Tudor Roses: From Margaret Beaufort to Elizabeth I

by Amy Licence

All too often, a dynasty is defined by its men, with the women depicted as shadowy figures whose value lies in the inheritance they brought, or the children they produced. Yet the Tudor dynasty is full of fascinating women, from Margaret Beaufort, who emerged triumphant after years of turmoil; Elizabeth of York’s steadying influence; Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, whose rivalry was played out against the backdrop of the Reformation; to Mary I and Elizabeth, England’s first reigning Queens. Many more women danced the Pavane under Henry VIII’s watchful eye or helped adjust Elizabeth’s ruff. These were strong, powerful women, whether that was behind the scenes or on the international stage. Their contribution took England from the medieval era into the modern. It is time for a new narrative of the Tudor one that prioritizes their experiences and their voices.

Genres: History, Tudor Period, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

464 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2018

About the author

Medieval and Tudor historian, with a particular interest in women's lives and experiences, also dabble in Modernism. I write fiction and non-fiction, also journalism for The Guardian, BBC History website, The New Statesman, The Huffington Post, The English Review and The London Magazine. I appeared in TV documentaries "The Real White Queen and her Rivals" and "The Private Lives of the Tudors." Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[Tony Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last, the story of the Tudors is told from a perspective that acknowledges the role of the mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. The compelling picture which emerges is one of resilience in adversity.

Without exception, these women experienced often traumatic and harrowing treatment by the men in their lives. Arranged marriages, childbirth, and heart-breaking personal loss through high infant mortality would be enough, but they also battled against cultural, legal and religious barriers.

Queen Catherine of Aragon is one of the most extreme examples, yet even the treatment of Henry VIII’s sisters, Margaret and Mary, is too often overlooked. (I was appalled to see them ‘merged’ into one role in a TV ‘drama’, presumably to save money?)

Amy Licence notes that, ‘The extent of our understanding is determined largely by the limited survival of records, which is itself an indicator of women’s roles.’ Worse still, past historians and biographers delighted in repeating myths consistent with the attitudes of their time.

This book goes some way towards redressing the balance, and one of the things I like about Amy’s writing is how she sprinkles every page with intriguing details, raising questions and making thought-provoking connections. Highly recommended.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to get a review copy of this book from Pen and Sword. It doesn't disappoint as it discusses the Tudor women across the whole period and how they compare to each other in their styles of motherhood, queenship, and relations with the men in their lives. It shows how resilient the women were and how essential they were to the dynasty.

This book tries to tackle some of the prevailing myths about these women and the dominating views of the past centuries. It opens up new areas for exploration and tries to redress the balance of views on these incredible women. It's good to focus on the women, who are often seen as supporting rather than leading figures, as the focus is often on the men who wield the power.

Although it is a long book and can seem daunting to start with, it is well worth investing the time to read it, as Amy Licence manages to sprinkle little details throughout and asks questions which make you think and consider different angles.

I would thoroughly recommend this, even if you don't know that much about the Tudors, as it offers different angles on people sometimes overlooked in the period.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and easy to read, however the typos and referencing errors were driving me insane 😭

[Judith Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is very interesting and well written, but it's not very well proofread: it's full of typos, the footer numbers are inconsistent (sometimes small, sometimes regular numbers appearing just after the sentence has ended, which makes reading quite uncomfortable), and there are some verbal tenses that don't match with the sentence they're in. I hope the next edition will be better proofread and solve the problem in an otherwise excellent book.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding well worth the investment of 400+ pages. Interesting facts on every page even if you know a lot about Tudor history.

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read from beginning to end #perfection

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Found it very interesting.

[Orlando · Rating 3 out of 5]

certainly needed more formatting editing, several footnotes were in the standard font size across the book so it took me out of the previous sentence

otherwise well-written, if nothing new to me

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one studies a specific dynasty, we tend to focus on the stories of those who rule their respective countries and explore the men who influenced the king's decisions. A dynasty's legacy tends to be viewed from the military and legal victories of the men, but just as important are the women who stood beside the king. Royal women tend to be considered side characters of the dynasty who were only crucial for their inheritance, who they married, and the children they could produce. But if we focused on the story of the royal women in a specific dynasty, what could we learn about the dynasty? Amy Licence took this concept to explore women's voices and decided to tackle the Tudor dynasty in her latest book, "Tudor Roses: From Margaret Beaufort to Elizabeth I."

I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for a new perspective on the Tudor dynasty. Although there is nothing new about exploring the lives of Tudor women, the idea of analyzing the Tudor queens and their reigns in one book is so unique and vital.

Licence starts her book at the very beginning of the Tudor dynasty with the stories of Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville. These women are often viewed as enemies on opposite sides of the Wars of the Roses. Still, closer examination shows how alike they were and how they came together to unite the warring factions with the marriage of their children, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, was seen as the pinnacle of excellence and the ideal queen for those who would try to follow in her footsteps. We also get to see how Margaret and Mary Tudor influenced their family's legacy, even though they never sat on the English throne like their brother, Henry VIII.

The next group of Tudor queens that we examine are the wives of Henry VIII; Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. These queens mark a different aspect of being a royal woman and helped England move forward. Finally, Licence explores the lives of the daughters of Catherine of Aragon, Frances Brandon, and Anne Boleyn, who would become queens themselves; Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

Licence shows how England and Europe viewed women who wielded power throughout this book. Although the Tudor dynasty only lasted 118 years, the change was significant and impactful. The Tudors queens had to navigate not only their traumas through the most public lens, but they had to balance their own beliefs with the shifting political landscape of Europe. There are also glimpses of how other European queens navigated the tumultuous 16th century and how their lives and women's education influenced the Tudor queens.

I found this book illuminating, shining a light on what it meant to be a Tudor queen. This title shows that the definition of what it meant to be a queen changed drastically throughout the Tudor dynasty. The Tudor queens may not seem like they have many similarities between them, but they were all women who showed strength through tragedy and transformed England's history forever in their unique ways. If you want a fabulous book that explores each Tudor queen in an informative way, I would highly suggest you read "Tudor Roses: From Margaret Beaufort to Elizabeth I" by Amy Licence.