Private Lives of the Tudors
Resource type
Book
Creator (person)
Borman, Tracy
Date published
March 9, 2017
Abstract
England’s Tudor monarchs—Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I—are perhaps the most celebrated of all royal families in history. Their love affairs, their political triumphs, and their religious reforms are the subject of countless works of scholarship. But for all we know about Henry’s quest for male heirs, or Elizabeth’s virginity, the private lives of the Tudor monarchs remain largely beyond our grasp.
In The Private Lives of the Tudors, acclaimed historian Tracy Borman shows what their lives were like beyond the stage of court. Drawing on the original material from those closest to them—courtiers like the “groom of the stool,” surprisingly a much-coveted position—Borman examines Tudor life in fine detail. What did the monarchs eat? What did they wear, and how were their clothes designed, bought, and cared for? How did the Tudors wield power? When sick, how were they treated? What games did they play? How did they practice their faith? And in earthlier moments, whom did they love, and how did they give birth to the all-important heirs?
Delving deep into their education, upbringing, and sexual lives, and into the kitchens, bathrooms, schoolrooms, and bedrooms of court, Borman charts out the course of the entire Tudor dynasty, surfacing new and fascinating insights into these celebrated figures.
Publisher
Croydon: Hodden and Stoughton
Collection