Amy Licence

Sex and childbirth were quite literally a matter of life or death for the Tudors

The Sex Lives of a Dynasty from Elizabeth of York to Elizabeth I

In Bed with the Tudors

When Edward of York seized the English throne in 1461, he could have chosen any bride he wanted, but it was the beautiful widow, Elizabeth Wydeville, who captured his heart. A new assessment of the tumultuous life of the real White Queen and her husband

A True Romance

Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville

As Tudors go, Elizabeth of York is relatively unknown. Yet through her marriage to Henry VII she became the mother of the dynasty, with her children including a King of England (Henry VIII) and Queens of Scotland (Margaret) and France (Mary Rose), and her direct descendants including three Tudor monarchs, two executed queens and, ultimately, the Stuart royal family. Although her offspring took England into the early modern world, Elizabeth's upbringing was rooted firmly in the medieval world, with its courtly and religious rituals and expectations of women. The pivotal moment was 1485. Before then, her future was uncertain amid the turbulent Wars of the Roses, Elizabeth being promised first to one man and then another, and witnessing the humiliation and murder of her family. Surviving the bloodbath of the reign of her uncle, Richard III, she slipped easily into the roles of devoted wife and queen to Henry VII and mother to his children, and has been venerated ever since for her docility and beauty. Yet was she as placid as history has suggested? In fact, she may have been a deeply cultured and intelligent survivor who learnt to walk a difficult path through the twists and turns of fortune. Perhaps she was more of a modern woman than historians have given her credit for.

The Forgotten Tudor Queen

Elizabeth of York

Blanche of Gaunt to Margaret Beaufort

Red Roses

Anne Boleyn, the femme fatale whose unconventional beauty inspired poets, and so entranced Henry VIII with her wit, allure and style that he was prepared to set aside his wife of over twenty years and risk his immortal soul. Her sister had already been the king's mistress, but the other Boleyn girl was to choose another path. For years the passionate lovers waited; did they really remain chaste? Did Anne love Henry, or was she a cunning career woman?Eventually replacing the long suffering Catherine of Aragon, Anne enjoyed a magnificent coronation and gave birth to the future Elizabeth I but her triumph was short lived. Why did she go from beloved consort to adulteress and traitor within a matter of weeks? What role did Thomas Cromwell and Jane Seymour of Wolf Hall play in Anne's demise? Was her fall one of the biggest sex scandals of her era, or the result of a political coup? This book is the most detailed account of Anne's life ever published, taking her from cradle to grave and beyond. Anne is vividly brought to life amid the colour, drama and the intimate secrets of the Tudor court.

Anne Boleyn Femme Fatale

A stunning new full-length biography of Queen Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's wife of over twenty years. The first ever written by a female historian and to concentrate on Catherine as a Tudor woman, rather than a pawn of in the dynastic power plays of men.

An Intimate Life of Henry VIII's True Wife

Catherine of Aragon

The majority of these young men died in their teens, on the brink of manhood. They represent the lost paths of history, the fascinating "what-ifs" of the houses of York and Tudor

Lancaster, York and Tudor

The Lost Kings

Known to be proud, regal and beautiful, Cecily Neville was born in the year of the great English victory at Agincourt and survived long enough to witness the arrival of the future Henry VIII, her great-grandson. Her life spanned most of the fifteenth century. Cecily's marriage to Richard, Duke of York, was successful, even happy, and she travelled with him wherever his career dictated, bearing his children in England, Ireland and France, including the future Edward IV and Richard III. What was the substance behind her claim to be 'queen by right'? Would she indeed have made a good queen during these turbulent times? One of a huge family herself, Cecily would see two of her sons become kings of England but the struggles that tore apart the Houses of Lancaster and York also turned brother against brother. Cecily's life cannot have been easy. Images of her dripping in jewels and holding her own alternative 'court' might belie the terrible heartache of seeing her descendants destroy each other. In attempting to be the family peacemaker, she frequently had to make heart-wrenching choices, yet these did not destroy her. She battled on, outliving her husband, friends, rivals and most of her children, to become one of the era's great survivors.

Mother of Kings

Cecily Neville

The lives of the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf have long been celebrated for their central roles in the development of modernism in art and literature. Inspired by European post-impressionism, Vanessa’s experimental work places her at the vanguard of early twentieth-century art, as does her role in helping introduce many key names – Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso – to an unsuspecting public in 1910. Virginia took these artistic innovations and applied them to literature, pushing the boundaries of form, narrative and language to find a voice uniquely her own. Yet their private lives were just as experimental. Forming the core of the Bloomsbury Group, they welcomed into their London and Sussex homes a host of their talented peers and followed their hearts in the pursuit of love. Vanessa’s marriage to art critic Clive Bell was shaken early on by his flirtation with her sister, but this allowed her to find happiness with fellow artist Roger Fry. It was the predominantly homosexual Duncan Grant, though, who would become her lifelong partner, as they shared and decorated their home, Charleston, making it a living showpiece for their art. Virginia’s marriage to Leonard Woolf placed him more in the role of carer than husband, with the pair abstaining from sex and living under a regime designed to meet the needs of Virginia’s fragile mental health. Her meeting with the aristocratic Vita Sackville-West and their lesbian affair led Virginia to write one of the masterpieces of modern literature. What led the sisters to make such choices? How did they reconcile life and art? How did it feel, in early modern Britain, to live outside the social box? The sisters lived bravely, passionately and innovatively; where did this strength and talent come from?

The Lives and Loves of Viginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group

Living in Squares, Loving in Triangles

Richard III's Tragic Queen - The Real Story of the Kingmaker's Daughter

Anne Neville

The Women's Stories

Six Wives and Many Mistresses of Henry VIII

England, 1455 King Henry VI is proving to be an unstable monarch, prone to bouts of mysterious illness and susceptible to manipulation from others. Richard of York, the most powerful magnate in the land, steps in to manage affairs whilst Henry is unwell. Many people prefer York's rule, which does not please the queen. The country begins to divide and plots start to hatch.York himself is directly descended from the royal family line, in fact, a little more directly than Henry but he puts this fact aside and strives only to serve the king. This, however, becomes increasingly difficult due to the acts of the queen, who, now feeling threatened by York, calls her men to get rid of him.The York family is strong and the two eldest sons, Edward and Edmund are approaching manhood. Edward, bold and eager, is keen to leave his childhood behind and enter the world of men, of politics, combat and love. Edmund, the younger brother is more introspective and struggles to project his public image. Both boys look to York as their mentor, a match for any king; and Richard is proud of them both.But with sons comes the question of inheritance. Who will succeed Henry's throne? His own son, the young Prince Edward, or the capable York and his heirs?This historical window into the past lifts figures from the history books and gives the personality and purpose behind their actions. The story bears witness to the extremes of the human condition, from loving tenderness in court to vengeful violence on the battlefield.

Son of York

A Sensory Journey Through Tudor England

Living Like a Tudor : Woodsmoke and Sage

1464. Family conflicts, Lancaster against York, the fight for the English throne continues. Set during the Wars of the Roses, this is the second volume in the House of York trilogy.

The York King

The first ever comprehensive history of the queens, princesses and ladies of the Tudor family. Always more than mere foils of men, these Tudor women are fascinating in their own right.

From Margaret Beaufort to Elizabeth I

Tudor Roses

The five hundredth anniversary of a momentous and spectacular meeting between two rival Renaissance monarchs; a failed bid for peace in Europe.

1520: the Field of the Cloth of Gold

This title looks at 25 of the most important, poignant and downright bizarre royal babies and births in British history. It includes details of the circumstances of conception, the birth experience of royal mothers and the reaction in the country at large.

A History 1066-2013

Royal Babies

He became king before his first birthday, inheriting a vast empire from his military hero father; she was the daughter of a king without power, who made an unexpected marriage at the age of fifteen. Almost completely opposite in character, together they formed an unlikely but complimentary partnership. Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou have become famous as the Lancastrian king and queen who were deposed during the Wars of the Roses but there is so much more to their story. The political narrative of their years together is a tale of twists and turns, encompassing incredible highs, when they came close to fulfilling their desires, and terrible, heart-breaking lows. Personally, their story is an intriguing one that raises may questions. Henry was a complex, misunderstood man, enlightened and unsuited to his times and the pressures of kingship. In the end, overcome by fortune and the sheer determination of their enemies, their alliance collapsed. England simply wasn't ready for a gentle king like Henry, or woman like Margaret who defied contemporary stereotypes of gender and queenship. History has been a harsh judge to this royal couple. In this discerning dual biography, Amy Licence leads the way in a long-overdue re-evaluation of their characters and contributions during a tumultuous and defining period of British history.

Amy Licence

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