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Archive for the ‘Executed Queens Tour’ Category
The Executed Queens Tour 2012
Monday, June 18th, 2012Gareth Russell, Executed Queens Tour Leader, and Catherine Howard
Saturday, April 7th, 2012
Congratulations to Gareth Russell who has recently been awarded a First/Distinction by Queen’s University, Belfast, for his postgraduate dissertation “Catherine Howard and the Queen’s Household in England, 1540-1541″. Gareth’s dissertation was a study in the nature of feminine households at the time and attitudes towards it, and also traced the careers of Catherine’s individual ladies-in-waiting, the role they played in her downfall and tried to establish the nature of Catherine’s role as leader of such a large establishment. Congratulations to Gareth on a wonderful achievement!
More congratulations are due to Gareth as he is also writing a biography on Catherine Howard. Gareth, who is a published author already, having published his novel “Popular” with Penguin, has been commissioned by his agent to write a full length biography of Catherine, based on the research he carried out for his dissertation. This is wonderful news as both Joanna Denny’s and Lacey Baldwin Smith’s biographies are quite dated. This is also great news for those attending the Executed Queens Tour in June 2012 because Gareth will be sharing his thoughts on both Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn with the group. The group is small so guests will have plenty of chance to ‘grill’ Gareth and also our other historian speakers, John Guy and Leanda de Lisle.
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New Speakers Confirmed for Tours
Monday, January 30th, 2012
Leanda de Lisle
As you know, we are running three Tudor history tours this year – the Executed Queens Tour, Discover the Tudors Tour and the Anne Boleyn Experience – and Tim and I have been putting the finishing touches to the itineraries. We’re pleased to announced that historian Leanda de Lisle, author of “The Sisters Who Would Be Queen” and “After Elizabeth”, has just confirmed that she will be speaking on Lady Jane Grey on our Executed Queens Tour in June and Anne Clinard Barnhill, author of the recent historical novel “At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn” is actually attending our September Anne Boleyn Experience Tour! Yay!
So, we have the following guest speakers for our tours now:-
- Executed Queens Tour – Author and historian Gareth Russell (tour leader), historian Dr John Guy and historian Leanda de Lisle
- Discover the Tudors Tour – Historian Dr John Guy, historian Linda Porter and tour leaders Claire and Tim Ridgway of The Anne Boleyn Files
- The Anne Boleyn Experience – Historian Eric Ives, author Robert Parry (Tour leader), author Anne Clinard Barnhill and Tudor costume expert Bess Chilver
Combine those expert speakers with accommodation at places like Hever Castle, Coombe Abbey and Alveston Manor, and visits to Tudor attractions and I think you’ll agree that these tours will be a Tudor history lover’s dream come true! I’m so excited!
Update: Anne Clinard Barnhill has had to cancel.
You can view or download a brochure at http://www.historytoursofbritain.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2012_brochure_cover1.jpg and you can book your place on our Booking page.
No Comments | Posted in Anne Boleyn Experience, Executed Queens Tour, News
Hever Castle – A Magical Place
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011
Everyone who has been on one of our tours has commented on the magic of Hever Castle.
Like Anne Boleyn, the place just seems to grab you and you find yourself wishing you could stay there for ever. As Tim and I walked the grounds, we would bump into other members of the group with dazed smiles on their faces, they were in a dream world and loving every minute of it! Dazed smiles and happy sighs, that’s the Hever effect!
Hever Castle and the Boleyn Family
The defensive castle dates back to 1270 but the inner part of the castle, which is actually a traditional Tudor manor house, was added by the Boleyns in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In 1462, the castle fell into the ownership of Geoffrey Boleyn, Lord Mayor of London, who passed it on to his son, William Boleyn. In 1505, Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne Boleyn, inherited the castle and moved there with his wife, Elizabeth (née Howard), and young family.
We don’t know exactly how much time Anne Boleyn spent at the castle, seeing as she was sent abroad in the summer of 1513 and did not return until late 1521, but the primary sources do tell us the following:-
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Upcoming Executed Queens Tour
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
Last year's Anne Boleyn Experience group
I can’t quite believe how quickly the time has flown by since our May 2010 Anne Boleyn Experience and now I am packing for the Executed Queens Tour 2011 which starts on Sunday.
I am so excited about this tour, which is a brand new one this year. We have 24 attendees from lots of different countries – the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada and the Netherlands – but we all have one thing in common, our love of Tudor history! It’s going to be so wonderful to discuss Tudor history all week, to get to know other Tudor history fans, to visit magical Tudor attractions, to stay at Hever Castle and to listen to our guest speakers and learn more about our favourite subject.
I will be doing a daily blog diary, but here us what we will be getting up to:-
- Visiting the ruins of Bradgate House, Lady Jane Grey’s family home
- Staying at the 17th century Bosworth Hall Hotel for three nights
- Visiting Sheffield Manor Lodge, once the prison of Mary Queen of Scots
- Visiting the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre
- Staying at Hever Castle for three nights
- Exploring Hever Castle and its gardens
- Visiting the Tower of London on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s execution
- Visiting Hampton Court Palace
- Dining with and listening to Eric Ives, John Guy and Leanda de Lisle
Now can you understand why I am so excited!
I’m also happy that we have a few repeat attendees from last year’s tour, it’s so good to know that they enjoyed themselves.
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The Executed Queens Tour
Monday, April 11th, 2011
In 2011 The Anne Boleyn Files introduced The Executed Queens Tour which sold out within a week of its launch. As a result of its popularity, History Tours of Britain will be offering this same tour in September 2011 and also in June and September 2012.
This tour includes accommodation in the 17th century mansion, Bosworth Hall Hotel, and also in the private Astor Wing of Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s family home. Tour attendees will visit some of the key Tudor sites which relate to the ill-fated queens: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey and Mary Queen of Scots:-
- The Battle of Bosworth Field
- Sheffield Manor Lodge
- Bradgate House
- Hever Castle
- Tower of London
- Hampton Court Palace
There will also be talks from expert Tudor historians.
Find out more about this tour on our Executed Queens Tour page.
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