Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period
Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period

Author: Timothy Venning

Publisher: Pen and Sword History

Published: 2023-12-30

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1399054333

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The Tudor period is familiar to British public in reading and viewing in books, TV series and film - the list is endless, from Shakespeare and Fletcher in the 1600s to Hilary Mantel et al, and involving internationally famous authors and actors. This is backdrop to the 'Royal Mysteries' which reflect aspects of enduring modern interest. These include royal family drama, sex, scandal, violence, tragedy, murder both judicial and from personal rivalry. The period is dominated and overshadowed by the gigantic and brutal figure of Henry VIII , the 'British Stalin', with his six wives with two got rid of by judicial murder. Royal Mysteries occur throughout the period. The battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 did not end the Wars of the Roses, Henry VII's claim was disputed by Pretenders, and following the unresolved disappearance of the 'Princes in the Tower', Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck with considerable and allegedly Yorkist support. Then came Anne Boleyn, who to many, including modern writers and top historians, a religious reformer, idealist and gifted woman, ruthlessly put down and maligned and executed by the brutal Henry VIII and victim of manipulating figures like Cromwell in a royal court full of 'spin' and 'fake news'. And the stories Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots are similarly packed with mystery and scandal. Elizabeth's possible suitor and potential husband was Robert Dudley and his ailing wife died in suspicious circumstances. And the long saga of Elizabeth and Mary involved Mary's tangled affairs involving murder and conspiracy to replace Elizabeth on the English throne.

The Tudor Murder Files
The Tudor Murder Files

Author: James Moore

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-10-31

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 147385704X

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“Collates the most shocking killings and puzzling murder mysteries from the sixteenth century in fascinating detail” —Gazette & Herald In the Tudor age the murder rate was five times higher than it is today. Now, this unique true crime guide, The Tudor Murder Files, reveals just how bloody and brutal this fascinating era really was. From the dark days of Henry VIII to the turbulent times of Shakespeare, James Moore’s new book is the first to chart the period’s most gripping murder cases in all their grizzly detail. Featuring tales of domestic slaughter, sexual intrigue, and cunning assassinations, as well as murder mysteries worthy of Agatha Christie, the book vividly brings to life the violent crime wave that gripped the sixteenth century both at home and abroad. Enter a world in which stabbings were rife, guns were used to kill victims for the first time, and in which culprits frequently escaped justice. The book also reveals just how severe some of the penalties could be, with grisly punishments for those who dared to commit the gravest of crimes. Discover how one murderer was gruesomely pressed to death, another boiled alive for poisoning his victims, and meet some of history’s most notorious serial killers, including one considered so barbaric she was labelled a vampire. “Contains more than seventy real life murders, profiling over thirty cases in detail. And not only does James chart how killers were caught and dealt with by the justice system, he also discusses how murders were reported to the new, news hungry nation.” —Luton Today

Royal Mysteries
Royal Mysteries

Author: Timothy Venning

Publisher: Pen and Sword History

Published: 2021-10-31

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1526780526

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An in-depth look at the true crime tales surrounding the British royal family during the eleventh to fifteenth centuries. Royal murder mysteries never fail to intrigue readers and TV viewers. Here are some of the Middle Ages’ most haunting and horrific episodes. Based on the latest historical research and historiography, and authentic and rare sources, including archaeology and DNA evidence, these are wonderful tales of pathos, tragedy, suffering, and romance. This is history for specialists and general readers—and sceptics. The famous and also less well-known mysteries, which may be new to readers, surrounding British Royalty, are included from around the 11th to the 15th centuries. The murder mysteries show personal and individual tragedy but are also a vehicle for historical analysis. William II—William Rufus—was he murdered or killed accidentally by a “stray arrow,” allowing brother Henry to seize the throne, or was it God’s punishment for William’s irreligious living and persecution of the church? Or was Edward II murdered at the instigation of Queen Isabella—“she-wolf of France”—and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who assumed the throne? Did he survive to live peaceably in Italy? Richard II resembled Edward II, as a rather inadequate figure, and was deposed by his rival, Henry IV. Did he die, and if so, was it murder or suicide? Was Edward IV a bigamist? Mystery, if not murder, but wrapped in dynastic rivalry and sex scandal, and usurpation of the throne. The “Princes in the Tower” and who killed them if anyone? A beguiling mystery for over 500 years with their usurping uncle Richard III’s guilt contested by “Ricardians.”

Royal Mysteries of the Stuart and Georgian Periods
Royal Mysteries of the Stuart and Georgian Periods

Author: Timothy Venning

Publisher: Pen and Sword History

Published: 2023-12-30

Total Pages: 377

ISBN-13: 1399054260

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There is nothing new under the sun', a phrase ascribed originally to King Solomon, applies to the present book, with echoes of 'modern' themes exposing royal scandal, sex, corruption, political absolutism - attempted - religious controversy, danger of mass-terrorism, murder and 'suspicious' deaths, 'fake news' and international threat from superpowers. And all focusing on inside stories which today would be 'investigative journalism' with huge popular media interest. This is history for both specialists and, especially, for general readers, given media interest, including TV and film coverage in 'exciting' popular history, as set out by the author. The earlier 'Royal Mysteries' in the series were full of tragedy, suffering, pathos, heroism and romance, but the present set are equally interesting and disturbing and revisionist. These include the alleged attempt to murder James I and VI before the became King of England; the scandal at court involving 'poisoned tarts', James' 'toy-boy', and a subsequent murder trial. And the following questions and mysteries: did Charles II really promise to convert to Catholicism to please Louis XIV; did Charles marry his mistress Lucy Walter, mother of rebel Duke of Monmouth; was James II and VII an enlightened religious reformer or trying to convert England to Catholicism - the religion of European superpowers; did George I 'disappear' (a 'hit' in modern terms) his divorced wife's lover before ascending the English throne; did the unpopular Duke of Cumberland murder his gay lover; did the hugely admired 'respectable' George III, devoted husband and father, marry a middle-class Quaker woman?

The Survival of the Princes in the Tower
The Survival of the Princes in the Tower

Author: Matthew Lewis

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2017-09-11

Total Pages: 341

ISBN-13: 0750985283

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The murder of the Princes in the Tower is the most famous cold case in British history. Traditionally considered victims of their ruthless uncle, there are other suspects too often and too easily discounted. There may be no definitive answer, but by delving into the context of their disappearance and the characters of the suspects, Matthew Lewis examines the motives and opportunities afresh, as well as asking a crucial but often overlooked question: what if there was no murder? What if Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York, survived their uncle's reign and even that of their brother-in-law Henry VII? In this new and updated edition, compelling evidence is presented to suggest the Princes survived, which is considered alongside the possibility of their deaths to provide a rounded and complete assessment of the most fascinating mystery in history.

Dark Queen Rising
Dark Queen Rising

Author: Paul Doherty

Publisher: Canongate Books

Published: 2019-08-01

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1786895072

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London, 1471. The War of the Roses rages on. Edward of York has claimed the English throne and his Yorkist supporters gleefully slaughter their adversaries; there's no mercy for anyone who supported the Lancastrian cause. Margaret Beaufort - mother of Henry Tudor, the only hope for the House of Lancaster - knows her enemies are closing in. Desperate for help she turns to Christopher Urswicke for protection. But when ruthless scheming and pitiless killings are the only routes to survival, Urswicke will have to choose where his loyalties truly lie.

Murder Most Royal
Murder Most Royal

Author: Jean Plaidy

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2006-01-24

Total Pages: 458

ISBN-13: 0307345394

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One powerful king. Two tragic queens. In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle. Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her. Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII. Look for the Reading Group Guide at the back of this book. Also available as an ebook.

The Tudor Conspiracy
The Tudor Conspiracy

Author: C. W. Gortner

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2013-07-16

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0312658494

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When Mary Tudor's unpopular betrothal to the Catholic prince of Spain sparks rumors that her half-sister, Princess Elizabeth, is plotting to depose her, Brendan Prescott is thrust into a deadly cat-and-mouse game in London's treacherous underworld.