the helm. Give me something believable and not what Gregory tried to make Perkin Warbeck into.

[thetudorforum]

Contact us here if you wish to play one of them: https://thetudors.forumotion.com/t3169-england?fbclid=IwAR3xzSVOvdNGu7fobnSbm7yV0aXjrTm11nBlURG7WFggJGSFWmrvq6l3c2Q#50665

More Family:

Jhon More- son of Thomas More. Little is know about him, so his story is all yours to make. Elizabeth More- Is daughter to Thomas More. Little is known about her, her story is all yours to make. Margaret More- was an English writer and translator, probably the most learned woman of sixteenth century England. She was the daughter of Thomas More and Jane Colt, who probably died of childbirth. Margaret, "Meg" as her father used to call her, married William Roper. During More's imprisonment in the Tower of London, she was a frequent visitor to his cell. William Roper- husband to Margaret More Anne Cresacre-wife to Jhon More Margaret Gigs- was one of the most learned women of the Tudor era and the foster daughter of Sir Thomas More. John Clement- husband to Margaret Gigs Gilcs Heron- husband to Cecily More

Parr Family:

Elizabeth Tyrwhitt-  was a gentlewoman and courtier. she served in the households of Queen Jane Seymour and Queen Catherine Howard. She was a friend, lady-in-waiting and distant cousin, of Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr, and served in her household.She served in the household of Katherine Parr and her fourth husband, Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley. She gave evidence about a possibly inappropriate relationship between Seymour and his stepdaughter, the future Elizabeth I of England and about the death of Catherine Parr. Grace Parr - daughter to Anne Bourchier and William Parr, niece to Anne and Katherine Parr. Fictional.

Darcy Family:

George Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Aston- son of Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy Sir Arthur Darcy- son of Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy Mabel Darcy - daughter of Thomas Darcy Elizabeth Darcy- daughter of Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy

[minervacasterly]

"But among the gossiping courtiers and scheming bishops. The Queen at least struck a sympathetic figure. Katherine Parr was warm-hearted, and intelligent with a calm manner that invited confidence and respect. In her early thirties she was also a highly sensual woman: the kind that most attracted Henry. She wore gorgeous scarlet silks, bathed in milk baths, scented her body with rose water and herbreath with expensive cinnamon lozenges ... The Queen was the leading Evangelical at court. Katherine had been wed twice before to old men and she found in religion a passion that was absent in her marriages. She made energetic efforts to spread the new teaching in the universties, and every afternoon Evangelical chaplains preached to her ladies and their friends at court. Afterward the women would sit with their guests and discuss what they had heard." ~Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle. It is often forgotten how influential Queen Katherine was to many notable figures, primarily her stepchildren, Edward, Elizabeth and Mary and her step-niece Jane Grey as well. No Queen did more for the Reformation in England than Katherine and it is no surprise that she was highly educated when her family was related via marriage and blood to all the great families in England and had close ties with many famous scholars like the late Sir Thomas More and Bishop Fisher before their demise. According to John Guy in his latest book "Children of Henry VIII" he writes how Mary Tudor copied her in everything from manner of pose to her fashions amd "where she went Mary followed". Her mother had been lady in waiting to her mother, Katherine of Aragon and like Henry's first Queen, she had all the fine traits of a woman fit to be Queen. Katherine of Aragon promoted women's education, made it more fashionable and encouraged Humanist education in schools and in the court. The pope declared her "Defendress of the faith" after she wrote a treatise defending the church after her husband had done, putting her on the same level like her husband. Katherine Parr's family was one of many who were heavily influenced by Henry's first Queen. Like her predecessor, Katherine was silent (more silent in public than Katherine of Aragon had been), highly devoted to her faith and a calming presence on everyone.

[isabelleneville]

I just had a re-listen of the soundtrack a few things I want to add:

When first listening I would love to mention that Croquet was not a sport known in England at the time. 

The song you hear in Ex-Wives is Greensleeves which is rumored to be written by Henry about Anne Boleyn. 

Katherine of Aragon did have a few things to say about Henry Fitzroy (Henry VIII’s acknowledged bastard son) when he was invested as Duke of Richmond and because of this Mary was sent to Wales to carry out her official duties as Princess of Wales.

I want to reiterate politics was definitely Anne Boleyn’s thing she grew up in a few courts of Europe and was the daughter of a Diplomat and the sister of a Diplomat. It is also thought she was a translator to Claude the Queen of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold where the English Court and French Court met for a huge event (read up on it if you haven’t it was quite the event). She was well versed in the politics of the time and because of this was well aware of reformations happening in other countries. Out of all his wives Anne was one of the most educated in political matters (the others being Katherine of Aragon and Catherine Parr).

The “politics not my thing” is more of a Jane Seymour or Kathryn Howard statement as they were encouraged - also Jane was threatened - to not discuss them.

Jane being the only one Henry ever loved is untrue, yes at the time of his death he remembered Jane fondly and his true love this is because she gave birth to his son and fulfilled the role of Queen Consort in his eyes, because of this he was buried beside her. At the time of his death he technically only had two true wives one being Jane who already died and Catherine Parr who survived him. It  can also be said she died too soon for him to tire of her. I would say he loved his first two wives and had a deep infatuation for Kathryn Howard. 

Anne of Cleves was not “a player” she had no known romances.

Get Down is a bop and no I will not take that back.

Technically yes Henry VIII appointed Kathryn Howard a lady in waiting to Anne of Cleves but this is because of her connections as the niece of the Duke of Norfolk and before he set his eye on her.

At the time of Kathryn’s marriage Henry’s court was not a young mans court so his mates being sleazy might not as been as true as in the time of Katherine of Aragon. 

Catherine Parr is awesome and was a huge influence with the restoration of Henry’s daughters and their places in court. Also she was the only one of Henry’s wives that Edward VI acknowledged as his mother.

Catherine married Thomas Seymour - yes that’s Jane’s brother - the subject of her song shortly after Henry died. 

Yeah that’s it I think. 

How accurate do you think Six is in portraying the queens and their stories?

Honestly I wasn’t expecting them to be very accurate especially when it’s supposed to be a modern and fun interpretation of the queens but their facts and information is good apart from a couple of things:

Henry Mannox wasn’t 23 when Katherine was 13 he was 36

Anne Boleyn was very political. Politics was very much her thing

Anne Boleyn was a very very intelligent so her character (tho very fun and enjoyable) is very unfair and inaccurate (she is portrayed as an airhead not really knowing what’s he was doing when she was fully aware)

Anne only briefly mentions Elizabeth and it wasn’t by name and she loved and adored Elizabeth to to the point she controlled the majority of her household

Anna of Cleves first met Henry when he ambushed her dressed as a knight and she pushed him away disgusted by him unaware he was the king and her betrothed (Though it doesn’t contradict anything in the musical I do feel they should have added it)

I can’t find any portrait that a woman painted of Catherine Parr. I have searched with no success (if someone knows it and the artist please send me a link or drop me the info)

There’s probably more stuff I can’t think of but this is what I picked up the most

Disclaimer: I love six the musical and it is a fun experience and good introduction to Tudor history. This is not me hating on it at all this is just some things I noticed that were inaccurate and annoyed me slightly. I understand the creators had to take some creative liberties and I am fine with that