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Becky Harper | History 🏰

@historywithbecky

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Making history a little more fun 🏰✨
Tudors • books • F1 📚🏎️
Defending the 6 queens like my life depends on it 👑

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✨ A little re-introduction… ✨

Hi, I’m Becky! If you’re new here (or you’ve been here for a while and fancy getting to know the person behind the posts), welcome!

I’ve always loved history, but the Tudors have a very special place in my heart. What started as an interest somehow turned into a full-blown obsession.

I’m particularly interested in the Tudor queens and the lives of the people behind the history, and I love visiting the places where these stories actually happened. There’s something pretty magical about standing in a room knowing that someone from hundreds of years ago stood in that exact same place.

So, that’s what you can expect to find around here; Tudor history, historical places, books, little bits of my life, and my journey as I continue to learn, explore and hopefully turn my love of history into something more.

If you’re also a little bit obsessed with the Tudors, love history, enjoy exploring beautiful old places, or just fancy coming along for the journey, I’d love to have you here. ❤️

So, if that sounds like your kind of thing, hit follow and come down the Tudor rabbit hole with me! by @historywithbecky

I’ve read SO many incredible books recently that I thought it was about time I shared some reviews!

At this point, my bookshelf is basically just books about history… I’m not mad about it. 😂

I’ve also included the two books I’m currently reading because I’m incapable of reading just one book at a time.

Have you read any of these? Let me know your thoughts! I’d love to hear what you thought, and, of course, tell me if there are any others you think I need to add to my ever-growing TBR! 📚🤎

I thoroughly enjoy Gareth’s work, and Queen James was no different. Queen James follows the life and loves of Britain’s first Stuart king, James I. This was my first real delve into James, and what a ride it was!

Gareth’s writing style is such a joy to read, and I particularly appreciated the additional notes throughout the book, explaining who everyone was and helping to put the various people into context. You can tell just how meticulously researched this book is, and I came away having learned so much about James I that I simply didn’t know before.

I had no idea James had several different loves throughout his life, and it was fascinating to learn about these relationships and the ways in which they influenced politics and court life. It really brought a different side of James to life for me and gave me a much greater understanding of the man behind the crown. I’m also now fascinated by Anna of Denmark and definitely want to learn more about her.

If you’re looking to learn more about James I, I’d highly recommend picking up Queen James. It was such an enjoyable and fascinating read!

I’m not even embarrassed by how much I love Estelle and her work… 😂❤️

Thorns, Lust & Glory takes us into the life of our girl Anne Boleyn, beginning with her journey to France and exploring how her time there helped shape the Queen we know and love.

Estelle tells Anne’s story in full, but the real focus is on the French side of her life, something I realised I actually knew surprisingly little about! Annie B is my all-time favourite, but I hadn’t really delved into her years in France or the world of the French court she would have experienced.

Estelle’s writing is absolutely be by @historywithbecky

It was such a joy to finally visit Peterborough Cathedral!

The Cathedral itself was absolutely breathtaking. I could have spent hours just wandering around and looking up at everything.

We started with a visit to the Mary, Queen of Scots exhibition, which follows Mary’s life through a fascinating collection of personal items from a private collection. Seeing these incredibly personal objects and being able to walk through Mary’s story was honestly so special. It gave me such a sense of connection to Mary and her life, and I loved having the opportunity to see these pieces in person.

One of the most overwhelming moments of the visit was seeing Katherine of Aragon’s burial site. I absolutely adore Katherine, so being able to stand there and spend some time with her was incredibly moving.

The main reason for our visit to Peterborough was to see the brilliant @historywithjackson and @drowenemmerson discussing Anne Boleyn and Mary, Queen of Scots. Their discussion was so thought-provoking, particularly hearing about the fascinating links between these two Queens. It was, as always, such a joy to listen to these two and their knowledge and passion for history!

It was also so lovely to see @hannahprydderch and @british.history.explorer again, and to meet @hcbox 🥰 by @historywithbecky

Penshurst Place, what a gem you are!

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Penshurst Place last week. A house absolutely packed with history & somewhere I could have happily spent even longer wandering around.

At the heart of the house is the incredible Baron’s Hall, built in 1341 by Sir John de Pulteney, a wealthy wool merchant and four-time Mayor of London. With its enormous original timber roof soaring around 60ft above you, it is such an impressive room and honestly, pictures don’t quite do it justice.

Penshurst has seen some seriously significant names pass through its doors. Henry VIII used the house as a hunting lodge after it became Crown property in 1521, and it’s thought he may have stayed here while courting Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle. Penshurst later formed part of Anne of Cleves’ divorce settlement.

In 1552, Edward VI gifted Penshurst to Sir William Sidney, beginning the Sidney family’s long association with the house. Queen Elizabeth I later visited, with the Queen Elizabeth Room named after the many audiences she held there.

And there are some brilliant little connections hiding around the house too: the Baron’s Hall was used for Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s wedding feast in The Other Boleyn Girl, while the Long Gallery was used to record floorboard creaking sounds for the Harry Potter films.

From the medieval architecture and beautiful state rooms to the Tudor connections and centuries of Sidney history, Penshurst was an absolute dream of a visit. Another historical house added firmly to my “I need to come back” list.

Have you visited Penshurst Place? What’s your favourite room or historical connection? 🏰 by @historywithbecky

Things I love at Hever Castle 🏰

Hever Castle is honestly my favourite place in the whole world & it never fails to be an incredible visit when we go. Having been multiple times over the last few years, I thought I would share what some of my favourite things that Hever currently have on display. The majority of these items are part of @drowenemmerson and @kateemccaffreyhistorian's exhibit 'Capturing a Queen' which explores the many different portraits we have of Anne Boleyn and gives us the opportunity to vote which one we believe is the closest. This is the second time I’ve seen the exhibition, and it is so incredibly well put together. Every item has been so thoughtfully displayed, and I absolutely love the way the exhibition encourages you to really look at and consider each portrait.

Scroll to the end for a little bonus!

Have you been to Hever Castle? What's your favourite item on display? by @historywithbecky

Today we visited Chenies Manor House and had a wonderful tour with the lovely Allison, who was incredibly knowledgeable! Chenies Manor House, a Grade I listed Tudor house in the Chiltern Hills with around 800 years of history.

There has been a manor here since at least the 12th century, with the Cheyne family owning Chenies from around 1185. In 1526, the manor passed to the Russell family through the marriage of Anne Sapcote to Sir John Russell, a prominent courtier who served Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI. He later became the 1st Earl of Bedford.

Henry VIII visited Chenies in 1534 with Anne Boleyn & daughter Elizabeth, staying for around a week. Henry returned to Chenies in 1541, this time with his fifth wife, Katherine Howard. Her visit is particularly fascinating because Chenies subsequently became associated with the events surrounding the investigation into Katherine’s relationship with Thomas Culpeper.

Almost 30 years later, Elizabeth I returned to Chenies as Queen. In 1570 she stayed for around a month and held meetings of her Privy Council here. The room where she is believed to have held those meetings is now known as Queen Elizabeth’s Room.

And then there’s the Elizabeth Oak. The ancient oak stands in the grounds and is traditionally associated with Elizabeth I’s 1570 visit. According to the story, Elizabeth lost some of her gold aglets (tiny decorative fittings used to finish the ends of cords or laces on clothing) while walking beneath the tree.

Chenies remained the Russell family’s principal seat until around 1627, when the family moved their main residence to Woburn.

Wandering around Chenies was such a special experience. Getting to stand in the Queen Elizabeth Room (which Allison thinks may have been where Elizabeth signed Mary, Queen of Scots’ death warrant) was incredible. Knowing that Elizabeth I herself had stood in that very room was just insane. There’s something so surreal about standing somewhere and knowing that a person you’ve spent years reading about was actually standing there centuries before you.

Have you visited Chenies Manor before? 🏰 by @historywithbecky

📚 The House of Boleyn by Tracy Borman | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved The House of Boleyn! I’m a big fan of Tracy Borman’s work anyway, but this was such a fun way to revisit a period of history I know (and clearly can’t get enough of).

The setting of Hever Castle was perfect, and I especially loved the creation of the Hever staff and seeing the castle brought to life through them. Tracy’s take on Jane Boleyn was also a really interesting twist and definitely gave me something to think about!

I particularly loved seeing more of Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn, as well as learning more about Anne’s grandmother, Margaret Butler. Naturally, I am now adding Margaret to my ever-growing list of people I need to research.

A brilliant, atmospheric and refreshing take on a very well-known story. If you love Tudor history, this one is definitely worth picking up! by @historywithbecky

Casual Sunday plans: go look at the field where the Tudor dynasty was born 😉

We visited Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre earlier today, the site of the Battle of Bosworth on 22nd August 1485 (I know, I’m a week late) where Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor, beginning the Tudor dynasty. It was such an interesting place to go, the centre was full of so much information, and very interactive - I think I look great in a helmet 😂

It’s one thing to read about the battle in books, but standing on the battlefield itself is something else entirely. It’s such a surreal feeling knowing two armies fought here over 500 years ago!

Have you visited Bosworth? by @historywithbecky

Seeing as it’s rained today for the first time in 1,000 days, it reminded me of our trip to Windsor Castle back in January (I really will think of anything other than the day job!) 😂

Windsor Castle has almost 1,000 years of royal history. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has been home to 40 monarchs and is the oldest & largest occupied castle in the world.

Of course, my favourite part was St George’s Chapel, the final resting place of 11 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II, Henry VIII & his 3rd wife, Jane Seymour.

Have you been to Windsor Castle? Let me know! by @historywithbecky

The 6 Tudor Queens as F1 drivers

F1’s Summer break is officially over, which can only mean one thing, it’s time to work out which Queen is which driver 😂

After our Taylor Swift edition, I had to bring the queens into the world of Formula 1, and I really enjoyed working this out! From Katherine of Aragon’s determination to Anne Boleyn’s “I’m not taking any nonsense” energy, each queen has found her F1 match.

But what do you think? Have I got these right, or would you make any changes? And which pairing is your favourite? by @historywithbecky

Is there such a thing as too many books on your TBR? Asking for a friend…

I’ve been organising my bookshelves and I have ALL of these wonderful books sitting on my TBR. And I’m blooming excited to read every single one of them. The one thing I love about history is you never run out of book choices!

I may just have to quit my day job to find the time 😂

Have you read any of these? And, more importantly, are there any others you think I need to add to my ever-growing TBR? Let me know! by @historywithbecky

The 6 Tudor Queens as Taylor Swift songs!

This is the first post in a new ‘The 6 Tudor Queens as…’ series, where I’ll be matching each of Henry VIII’s wives with different songs, characters, tropes & probably some rather questionable pop culture references. 😂

First up, who doesn’t want to know what Taylor Swift song I think each Queen would be? Some were obvious choices, others I had to think VERY hard about. What do you think, did I get any wrong?

Also, what should I compare the six queens to next? Let me know in the comments! by @historywithbecky