Claire Ridgway is a well-known writer of history books about the Tudor dynasty, with a particular focus on the life of the Boleyn family. Since 2009 she has run the websites TheAnneBoleynFiles.com and Elizabethfiles.com. Claire is also the founder of The Tudor Society.
The Tudor Society
With members from all around the globe, The Tudor Society was founded in 2014 and has quickly become the go-to place for Tudor enthusiasts because of the high quality of the unique articles, the Tudor focused magazines, and the experts it attracts.
The members have access to absolutely everything on the website, currently including lots of magazine back issues, hundreds of hours of video and all of the monthly expert lectures and hundreds of weekly quizzes.
The Anne Boleyn Files
In 2009, Claire set up her Tudor history website, www.TheAnneBoleynFiles.com, and it rapidly grew into a major website for the study of the Tudor period.
Where she wanted to share her journey into the annals of history with other people who have an interest in Anne Boleyn and the Tudor period, and thought that a blog would be the perfect forum.
Also fully admitting to being addicted to Anne Boleyn and Tudor history, and she is on a crusade to debunk the myths surrounding Anne Boleyn and educate the world about the REAL Anne Boleyn.
Claire Ridgway and Owen Emmerson asked people who were reading their [...]
Claire Ridgway and Owen Emmerson asked people who were reading their new book "The Boleyns of Hever Castle" to send over photos of their copy, and so many people did!
We've ...put together this montage of the photos with a little video magic to make it a little more interesting. What is fascinating is the wide range of places people are reading the book - thank you to every single person who has supported Claire and Owen. And thank you for your support of this YouTube channel too.
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Claire in Granada at the Mirador de San Nicolás - the Alhambra
An informal video filmed on Claire's visit to her favourite spot in [...]
An informal video filmed on Claire's visit to her favourite spot in Granada, el Mirador de San Nicolás. See the beautiful Alhambra Palace in the background.
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A message from Claire
A message from Claire regarding what she's going to be doing with this [...]
A message from Claire regarding what she's going to be doing with this channel moving forwards.
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Did Elizabeth of York really have an affair with Richard III?
Thank you to Şebnem for asking "Did Elizabeth of York really have an [...]
Thank you to Şebnem for asking "Did Elizabeth of York really have an affair with Richard III?", something which has been popularised by the "Cousins' War" series of novels by ...Philippa Gregory and the TV adaptations of them.
Is there any truth to this idea? Was Elizabeth of York in love with Richard III? Did Richard and his niece become lovers? And did Richard III poison Anne Neville, his queen?
Historian Claire Ridgway looks at what history tells us about Elizabeth of York and her uncle, Richard III.
Thank you to all our wonderful subscribers, we can't believe that [...]
Thank you to all our wonderful subscribers, we can't believe that we've reached 60,000! Enjoy this quiz and let us know how you get on!
The questions are here and the ...answers are below (no cheating!)
1) Who said: “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too”?
2) Who was this priest describing - “a tyrant more cruel than Nero, for Nero destroyed but part of Rome, but this tyrant destroyeth this whole realm”?
3) “If my head would win him a castle in France, it should not fail to go” was said of Henry VIII, but who said it?
4) “Much suspected of me, nothing proved can be, quod Elizabeth the prisoner” - The Lady Elizabeth, future Elizabeth I, was said to have etched this on a window during her house arrest at Woodstock, but why was she a prisoner?
5) Who is being described in these words: “For her behaviour, manners, attire and tongue she excelled them all...”?
6) Who wrote to their former tutor saying: “I cannot marvel at thee and lament the case that thou sometimes was the lively member of Christ but now a deformed imp of the Devil”?
7) That homicide and unnatural tyrant which now unjustly bears dominion over you” Who said it and who was it about? 2 points
8) “Little man, the word ‘must’ is not to be used to princes” - Who said this?
9) “When I think again that you shall depart from me again it makes my heart die to think what fortune I have that I cannot always be in your company” - who wrote these words in a letter and to whom? 2Points
10) Who was apologising for their eyesight, and therefore poor handwriting, with these words: “I beseech you to pardon me, for verrayly Madame my sight is nothing so perfitt as it has ben”?
11) Who wrote: “Princes at all times have not their wills, but my heart being my own is immutable”?
12) Who ended a letter “Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things” and to whom were they writing? 2 points.
ANSWERS
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1- Elizabeth I to the troops at Tilbury, August 1588.
2- Henry VIII during the Pilgrimage of Grace Rebellion 1536
3- Sir Thomas More
4- Mary I and her privy council believed that Elizabeth was involved in Wyatt’s Rebellion
5- Anne Boleyn, described by Lancelot Carles, secretary to the French ambassador
6- While she was in the Tower, Lady Jane Grey wrote this to her former tutor, Thomas Harding, who had converted to Catholicism.
7- This is how Henry described Richard III in letters sent to those who were in support of his claim to the throne.
8- Elizabeth I said this to Robert Cecil, her Secretary of State, when she was dying and he advised her to take to her bed.
9- Catherine Howard to Thomas Culpeper
10-Henry VII to Lady Margaret Beaufort
11-Mary, Queen of Scots, to Ambassador Randolph
12-The dying Catherine of Aragon to her former husband Henry VIII.
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8 August - Princess Margaret Tudor marries James IV of Scotland #shorts
On this day in Tudor history, 8th August 1503, King Henry VII's eldest [...]
On this day in Tudor history, 8th August 1503, King Henry VII's eldest daughter, Margaret Tudor, married King James IV of Scotland.
Find out more about their marriage, and how it ...was arranged, in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway.
7 August - Sir Robert Dudley, Dudley's illegitimate son #shorts
On this day in Tudor history, 7th August 1574, Robert Dudley, Earl of [...]
On this day in Tudor history, 7th August 1574, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester's illegitimate son, Sir Robert Dudley, was born at Sheen.
Find out more about Sir Robert Dudley, who ...grew up to be a mariner, cartographer and landowner, in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway.
Find out more about his mother, Douglas Sheffield, who claimed to be Dudley’s legal wife, in Claire video - https://youtu.be/rhP-Z89CbEg
6 August - Anne Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare #shorts
On this day in history, 6th August 1623, Anne Hathaway, wife of [...]
On this day in history, 6th August 1623, Anne Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, the famous playwright, died.
Find out a bit more about Anne Hathaway, and hear the tomb inscription ...written about her by her son in law, in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway.
August 2021 on the Tudor Society - Lots of Tudor history to enjoy!
As well as running this YouTube channel, author and historian Claire [...]
As well as running this YouTube channel, author and historian Claire Ridgway runs the Tudor Society membership site. What's happening in August over at the Tudor Society?
Find out all about ...August 2021's events from Claire. There's so much Tudor history to enjoy!
4 August - Elizabeth I's spirit, William Cecil #shorts
On 4th August 1598, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, William Cecil, [...]
On 4th August 1598, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, died. He'd been Elizabeth's chief advisor and a man she called her spirit.
Hear a ...few more William Cecil facts in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway.
Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/
Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:
