Free Forum Friday...

Rona Sharon, Author of Royal Blood, Interview here on All Things Royal, Tuesday 5/19

I know there has been a lot of interest in Rona Sharon's new release Royal Blood. Rona and I have become sort of email buddies and she has agreed to do an exclusive author interview for my readers. My daughter and I have come up with what I think are very interesting questions. If all goes as planned I should have the interview posted Tuesday 5/19 for Tuesday's Teaser. I hope you will all be looking for it, and visit my blog on Tuesday. By the way I have been reading this book and enjoying it very much. Very different. I will also be giving aways 3 signed copies, so if you have missed out on the other Royal Blood giveaways you will still have a chance. Have a great weekend.

Thursday Royal Trivia...

Royal Mottos

The Tudor Royals~ all had their own mottos. They would have these mottos engraved into saddles, silver plate, their Coat's of Arms, etc. It was a declaration of what they live by. I thought it would be interesting to learn what each of Henry's wives had for their individual motto. It has been very enlightening discovering what they were. Each motto gives an insight into the personality of the individual queens. Henry's fits like a glove. I think you will enjoy this and hopely it will create a lively discussion.



Henry VIII ~ "God and My Right"



Catherine of Aragon ~ "Humble and Loyal"



Anne Boleyn ~ "Most Happy"



Jane Seymour ~ "Bound to Obey and Serve"



Anne of Cleves ~ "God Send Me Well to Keep"



Catherine Howard ~ "No Other Will but His"



Katherine Parr ~ "To be Useful in All I Do"

Wedensday Royal Words...

Although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you, by whom my life should rather have been lengthened, yet can I patiently take it, that I yield God more hearty thanks for shortening my woeful days.

Queen Jane ~ born Lady Jane Grey ~ Queen for nine days following the death of Edward VI in July 1553. She was executed by Queen Mary in February 1554. Jane the daughter of Henry Grey and Frances Brandon was the great niece of Henry VIII.

Suggested reading:
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

In the Shadow of Lady Jane by Edward Charles

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

_________________________________________________________



JANE BOLEYN The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford

From Publishers Weekly Wife of Anne Boleyn's brother George, Jane, Viscountess Rochford, has been painted by historians, beginning with the Protestant Elizabethan John Foxe, as a barren, jealous shrew who lied about George and Anne's incestuous relationship, helping send them to their deaths for treason against Henry VIII. Jane herself was executed for treason several years later for abetting the adultery of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. According to Fox's revisionist account, Jane was faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn't rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell's relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry's sexual dysfunction. Moreover, Fox says, George's execution was a financial blow to Jane—his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane's complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law's death. In her debut, Fox never quite convinces readers that her lackluster, almost faceless Jane is a courageous, mostly blameless victim of court intrigues, and this amateurish, toothless history is more a rehash of Anne's rise and fall with a tag-on about Catherine's foolhardiness. (Jan.)

Ever since reading Phillipa Gregory's Boleyn Inheritance I have been facsinated with Jane Boleyn the Lady Rochford. This book was given to me by a good friend and it's hard to put down. It is a biography not historical fiction. Much of it I imagine is conjecture on the authors part, but so little is really known about this woman who betrayed the queen and her husband. Her signed confession led innocents to their early graves. This is Julia Fox's first book and she does a marvelous job. I think all you Tudor fans out there will want to put this on your TBR list. Jane was a major player in the game. Beautiful photographs included.

My teasers:

In the interim, enforced absence did at least allow a chance for contemplation, since hers was not the only7 problem to beset the Boleyns over those
months.

Whether she was or was not present on Anne's wedding day, Jane was certainly present within the bedchamber in the weeks that followed, and it was to be there that thte next stage in the king's marital saga was played out.

Enchanting Blog Award!!!

Thank-you so much Arleigh and Lucy from Royal Intrigue for the wonderful award. My 2nd so far. Much appreciated!!!!

I would like to pass this award onto:

Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner

Heather at Maiden's Court

Monday Monarchy...

Matilda of Flanders (1031-1083)
was Queen consort of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror. She was the daughter of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders, and Adele, daughter of Robert II of France. She is my 23rd great grandmother. Matilda was England's tiniest queen being only 4'2" and very slender. They must have made an odd couple, Matilda being very small and William reportedly being quite tall, muscular and robust(heavy)in later years. How a woman of her stature carried and delivered 10 children is amazing, especially in those days. She bore for William 6 daughters and 4 sons. Henry I being the royal heir.
She was a little spit fire, a woman who knew her mind and was not afraid to voice her opinions. Legend has it that William asked her father, Baldwin V. Count of Flanders for Matilda in marriage, and when Matilda heard of this, told William's representative that she wouldn't marry a bastard, she was far too high born for that, after all she was a direct descendant of Alfred the Great and William's father being Robert the Magnificent was one thing, but his mother Arlette was a mere daughter of a local Tanner and his parents were never married. This news infuriated William to the point that he traveled from Normandy to Flanders and found Matilda on her way to church. He dragged her off her horse by her braids and threw her in the street in front of her royal convoy and then rode off. William's fury apparently appealed to Matilda, because it was shortly afterwards that she agreed to marry him. Even the papal ban for consanguinity(having common ancestors) didn't dissuade her. The Pope didn't like it, and said God was against it. To get God on their side again, William and Matilda each had an abbey built in Caen, one abbey for women and one for men. Matilda was wealthy in her own right and help finance many of William's campaigns. William left her as Royal Regent in conquered England while he was on French campaigns. She died in November of 1083 at the age of 51. After her death William became tyrannical and people blamed it on his having lost her. She is buried next to William at l'Abbaye aux Dames (the abbey for women) in Caen. Of particular interest in 1961, their graves were opened and their bones measured to determine their actual statures.

Suggested reading:
The Conqueror ~ Georgette Heyer

The Bastard King~Jean Plaidy

Free Forum Friday...

O.K. it's Friday and I decided to have Friday's as my Free Forum. This way I can write and share about anything that strikes my fancy. I am hoping that my readers will share their comments as well.
This Friday is DON'T TREAD ON ME. I am first and foremost an American, an American who descends from the founders of this country, who escaped the religious and political tyranny of their mother country England in the 17th century. I have several great grandfathers who fought in the Revolutionary War. In fact I have an ancestor or several ancestors who fought in every war this country has been engaged in from WWII and before. I am a proud member of the Daughter's of the American Revolution.
I love this country, my country. I originally planned on something completely different for today, then my co-worker shared this youtube video with me, which in turn I had to share with you all. Please share with us how seeing this video has affected you personally. I would love hear! Grab a Kleenex. Keep in mind that this video was created by a 15 year old boy in Trussvill, Alabama for his mother.
An American Anthem