What do you think?
Rate this book
The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England
Told for the very first time, this is the shocking and extraordinary story of the most-conniving and manipulative Tudor family you've never heard of - the dashing and daring Dudleys . . .
Each Tudor monarch made their name with a Dudley by their side - or by crushing one beneath their feet . . .
The Dudleys thrived at the court of Henry VII, but were sacrificed to the popularity of Henry VIII. Rising to prominence in the reign of Edward VI, the Dudleys lost it all by advancing Jane Grey to the throne over Mary I.
That was until the reign of Elizabeth I, when the family were once again at the centre of power, and would do anything to remain there . . .
With three generations of felled favourites, what was it that caused this family to keep rising so high and falling so low?
Here, for the first time, is the story of England's Borgias, a noble house competing in the murderous game of musical chairs around the English throne. Witness cunning, adultery and sheer audacity from history's most brilliant, bold and skulduggerous family.
Welcome to the House of Dudley.
Each Tudor monarch made their name with a Dudley by their side - or by crushing one beneath their feet . . .
The Dudleys thrived at the court of Henry VII, but were sacrificed to the popularity of Henry VIII. Rising to prominence in the reign of Edward VI, the Dudleys lost it all by advancing Jane Grey to the throne over Mary I.
That was until the reign of Elizabeth I, when the family were once again at the centre of power, and would do anything to remain there . . .
With three generations of felled favourites, what was it that caused this family to keep rising so high and falling so low?
Here, for the first time, is the story of England's Borgias, a noble house competing in the murderous game of musical chairs around the English throne. Witness cunning, adultery and sheer audacity from history's most brilliant, bold and skulduggerous family.
Welcome to the House of Dudley.
503 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2022
235 people are currently reading
3455 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
May 15, 2022
An absolute gem among books on historic figures!
The history of three generations of the Dudleys driven by ambition and the will to survive despite traitor trait. Edmund, with rather humble beginnings, filling coffers for Henry VII and executed by his heir, John elevated and executed for alleged treason, and Robert, a real survivor and favourite to Elizabeth I, and her true love, who died without a boy to continue his line. This Dudley is best-remembered for his close relationship to the queen and the ability to manouvre at the court.
The House of Dudley grew in power and dominance, extended their connections through marriage and intrigue, and remained one of the most fascinating English families.
Ms Paul writes in an engaging way, no gossips, sentimental or romantic traces to be found, just facts supported by historic documents. I loved her clear explanations and the way she took me through one hundred years and scores of names.
The history of three generations of the Dudleys driven by ambition and the will to survive despite traitor trait. Edmund, with rather humble beginnings, filling coffers for Henry VII and executed by his heir, John elevated and executed for alleged treason, and Robert, a real survivor and favourite to Elizabeth I, and her true love, who died without a boy to continue his line. This Dudley is best-remembered for his close relationship to the queen and the ability to manouvre at the court.
The House of Dudley grew in power and dominance, extended their connections through marriage and intrigue, and remained one of the most fascinating English families.
Ms Paul writes in an engaging way, no gossips, sentimental or romantic traces to be found, just facts supported by historic documents. I loved her clear explanations and the way she took me through one hundred years and scores of names.
Read
February 13, 2023The blurb for this book says the Dudleys are the Tudor family you've never heard of. Given Robert Dudley earl of Leicester was the one who very nearly married Elizabeth I and probably murdered his wife, so literally anyone with any interest in the Tudors has heard of him and of his stepson Essex of the Essex Rebellion, I'm genuinely confused who the publishers think the market for this book is. "People who don't know anything about the Tudors but want to start their reading with a book about a different family" seems niche. BUT WHAT DO I KNOW.
Anyway, stupid blurbs aside, this is a good history. The focus on the Dudleys is a terrific idea, because it really brings home the ups and downs of fortune for ambitious people in Tudor times. Edmund Dudley acquires himself a knighthood as enforcer for Henry VII's crime syndicate monarchy, but is executed at the start of the new reign; his son John manouvres (I can't spell that and I don't care) himself back to the top via military dedication, good marriage, and weaselling, becomes a duke, and one of the council reigning for the boy king Edward VI, then fucks it all by backing the wrong horse after Edward's death (his son was married to Lady Jane Grey, whoops.) He gets executed, and yet the next generation start clawing their way back up *again* once released from prison, mainly in the person of the aforesaid Robert Dudley, younger son promoted to Earl of Leicester. For a while the Dudleys were harder to eradicate than bindweed, but a series of deaths and childless marriages pretty much wiped them out.
We get a strong sense of how much depended on the favour of the monarch, and also on clever marriage alliances, being fertile at the right time, women's use of soft power. It's physically grounded too with a real sense of what houses looked like, how they were to live in, and the experience of travel, as well as the hell that was serious injury or illness. But mostly, it's the terrifying precariousness of the Tudor courts under Henry VII to Elizabeth that hits home: how anyone who wanted to survive had to be able to change his or her allegiances and religion and morals and friendships and even marriage on a sixpence.
The storytelling is a bit choppy, deliberately so in that it's sticking firmly to the big Dudley events, and the management of an extremely large cast with a lot of recurring first names and surnames is well done. (I must admit I let out a heartfelt groan when I realised that Robert Dudley's legitimate son, illegitimate son, stepson, and nephew-who-might be his heir were all called Robert. Mate.)
Anyway, stupid blurbs aside, this is a good history. The focus on the Dudleys is a terrific idea, because it really brings home the ups and downs of fortune for ambitious people in Tudor times. Edmund Dudley acquires himself a knighthood as enforcer for Henry VII's crime syndicate monarchy, but is executed at the start of the new reign; his son John manouvres (I can't spell that and I don't care) himself back to the top via military dedication, good marriage, and weaselling, becomes a duke, and one of the council reigning for the boy king Edward VI, then fucks it all by backing the wrong horse after Edward's death (his son was married to Lady Jane Grey, whoops.) He gets executed, and yet the next generation start clawing their way back up *again* once released from prison, mainly in the person of the aforesaid Robert Dudley, younger son promoted to Earl of Leicester. For a while the Dudleys were harder to eradicate than bindweed, but a series of deaths and childless marriages pretty much wiped them out.
We get a strong sense of how much depended on the favour of the monarch, and also on clever marriage alliances, being fertile at the right time, women's use of soft power. It's physically grounded too with a real sense of what houses looked like, how they were to live in, and the experience of travel, as well as the hell that was serious injury or illness. But mostly, it's the terrifying precariousness of the Tudor courts under Henry VII to Elizabeth that hits home: how anyone who wanted to survive had to be able to change his or her allegiances and religion and morals and friendships and even marriage on a sixpence.
The storytelling is a bit choppy, deliberately so in that it's sticking firmly to the big Dudley events, and the management of an extremely large cast with a lot of recurring first names and surnames is well done. (I must admit I let out a heartfelt groan when I realised that Robert Dudley's legitimate son, illegitimate son, stepson, and nephew-who-might be his heir were all called Robert. Mate.)
August 15, 2022
Absorbing, meticulously researched and expertly executed. A tale of intrigue and manipulation that will lead you through the very dark corridors of Tudor history.
May 30, 2023
Anyone who has read, studied and researched England’s Tudor Dynasty; has come across the ‘Dudley’ name. The Dudley family famously (or more accurately, infamously) stood as the “right-hand man” of most of the Tudor monarchs: Edmund Dudley – King Henry VIII, John Dudley – King Henry VIII through Queen Mary and Robert Dudley – Queen Elizabeth I. This extended to most of their sons, daughters, in-laws etc; who all worked their way into the nobility (worked… nepotism… tomato/tomatoe). Point being, that the Dudleys were literally and figuratively at the side of the Tudors and seemingly couldn’t have one without the other. Even with their strong ties to the monarchy; the Dudleys have yet to be featured in their own respective volume. Joanne Paul ambitiously sets out to be the first to explore the entirety of the Dudley family in one place with, “The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England”.
“The House of Dudley” is a multi-generational tome that in-part serves as a snapshot biographical piece of individual members of the Dudley family and also showcases the complex relationships the Dudleys constructed with the Tudor monarchy. To date, all Tudor history texts mention the Dudleys and not as a background figures but as main supporting characters; so it was due course to receive their own time to shine. Paul begins with Edmund Dudley’s rise as the key accountant to King Henry VII and his eventual disgrace and loss of life on the block. Paul successfully highlights key points alongside new information that captivates history lovers but still manages to cut Edmund’s time short. This is understandable as “The House of Dudley” has to cover other figures but this results in a feeling of being shortchanged.
The same can be said about the portrayal of John Dudley as he was a monumentally large figure and impact during the time of Henry VIII, Henry’s son Edward, the brief ‘rule’ of Jane Grey and his own downfall (the Dudley family was either cursed or couldn’t curb themselves from committing treasonous acts). Unlike with Edmund, Paul doesn’t uncover any new pieces of information regarding John and somehow diminishes his life. Whereas in other Tudor texts there is much drama and gravitas surrounding John that categorically solidifies his impact; “The House of Dudley” makes him seem monotone and one-note. This may be in pursuit of crafting a piece that lacks biases and opinions personal to Paul; but the cause is not as important as the fact that there is missing substance.
Those readers hoping for either a personal or psychological look at Dudleys correlated to the Tudors; will be disappointed as “The House of Dudley” glamorizes the political machinations and impact and little else. This isn’t to say this perspective isn’t interesting as it is quite the opposite filled with courtly intrigue, battles, deaths, conspiracies and thus, “The House of Dudley” is strategically redeemed. Paul also brings in treatments of extended and in-law family of the Dudleys covering all bases and the entire web of events/interactions. This is sometimes overwhelming but doesn’t deter the text from being readable and accessible.
Paul’s writing takes on a storytelling flare (which she announces in the appendix as her style) making “The House of Dudley” astonishingly vivid, illustrative, alive, pictorial and imagery-laden. Paul’s formatting is the prime example of making history ‘fun’ and entertaining but still emphasizing the history versus being fluff. The negative of Paul’s narrative-style is that it often bounces between 2nd and 3rd person narrative voice and is choppy and inconsistent. This isn’t a deal breaker problem but most definitely noticeable.
“The House of Dudley” loses steam and become somewhat repetitive throughout slowing the pace. Most of the text is an event-recall style of history versus truly psychoanalyzing or debunking myths making it ‘dry’ in some regards.
Robert Dudley (Queen Elizabeth I) also feels downplayed and his conclusion (which is the conclusion to the book, itself) is rushed and ill-conceived absent of strong memory complexion. The following Epilogue which looks at the happenings of Dudley family members after Robert’s death is more gratifying even though I would have liked to known about the modern day Dudley descendants.
“The House of Dudley” features a Notes section (minimally annotated), glossary of names/figures (that new readers will surely need to consult), glossary of terms, timeline of events by book section, notes on birth-dates of the 1st generation of the Dudleys, further reading, notes on sources and a bibliography. Paul conducted a momentous amount of research to compile “The House of Dudley” and cannot be accused of anything less. The text is also fortified with a section of photo plates.
Although not exactly as expected; “The House of Dudley” is a very ambitious and respectable piece that collectively focuses on the Dudley family in a (mostly) captivating way. Paul’s work isn’t perfect but still excellent and recommended for ALL readers of Tudor history.
“The House of Dudley” is a multi-generational tome that in-part serves as a snapshot biographical piece of individual members of the Dudley family and also showcases the complex relationships the Dudleys constructed with the Tudor monarchy. To date, all Tudor history texts mention the Dudleys and not as a background figures but as main supporting characters; so it was due course to receive their own time to shine. Paul begins with Edmund Dudley’s rise as the key accountant to King Henry VII and his eventual disgrace and loss of life on the block. Paul successfully highlights key points alongside new information that captivates history lovers but still manages to cut Edmund’s time short. This is understandable as “The House of Dudley” has to cover other figures but this results in a feeling of being shortchanged.
The same can be said about the portrayal of John Dudley as he was a monumentally large figure and impact during the time of Henry VIII, Henry’s son Edward, the brief ‘rule’ of Jane Grey and his own downfall (the Dudley family was either cursed or couldn’t curb themselves from committing treasonous acts). Unlike with Edmund, Paul doesn’t uncover any new pieces of information regarding John and somehow diminishes his life. Whereas in other Tudor texts there is much drama and gravitas surrounding John that categorically solidifies his impact; “The House of Dudley” makes him seem monotone and one-note. This may be in pursuit of crafting a piece that lacks biases and opinions personal to Paul; but the cause is not as important as the fact that there is missing substance.
Those readers hoping for either a personal or psychological look at Dudleys correlated to the Tudors; will be disappointed as “The House of Dudley” glamorizes the political machinations and impact and little else. This isn’t to say this perspective isn’t interesting as it is quite the opposite filled with courtly intrigue, battles, deaths, conspiracies and thus, “The House of Dudley” is strategically redeemed. Paul also brings in treatments of extended and in-law family of the Dudleys covering all bases and the entire web of events/interactions. This is sometimes overwhelming but doesn’t deter the text from being readable and accessible.
Paul’s writing takes on a storytelling flare (which she announces in the appendix as her style) making “The House of Dudley” astonishingly vivid, illustrative, alive, pictorial and imagery-laden. Paul’s formatting is the prime example of making history ‘fun’ and entertaining but still emphasizing the history versus being fluff. The negative of Paul’s narrative-style is that it often bounces between 2nd and 3rd person narrative voice and is choppy and inconsistent. This isn’t a deal breaker problem but most definitely noticeable.
“The House of Dudley” loses steam and become somewhat repetitive throughout slowing the pace. Most of the text is an event-recall style of history versus truly psychoanalyzing or debunking myths making it ‘dry’ in some regards.
Robert Dudley (Queen Elizabeth I) also feels downplayed and his conclusion (which is the conclusion to the book, itself) is rushed and ill-conceived absent of strong memory complexion. The following Epilogue which looks at the happenings of Dudley family members after Robert’s death is more gratifying even though I would have liked to known about the modern day Dudley descendants.
“The House of Dudley” features a Notes section (minimally annotated), glossary of names/figures (that new readers will surely need to consult), glossary of terms, timeline of events by book section, notes on birth-dates of the 1st generation of the Dudleys, further reading, notes on sources and a bibliography. Paul conducted a momentous amount of research to compile “The House of Dudley” and cannot be accused of anything less. The text is also fortified with a section of photo plates.
Although not exactly as expected; “The House of Dudley” is a very ambitious and respectable piece that collectively focuses on the Dudley family in a (mostly) captivating way. Paul’s work isn’t perfect but still excellent and recommended for ALL readers of Tudor history.
May 19, 2022
An extremely well written biography of the Tudor aristocratic family of the Dudley’s. Without blurring into fiction, Joanne Paul uses the facts of the primary sources to engrossingly describe the everyday lives of this family, track the marriages, births, deaths, highs and lows, and the history becomes a political thriller with almost endless twists and turns, as engaging as any primetime drama.
The main members of the family the book follows are:
Edmund Dudley, a ruthless tax collector who ignored the law to fill his and the king’s coffers. The judicial blackmail and extortion he pulled was horrific – even by Tudor standards. He then learned the hard way what happens when your only protection is the king – and that king dies.
John Dudley, growing up under the shadow of his father’s disgrace, takes full advantage of having a front row seat to watching the various political players of the day at work, and nimbly making sure he was always part of #TeamCurrentQueen. He also wisely shadows the highly successful Edward Seymour – and then maneuvers around him to be the most powerful member of the boy king’s council. When Edward VI dies young, John’s plans promptly blow up in his face, as high risk / high reward plans often do.
Next the focus gradually sharpens on Robert Dudley. John Dudley had 8 sons, but treason, disease and war whittled them down to 2 by the time Elizabeth I came to the throne, and middle child Robert came to forefront, spending the rest of his life in service to his queen. And its touch and go throughout if he dies on the block, in battle, or in his bed.
A fascinating reexamination of the Tudor era through the lens of this highly ambitious family. Keep the family tree charts handy to keep track of all the interrelationships!
March 17, 2023
Loved every minute.The writing, research, organisation,the detail,the photographs.
May 12, 2022
This is a fascinating and detailed dive into the history of one of the most notorious families in the Tudor era. Paul has researched the dynasty thoroughly and it really shows as she is able to pick out details and characterisations drawn from primary sources that bring much colour and verve to the cast. By weaving together themes and motifs across a five act structure the book takes on the feeling of a great epic. A stellar effort and well worth a look, especially for anyone interested in an alternate take on Tudor history. The only drawback is just as you're getting to like a character they get their head chopped off!
March 19, 2023
Interesting book looking at the Dudley family who came from nothing to close to being on the English throne and their gradual rise, fall and rise again through out the Tudor reign
July 3, 2025
A really good non-fiction narrative which manages to combine the story of the Tudor dynasty with that of one of its greatest vassals, the Dudley family.
What comes through more than anything is the sense that this is a family story, and Paul does really well to weave a personal narrative which covers the broad arc of history without getting lost in the minutiae of events and key figures.
I’d have liked to see more focus at times on the cadet lines of the family, especially the section on Leicester when Warwick felt a little ignored, but overall a really strong account of Tudor history.
What comes through more than anything is the sense that this is a family story, and Paul does really well to weave a personal narrative which covers the broad arc of history without getting lost in the minutiae of events and key figures.
I’d have liked to see more focus at times on the cadet lines of the family, especially the section on Leicester when Warwick felt a little ignored, but overall a really strong account of Tudor history.
February 16, 2023
This is an excellent retelling of a story which is familiar to any student of British History- the 118 years of Tudor rule. What allows the author's work to stand out is the fact that those familiar events and personalities are refracted through their impact on the influential Dudley family.
This works well because of the pivotal role in those events played by key scions of that noble family, particularly Edmund, John and Robert. Also, the presence throughout the story of members of the extended Dudley 'clan', such as Sir Philip Sidney and Robert Devereux, demonstrate the centrality of this network of families to events in 16th Century Britain.
Another standout feature of this book is the willingness of the author to explain in depth certain aspects of Tudor History which are so often overlooked by other historians. We're all aware of the importance to the Tudor Dynasty of Calais, but this is the only book I've read in which the town, its population, its defensive capabilities and its key landmarks are described. In a similar vein, the deaths of key figures such as Sir Philip Sidney are recounted in full and gruesome detail.
Overall, this is an excitingly written and uniquely focused account of a familiar period of British History, the retelling of which benefits greatly from this refreshing angle.
This works well because of the pivotal role in those events played by key scions of that noble family, particularly Edmund, John and Robert. Also, the presence throughout the story of members of the extended Dudley 'clan', such as Sir Philip Sidney and Robert Devereux, demonstrate the centrality of this network of families to events in 16th Century Britain.
Another standout feature of this book is the willingness of the author to explain in depth certain aspects of Tudor History which are so often overlooked by other historians. We're all aware of the importance to the Tudor Dynasty of Calais, but this is the only book I've read in which the town, its population, its defensive capabilities and its key landmarks are described. In a similar vein, the deaths of key figures such as Sir Philip Sidney are recounted in full and gruesome detail.
Overall, this is an excitingly written and uniquely focused account of a familiar period of British History, the retelling of which benefits greatly from this refreshing angle.
Want to read
December 13, 2022September Buddy Read in Reading the 20th Century Group.
August 17, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
Very readable, enjoyable, and informative.
As expected in a 370 page book about a whole century, glossed over some areas and eras I would have liked more information on (Anne Boleyn’s reign, notably).
Given how many repeated names there are, surprisingly easy to understand.
The penchant for starting each new section “in the action” did cause some confusion, as the timeline wasn’t always immediately clear.
Very readable, enjoyable, and informative.
As expected in a 370 page book about a whole century, glossed over some areas and eras I would have liked more information on (Anne Boleyn’s reign, notably).
Given how many repeated names there are, surprisingly easy to understand.
The penchant for starting each new section “in the action” did cause some confusion, as the timeline wasn’t always immediately clear.
July 6, 2025
Joanne Paul is a very engaging writer. I enjoyed this look at the Tudor period through the perspective of the Dudley family, who I (as an American) mostly knew because of Robert Dudley and his relationship to Queen Elizabeth I. It was interesting to see what life was like when your fortune and your very life depended on whether you found favor with the king or queen.
August 11, 2025
A interest way to view Tudor England through the Dudley family.
April 6, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this history of the Dudley family. I’m a huge Tudor nerd and feel like I’ve read so much fiction AND non-fiction about this era so a new perspective was both welcome and fascinating- reigniting my nerdiness. The Dudley name has always conjured images of Joseph Fiennes in the film, Elizabeth: a dashing rogue in breeches. This book really made me consider him as more than a two dimensional love interest. Additionally, I enjoyed the author’s acknowledgment of the female Dudleys’ importance in their family legacy. The narrative style employed by the author works well and I’m excited to see what she writes next.
August 21, 2023
That photo of Henry VII's death mask was a jumpscare every time I accidentally flipped to it (google it and see what I mean)
The story of the Dudley family is just as crazy as the dust jacket makes it out to be, I really enjoyed learning about them.
This was also really well-written, Joanne Paul is one to watch!
Now...if I had a nickel for the number of times a man holding the title Earl of Warwick schemed to place his bloodline on the throne though marriage, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but its weird that it happened twice, right?
The story of the Dudley family is just as crazy as the dust jacket makes it out to be, I really enjoyed learning about them.
This was also really well-written, Joanne Paul is one to watch!
Now...if I had a nickel for the number of times a man holding the title Earl of Warwick schemed to place his bloodline on the throne though marriage, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but its weird that it happened twice, right?
June 19, 2024
For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...
I've been having a bit of a Tudor renaissance lately. I've been a fan of the dynasty for thirty years but it had been a while since I last really read up on them. Catching up on Suzannah Lipscomb's fabulous podcast Not Just the Tudors though has really upped my enthusiasm again though and given me a number of pointers about Where to Read Next. First up on the list was this fascinating tale on the ups and many, many downfalls of one of the most famous and infamous dynasties of the Tudor era. I was familiar with most of the principal characters but Joanne Paul shines a light on a very different story.
For one family member to lose their heads over a treason charge might be considered a misfortune. For it to happen to the successive generation too and also the one after that ... well. It is not that surprising that the family gathered something of a reputation. If you count in Robert Dudley's stepson the Earl of Essex, that takes it to four generations of Dudleys who got the chop. Leaflets were circulated spreading the rumour that the family sought the crown. While keeping an objective view of her subject matter, Joanne Paul walks through the story and examines each case. We see instead how each of the Dudleys sought to serve the crown and also how they were heartily punished for it in every case.
Edmund Dudley was the commoner raised from obscurity due to his talents for milking money on the behalf of Henry VII. Of course, when said monarch passed away, Edmund Dudley had no contingency plan for his own protection and thus was swiftly imprisoned. Following an attempted escape attempt, he became the first Dudley to died in the Tower of London. His son John Dudley was a very young child at the time but Paul analyses how the scandal around his father's fate loomed over his whole life. Yet still, young John moved ever upwards in the king's service, not least due to his decades-long friendship with Edward Seymour, brother-in-law to the king and uncle to the heir.
John Dudley 1st Duke of Northumberland
One of the things that I thought I did know about the Dudleys was that patriarch John was full of ambition, so much so that he deposed Edward VI's uncle as Lord Protector and took up the regency for himself. Paul explains that the situation was far more complex. It seems more that Edward Seymour was making a pig's ear of the role, the council rebelled and John Dudley spoke up to spare Seymour's life due to their long association. But Seymour felt little gratitude for this and then tried plotting against him in response and so John Dudley had little choice than to order his death.
Similarly, as the young king's health began to fail, Paul argues convincingly that the naming of Jane Grey as heir was most likely to have been the choice of the fanatically Protestant Edward VI himself, keen to safeguard England against his elder half-sister's Catholicism. Yes, John Dudley had married one of his own sons to Jane Grey but still, he was obeying his sovereign. It is fascinating to read how Dudley and the rest of the council foresaw little difficulty in robbing Mary Tudor of her birthright. Like his father before him, John Dudley had made no contingency plan for failure. There was something rather in the spirit of Nineteen Eighty Four in how John Dudley found himself put on trial for treason by the very people who had supported him only days before. Like a game of musical chairs where he was the last one out, he was utterly out-manoeuvred.
In terms of story-telling, John Dudley feels like the main character. He was the patriarch, actually living long enough to influence his offspring. He organises their marriages and even their careers. But the correlation is unmistakeable. The closer the Dudleys got to the crown, the more abrupt were their deaths. Eldest child Henry died of a fever while battling in France. He had soared to glory on the battlefield and died puking his guts up. Guildford Dudley was briefly 'King of England' (Jane Grey stated that she was not willing to grant him this title) but also ended up executed as a teenager. Of John and Jane Dudley's thirteen children, only five outlived them and one of those survived them by less than two years.
Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester
While fourth son Ambrose carried on the family title, albeit in a childless marriage, it was Robert Dudley who had the most glittering career. Most famous of Elizabeth I's favourites, Paul dissects the strange death of his first wife Amy and Robert's subsequent chequered marital career. The dynamic of remaining close to the monarch changed a lot when a female took office. Like his father and grandfather, Robert Dudley was a loyal and obedient servant to his sovereign but Elizabeth I seems to have wanted him to herself in a far more emotional sense. Her jealousy and fury over his later marriage to Lettice Knollys show that while she did not wish to marry him herself, she had certainly not wanted any other woman to have supremacy in his heart. There is such a poignance though to Robert Dudley's grief following the death of his only legitimate child, noting that he was not likely to have any more at his age. He had laid his life and happiness at Elizabeth's feet and it does feel like she failed to appreciate it.
Another fascinating aspect highlighted Paul was the part played by the women in the family. While it is the men whose names have gone down in history, their mothers and sisters had equal significance. Edmund Dudley's widow remarried to Arthur Plantagenet in an attempt to protect her children. Jane Dudley worked with Anne Seymour in an attempt to reconcile their husbands, even organising a marriage between two of their children. Following John Dudley's execution, Jane Dudley also worked tirelessly to seek pardons for her surviving children from Mary Tudor. Dudley daughter Mary Sidney was a close servant to Elizabeth I, even caring for her when she was suffering from smallpox. With a female monarch, intimate roles which were traditionally male-held offices had to be carried out by female courtiers, granting canny operators such as Mary Sidney a chance to influence events in her own right.
Ultimately, I finished The House of Dudley with the conclusion that employment in close proximity to members of the Tudor dynasty was not appealing. Indeed, it was rather difficult to see why anyone would want it. Rewards were uneven and often designed to punish the recipient. You could spend rather a lot of money trying to please the monarch and receive little in the way of notice or reward. With a series of barren marriages and high stakes employment both on the home front or on European battlefields, the Dudley family withered on the vine and finally died out. In this deeply engaging and thought-provoking book, Joanne Paul sets out to draw attention to their service rather than their scheming. While their posthumous reputation may be irreversible, it is also unfair. This is a book that has shifted my own perspective on these key characters within Tudor politics - a must-read for all fans of the era.
I've been having a bit of a Tudor renaissance lately. I've been a fan of the dynasty for thirty years but it had been a while since I last really read up on them. Catching up on Suzannah Lipscomb's fabulous podcast Not Just the Tudors though has really upped my enthusiasm again though and given me a number of pointers about Where to Read Next. First up on the list was this fascinating tale on the ups and many, many downfalls of one of the most famous and infamous dynasties of the Tudor era. I was familiar with most of the principal characters but Joanne Paul shines a light on a very different story.
For one family member to lose their heads over a treason charge might be considered a misfortune. For it to happen to the successive generation too and also the one after that ... well. It is not that surprising that the family gathered something of a reputation. If you count in Robert Dudley's stepson the Earl of Essex, that takes it to four generations of Dudleys who got the chop. Leaflets were circulated spreading the rumour that the family sought the crown. While keeping an objective view of her subject matter, Joanne Paul walks through the story and examines each case. We see instead how each of the Dudleys sought to serve the crown and also how they were heartily punished for it in every case.
Edmund Dudley was the commoner raised from obscurity due to his talents for milking money on the behalf of Henry VII. Of course, when said monarch passed away, Edmund Dudley had no contingency plan for his own protection and thus was swiftly imprisoned. Following an attempted escape attempt, he became the first Dudley to died in the Tower of London. His son John Dudley was a very young child at the time but Paul analyses how the scandal around his father's fate loomed over his whole life. Yet still, young John moved ever upwards in the king's service, not least due to his decades-long friendship with Edward Seymour, brother-in-law to the king and uncle to the heir.
John Dudley 1st Duke of Northumberland
One of the things that I thought I did know about the Dudleys was that patriarch John was full of ambition, so much so that he deposed Edward VI's uncle as Lord Protector and took up the regency for himself. Paul explains that the situation was far more complex. It seems more that Edward Seymour was making a pig's ear of the role, the council rebelled and John Dudley spoke up to spare Seymour's life due to their long association. But Seymour felt little gratitude for this and then tried plotting against him in response and so John Dudley had little choice than to order his death.
Similarly, as the young king's health began to fail, Paul argues convincingly that the naming of Jane Grey as heir was most likely to have been the choice of the fanatically Protestant Edward VI himself, keen to safeguard England against his elder half-sister's Catholicism. Yes, John Dudley had married one of his own sons to Jane Grey but still, he was obeying his sovereign. It is fascinating to read how Dudley and the rest of the council foresaw little difficulty in robbing Mary Tudor of her birthright. Like his father before him, John Dudley had made no contingency plan for failure. There was something rather in the spirit of Nineteen Eighty Four in how John Dudley found himself put on trial for treason by the very people who had supported him only days before. Like a game of musical chairs where he was the last one out, he was utterly out-manoeuvred.
In terms of story-telling, John Dudley feels like the main character. He was the patriarch, actually living long enough to influence his offspring. He organises their marriages and even their careers. But the correlation is unmistakeable. The closer the Dudleys got to the crown, the more abrupt were their deaths. Eldest child Henry died of a fever while battling in France. He had soared to glory on the battlefield and died puking his guts up. Guildford Dudley was briefly 'King of England' (Jane Grey stated that she was not willing to grant him this title) but also ended up executed as a teenager. Of John and Jane Dudley's thirteen children, only five outlived them and one of those survived them by less than two years.
Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester
While fourth son Ambrose carried on the family title, albeit in a childless marriage, it was Robert Dudley who had the most glittering career. Most famous of Elizabeth I's favourites, Paul dissects the strange death of his first wife Amy and Robert's subsequent chequered marital career. The dynamic of remaining close to the monarch changed a lot when a female took office. Like his father and grandfather, Robert Dudley was a loyal and obedient servant to his sovereign but Elizabeth I seems to have wanted him to herself in a far more emotional sense. Her jealousy and fury over his later marriage to Lettice Knollys show that while she did not wish to marry him herself, she had certainly not wanted any other woman to have supremacy in his heart. There is such a poignance though to Robert Dudley's grief following the death of his only legitimate child, noting that he was not likely to have any more at his age. He had laid his life and happiness at Elizabeth's feet and it does feel like she failed to appreciate it.
Another fascinating aspect highlighted Paul was the part played by the women in the family. While it is the men whose names have gone down in history, their mothers and sisters had equal significance. Edmund Dudley's widow remarried to Arthur Plantagenet in an attempt to protect her children. Jane Dudley worked with Anne Seymour in an attempt to reconcile their husbands, even organising a marriage between two of their children. Following John Dudley's execution, Jane Dudley also worked tirelessly to seek pardons for her surviving children from Mary Tudor. Dudley daughter Mary Sidney was a close servant to Elizabeth I, even caring for her when she was suffering from smallpox. With a female monarch, intimate roles which were traditionally male-held offices had to be carried out by female courtiers, granting canny operators such as Mary Sidney a chance to influence events in her own right.
Ultimately, I finished The House of Dudley with the conclusion that employment in close proximity to members of the Tudor dynasty was not appealing. Indeed, it was rather difficult to see why anyone would want it. Rewards were uneven and often designed to punish the recipient. You could spend rather a lot of money trying to please the monarch and receive little in the way of notice or reward. With a series of barren marriages and high stakes employment both on the home front or on European battlefields, the Dudley family withered on the vine and finally died out. In this deeply engaging and thought-provoking book, Joanne Paul sets out to draw attention to their service rather than their scheming. While their posthumous reputation may be irreversible, it is also unfair. This is a book that has shifted my own perspective on these key characters within Tudor politics - a must-read for all fans of the era.
February 12, 2024
Jane Dudley was the best Dudley and I will fight anyone who disagrees
July 8, 2024
It was impossible not to imbue the treatise with an awareness of his own situation: ‘death cometh and tarrieth not’, he wrote, and when it comes, ‘all the treasure in the tower cannot entreat him for one day.’ Men might expect ‘to die in their beds in good prosperity’ but instead ‘die by execution and not worth a penny’. As he wrote, Edmund could not escape the knowledge that this was the fate which also awaited him.
The House of Dudley has several interesting elements. Three generations of the Dudley family served as close advisors to the Tudors despite two of their leading lights being executed for treason. They started as very minor gentry but got as high as a Dukedom without ever fully putting down roots (and eventually dying out in Italy!). Their careers and fates also call into question the rule of law in early modern Europe, being on both sides of the “Binds but does not protect/Protects but does not bind” coin. It is funny how little evidence or justice you needed to create a debt or claim treachery if you sailed the political winds correctly.
Arrogant negligence towards his reputation had, in many ways, been the downfall of his father. As resilient as he was becoming, John would have to ensure he did not fall into the same fatal trap.
The Dudleys were prominent enough for Paul to have good primary and secondary sources to call upon. There is a bit of interpolation (and perhaps extrapolation) with general evidence from the period where the specific sources falter, which does keep the narrative a little impersonal, but I found it pretty good overall. I followed the story and the factions reasonably well other than struggling a little during the St Bartholomew’s day massacre in France (Paul jumps around a bit precipitously there). She does try for cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, which 50% of the time do have bad endings – I guess that justifies them being cliffhangers.
There is a sense of a new perspective on the very many exciting events of the era, which I did enjoy. While constrained by the vicissitudes of the then reigning monarch, the Dudleys’ relatively lower profile allowed them to travel more widely than their rulers and interact with different levels of society. With Edmund Dudley, we get to see some of the workings behind the throne where Dudley raises money for King Henry VII (and himself) via dubious dealings. We get to see the execution of the monarch’s policy, along with attempts to influence it, such as during the Reformation.
As a result, while the law on heresy was clear, what defined it often required interpretation and caution. The Bible was in English, but not everyone was meant to read it. Catholic images were smashed, but Protestant ‘heretics’ burned.
Paul treats Robert Dudley’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth very respectfully, even past the period where marriage was a possibility. It does read as a bit of an editorial choice by Paul as to having them as mature former paramours who remain close, but it seems reasonable enough – I would have to read more books asserting the same or contrary before I could agree/disagree. The brutal infant (and adult) mortality of the era also winds its ways through the story, and it does leave me with the impression that even with so many deaths, each was mourned with a real sense of loss.
It is a slightly academic read rather than a racy tale, but The House of Dudley did broaden my understanding of Tudor England and how one could make their way through it, for which I am appreciative.
The House of Dudley has several interesting elements. Three generations of the Dudley family served as close advisors to the Tudors despite two of their leading lights being executed for treason. They started as very minor gentry but got as high as a Dukedom without ever fully putting down roots (and eventually dying out in Italy!). Their careers and fates also call into question the rule of law in early modern Europe, being on both sides of the “Binds but does not protect/Protects but does not bind” coin. It is funny how little evidence or justice you needed to create a debt or claim treachery if you sailed the political winds correctly.
Arrogant negligence towards his reputation had, in many ways, been the downfall of his father. As resilient as he was becoming, John would have to ensure he did not fall into the same fatal trap.
The Dudleys were prominent enough for Paul to have good primary and secondary sources to call upon. There is a bit of interpolation (and perhaps extrapolation) with general evidence from the period where the specific sources falter, which does keep the narrative a little impersonal, but I found it pretty good overall. I followed the story and the factions reasonably well other than struggling a little during the St Bartholomew’s day massacre in France (Paul jumps around a bit precipitously there). She does try for cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, which 50% of the time do have bad endings – I guess that justifies them being cliffhangers.
There is a sense of a new perspective on the very many exciting events of the era, which I did enjoy. While constrained by the vicissitudes of the then reigning monarch, the Dudleys’ relatively lower profile allowed them to travel more widely than their rulers and interact with different levels of society. With Edmund Dudley, we get to see some of the workings behind the throne where Dudley raises money for King Henry VII (and himself) via dubious dealings. We get to see the execution of the monarch’s policy, along with attempts to influence it, such as during the Reformation.
As a result, while the law on heresy was clear, what defined it often required interpretation and caution. The Bible was in English, but not everyone was meant to read it. Catholic images were smashed, but Protestant ‘heretics’ burned.
Paul treats Robert Dudley’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth very respectfully, even past the period where marriage was a possibility. It does read as a bit of an editorial choice by Paul as to having them as mature former paramours who remain close, but it seems reasonable enough – I would have to read more books asserting the same or contrary before I could agree/disagree. The brutal infant (and adult) mortality of the era also winds its ways through the story, and it does leave me with the impression that even with so many deaths, each was mourned with a real sense of loss.
It is a slightly academic read rather than a racy tale, but The House of Dudley did broaden my understanding of Tudor England and how one could make their way through it, for which I am appreciative.
September 21, 2024
“The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England” by Jeanne Paul ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
“The House of Dudley” chronicles the rise and fall (and the hiccups in between) of the Dudley family through the whole of the Tudor Period from 1485 to 1603 and how this family seemed to have been doomed from the start.
Paul’s story telling is quite enthralling. This is also an incredibly interesting look at how the court works once you step back from Henry and his wives. Once you’re a spectator/courtier, the narrative doesn’t so much change as it gives a new perspective on events.
My favorite thing that Paul has done is put the historical record back into the hands of the people who wrote or spoke the words. Most times, historians will block off the text and present it as a third party observation. Here, Paul uses the proper text as narration for the things these people were said to have spoken or had written.
Another thing I really liked was how much time she dedicates to John Dudley’s children. Most of the focus is on John himself, his son Guildford (but only for one ever so small reason) and his son Robert. Actually getting to learn about Dudley’s thirteen children was a nice change of pace for once. It’s an interesting look at the period at large and I’d recommend this to anyone who needed a fresh perspective.
“The House of Dudley” chronicles the rise and fall (and the hiccups in between) of the Dudley family through the whole of the Tudor Period from 1485 to 1603 and how this family seemed to have been doomed from the start.
Paul’s story telling is quite enthralling. This is also an incredibly interesting look at how the court works once you step back from Henry and his wives. Once you’re a spectator/courtier, the narrative doesn’t so much change as it gives a new perspective on events.
My favorite thing that Paul has done is put the historical record back into the hands of the people who wrote or spoke the words. Most times, historians will block off the text and present it as a third party observation. Here, Paul uses the proper text as narration for the things these people were said to have spoken or had written.
Another thing I really liked was how much time she dedicates to John Dudley’s children. Most of the focus is on John himself, his son Guildford (but only for one ever so small reason) and his son Robert. Actually getting to learn about Dudley’s thirteen children was a nice change of pace for once. It’s an interesting look at the period at large and I’d recommend this to anyone who needed a fresh perspective.
September 18, 2023
"He knelt in the blood, barely absorbed by the rushes. It soaked through his hose and stained his skin. He had investigated every avenue, but there was no way out now. His cheek met the bloody block. It smelled woody and metallic, like a coffer full of coins."
From the most ardent of Tudor enthusiasts to the tentative beginner venturing into the turbulent and deadly world that was the Tudor Dynasty, no matter at what stage they looked, there would be a Dudley close at hand to capture their attention.
Joanne Paul has taken on a hugely ambitious project of genealogical history investigating the complex relationship between the Dudley family and their close connection to the monarchs they served.
There is no doubt that Paul's research is without fault, with an impressive evaluation of the meteoric rise and rapid fall of the notorious family. Paul acts as both historian and storyteller, her writing taking a vividly pictorial flair at times. This was beautifully effective during the Edmund and John "eras" in my opinion.
It is only to be natural that a large factor of the book would be devoted to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. The most famous of all the Dudley family, Robert is best known for his close association to Elizabeth I and is often who one would think of first when thinking of a Dudley member.
Whether it is due to an over-saturation of material on Robert Dudley, or perhaps I feel I read a lot on him already, I found I most valued the insight into the earlier Dudley family members and, especially, the Dudley women over that of Robert. I could go on reading about the Dudley women forevermore, but I feel unfortunately due to lack of source material this is limited.
An essential book if you wish to learn more about the Tudor Era from a new perspective, The House of Dudley is a fantastic book to introduce you to new and important figures you may not have read of much beforehand.
From the most ardent of Tudor enthusiasts to the tentative beginner venturing into the turbulent and deadly world that was the Tudor Dynasty, no matter at what stage they looked, there would be a Dudley close at hand to capture their attention.
Joanne Paul has taken on a hugely ambitious project of genealogical history investigating the complex relationship between the Dudley family and their close connection to the monarchs they served.
There is no doubt that Paul's research is without fault, with an impressive evaluation of the meteoric rise and rapid fall of the notorious family. Paul acts as both historian and storyteller, her writing taking a vividly pictorial flair at times. This was beautifully effective during the Edmund and John "eras" in my opinion.
It is only to be natural that a large factor of the book would be devoted to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. The most famous of all the Dudley family, Robert is best known for his close association to Elizabeth I and is often who one would think of first when thinking of a Dudley member.
Whether it is due to an over-saturation of material on Robert Dudley, or perhaps I feel I read a lot on him already, I found I most valued the insight into the earlier Dudley family members and, especially, the Dudley women over that of Robert. I could go on reading about the Dudley women forevermore, but I feel unfortunately due to lack of source material this is limited.
An essential book if you wish to learn more about the Tudor Era from a new perspective, The House of Dudley is a fantastic book to introduce you to new and important figures you may not have read of much beforehand.
August 29, 2022
Yet now the ragged staff, once borne so high,
Is broken, and in dust the bears do lie.
“A new history of Tudor England”— that subtitle isn’t an exaggeration. This book really does feel like it brings something new to Tudor history, and that’s no mean feat given the scores of books and articles published every year. This was such an incredibly well-written, extensively researched, and refreshing look at the reigns of Henry VII through to Elizabeth I, and seeing how the Dudleys fit into the Tudor regime was utterly fascinating. I loved every moment, and will be forcing this book on absolutely anybody I know even remotely interested in Tudor history.
Is broken, and in dust the bears do lie.
“A new history of Tudor England”— that subtitle isn’t an exaggeration. This book really does feel like it brings something new to Tudor history, and that’s no mean feat given the scores of books and articles published every year. This was such an incredibly well-written, extensively researched, and refreshing look at the reigns of Henry VII through to Elizabeth I, and seeing how the Dudleys fit into the Tudor regime was utterly fascinating. I loved every moment, and will be forcing this book on absolutely anybody I know even remotely interested in Tudor history.
January 25, 2023
’For all his apparent confidence, and very fine legs, Philip was riddled with anxiety’
The Tudors have always been one of my favourite families to study, and reign over one of my favourite periods of time. That being said, they’re not the only family of the time that I find interesting. Hence, buying The House of Dudley.
The Dudley family are, fundamentally, menaces to society. Gaining power, losing power, giving birth to loads of kids, dying in gruesome ways, fucking nobility, killing nobility, killing their friends, enemies, wives, lovers. They really did define the Tudor period almost as much as the Tudors themselves, and I think Joanne Paul did an excellent job of writing this. The book was interesting, extremely well-written and most of all engaging, which a lot of non-fiction books seem to really struggle with.
Overall, The House of Dudley gets a 4/5 for it’s stunning cover, building my love for John and Jane Dudley, and reminding us that even if you have good legs, you can still hate your wife :)
The Tudors have always been one of my favourite families to study, and reign over one of my favourite periods of time. That being said, they’re not the only family of the time that I find interesting. Hence, buying The House of Dudley.
The Dudley family are, fundamentally, menaces to society. Gaining power, losing power, giving birth to loads of kids, dying in gruesome ways, fucking nobility, killing nobility, killing their friends, enemies, wives, lovers. They really did define the Tudor period almost as much as the Tudors themselves, and I think Joanne Paul did an excellent job of writing this. The book was interesting, extremely well-written and most of all engaging, which a lot of non-fiction books seem to really struggle with.
Overall, The House of Dudley gets a 4/5 for it’s stunning cover, building my love for John and Jane Dudley, and reminding us that even if you have good legs, you can still hate your wife :)
October 6, 2023
I was a little bit disappointed by this book. It is an excellent retelling of some of the most famous moments in English History through the lives of a family that lived at the heart of the turmoils of the Tudor dynasty. The Dudley were a compelling family whose fate was extremely interesting to study. However I feel like this book lacked of many things. Indeed, I thought that this book did not have a timeline that was clear enough : in certain chapters, years would be skipped without warning and some of the main political events were lacking of further explaining. I also thought that this book was too factual, it told the story without giving any life to its characters which was disappointing because the Dudley were extremely interesting and I wish I had gotten to know them better than I do after reading this whole book.
August 5, 2022
I loved this book. It's writing style and narrative adoption was so far from the crusty old reference books of my education. If more historical accounts were written in this style I'm sure more would become interested and invested in historical studies. I learned and understood so much about my favourite period of English history.
November 5, 2023
In England, we are so obsessed with the Tudor family, we very rarely pause to look at those standing just behind them. This book corrects that, giving real depth to a period that otherwise becomes a tired rehash of the same stories.
November 11, 2023
Paul paints colourful pictures of the personalities that rose and fell in Tudor England, making their inner lives as vivid as their actions.
July 2, 2023
A fascinating peek at a turbulent, clever, loyal family
March 8, 2023
An excellent view of the Tudor reigns from an unusual perspective - the Dudley family who served them. It was particularly interesting to see so many other families who's names were familiar to anyone with an interest in the period - the Boleyns, Greys, Sidney, Percy etc. The author writes in a sympathetic manner, dealing with a family who suffered greatly for their ambition during a time of great turbulence, as sovereigns came and went and the state religion changed swiftly.
There were just a couple of occasions where the timeline jumped oddly (for example from Elizabeth I's coronation back to Henry VIII funeral) but it is a very complex period in history. The writing style is very readable, and one is transported back to that time. The endnotes and glossary were very helpful too.
A really good read, and a good academic study.
There were just a couple of occasions where the timeline jumped oddly (for example from Elizabeth I's coronation back to Henry VIII funeral) but it is a very complex period in history. The writing style is very readable, and one is transported back to that time. The endnotes and glossary were very helpful too.
A really good read, and a good academic study.
December 30, 2023
It’s probably no secret to readers of this newsletter that I am a passionate devotee of Tudor history. If there’s a book or a film or a TV show about this most glamorous and deadly of English dynasties, chances are that I’m going to be interested in reading it. I was thus very excited to see that there was a new trade history book out about the Tudor era, focusing on the Dudleys, one of the most influential–and tragic–families to have emerged during this turbulent period of history. Joanne Paul’s The House of Dudley: A New History of Tudor England, is a remarkably erudite and readable piece of popular history that doesn’t sacrifice rigor in favor of accessibility.
As Paul eloquently reminds us, the Dudleys were some of the most important supporters of the Tudor dynasty, beginning with Edmund and ending with Robert, Queen Elizabeth I’s most beloved and enduring courtier. However, they were repeatedly at the mercy of fortune’s wheel, for no sooner did they manage to rise to the pinnacle of power than they were cast down into abjection again and again and again.
Paul’s story begins with Edmund Dudley, who rose from rather humble origins to become one of the most influential men at Henry VII’s court. The first of the Tudors was a man well-known (and more than a little infamous) for his avarice and desire for more funds, and Edmund proved particularly adept at squeezing money out of everyone. However, closeness to the Tudor monarchs carried with it a number of dangers, as members of the Dudley family found to their cost. After serving Henry VII faithfully, he was quickly thrown to the wolves once the elder Henry was dead and his son succeeded him. The Tudors, unfortunately for those who served in their court, were not particularly known for their loyalty.
Through sheer tenacity and guile, Edmund’s son John managed to claw his way back into power and influence. Not only did he become a member of Henry VIII’s inner circle, he also managed to secure himself a position of significant power and influence over the king’s successor, the young Edward VI. Here, too, however, ambition proved to be a double-edged sword, particularly when Dudley conspired with the ailing Edward to cut his sisters out of the line of succession in favor of his staunchly Protestant cousin, Jane Grey who was, of course, married to John’s son. Unfortunately for all of them, things quickly fell apart when Princess Mary triumphed, ultimately sending John and son Guildford to the block.
It was John’s son Robert, however, who would come closest to seeing the family’s ambitions brought to fruition. He was canny enough to become a courtier–and rumored lover–to Queen Elizabeth I, who showered him with honors and affections. She even went so far as to ennoble him, creating him Earl of Leicester. Yet even Robert found that the curse of the Dudleys was never far away, and there were always limits to Elizabeth’s forbearance (particularly after he was foolish enough to marry her beautiful cousin Lettice Knollys). Despite all of his accomplishments, he was never able to produce a legitimate male heir; his son with Lettice died at a tragically young age. Robert’s fate was, in its own way, just as tragic as that of his father and his grandfather, for while his power stemmed directly from the Queen herself, she was also the one most determined to keep him under control.
Though these three men occupy much of Paul’s story, she also gives due attention to some of the other more tangential members of the family, including Mary Dudley, John’s sister, who was the mother of Sir Philip Sidney, the noted poet (who died tragically young fighting in the Netherlands). This allows her to give a very thorough investigation of the impact of the Tudors and their rule on one of the family’s who were closest to them and who thoroughly tied their interests to those in power. Mary, like her brothers and her father, suffered greatly in royal service; after nursing Queen Elizabeth through her vicious smallpox attack, she developed the disease. Even this, however, wasn’t enough to earn her much in the Virgin Queen’s service, who seemed quite willing and inclined to exploit her and her husband.
Paul has a keen eye for material detail, and she gives us an intimate view of what daily life was like for those of the Dudley’s class. The book is replete with descriptions of the various Dudley homes and the great palaces inhabited by the Tudors. Just as importantly, she also includes copious quotes from those of the period, both the Dudleys themselves and those who knew them, worked with them in the halls of power, and of course turned against them. This gives the reader a keen sense of the period and its most prominent voices.
I’ve always found the Dudleys to be some of the most fascinating figures of the Tudor period. They might not originally have been members of the nobility, but they proved remarkably adept at climbing the ladder of power, managing to accrue quite a few titles in the process. In binding themselves so tightly to the various Tudor monarchs–particularly Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth–they inadvertently sowed the seeds of their own demise. By the time that Elizabeth died in 1603, many of the Dudleys were already dead, having worn themselves out in service of the monarchy.
Overall, I found myself quite swept along by The House of Dudley. Joanne Paul has certainly joined some of the other great popular historians working today, and this book will certainly appeal to those who are fans of Dan Jones and Alison Weir. Even though it might sometimes seem as if there couldn’t possibly be anything new to say about the Tudors, Paul demonstrates that this rich period of English history still has much to reveal, particularly when it comes to those who were closest the Tudors and did so much to contribute to their power.
As Paul eloquently reminds us, the Dudleys were some of the most important supporters of the Tudor dynasty, beginning with Edmund and ending with Robert, Queen Elizabeth I’s most beloved and enduring courtier. However, they were repeatedly at the mercy of fortune’s wheel, for no sooner did they manage to rise to the pinnacle of power than they were cast down into abjection again and again and again.
Paul’s story begins with Edmund Dudley, who rose from rather humble origins to become one of the most influential men at Henry VII’s court. The first of the Tudors was a man well-known (and more than a little infamous) for his avarice and desire for more funds, and Edmund proved particularly adept at squeezing money out of everyone. However, closeness to the Tudor monarchs carried with it a number of dangers, as members of the Dudley family found to their cost. After serving Henry VII faithfully, he was quickly thrown to the wolves once the elder Henry was dead and his son succeeded him. The Tudors, unfortunately for those who served in their court, were not particularly known for their loyalty.
Through sheer tenacity and guile, Edmund’s son John managed to claw his way back into power and influence. Not only did he become a member of Henry VIII’s inner circle, he also managed to secure himself a position of significant power and influence over the king’s successor, the young Edward VI. Here, too, however, ambition proved to be a double-edged sword, particularly when Dudley conspired with the ailing Edward to cut his sisters out of the line of succession in favor of his staunchly Protestant cousin, Jane Grey who was, of course, married to John’s son. Unfortunately for all of them, things quickly fell apart when Princess Mary triumphed, ultimately sending John and son Guildford to the block.
It was John’s son Robert, however, who would come closest to seeing the family’s ambitions brought to fruition. He was canny enough to become a courtier–and rumored lover–to Queen Elizabeth I, who showered him with honors and affections. She even went so far as to ennoble him, creating him Earl of Leicester. Yet even Robert found that the curse of the Dudleys was never far away, and there were always limits to Elizabeth’s forbearance (particularly after he was foolish enough to marry her beautiful cousin Lettice Knollys). Despite all of his accomplishments, he was never able to produce a legitimate male heir; his son with Lettice died at a tragically young age. Robert’s fate was, in its own way, just as tragic as that of his father and his grandfather, for while his power stemmed directly from the Queen herself, she was also the one most determined to keep him under control.
Though these three men occupy much of Paul’s story, she also gives due attention to some of the other more tangential members of the family, including Mary Dudley, John’s sister, who was the mother of Sir Philip Sidney, the noted poet (who died tragically young fighting in the Netherlands). This allows her to give a very thorough investigation of the impact of the Tudors and their rule on one of the family’s who were closest to them and who thoroughly tied their interests to those in power. Mary, like her brothers and her father, suffered greatly in royal service; after nursing Queen Elizabeth through her vicious smallpox attack, she developed the disease. Even this, however, wasn’t enough to earn her much in the Virgin Queen’s service, who seemed quite willing and inclined to exploit her and her husband.
Paul has a keen eye for material detail, and she gives us an intimate view of what daily life was like for those of the Dudley’s class. The book is replete with descriptions of the various Dudley homes and the great palaces inhabited by the Tudors. Just as importantly, she also includes copious quotes from those of the period, both the Dudleys themselves and those who knew them, worked with them in the halls of power, and of course turned against them. This gives the reader a keen sense of the period and its most prominent voices.
I’ve always found the Dudleys to be some of the most fascinating figures of the Tudor period. They might not originally have been members of the nobility, but they proved remarkably adept at climbing the ladder of power, managing to accrue quite a few titles in the process. In binding themselves so tightly to the various Tudor monarchs–particularly Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth–they inadvertently sowed the seeds of their own demise. By the time that Elizabeth died in 1603, many of the Dudleys were already dead, having worn themselves out in service of the monarchy.
Overall, I found myself quite swept along by The House of Dudley. Joanne Paul has certainly joined some of the other great popular historians working today, and this book will certainly appeal to those who are fans of Dan Jones and Alison Weir. Even though it might sometimes seem as if there couldn’t possibly be anything new to say about the Tudors, Paul demonstrates that this rich period of English history still has much to reveal, particularly when it comes to those who were closest the Tudors and did so much to contribute to their power.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews