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The Sutton Life series
Life in a Tudor Palace
This book lets us take a tour round a courtly palace and peep around each door, as we encounter the kitchens, the bakery, the laundry, the bedrooms, the gardens and the privvies! Everything you could wish to know is here, as the book describes the different lifestyles of the court, and the people who served them.
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 7, 2017
This is a very slim volume, even a thick pamphlet, but it is filled with information on life in the Tudor court. Of course, Henry's reign had a lot of untypical days when all kinds of personal and political upheavals were taking place. But this book was about a very typical day when Henry gets up, attends mass, goes hunting, consults his council, eats, takes a bath and returns to bed.
If you are thinking of taking up a job in Henry's court, don't! The courtiers and workers have to work at the whim of the king and there is no respite while they are in attendance. They are all provided with free food and bedding, though.
A very interesting look into the daily life of a mighty king!
If you are thinking of taking up a job in Henry's court, don't! The courtiers and workers have to work at the whim of the king and there is no respite while they are in attendance. They are all provided with free food and bedding, though.
A very interesting look into the daily life of a mighty king!
September 21, 2012
I absolutely loved this book! It’s a resource I will continue to use for many years to come as I continue to write about that intriguing man, Henry VIII, and what happened at his court.
The author did a great job of never wasting my time. He presented the facts in a wonderful way, based on different time periods in the palace, and explained what would be happening in a typical day. I learned things I’d either forgotten, or had never heard before.
For example… My favorite new piece of information I gathered from this gem of a book was that in the Eltham Ordinances, it was important that strictest confidences be kept in the privy chamber with Henry’s gentlemen grooms and ushers. They were to never abuse the trust he gave them. They kind of had that Las Vegas rule of “What happens in the chamber, stays in the chamber.” Unless you were there, you weren’t to know about it unless the King told you himself.
There was to be no gossiping, mumbling or talking of the King’s going to bed early or late or any of his pastimes. They were also to forebear from using unfitting language.
Okay, no big deal, but… and this is HUGE B. U. T., Anne Boleyn broke that rule six years later after that Eltham Ordinance was created (a rule I’m convince Henry needed so he could have some privacy).
Before I go into what she did, and what happened, I want to state that many who read about this rule of the Ordinance will think Henry the tyrant and a pompous ass, vain as can be. I don’t see it that way at all. I see once again, a man struggling with what life dealt him, and a man that was constantly being gossiped about. I have been gossiped about before in ways that were untrue, and it hurts like hell. Imagine dealing with that on a constant basis, and some of those rumors being spread by supposed friends? I can’t imagine how difficult that would be. He was protecting his dignity, his sensitive nature as he should.
Okay, back to what Anne did—
Anne was on trial. Her fun-loving relationship with the men also on trial hurt Henry in a huge way. (And remember, a man with a big ego, is usually guarding a tender heart, or that’s my experience in life anyway.) They were joking about the king’s health (cruel, but obviously a mistake anybody could make by drinking too much and being stupid by running off at the mouth, so I can forgive this one). These men of the Privy Chamber then went so far as to joke with Anne about something even more upsetting—THE SIZE OF HENRY’S UNDERWEAR!
What the . . . ? I am not that sensitive, but I am a little overweight. Now, if I imagine I was once a renowned athlete like Henry was in his younger days, celebrated throughout much of Europe for my skills, and had been injured and year after year, had to resign myself to simply watching the competitions I once competed in and loved… *takes a deep breath here* …and missed it all terribly. Then on top of suffering physical pain from those injuries, the woman I love and who is supposed to defend me, has now betrayed me. Has spoken so ill of me behind my back, and about something I cannot really control? Damnit! That’s worse than any physical pain suffered.
Have you ever seen an overweight person not fall to pieces if they overhear a loved one talking about what a fatty they are behind their back? Or if a child asks them innocently, “Why are you so large?”
Uh, yeah. Get the picture I’m sharing with you now? This wasn’t just the ultimate insult after all of the other crap he was going through with Anne; this was a betrayal of the heart. How could he justify staying married to this woman now that he realized she probably never loved him at all. What wife could talk about her husband that way if she truly loved him? They wouldn’t.
This information just broke my heart to pieces for Henry. And you know what… it will most definitely be showing up in the sequel to my story, Hart Coursing. How could it not? I’ll be researching this event much more. Like I always say—the Tudors are juicier than any soap opera ever created. You can’t make stuff up this good. And if you can, then I may be worried about your sanity or jealous, depending on how well you get it down in a novel. :D
The author did a great job of never wasting my time. He presented the facts in a wonderful way, based on different time periods in the palace, and explained what would be happening in a typical day. I learned things I’d either forgotten, or had never heard before.
For example… My favorite new piece of information I gathered from this gem of a book was that in the Eltham Ordinances, it was important that strictest confidences be kept in the privy chamber with Henry’s gentlemen grooms and ushers. They were to never abuse the trust he gave them. They kind of had that Las Vegas rule of “What happens in the chamber, stays in the chamber.” Unless you were there, you weren’t to know about it unless the King told you himself.
There was to be no gossiping, mumbling or talking of the King’s going to bed early or late or any of his pastimes. They were also to forebear from using unfitting language.
Okay, no big deal, but… and this is HUGE B. U. T., Anne Boleyn broke that rule six years later after that Eltham Ordinance was created (a rule I’m convince Henry needed so he could have some privacy).
Before I go into what she did, and what happened, I want to state that many who read about this rule of the Ordinance will think Henry the tyrant and a pompous ass, vain as can be. I don’t see it that way at all. I see once again, a man struggling with what life dealt him, and a man that was constantly being gossiped about. I have been gossiped about before in ways that were untrue, and it hurts like hell. Imagine dealing with that on a constant basis, and some of those rumors being spread by supposed friends? I can’t imagine how difficult that would be. He was protecting his dignity, his sensitive nature as he should.
Okay, back to what Anne did—
Anne was on trial. Her fun-loving relationship with the men also on trial hurt Henry in a huge way. (And remember, a man with a big ego, is usually guarding a tender heart, or that’s my experience in life anyway.) They were joking about the king’s health (cruel, but obviously a mistake anybody could make by drinking too much and being stupid by running off at the mouth, so I can forgive this one). These men of the Privy Chamber then went so far as to joke with Anne about something even more upsetting—THE SIZE OF HENRY’S UNDERWEAR!
What the . . . ? I am not that sensitive, but I am a little overweight. Now, if I imagine I was once a renowned athlete like Henry was in his younger days, celebrated throughout much of Europe for my skills, and had been injured and year after year, had to resign myself to simply watching the competitions I once competed in and loved… *takes a deep breath here* …and missed it all terribly. Then on top of suffering physical pain from those injuries, the woman I love and who is supposed to defend me, has now betrayed me. Has spoken so ill of me behind my back, and about something I cannot really control? Damnit! That’s worse than any physical pain suffered.
Have you ever seen an overweight person not fall to pieces if they overhear a loved one talking about what a fatty they are behind their back? Or if a child asks them innocently, “Why are you so large?”
Uh, yeah. Get the picture I’m sharing with you now? This wasn’t just the ultimate insult after all of the other crap he was going through with Anne; this was a betrayal of the heart. How could he justify staying married to this woman now that he realized she probably never loved him at all. What wife could talk about her husband that way if she truly loved him? They wouldn’t.
This information just broke my heart to pieces for Henry. And you know what… it will most definitely be showing up in the sequel to my story, Hart Coursing. How could it not? I’ll be researching this event much more. Like I always say—the Tudors are juicier than any soap opera ever created. You can’t make stuff up this good. And if you can, then I may be worried about your sanity or jealous, depending on how well you get it down in a novel. :D
September 27, 2019
Very fun, informative little read about daily life in a Tudor Palace, broken down hour-by-hour.
May 11, 2009
Great little book to stick in your pocket or purse when you're doomed to spend time in a waiting room. Intriguing details of domestic life with Henry VIII, who had to feed about 800 people every day. Check Daedalus Books for remainder copies.
March 25, 2020
I think overall this was really too short. I would've liked more detail. The author could've described the feast days that he deliberately excluded, or how some things changed over the decades. It also mostly covered the middle of Henry VIII's reign, not the entire Tudor Era. It was kind of a snapshot of a fictional single day in the late 1530s, if the title had been something more specific to that then I would probably be less disappointed.
June 15, 2019
Interesting day-in-the-life view of a Tudor Palace.
February 4, 2023
I was quite bored reading this book but because it's only 90 pages long I finished it.
February 26, 2025
nice & snappy
December 5, 2015
Review to come - enjoyed this one for exactly what it was. Illustrations would've been helpful.
++++++++++++
My book blog ---> http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...
**This is a double review of both Life in a Tudor Palace and Life in a Medieval Castle**
These are such brief reads that I can hardly write a full review, so I am reviewing them together. That is not meant to be disparaging however, because these are simply slim volumes that focuses on a very specific part of history - Tudor palace life and medieval castle life. I really enjoyed these one for what they were, brief glimpses at history. One of the only things I will say negatively is that both books would have done better had there been illustrations to go along with. This would have been helpful for those of us not familiar with the layouts of the buildings.
I took issue also with a statement from the medieval castle book where the author said reading and writing were typically left for girls. This seems strange, as men were expected to be able to do those things in order to conduct their business. Some educators even thought that reading was too taxing on the brain for women, so...
Ending on a positive note, I love that this short little medieval castle book gives a shout out to William Marshal, one of my medieval heroes. Lately I have read much longer books dealing with that period of time and this great knight gets no mention at all. Yet here his name pops up and I was glad to see it.
Recommended for anyone even with a slight interest. These are quick reads, still packed with tons of interesting information.
++++++++++++
My book blog ---> http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...
**This is a double review of both Life in a Tudor Palace and Life in a Medieval Castle**
These are such brief reads that I can hardly write a full review, so I am reviewing them together. That is not meant to be disparaging however, because these are simply slim volumes that focuses on a very specific part of history - Tudor palace life and medieval castle life. I really enjoyed these one for what they were, brief glimpses at history. One of the only things I will say negatively is that both books would have done better had there been illustrations to go along with. This would have been helpful for those of us not familiar with the layouts of the buildings.
I took issue also with a statement from the medieval castle book where the author said reading and writing were typically left for girls. This seems strange, as men were expected to be able to do those things in order to conduct their business. Some educators even thought that reading was too taxing on the brain for women, so...
Ending on a positive note, I love that this short little medieval castle book gives a shout out to William Marshal, one of my medieval heroes. Lately I have read much longer books dealing with that period of time and this great knight gets no mention at all. Yet here his name pops up and I was glad to see it.
Recommended for anyone even with a slight interest. These are quick reads, still packed with tons of interesting information.
March 22, 2015
Short but helpful book for anyone interested in Henry V111 and dictators generally. If everything is arranged around YOU, it would be impossible to remain balanced. Special food, being dressed by others, everyone bowing and scraping plus a 'groom of the stool'.... Can't bear to think what this poor aristocrat had to do. Every morning.
On the evidence of this book, the king was thoroughly spoilt. No wonder Henry had tantrums when he couldn't get his own way. 'Life in a Tudor Palace' is written in straightforward factual style but it fired up my imagination, suggesting parallels with modern corporate organisations and celebrity worship. Fascinating.
On the evidence of this book, the king was thoroughly spoilt. No wonder Henry had tantrums when he couldn't get his own way. 'Life in a Tudor Palace' is written in straightforward factual style but it fired up my imagination, suggesting parallels with modern corporate organisations and celebrity worship. Fascinating.
December 24, 2015
Very informative
Several reviews have already stated that this book is a bit dry. I get the feeling that this is intentional. This is not a book about the drama and intrigue of Henry's court. It is a painstaking, hour by hour account of a purely typical day. The differences from castle to castle are touched upon as are the differences between the Queens but all is averaged out to show as typical a non-feast day as possible. If read as a page from a daily journal of household management, then this is sure to please.
Several reviews have already stated that this book is a bit dry. I get the feeling that this is intentional. This is not a book about the drama and intrigue of Henry's court. It is a painstaking, hour by hour account of a purely typical day. The differences from castle to castle are touched upon as are the differences between the Queens but all is averaged out to show as typical a non-feast day as possible. If read as a page from a daily journal of household management, then this is sure to please.
February 20, 2014
My thoughts:
This is a very short read, but packed full of information! I enjoyed this book, and feel that it will be a great resource that I will use often in the future. I recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about what it would have been like to live in castles during Tudor times. It's short, but packs a punch!
This is a very short read, but packed full of information! I enjoyed this book, and feel that it will be a great resource that I will use often in the future. I recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about what it would have been like to live in castles during Tudor times. It's short, but packs a punch!
August 28, 2012
A quick glance into the basic life of people at court during Henry VIII's reign. Discusses the roles of the people of the palace on a regular day-to-day basis. Also discusses the Eltham ordinances set out in 1526 by Cardinal Wolsey and their effect on the court functioning in early Tudor times.
April 7, 2015
Well researched.
This is an apparent detail of life in a Tudor Palace. As I had just watched a video of Hampton court, I am left with a strong feeling of how a day went during the time of Henry VIII.
This is an apparent detail of life in a Tudor Palace. As I had just watched a video of Hampton court, I am left with a strong feeling of how a day went during the time of Henry VIII.
August 14, 2015
Would have been better with pictures
Great verbal descriptions of the people and activities in the palace but it would have gotten 5 stars if it had pictures or line drawings of the rooms in which things happened.
Great verbal descriptions of the people and activities in the palace but it would have gotten 5 stars if it had pictures or line drawings of the rooms in which things happened.
December 20, 2015
Great information.
The particulars of daily life in an English palace are very interesting. This being those of King Henry VIII, the narrative is fascinating. Anyone needing facts for research or just curious will appreciate this book.
The particulars of daily life in an English palace are very interesting. This being those of King Henry VIII, the narrative is fascinating. Anyone needing facts for research or just curious will appreciate this book.
Read
November 14, 2010A short, easily readable, and highly useful book for weaving all the little snippets of Tudor palace life I had known before into one integrated and coherent whole.
September 28, 2012
Very useful book. It explained the titles and reaponsibilities of everyone. Also a timeline of daily life.
August 4, 2012
Great little book. Extremely informative and easy to read. Highly recommended.
September 12, 2012
I expected a bit more, but this fast glimpse of every day life Washington Ok. Read it if you are interested in the Tudor's
Read
April 21, 2013Interesting short read.
August 15, 2013
An interesting (and brief!) summary of exactly what the name implies. I only wish there had been pictures (such as floor plans) so literally illustrate what the author was describing.
March 3, 2014
Quick, fun, interesting.
December 20, 2014
A very short, yet nice and informative read. I liked the cheeky comments here and there. Recommend!
March 23, 2015
A gem of a little book taking you though a typical day at Tudor court, I enjoyed this and would like it to have been longer but for 59p (kindle price) was a nice quick informative read.
Read
July 20, 2016Love all things Tudor and this was a goodie. Loads of facinating background that makes it all come alive
May 31, 2013
Reads like an essay more than a real book on historical fact.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews