September book recommendation: The private life of the Tudors by Tracy Borman

                   September book recommendation

                            The Private Life of the Tudors by Tracy Borman

Hello, my history nerds!

How are you all doing? 

Just how is it September already?...  I seem to blink once, and a month has gone!

This month, I recommend 'The Private Life of the Tudors' by Tracy Borman. I read this joyous book a few years ago and I absolutely adored it.

Tracy demonstrates how stressful it could be for a Tudor monarch. The Tudors were an increasingly paranoid dynasty. The Tudors were a new dynasty, but there were many contenders to the throne. 

During the 15th century, Henry VI, a Lancastrian King was overthrown by his Yorkist cousin, Edward IV, and these ongoing wars would eventually be called 'The Wars of the Roses'. When Henry VII won his throne by conquest on the 22nd of August at the battle of Bosworth opposing Richard III. 

Henry VII became increasingly paranoid by the end of his reign in 1509, but during his reign, he made steps to make the monarchy more private behind closed doors. Henry VII introduced beefeaters to protect the monarchy.

Henry VIII would only have a certain number of courtiers that he would trust in his privy chamber.  Henry would create at Hampton Court a new set of private lodgings only certain people would get to see.

In the book, I learned new things too, such as that towards the end of Elizabeth's reign, it would take Elizabeth several hours to become the virginal Queen. By the end of her reign, she was balding, with scarred skin and was looking very elderly.

Apparently, one of the more lucrative positions at court was 'groom of the stool' or as I like to call it the professional bum wiper. It sounds horrible, but many people were desperate for that position because it meant you were very close to the King daily. Tracy says it is horrible to think of, but you were seeing your monarch at their most vulnerable.

The courtiers assigned to attend their monarchs day to day saw them at their weakest moments, their saddest moments and even their happiest moments. Henry VII's attendants will have witnessed him breaking down at the death of his son in 1502. Henry VIII's attendants will have watched Henry prepare himself for another marriage. Edward VI will have helped him in his final days, and Mary's attendants would have witnessed the heartbreak of another phantom pregnancy. 

I recommend this book because I learnt many new things about my favourite dynasty. I enjoyed learning about their daily routines or rituals.

Until next time,

                     UnholyTudor 🌹