Thursday's Royal Trivia...

Hans Holbein The King's Painter was born in Augsburg, Germany in 1497. He is considered a Northern Renaissance artist. He spent his early career painting, religious murals and Nobel's portraits in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. He was keen into the reformation and humanist studies. His religious paintings reflected his belief in the reformation with Christ being more realistic with dimension which was the coming art of the Renaissance. Holbein has been described as "the supreme representative of German Reformation art".[ His mentor and friend was humanist scholar, Erasmus of Rotterdam.

In 1526 Holbein came to England seeking work with a letter of recommendation from Erasmus. He was welcomed into the humanist circle by Sir Thomas More who later wrote to Erasmus telling him, his young painter was a fine artist. Holbein built up his reputation among the Clerics and Nobles until 1535 when he became the King's Painter for King Henry VIII. He not only painted several portraits for the Royal family, but designed plate and jewelery for them.

One of his most famous paintings is Anne of Cleves. When King Henry was scouting available women to marry after the death of Queen Jane he sent Holbein to Cleves to paint the Duke of Cleves two sisters, Anne and Amelia. Holbein did both of their portraits and brought them back to King Henry, from these portraits the King chose Anne to be his 5th wife. The interesting part is that Holbein concentrated more on Anne's dress, jewels and mantel than her face. King Henry ended up calling Anne his Flanders Mare. He wasn't impressed at all her with her beauty.

I love the quote used in the Tudor's season 3 episode when King Henry states that he
could take eight men and get eight Lords, but out of those eight Lords he couldn't get one Holbein.

Holbein had a very successful and memorable career as an artist. He died in 1543 at age 46.

Below are picture of some of his work.

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Sir Thomas More

King Henry VIII

Edward VI

Anne of Cleves

Thomas Wyatt

The Madonna

Wedensday Royal Words...

"O Death, rock me asleep, bring me to quiet rest, let pass my weary guiltless ghost out of my careful breast."

Anne Boleyn, May 1536

Tuesday Teaser...

~Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/
~Grab your current read
~Open to a random page
~Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page somewhere in the middle
~Make sure to share the title and author of the book
~NO SPOILERS PLEASE

_______________________________________________________________________________


Elizabeth & Mary Cousins, Rivals, Queens; Jane DunnJane Dunn’s Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens offers a blend of history and biography that traces the "dynamic interaction" between two of the most powerful women in Western history. Dunn remains ever aware of the uniqueness of her two central figures: both women ruled as divinely ordained monarchs in a male dominated power structure; and both women were from the same family (Elizabeth I was the granddaughter of Henry VII, and Mary Queen of Scots the great-granddaughter of King Henry).
By focusing not on pure biography but instead on relationships, Dunn is able to narrow her book (still mammoth in scope) to the most salient and interesting events in the two queens’ lives. The book begins in 1558, the year in which Mary first wed and Elizabeth assumed the throne of England. Almost immediately the cousins were embroiled in a conflict that would endure for the remainder of Mary’s life. A restless, sexually-active Catholic, and leader of the Scottish people in alliance with France, Mary was ever a conduit for rumors of rebellion. The "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth used Mary as a dark reflection to underline her own celibate constancy as a ruler of law and order... --Patrick O’Kelley --

I just started this book,recommended by a good friend. So far it's excellent. As Patrick O'Kelley says in his review, this book is far more than just a biography about these two women, it's about relationships and the intricate game of monarchy, with all the players.

My teasers...

When it came to Elizabeth's dealings with Mary, nothing was quite as it seamed. pg.214

Amy Dudley's death brought an abrupt end to any pretensions Elizabeth may have had that she could marry the man she loved. pg. 163

Thank you Jenny for the lovely award!!!

My very first award! I'm so excited. I just love blogging. I am very new to it. In fact I think it's been a whole month now since I've started. So many of you bloggers like Jenny have been my inspiration. I love to read, I love to share with friends, I love "all things royal". Thank you again Jenny from Jenny Loves to Read I'm so thrilled you like my new design.

I would like to pass this award to following blogs:

Amy~Passages to the Past

Arleigh~ Enchanted Josephine

Dar~Peeking Between the Pages

Lucy and Arleigh~ Royal Intrigue

Monday Book Review...

The King's Fool; by Margaret Campbell BarnesWill Somers the protaginist in the story is "no fool" he is a very moral, pragmatic man with a keen sense of work ethic. As an insider to the Court of Henry VIII, he idolizes Catherine of Aragon, detests Anne Boelyn, has little to say at all about Jane Seymour, adores Anne of Cleves~more information is given on her merit's than any of the other queens. He has sympathy for Katherine Howard, and does address how young and foolish she was, being sympathetic to her plight of wanting love from a younger man rather than from a heavy old man with a stinking leg. Katherine Parr and Lady Elizabeth are hardly mentioned, while Lady Mary is clearly his favorite member of the Tudor family. He is in awe of Henry an often refers to him as the "Tudor". As an insider and confidante, Will sees a more compassionate, sometimes insecure side to the King. The other major Tudor players, Cromwell, Thomas More, Caridnal Pole, etc. are mentioned, but not given too much space in the story.

Margaret Campbell Barnes, the author has a very eloquent style in writing. She develops the characters well and makes them appear beliveable. This book is written in 1st person which I always prefer. You will find yourself wanting to highlight many of her eloquent passages to refer to later.
For once the main character is not Henry, or one of his wives, but a quite observer who has a life of his own with various complexities.
Good character wins in the end. Will Somers through his moral convictions overcomes his limitations and succeeds.
I will point out that if you are not up on your Tudor history, you may get a little lost, but the story is still excellent and worth reading. You can always look up the people you do not recognize on Google.

I loved the book, even with the obvious preducies. Margaret Campbell Barne's literary talent and keen historic knowledge is very aparent in this book. The story flows from one chapter to the next.
I now look forward to reading her book "My Lady of Cleves".

4 **** out of 5

You may enjoy The King's Fool teaser...

Monday Moments...

New All Things Royal Book giveaway...
In the Shadow of Lady Jane~ Edward Charles
It is April 1551. While the family of Lord Henry Grey are visiting their Devon estate, the Grey sisters are saved from drowning by a local medical apprentice, Richard Stocker. Little does Richard know that this single act will plunge him into a tide of religious and social upheaval that will change not only his own life but the course of British history. In gratitude for saving his daughters, Lord Henry agrees to employ Richard in his household. Lady Katherine has already fallen for her father’s handsome new employee, while Richard is in thrall to the intellect of her troubled but brilliant sister, Lady Jane, with whom he forms a close friendship. Following King Edward’s death, the teenaged Lady Jane is proclaimed Queen. Soon, however, she is deposed and put to the axe. The woman Richard has grown to love as a friend, confidante, and adviser is dead. Bereft, he abandons the intrigues and deceptions of court life, resolving to resume his medical apprenticeship. In the Shadow of Lady Jane is at once a gripping political thriller and a compelling love story.

Contest Rules:
1. Leave me a comment on this post with your email address. No email~no entry
2. Another entry if you post about this contest on your blog. Please leave me a link for verification.
3. Another entry if you become a follower or subscribe to this blog. If already a follower you automatically will get a 2nd entry.
4. Sorry, due to shipping costs I can only ship within US or Canada. No international entrys please. I will ship book overnight mail so no P.O. boxes please.

Contest entry deadline: midnight May 15, 2009
Good Luck!





____________________________________________________________________


Winner of Phillipa Gregory's Wise Woman Giveaway...
Congratulations Martina from the Phillipa Gregory book forum for winning my first book giveaway!

Friday's Royal Ancestor; Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury

Margaret Plantagenet Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury 1473-1541. She is a distant cousin of mine through the Neville's and Plantagenet's. A woman of real principal. She was the last member of the Plantagenet dynasty, the daughter of the 1st Duke of Clarence, brother of King Edward IV and Richard III.

Her father was executed by his brother Edward IV when she was four. Upon her father's execution her brother Edward succeeded as 17th Earl of Warwick and 7th Earl of Salisbury. Edward spent most of his short life in the Tower of London as Henry VII's prisoner. He was the last male reprensenitive of the Yorkist line and was seen as a major threat to the Tudor King and upon the King's order was executed in 1499.

In 1513 Henry VIII allowed Margaret the title of 8th Countess of Salisbury following which was the Act of Restitution giving her back all her ancestral domains, making her a very wealthy woman. She married Sir Richard Pole in 1491. Richard died in 1505 leaving Margaret with five children, best known was Reginald Pole, who became Cardinal Pole who was in open opposition to Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

After the birth of Lady Mary Tudor King Henry VIII's daughter from Queen Catherine of Aragon, Margaret became Mary's godmother and Governess. They formed a loving and lasting relationship.

Mary was still in Countess Salisbury's charge when Henry married Anne Boleyn. Henry was receiving opposition in his efforts to have his daughter treated as illegitimate, for this reason he had the Countess removed from Lady Mary's household. She was a staunch Catholic which the King considered a threat. She begged to be allowed to serve Lady Mary at her own cost. She was brought back to court after the execution of Anne Boleyn.

In 1530 her son Cardinal Reginald Pole, then in exile sent King Henry a copy of his published threatise Pro escclesiasticae unitatis desensione
, a pamphlet commissioned by the Pope denouncing King Henry's policies. The King being so enraged, and determined that Cardinal Pole's family should pay for the insult, he had the Countess and her eldest son Henry Pole, 1st Baron on Montagu arrested in 1538 and sent to the Tower charged with treason.

In the Tower she suffered great indignities, and ill health. On the morning of 27 May 1541 she was dragged from her cell to the block for execution, she was 67 years old, frail and ill. She refused to lay her head on the block and was forced down. The executioners first blow struck her shoulder. It took several blows to complete the execution. She was buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula within the Tower of London along with two of her sons.

Her son Reginald Pole became the Arch Bishop of Canterbury. She has been regarded by Catholics as a true Martyr, and was beatified in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII.

If you found this blog interesting or have something to add, please leave a comment.

You may enjoy this royal story...