The Tudors: Intrigue and scandal at the Tudor court

Dangerously beautiful, charismatic, powerful and proud, the Tudors were the archetypal majestic rulers. Those impassioned fiery red-heads ruled with great ostentatious display. Narcissistic and vain, and masters of propaganda, they proved to be some of the most memorable monarchs of England, and still they continue to fascinate us. The illustrious Tudor court was a place of intrigue, scandal and betrayal. A place where treacherous plots were conceived; and where secret marriages, betrothals and secret liaisons took place. Entangled in the dangerous politics of the Tudor court, one might end up facing the wrath of the monarch – which could mean being burnt at the stake; a clumsy axe to the neck; or even being boiled to death. Not to be crossed, the powerful Tudor dynasty ushered in the first strong female monarchs, transformed the country’s religion and strengthened England, laying the foundations for making it a major country in Europe. This is a book about the five Tudor monarchs that ruled England from 1485 until 1603 – the shrewd Henry VII; the larger than life Henry VIII; the pious Edward VI; the defiant Mary I and the enigmatic, but much loved Elizabeth I. As well as the many other characters at court including the consorts; the mistresses and favourites; and all those that became embroiled in scandalous behaviour, including Henry’s younger sister Mary who defiantly married for love against the king’s wishes. This book will look at their many secret love affairs; sibling feuds and rivalries and ambitious plots and conspiracies such as Elizabeth I’s teenage crush on her step-father; Elizabeth’s lover in the Tower; Mary Tudor (senior) secretly marrying the king’s best friend – the brawny Charles Brandon; Henry VIII and his many mistresses; the Boleyn sisters and their love affairs and more.