The private lives of the Tudors
Subtitle: uncovering the secrets of Britain's greatest dynasty
By: Tracy Borman
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd; Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2016
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 448
ISBN-13: 9781444782899; 9781444782905; 9781444782912
Copyright date: 2016
Subjects: Monarchy; History; Kings and rulers; Monarchie; Histoire
Other titles: Uncovering the secrets of Britain's greatest dynasty
Description: BRITISH & IRISH HISTORY. 'I do not live in a corner. A thousand eyes see all I do.' Elizabeth I. The Tudor monarchs were constantly surrounded by an army of attendants, courtiers and ministers. Even in their most private moments, they were accompanied by a servant specifically appointed for the task. A groom of the stool would stand patiently by as Henry VIII performed his daily purges, and when Elizabeth I retired for the evening, one of her female servants would sleep at the end of her bed. These attendants knew the truth behind the glamorous exterior. They saw the tears shed by Henry VII upon the death of his son Arthur. They knew the tragic secret behind 'Bloody' Mary's phantom pregnancies. And they saw the 'crooked carcass' beneath Elizabeth I's carefully applied makeup, gowns and accessories. It is the accounts of these eyewitnesses, as well as a rich array of other contemporary sources that historian Tracy Borman has examined more closely than ever before.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 381-395) and index.
Table of contents: title: Henry VII; title: ch. 1. `Infinitely suspicious'; title: ch. 2. `Not admitting any near approach'; title: ch. 3. `Closeted away like a girl'; title: Henry VIII; title: ch. 4. `Their business is in many secrets'; title: ch. 5. `Lay hands upon his royal person'; title: ch. 6. `She excelled them all'; title: ch. 7. `A thin, old, and vicious hack'; title: ch. 8. `True carnal copulation'; title: ch. 9. `Kings and Emperors all be but mortal'; title: Edward VI; title: ch. 10. `Being yet but a child'; title: Mary I; title: ch. 11. `Thinking myself to be with child'; title: Elizabeth I; title: ch. 12. `We highly commend the single life'; title: ch. 13. `She seldom partakes before strangers'; title: ch. 14. `A thousand eyes see all I do'; title: ch. 15. `I am soft and made of melting snow'; title: ch. 16. `The crooked carcass'.