Tag Archives: France

Did Edward VI Tear Apart His Falcon?

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Christine Hartweg

Edward VI was a “cold-hearted prick” according to the eminent Tudor historian G. R. Elton, and often repeated proof of this fact is a story about the 13-year-old king told by Simon Renard, then the emperor’s ambassador in France. On … Continue reading →

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Robert Dudley in Quarantine

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Christine Hartweg

In August 1563, Robert Dudley found himself in quarantine. In theory this meant he had to stay away from court (and in his case, from home) for at least 40 days. The word “quarantine” originated in Venice, from the Italian … Continue reading →

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The Sieur de Vieilleville’s Memoirs – A 16th Century Fake?

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Christine Hartweg

The French ambassadors, who in early 1547 observed the strange habits of the English when serving their monarch at table and spoke to a mysterious but very outspoken English nobleman, were led by François de Scépeaux, Sieur de Vieilleville, who … Continue reading →

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How Henry VIII Got Rid Of His Wives

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Christine Hartweg

We left the Ambassador Extraordinary of France, François de Scépeaux, Sieur de Vieilleville, and his companions at the court of Edward VI in early 1547 amazed at how English noblemen behaved towards their sovereign; they even knelt when serving the … Continue reading →

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Why the English Serve Their King on Bended Knee

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Christine Hartweg

A few weeks into the reign of Edward VI, in early 1547, a French embassy arrived at the English court. They stayed for six days. François de Scépeaux, Sieur de Vieilleville (1509–1571), the special ambassador, was received by the Duke … Continue reading →

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A Grand Conspiracy in 1553? – Foreign Affairs

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Christine Hartweg

On 13 March 1553 the English privy council busied itself with granting a licence for the export of 200,000 pairs of old shoes.1 On 27 June 1553 the members of the same council swore themselves to secrecy about their forthcoming … Continue reading →

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Parrots for Ladies

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Christine Hartweg

On her death bed, Jane Dudley, the widowed Duchess of Northumberland and mother of Robert Dudley, remembered her recently acquired friends from Spain who had helped secure the freedom of her sons. Among the Spanish grandees mentioned in her will, … Continue reading →

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The Art of Diplomacy: Elisabeth de Valois and Edward VI

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

In July 1551 the French Maréchal St. André visited the English court, ostensibly to bestow the prestigious Order of St. Michael on Edward VI, but also for negotiations about a marriage between the young English king and the even younger … Continue reading →

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The Peace Portrait: The Significance of the Little Dog

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

One of the most beautiful portraits of Elizabeth I is the so-called Peace Portrait, and it has long been associated with the Earl of Leicester. The queen, symbolizing the goddess of peace, Pax, holds an olive branch and stands on … Continue reading →

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Andrew Dudley Meets the Emperor

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Christine Hartweg

On 28 December 1552 the Duke of Northumberland imparted his latest thoughts on English diplomacy to his right hand man, Sir William Cecil. King Edward had just okayed the council’s suggestion “to employ ministers abroad for the public weal of … Continue reading →

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