Monthly book recommendation: January

          All the Queen's Jewels by Dr Nicola Tallis

Hello, fellow history and book nerds, this month I am recommending this wonderful book by Dr Nicola Tallis.

This book focuses on the wives from the War of the Roses to the end of Henry VIII's reign. The research and detail that has gone into this book are absolutely astounding and I applaud this lady for the work she has put into this, however, it has absolutely paid off. 

This was so fascinating and interesting to read, that I actually went back and had to reread parts!

The book focuses on the inventories of what we have of these queens, but also how jewels could be used.

Jewels could be used to show the prominence, power, and ownership of a certain lady.

Jewels back in the Medieval/Tudor times were very much used to convey messages, the book also goes into how jewels were passed down through each queen or recut or even melted down and made into something else.

Sadly as the book discloses a lot of the queen's inventories for some years or all of their reign have been lost, for example, the only record we have of Anne Boleyn's jewels is what Henry VIII sent to her before their marriage.

 Margaret of Anjou has some years filled in for her but there are gaps in her inventories as well.

Now, these records simply have just been lost through time, but I think for example Anne Boleyn's records have been destroyed for other reasons, the same for Katherine Howard.

This book goes into a bit of history you would not even think about, it highlights the importance of jewels and how jewels could be used.

Now go get reading!

Until next time, Unholy Tudor!