Wicked Women of Tudor England: Queens, Aristocrats, Commoners (Queenship and Power)

This fascinating and occasionally salacious historical study delves into the lives of six Tudor women celebrated for their reputed wickedness. Collected here are illuminating accounts of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, the two consorts of Henry VIII who were executed for adultery; Anne Seymour, duchess of Somerset, and Lettice Dudley, countess of Essex and Leicester, two defamed noblewomen; and Jane and Alice More, the two wives of Sir Thomas More who were charged with contrariness and shrewishness. In the process, author Retha M. Warnicke rescues these women from historical misrepresentations and helps us to rediscover the complex world of Tudor society. "This book delves into the lives of six Tudor women celebrated for their reputed 'wickedness'-- Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, the two consorts of Henry VIII who were executed for adultery; Anne Seymour, duchess of Somerset, and Lettice Dudley, countess of Essex and Leicester, two defamed noblewomen; and Jane and Alice More, the two wives of Sir Thomas More who were charged with contrariness and shrewishness. In the process, author Retha Warnicke rescues these women from historical misrepresentations and helps us rediscover the complex world of Tudor society."--pub. desc Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 CONTENTS 6 List of Illustrations 8 Acknowledgments 10 1 Introduction 12 2 Queen Anne Boleyn 26 3 Queen Katherine Howard 56 4 Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset 88 5 Lettice, Countess of Leicester and Essex 116 6 Jane More 148 7 Alice More 166 8 Conclusion 192 Notes 202 Selected Bibliography 248 Index 272 Introduction Queen Anne Boleyn Queen Katherine Howard Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset Lettice, Countess of Essex and Leicester, 1543-1634 Jane More Alice More Conclusion.