Members-Only Tudor Queens Talk - Hampton Court Palace
at- An event exclusively for Historic Royal Palaces members.
- Evening talk with Tudor Historians Elizabeth Norton and Valerie Schutte exploring the lives of two of the Tudor court's most misunderstood queens, Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves, following the publication of their latest biographies: Jane Seymour: Patronage, Material Culture and Image Crafting and Anne of Cleves: The Historical and Cultural Legacy of a Queen.
- Use your 10% member discount to purchase each author's latest book on the night (card payments only) – with the opportunity to have your copy personally signed by the author.
Historians Elizabeth Norton and Valerie Schutte share compelling evidence that Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves were not merely ‘Henry’s wives’, but complex individuals who possessed power and influence.
In popular accounts – and surprisingly often in serious historical texts – these two queens are understood as Henry’s ‘best loved’ and ‘worst loved’ consorts. We think we know Jane as a compliant, tragic little mouse, while Anne is forever the uneducated, ugly ‘Flanders mare’ who so disgusted the King that he divorced her.
Elizabeth and Valerie’s painstaking, academic research offers alternative versions of these predominantly male-written histories. Anne of Cleves’ appearance may not have been the reason for Henry’s loss of libido. Sweet little Jane may well have been an arch manipulator, ensuring Anne Boleyn’s downfall, and amassing vast wealth.
Join us for an exceptional evening of myth-busting discussion, as these two Tudor queens emerge from out of Henry’s shadow with startling results!
The evening will conclude with a 15-minute Q&A, followed by 30 minutes to purchase the authors' latest biographies and have them personally signed.
Ask Melita
Do you have a burning question about the Tudors, or the Tudor period? Or would like to know something about one of Melita’s books? Ask Melita a question and your answer may appear in the articles section.
