I had the great privilege of traveling to Paris, France the end of March 2016 and attended all the normal Paris attractions. One, however stood out, as it was Tudor related. Mary Queen of Scots and her first husband, Francis II of France married here, Notre Dame De Paris in 1558.
Notre Dame, in itself, is an iconic piece of history but being in the same place that Mary Queen of Scots married her first husband was pretty amazing and an experience that I will never forget. Below are some pictures taken. After the pictures are a brief history about Mary Queen of Scots, specifically of her marriage to Francis II at Notre Dame.
In 1555, Mary sent back letters to her mother in Scotland to be used for administrative purposes and it is from these that we first see her royal signature ‘MARIE R’. In 1558, she married the Dauphin (Francis II) in an incredible celebration in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Exceptionally tall for a woman in the 16th century, Mary was every inch the regal Queen; she had an oval face, shapely chin, and small mouth which were set off by her golden-red hair, her large forehead, and hazel eyes. Many considered Mary to be the most beautiful princess in Europe, much as they had thought of her relative, Henry VIII’s sister, Mary, who had also come to France as queen for a short while. Mary was not always in the best of health but, unlike her husband, there were no immediate concerns for her life (this information was from the below site). For more information regarding Mary Queen of Scots: http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/mary-queen-of-scots/
Q & A with Writer & Director of "I am Henry", Jan Hendrik Verstraten
Trailer of "I am Henry"
Written & Directed by Jan Hendrik Verstraten
I had the great privilege of having a Q & A with Jan Hendrik Verstraten. Please enjoy the Q & A. Thank you Jan Hendrik Verstraten for taking the time to do the Q & A and we wish you all the best.
Q: Please let us know what we should expect from the short film,
"I am Henry”.
A: I Am Henry is essentially a
two-hander between King Henry VIII and the ghost of his second wife Anne
Boleyn, though Catherine, his first wife, also appears as do his dead children.
The King is dead, and the monk who sits with him appears to be a manifestation
of The Grim Reaper, St Peter or perhaps God himself. There is a yearning
quality to the story as Henry finds himself in purgatory (limbo) and is
confronted with his misdeeds, especially his betrayal of Anne. Though Henry
insists he regrets nothing, we’re left uncertain this is actually the case.
Q: What inspired your team to do a short film about Henry VIII?
A: The story of Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyn is without doubt one of the most fascinating love stories in English
history. It’s full of drama, intrigue and suspense.
When I set out to write the
screenplay however, it wasn’t my plan for it to be about this famous Tudor
monarch. All I envisioned was a middle-aged man in an empty white room. While I
sat down behind the computer, and felt this man’s presence. I started to
realise it was King Henry VIII, that he just had died, and that he had not
fully grasped yet what that meant.
A strange concept perhaps, but
from then onwards I got really excited, started my research and looked deeper
into his life.
The voices of Anne Boleyn, and
Catherine of Aragon came alive quite easily, as if they were eager to share
their experience and grief, especially what they felt when they were alive, and
how Henry had tragically impacted their lives. It was the King himself who
initially struggled to find his own voice, as if over the years, he had become
lost, as a result of his misdeeds.
The characters are widely known,
and I quickly realised that this was an advantage. There is no need to
introduce them as most of the audience already knows about them, and Anne
Boleyn, in particular, has a huge following worldwide. All of these elements
were very helpful in making this short.
Q: Who is the actor who portrays
Henry VIII and why did you choose him as your Henry VIII?
A: The quality of the actors we saw
during the castings was incredible. We found Fleur Keith, an amazing Anne from
among 150 applicants. Catherine and Henry the Duke were easier roles to cast.
Maria de Lima brought an emotional intimacy to the role that was mesmerizing.
The only one that was missing was the King himself.
After much effort, I searched IMDB
and other sites and found a trailer starring Sebastian Street. He came across
as a very versatile and strong actor to me, and he had just finished his
Scorsese film ‘Tomorrow.’ I immediately thought he would make a great Henry.
I sent him the script right away
and didn’t expect to hear back from him but to my surprise, he called me the
very next morning. He had just returned from Cannes, where he was promoting his
new feature. He told me he loved the script and was interested in being in the
short film. He asked, “When were we going to shoot it?"
Q: Tell us about the director of
this film.What does he/she hope the
audience will gain from watching "I am Henry".How will this film standout from
other Henry VIII films?
A: The film is told after King Henry
VIII’s death. As a writer I could see the dramatic benefit of this approach.
It’s fascinating to be able to hear Anne tell us what
she felt while she was in the tower, and how it was to walk towards the
scaffolding and her tragic death.
In a lot of my writing, I have a
strong interest in the feelings of the characters, but I am also curious about
the forces in life that cannot be seen, and the things in life and beyond that
we merely can sense or can only speculate about.
Death, and the possibility of
life after death, intrigues most people as much as life does, and I feel as a
writer drawn to explore it, and venture into the unknown.
Each one of us will die one day,
and it raises fundamental questions: ‘How will I feel? Nothing? Is there a God?
What’s the ongoing journey that awaits us?’
Q: When do you anticipate "I am
Henry" to be released?
A: Early 2016.
Q: How would we be able to watch
"I am Henry" when released?
A: The most likely scenario for the audience to see the film is
online.
Q: Have you introduced the short
film in film festivals? What has been
the general response about the film?
A: We have submitted the film to various festivals and hope to be
able to inform the audience in the coming months that we have been accepted
into one of them. So far the response to the film has been excellent, but I have
to admit that we have shown it only to a select few. The response to the
trailer has been excellent. The film itself has been watched to a select few
only so far. We’ve asked a historian author to review the film this week,
and she has agreed, which is great. I hope to post her feedback online very
soon.
This webpage has just recently reached over 100,000 Page-Views in the Month of August 2014. The page first made its appearance in October 2011. This page has high viewership in the United States & the United Kingdom. In addition, those in the Ukraine, China, Germany, Israel, Russia, France, Canada, & Australia have viewed this page.
It has been an amazing experience for me & I want to thank all of you for viewing this page.
This week I finished Robert Parry's "Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen & The Men Who Loved Her". I wrote a short review in my last post and with that, I highly recommend this book. Robert & I thought it would be a great for a Q & A. Below are questions that I asked Robert. Much appreciation for his time with this Q&A. In addition, Robert is so graciosully proving a free book to one of my Facebook followers.
***Within the next day or so, there will be a question posted on my FB page, https://www.facebook.com/thetudorspage. All one has to do is answer the question and they will be entered for the free giveaway of Mr. Parry's book. More to come over the weekend.***
Enjoy The Q & A With Mr. Robert Parry
Author, Robert Parry
Question: What is your most recent book, "Elizabeth:
The Virgin Queen & The Men Who Loved Her" about?
Answer: It is a memoir concerning a gentleman who attended an
unusual series of lectures on Queen Elizabeth I of England on a country retreat
at some unspecified time in the recent past. He describes the lectures, along
with the location in which they took place - a series of biographical sketches
on the men in Elizabeth’s life interspersed with fictional vignettes.
Question: What inspired you to write "Elizabeth: The
Virgin Queen & The Men Who Loved Her"?
Answer: I have always had an abiding interest in the Tudor and
Elizabethan era, and one of my all time favourite heroines is Elizabeth
herself.
Question: What is your opinion
of Elizabeth I?
Answer: I believe she was one of the most unusual, interesting and
talented women in history. Simple as that.For a single woman in a man’s world to succeed in governing a country
for nigh-on 45 years would be considered a impressive feat in any age,
including our own, but in the 16th Century it was nothing short of
miraculous.
Question: This is mentioned in
the book but do you believe Elizabeth I was a Virgin?
Answer: My feelings on this hotly debated topic have wavered over
the years. When I wrote my first novel ‘Virgin and the Crab’ way back in the
nineties (published 2009) I tended towards the doubtful and dubious side of
things. These days, however, it seems more and more likely to me that she was
indeed a virgin queen as we would define the term today. I’d like to think that
the reader of this latest book will come away feeling that this is, indeed,
perfectly plausible.
Question: Which part of the book, "Elizabeth: The
Virgin Queen & The Men Who Loved Her", did you most enjoy writing?
Answer: Oh, probably the fictional vignettes. I am not an historian,
and so the biographical elements are really nothing out of the ordinary. It is
the fictional episodes that make it come alive and give it the sparkle. It is
that vitality and energy of the Elizabethan age that, above all, I wanted to
convey.
Question: What is it about the
Tudor era that fascinates you?
Answer: The simplicity of things – that things were governed by
expediency and common sense, combined with the application of faith in all
areas of life. There was a great spirit of adventure, and the English language
climbed towards its peak of excellence culminating in the works of Shakespeare.
The fashions were pretty cool, as well.
Question: How did you narrow down the men who loved
Elizabeth I?
Answer: That was basically a matter of drawing on the history books
and what they tell us. We know pretty well who she associated with, and
especially those with whom she came in contact with on an almost daily basis,
her closest companions and devotees. They were the important ones.
Question: How can someone purchase "Elizabeth: The
Virgin Queen & The Men Who Loved Her"?
Answer: Thank you. It’s available as paperback and kindle on amazon.
The ISBN of the paperback is 978-1499355598. If someone wishes to ask their
library to stock it, however, the ISBN is 978-1500477172
Question: What other novels have
you written?
Answer:
2014 'ELIZABETH - The Virgin Queen and the Men who Loved
Her.'
2013 'WILDISH - A Story Concerning Different Kinds of Love'
2011 'THE ARROW CHEST - A Victorian Mystery'
2009 'VIRGIN AND THE CRAB - Sketches, Fables and Mysteries from the Early Life
of John Dee and Elizabeth Tudor'
Question: Is there another book
in the works?
Answer: Yes indeed. I hope to be able to release my next full-length
novel early in 2015. The title is ‘The Hours Before.’ and it is set in the world
of the European Belle Époque, just at the close of the Victorian age and the
beginning of the Edwardian. Anyone who is interested can keep up with
developments on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/robert.stephen.parry See you there maybe!
A Review of the book, "Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen and The Men Who Loved Her" by Author, Robert Stephen Parry
I highly recommend this book. It blends Tudor fiction with non fiction very effectively. Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen and The Men Who Loved Her is a series of biographical sketches from the Elizabethan Court. With a brief history, the book details Elizabeth's life very effectively. It also explains the qualities of an Elizabethan Courtier and in a very interesting & extremely effective way, discusses if Elizabeth really was a virgin queen. It too, was extremely enjoyable to read about the men who loved and served their Queen. This is a must read!
V. Catoggio, a High School English Literature Teacher, took students to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. He got some good shots of actual field armor worn by King Henry VIII of England. This first picture was armor worn by Henry VIII. The bottom pictures the museum was not sure, but is probably worn by Henry VIII. Enjoy the pictures. Thank you V. Catoggio for sharing.
A picture taken with Philipa Gregory with her new book coming out today ("The White Princess").
I had the great experience of attending a lecture by bestselling Author, Philipa Gregory. As most of you know, Philipa Gregory has written many historic fiction novels, a number of which take place around the Tudor era. She is widely known for her novel "The Other Boleyn Girl".
Within the last five years or so, P. Gregory has written novels that are referenced as "The Cousins' War", aka "The War of the Roses". I, recently, completed "The White Queen", which was the first book of her trilogy of "The Cousins' War". The White Queen is about Elizabeth Woodville. Woodville's children included the Princes in the Tower & Elizabeth of York. By the latter, Elizabeth Woodville was the grandmother of Henry VIII, great-grandmother of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I of England & Queen Elizabeth I. She was the great-great-grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Through Elizabeth Woodville's daughter, Elizabeth of York, she is the ancestor of every English Monarch since Henry VIII, every Scottish Monarch since James V of Scotland and every British Monarch from James VI & I.
I am not going to summarize the book. If you love the Tudor era, this book is for you. Yes, there are inaccuracies. Yes, it is a fiction novel. However, the book sheds some light to the reader what is was like during the "The War of the Roses" (AKA, The Cousins' War). When we think of the Tudors, most of us think right away of Henry VIII & his wives & Elizabeth I, etc. However, there is a lot of history of how the Tudors became one of the greatest dynasties in the world. It all starts from somewhere. By reading "The White Queen", it helped me understand some history behind the Tudors. I also learned a lot about the House of York & Lancaster & much about "The Cousins' War". I highly recommend reading "The White Queen". Additionally, at the lecture, we saw an advanced screening of "The White Queen" that will be airing on Starz. The first episode was very good and followed the book to a tea. Not only do I recommend reading "The White Queen" but also suggest watching the series, which starts 8/10/13 in the USA. It has already started in the UK & can most likely be found on YouTube. Enjoy!
Today, I will be seeing bestselling author Philippa Gregory for an advance screening of the first episode of "The White Queen," a Starz Original series adapted from her current book series The Cousins' War, followed by a discussion about the show and her new novel (The White Princess).
I completed reading "The White Queen", the first of P. Gregory's books about the War of the Roses: AKA The Cousins's War. In the upcoming weeks, I will be writing my opinion of "The White Queen" & will post my experience of the advance screening.
Philippa Gregory is an authority on the history of women and their struggle for power. She is the author of over 20 books which explore this theme, including The Other Boleyn Girl. The Starz Original series "The White Queen" (premiering Sat, Aug 10 at 9 pm ET/PT) is adapted from her current book series, The Cousins' War, which follows the blood feud between the houses of York and Lancaster before they gave way to the Tudor dynasty.
The Tudors are closer then we think to the current royal family. To be honest, I did not even realize there was a link between the Windsors & the Tudors. But, after much research by V. Catoggio, an English Literature Teacher, the Tudors are still "around us". It can be very confusing to follow, but here is how:
Elizabeth II is Daughter of George VI George VI is Son of George V George V is Son of Edward VII Edward VII was the Son of Queen Victoria Queen Victoria was the Daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent & Strathearn Prince Edward was Son of George III George III was Son of Fredirick, Prince of Wales Fredeirck was Son of George II George II was Son of George I George I was the Son of, Sophia of Hanover Sophia of Hanover was the Daughter of, Elizabeth of Bohemia Elizabeth of Bohemia was Daughter of James I James I was the Son of Mary Queen of Scots (MQOS) MQOS was the Daughter of James V of Scotland James V of Scotland was the Son of Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor was the Daughter of Henry VII Tudor
End Result Elizabeth II is the GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT Granddaughter of Henry VII TUDOR... A thought that came to mind, it's ironic that Elizabeth I executed MQOS for treason & that currently MQOS descendant is the Queen of England.
In addition, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (Son of Prince Charles & Princess Diana), will be the first descendant of Charles II. Here is how: Charles II was Son of Charles I Charles I was Son of James I Charles II had no legitimate heirs, therefore his Brother, James II succeeded him. James II was succeeded by his Daughter Mary II who died childless and left her Sister Anne, Queen of Great Britain. Anne also died childless. Therefore, the line of Charles 1 would be extinct, however his Son, Charles II had several illegitimate children. End Result Charles II's Son Henry Fitzroy, was the GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT Grandfather of Diana of Princess of Wales, making William a direct descendant of Charles II.
Quite Fascinating..........
Thank you Mr. Catoggio for your research. Our site appreciates it very much.
*Wikepedia was very helpful for putting this information altogether *
First & most important, I want to thank all the followers on the The Tudor Dynasty FaceBook Pagethat voted & contributed to the Tudor Oscars 2013. I had such a blast doing this and according to the responses, others did too. The below provides how many followers voted for each category, some information about the nominees, and of course, my opinion! Enjoy.....
Best Tudor Movie:
The nominations were Anne of Thousand Days, Elizabeth (the first movie with Cate Blanchett), Elizabeth I (with Helen Mirren), A Man for All Seasons, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Elizabeth R, Anonymous, The Other Boleyn Girl, Lady Jane, & The Virgin Queen.
92 Facebook followers voted for this category. The winner was Anne of Thousand Days. Anne of Thousand Days made its debut in 1969. It was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for best picture for a drama film.
At a very close second, was was Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett. Elizabeth made its debut in 1998. It won a BAFTA award (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) for best motion picture and was nominated for an academy award.
Other movies that had quite a few votes were, A Man for All Seasons (made its debut in 1966). A Man for All Seasons won an academy award for best picture & a BAFTA award for Best British Film. The Six Wives of Henry VIII aired in 1970 and was nominated for an Emmy, Outstanding Drama Series. Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren came out in 2005 and won an Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries and a Golden Globe for best television miniseries. Elizabeth R aired in 1971 and won an Emmy for Outstanding Series.
The Virgin Queen with Anne-Marie Duff came out in 2005, Anonymous 2011, The Other Boleyn Girl in 2008 & Lady Jane in 1986.
I was very pleased to see a movie from 1969, Anne of Thousand Days, win this category. In fact, I was surprised that Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett did not win. It comes to show you that older movies are still very well respected and highly watched. Most of these movies were great, some not so much. One movie that I find very underrated is, The Virgin Queen with Anne-Marie Duff. The Virgin Queen was a wonderful version of Elizabeth's life from beginning to end.
Best Actor that played Henry VIII:
The nominations were Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Richard Burton, Keith Mitchell, Ray Winstone, Eric Bana, Sid James, Robert Shaw, & Charles Laughton.
94 Facebook followers voted for this category. This category was very close between two actors, Jonathan Rhys Meyers & Richard Burton. By one vote, Jonathan Rhys Meyers won. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor in a television series. Richard Burton was nominated for an Academy Award & a Golden Globe for his role as Henry VIII in Anne of the Thousand Days.
Keith Mitchell won an Emmy for best actor in a miniseries or movie & a BAFTA award for best actor.
Robert Shaw was nominated for a Golden Globe & an Academy Award, for best supporting actor.
I have not seen Sid James or Ray Winstone as Henry VIII, so please keep that in mind. In my own personal view, I believe Keith Mitchell played Henry VIII to the tea.
Best Actress that played Elizabeth I:
The nominations were Cate Blanchett, Quentin Crisp, Helen Mirren, Miranda Richardson, Glenda Jackson, Bette Davis, & Anne-Marie Duff.
67 Facebook followers voted for this category. Cate Blanchett won by a large margin. Ms. Blanchett won a BAFTA & a Golden Globe for Best Actress & nominated for an Academy Award, for her role as Elizabeth I.
The closest contenders were Glenda Jackson & Helen Mirren. Glenda Jackson won an Emmy under the category outstanding lead actress in a drama series & was nominated for a BAFTA award. Helen Mirren won an Emmy for lead actress in a miniseries or TV movie & a Golden Globe.
Anne-Marie Duff was nominated for a BAFTA award for her role as Elizabeth I.
As I stated above, Anne-Marie Duff in The Virgin Queen is very underrated and I recommend Tudor lovers to watch that film. Most of the actresses/actors from the above that played Elizabeth I did a phenomenal job.
Best Actress that played Anne Boleyn:
The nominations were Natalie Dormer, Genevieve Bujold, Natalie Portman, Helena Bonham Carter, Dorothy Tutin, & Merle Oberon.
69 Facebook followers voted for this category. Natalie Dormer won by a very large margin. The closest nominee was Genevieve Bujold who won best actress for a Golden Globe for her performance as Anne Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days.
Since "The Oscars" were on 2/24/13, I decided to have The Tudor Dynasty FaceBook Pagevote for the categories (categories are below); Hence, THE TUDOR OSCARS 2013.
The Categories are:
Best Tudor Picture
Best Actor That Played Henry VIII
Best Actress That Played Elizabeth I
Best Actress That Played Anne Boleyn
Best Tudor Author
BEST PICTURE:
Winner - "Anne of the Thousand Days"
Nominees:
Best Actor That Played Henry VIII:
Winner -
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Nominees:
Richard Burton
Keith Mitchell
Ray Winstone
Eric Bana
Sid James
Robert Shaw
Charles Laughton
Best Actress That Played Elizabeth I:
Cate Blanchett - Winner Nominees:
Quentin Crisp
Helen Mirren
Miranda Richardson
Glenda Jackson
Bette Davis
Anne-Marie Duff
Best Actress That Played Anne Boleyn:
Natalie Dormer - Winner Nominees:
Genevieve Bujold
Natalie Portman
Helena Bonham Carter
Dorothy Tutin
Merle Oberon
Best Tudor Author:
Alison Weir - Winner
Nominees:
Eric Ives
Phillippa Gregory
Margaret George
Brandy Purdy
David Starkey
CJ Sansom
HFM Prescott
Antonia Fraser
I will provide my personal feedback about the above within the next week or so. Also, if I come up with other categories, I will post it. I want to thank my Facebook Page for their participation, MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Hope you all enjoyed.
