Henry VIII, eh? What a bastard.

[TunipTheVegemal]

I just feel there should be an ongoing thread on what a vile piece of work Henry VIII was where people can leave their opinions on the complete and utter appallingness of Henry VIII.

Of course, this being Mumsnet someone will probably come along and say IABVU and he was actually very nice.

(What sparked this off, btw, was me discovering that the Pilgrimage of Grace marched past where my house is, having mustered troops a mile away. Now every time I have to go into the garden at night I will imagine rotting corpses swinging from the trees - he had some of the rebels hanged in their own back gardens and some women got into trouble for cutting down their husband's bodies when they were supposed to leave them there to rot as a warning. What a bastard.)

Ruby are you outing yourself as a re-enactor? I think I might recognize the Swiss guard on the right. Not sure if I recognize the place, it reminds me of somewhere I spent a lot of time at one time but if so I can't figure out the orientation of the house relative to cedar trees.

i'm not actually in that photo... DS2 is though.. (I wasn't important enough for the family snap ) Landesknecht is A real life Henry though and that was Blickling Hall in Norfolk last summer.

Hang on this is me (Unlikely to out myself becuase I don't look like this in real life honest)

I went to Bosworth the other week and they had re-enactors. They looked like they were having so much fun.

ooh I would like to be a re-enactor! I could wear a stomacher and a french hood!

My friend is an archer in army of Richard Of York. If I didn't work all weekend, I'd be very tempted to join up. although the Tudors have better costumes

I thought that dress looked a bit posh for a nurse!

Yes I do recognise the Henry on the right then, from many years back (though he is FB friend of friends now) but the place isn't where I thought.

I do like your royal son in his royal costume. I am unlikely to ever get to do living history with my kids because dh isn't keen and I can't face the sewing for 3 dcs but God, the kids always look so good....

Come to the Tudory side..... Go on you know you want to!
www.kentwell.co.uk/events/tudor/live-as-a-tudor

Tunip, I think all re-enactors are friends-of-friends...It's a small world.

I did Kentwell years and years ago (I was 17). I spent two weeks as a spinster - it was great fun - and much better than being gentry (all they did was gossip and fight among themselves - plus ca change ?!).

Wants to be a Tudor! Stupid job gets in the way! I'm not far from Kentwell either!

Just before me then Throckenholt.
I was gentry. And its true there was a lot of gossip and bitching. It was better once La Volta had been invented.
Were you in the hall of the Moat House? That has to be the loveliest bit of Kentwell, the way the sun slants in through the windows.

yep - I was in the upstairs room at the back of the old hall. It was great being a spinner - you could take a drop spindle and wander round the estate nattering to people - just like girls did way back when I expect.

Technically it was not Tudor the year I did it - I think it was 1610.

That was the year before me - my first was 1487.

I went to Kentwell on a school trip - we changed our money for tudor money and I got a piece of wool.

It was also boiling and under the heat of my dress I fainted

hmm - 1487 would have been interesting historically - very uncertain times.

Yes, pity the house wasn't built then!

I've been doing it for 20 years (as it were). I wonder if we ever met? I knew there must be more Kentwellies on here!

So which year were you there...
Here's a list.

1. 1978 - 1645
2. 1979 - 1588 (I)
3. 1980 - 1553 (I)
4. 1981 - 1600 (I)
5. 1982 - 1535 (I)
6. 1983 - 1569 (I)
7. 1984 - 1610
8. 1985 - 1487
9. 1986 - 1556 (I)

10. 1987 - 1520 (I) 11. 1988 - 1588 (II) 12. 1989 - 1605 13. 1990 - 1529 14. 1991 - 1553 (II) 15. 1992 - 1578 (I) 16. 1993 - 1593 17. 1994 - 1535 (II) 18. 1995 - 1546 19. 1996 - 1569 (II) 20. 1997 - 1588 (III) 21. 1998 - 1600 (II) 22. 1999 - 1520 (II) 23. 2000 - 1578 (II) 24. 2001 - 1539 25. 2002 - 1549 26. 2003 - 1553 (III) 27. 2004 - 1556 (II) 28. 2005 - 1569 (III) 29. 2006 - 1578 (III) 30. 2007 - 1584 31. 2008 - 1588 (IV) 32. 2009 - 1535 (III) 33. 2010 - 1538 34. 2011 - 1553 (IV)

35. 2012 - 1556 (III) 1

still with Henry- I think he would hate how he is remembered because of the 6 wives not for his other achievements, dubious though some of them may be. Sort of like Prince Charles only being remembered for the Diana/Camilla debacle.
Young women at court with Henry did not have a hope- if Henry's eye fell on them then all the scheming uncles and relations would set them up with no thought or respect for the women's safety or happiness. Terrible level of vulnerability and being pimped out.
I always thought Henry had syphilis which is why so many of his offspring did not live.

I went through a phase when I was 9, of being obsessed with Ann Boleyn. Henry was an absolute a-hole with all his wives, but her in particular and her poor brother was murdered too - lets face it, it was murder.

1487-1605, then I jumped ship to the 17th and 18th century.
My brothers kept on longer than I did. DB1 met SIL there.

Saffronwblue - yes he would hate it. Ha!

I think the Tudor court would have been a very dangerous place to be. All that politicking, and favouritism.

I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes. Status and prestige and power a very heady mix with the whole family as pawns. horrible.

Look at poor Jane Grey beaten until she agreed to do what her parents wanted. Ditto the Howard family.

Although I think he was genuinely fond of KofA until she failed to give him an heir. They were married for a surprisingly long time.