Preparing Tudor Kings and Princes to Rule (ePub)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A fascinating look at the academic education and royal training for young princes and princesses. The process started from babyhood, molding minds ready to rule. I was particularly interested in the many tutors and guardians, who played such a huge role.

NetGalley, LOIS ELIYAHU

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A detailed examination of the Tudor dynasty, with an emphasis on the people who acted as the nurses, governess, tutors, and teachers to the young Tudors, and how they learned about the royal role expected of them, both in formal settings of classrooms and council chambers, and informal settings of battles and banquet halls.

We get a lot about Henry VII's education pre-Bosworth which I loved, since most people skip right from his mother suffering a traumatic birth to Henry showing up at Ambion Hill to take down Richard III, but here we se all the various guardians he had, and how his political position as a potential heir had a heavy impact on how he was treated, with various aristocrats and royals sometimes seeing he was given a princely education, but at other times treating more as prisoner. And from it all he clearly learned A LOT.

The next generation of Tudors, safely raised in luxurious palaces and never having to go on the run or suffer any question of what they were due, are raised with the kind of high expectations that any self made, successful, first generation immigrant parent would put on their child - both happy to shower them with the money they never had as a child but also expecting a gratitude some raised in safety can never fully appreciate.

While Prince Arthur is raised along a strict schedule to be king, and Princes Margaret is raised from young childhood to someday be queen of Scotland, we see how last minute Prince Henry's king-training education was once his older brother died, but that he certainly hadn't been lacking in his own education.

Prince Arthur had been given a medieval kingly education since he was two, while Prince Henry had been receiving a Renaissance prince education. This in turn made him perhaps more ready for kingship in the 16th century than his brother would have been, and we see just how wide his education was with some of the best teachers available before his father took him under his wing to keep him close out of fear of losing another heir.

Then, with the next generation of Tudors, we see all of them had excellent educations - but they were all very different. All received education in languages, history, religion, science, music, etc., but got got very different lessons in politics that lead to very different reigns. Princess Mary learned stubbornness from her mother during The Divorce, while Princess Elizabeth learned Real Politick from watching the rise and fall of so many queens. Prince Edward learned that the king's word was law, leading to him trying to upend the succession at the end of his own reign. Lady Jane Grey got great lessons in how things worked on paper - but had no sense of how to work with people in real life.

The entire time, we see the people providing the music and math and history lessons and how they are a mix of some of the best scholars in Europe at the time and people with family ties to the Tudors, showing how well educated they were as well, men and women.

NetGalley, Kara Race-Moore

A fascinating look into a side of the Tudor court that doesn't get discussed as much as it should. As someone who has read a lot of books on the Tudor era its always nice and refreshing to find a book with a different view to same stories we all learned in history classes. It was interesting to see the people behind the curtain who helped make the Tudors who they were.

NetGalley, Megan Clark

I found this a rather nifty little book about the Tudor court. Hickey does a decent job of telling the stories of these men and women who trained the Tudor rulers, both male and female. If you want a book that explores what it takes to rule England during the Tudor dynasty, you should check out “Preparing Tudor Kings and Princes to Rule: The Men and Women Who Trained the Royals” by Julia A. Hickey.

NetGalley, Heidi Malagisi

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ve always been fascinated by royals and royal history. This was such a great informative read! I loved learning about the people “unsung” hero’s who helped prep some of the biggest royals of all time. Fascinating read!

NetGalley, Jill Speedman

A fascinating look at the people who influenced the Princes and future Kings of the Tudor dynasty. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the Tudors but there were many people I never heard of which made it so enjoyable. Explained in plain English (pardon the pun) this book should satisfy an itch you didn't even know you had to scratch.

NetGalley, Christine Cazeneuve

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Julia Hickey gives a lively and enthralling account of turbulent times from a fresh angle. I’ve recently read a couple of biographies about our present King, Charles; the warts and all rather than the sycophantic cover ups. A point that really struck me was the influence of the courtiers and the way in which they were summarily dismissed when their advice didn’t suit the royal prerogative. Media and public manipulation to ensure adoration and obeisance is quite staggering and looking back I see how many events were managed by the advisers rather than the royals. Preparing Tudor Kings and Princes to Rule gives a fascinating insight into so many of those working hard behind the scenes five or six hundred years ago. In many ways, little has changed, expect falling out of favour now will not result in losing a head. But it has ruined many.

Much of this story reads like an adventure, although at times with unwelcome and unfair consequences. There’s a mix of toadies along with decent men and women whose task was to ensure the would be monarch was protected, nurtured and well prepared for all and any event. Much of the manoeuvering was based on a desire by the individual to secure their own position in royal circles. Few were totally selfless in their thankless task. I’ve really enjoyed this very different insight into the ways of the Tudors and it’s increased my understanding of the House of Tudor and their deep seated machinations.

NetGalley, Anita Wallas