Little England 2: The Tudor-ing – A review of Peter Ackroyd’s The Tudors

Portrait of the Tudor Family
(L to R: Mary I, Edward VII, Henry VIII, Jane Symore
(Henry's third and most favourite of the six wives), Elizabeth I

           The Tudors… nothing to lose your head about, though you might find yourself burning with questions.  It was a time when England witnessed dramatic changes with the advent of the Reformation, the fall of Spain as a world power, the colonisation of the new world, and innovations like the flushing toilet (though that didn’t catch on) and the wrist watch.  The sixteenth century is affectionately referred to as the Tudor Period after that dynamic dynasty that arose from the victory of Henry Tudor (Henry VII) at the end of the War of the Roses (check out Foundation by Peter Ackroyd for more on that).  It was a time where we meet Henry VIII, father of the Church of England and his six wives (God bless his lovely fat face); the sickly Edward VI, whose reforms to religion by his Protestant advisers made the Anglican Church the institution we know today; Mary I, remembered as “Bloody Mary” the execution of many Protestant Christians in her campaign to restore Catholicism to England (man, no wonder hubby ran out on her); and of course the virgin Queen Elizabeth I, famous for being the time of Shakespeare and whose reign is considered the golden age of England (just don’t mention Mary Stuart, Liz tends to get a bit touchy about that).  In his second volume on the history of England, entitled The Tudors, Peter Ackroyd provides a detailed and encompassing narrative of this period.  Much like his first volume Foundation, Ackroyd continues his witty and informative writing style to make The Tudors a great follow up.

Peter Ackroyd glares from
from his comfy chair...

            Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I by Peter Ackroyd tells (Surprise) the history of the Tudor dynasty from the accession of Henry VIII as the king of England to the death of Elizabeth I, ushering the arrival of the Stuart line with James I (James VI of Scotland).  The major theme (something I will be discussing more about after this section) that Ackroyd touches upon is religion and how it acted as “a political and dynastic matter, it had no roots or principles of humanist reform.”[1] It was a change for want of power and influence rather than religious change like in continental Europe.

Thomas Cromwell
(That name... sounds familiar)

Thomas Cramner
Father of Modern Anglicanism

            One of the best points in Tudors is Ackroyd’s ability to connect everything to his central theme of religion as a political tool.  From the moment Henry VIII wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, we see the development of the Anglican Church as a as the new order for Christianity in England.  Well, a reformed catholic church.  Under Henry VIII’s English church, signs of popery were removed, monasteries and abbeys were removed, Thomas Cranmer penned reforms while debating the true approach to the Eucharist (did the wine and bread really turn into the blood and body of Christ or was it all symbolism), and people like Thomas Cromwell (remember that name!) lined his pockets with the confiscated items from decommissioned churches and friaries (though in Cromwell’s case he ended up accused of participating in popery).  This plays into Ackroyd’s theme in how the pope’s refusal to agree to this request creates a rift between the secular and spiritual powers.  A king has power by God’s grace and therefore has the right rule as they see fit, the pope’s refusal to agree to this request for a divorce throws the king’s prerogative  into question.  If God is refusing to grant the king’s wish, what does this mean for the legitimacy of the Tudors?  Was Henry VII’s victory in the War of the Roses the Devil’s trickery?  Did this mean Henry VIII was merely Satan’s puppet? or worse, the Antichrist?  We could run the gambit with these questions but the ultimate answer it Henry expected the pope to take his side after the king fiercely defended the Roman Catholic faith against reformers like Martin Luther (especially Martin Luther).

Engraving of Mary Queen of Scot's execution

            Another thing that works in Tudor’s favour is Ackroyd’s ability as a writer.  The best example of this can be found in the chapter “The Dead Cannot Bite”, there Ackroyd describes the final moments of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland and bitter rival of Elizabeth I.  Here, Ackroyd paints a detailed picture of Mary as the regal martyr she wanted to be.

At eight o’clock, on the morning of 8 February, the provost marshal of Fortheringhay Castle knocked of the door of [Mary’s] apartments; there was no response at first, prompting fears that the queen of Scots had taken her own life.  Suicide was a mortal sin, however, and Mary did not wish to stain her personal glory. …She stood on the threshold, wearing a robe and jacket of black satin trimmed with velvet.  Her hair was arranged in a coif; over her head, and falling over back was a white silk veil.  A crucifix of gold hung from her neck.  In her hand she held another crucifix of ivory of ivory.  […] Quite calm and giving no sign of fear, she sat down in the chair made ready for her in front of the block, and listened to the reading of the warrant against her.  [The executioners] began to arrange her dress for the final scene… Her silk veil was then removed, together with the black rode and black jacket.  Beneath them she was wearing crimson velvet and crimson satin.  She was now blood red, the colour of the martyr.[2]

In this excerpt, Ackroyd shows how Mary Stuart made herself to appear like a martyr, from the colour choice of her clothes to the crucifixes she carried.  It is clear Mary wanted to maintain her image as the pious queen of Scotland, loyal to the Pope and the cause of returning England to the Roman Catholic fold.  It can be seen that Mary was only trying to preserve what dignity she had left (as little as there was considering Mary threatened to behead her son for accepting the throne of Scotland) while also acting as a symbol for the Roman Catholics of England.  This understanding is made clear to the reader thanks to the writing ability of Ackroyd.

            In closing, Peter Ackroyd once again presents another successful read.  Much like Foundation, the book Tudors show cases the Ackroyd’s work as a writer and historian with his elegant prose and ability of using the over arching theme of religion.  Tudors is a great read for anyone who is looking to continue where Foundation left off or wanting to learn more about the Tudor dynasty.

Bibliography

Ackroyd, Peter. Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. 2012.

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[1] Peter Ackroyd, Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, (New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2012), 467.

[2] Ibid., 424-425.