The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty

A historian who writes without footnotes produces books tantamount to fake news. Why do these things get published?The biggest doozie in this book has to be referring to Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, as having had androgen insensitivity syndrome. What?!? Not only is there no source for this claim of fact, it isn't even anything close to accepted as factual. One specious biography of Simpson speculates she had this condition, but Borman throws it out there like "oh yeah, didn't you know that?"When you can't trace back a historian's source trail, you can't trust the historian's work.Oh yes -- and it was Mary Boleyn who was allegedly referred to as the "Great Whore," not Anne as Borman says. Twice, I think.Just sloppy work. Not worth your time because it's untrustworthy.

This is a marvelous, engaging read. Borman covers all the Tudor monarchs in order and builds her narrative on the framework of the chronological succession. This works well as she provides some historical background on transitions and motivations behind certain activities, as well as laying some context for readers not as familiar with the period. The focus is on the day to day habits of the king or queen, the court, and even the common laborers supporting the grand show. The author has a good narrative style and avoided the sometimes numbing lists that writers of books addressing day to day life in other ages often fall back on. I, also, liked that she addressed a number of myths and rumors about the royals directly, e.g. Elizabeth was actually a man, pointing out the sources of the myths, any evidence for and against them, and then offers her opinion. For a book covering such a long period of time and numerous main characters, she provides a lot of detail, and does it in an entertaining manner. It makes me want to read her other books, which is as high an endorsement as I can give.

I had the great pleasure to be seated next to Ms. Borman at a dinner at Hever Castle last Sping and can say that she is equally as engaging and enthusiastic in person as she is in her writing. We discussed her recent discovery of an alter cloth which appears to be the repurposed gown Elizabeth wore for the Rainbow Portrait which can be seen at Hatfield House. Her excitement was genuine and contagious! It is being conserved by the Royal Needlework Guild and will hopefully be on display soon, possibly at Hampton Court where the Guild is housed.That said, even though I have read a great deal about the Tudor Dynasty, I still learned new things from this book. For instance, did you know that Dr.Dees, Elizabeth's astrologer, was employed by Cecil as a spy and signed his correspondence "007"!!!The viewpoint on how the Tudors lived in private is unique and engrossing.If you are a fan of the Tudors-don't miss this one!

It was very interesting to find out the daily routines of the Tudors. The book covers all the Tudors from Henry VII and Elizabeth of York through Elizabeth I. Everything follows almost a ceremonial act with certain steps that had to be completed in a certain way and dictated all aspects of their lives. This includes going to the bathroom and begins the moment they open their eyes in the morning till the moment they shut them at night. I had a hard time putting this down at night, but this is one of my favorite periods in history.

While it does go into some roles and resources that many other histories don't, the author's attitude toward people and practices is so annoying that I keep wishing I hadn't purchased it.

If you’re just starting to read about the Tudors, I think this would be an excellent intro despite the fact it focuses “behind the scenes.” Borman follows a chronological timeline and includes a lot of historical context for what was going on at the time, or why the succession proceeded as it did. While all of this context became a small complaint for me (particularly around Edward VI and Mary I) as it took the focus away from their private lives, I think that the structure would help ground these facts for people who are just starting to learn about the Tudors.

I really enjoyed this book and the way it flowed from subject to subject. It was never boring and brought the Tudors to life so far this is my favourite book of this period in history

Was there really that much new? Not really, it was pretty much a rewriting of all the dozens of other books about the tudors I’ve read. But it was way more fun! Somehow, since this version was uninterrupted by court intrigue, political plots or complicated battles, I was able to just sit back and enjoy how these familiar people actually lived their lives. I enjoyed every single sentence in this intelligent, well written book.

I always tend to think that I know everything about the Tudors and there's never going to be anything new - that sounds really conceited doesn't it and that's not the aim. It's just that it's history that we're taught from a relatively young age and so it feels like common knowledge (Ok, we know about Henry VIII and his six wives but I guess that that's a start). I think that the reason I always enjoy Tudor history is that there's a large amount of social history that is the main core of history - back again to Henry VIII and his wives - and that interests me more than the wars. This book was just amazing Seemed very accurately sourced but really guided the reader through the time of personalities of the monarchs from Henry VIII through to the death of Elizabeth I and then the massive changes by new house of Stuart. It explained the whole 'show' that was the House of Tudor, the way they dressed (there were rules about who could wear certain colours of cloth to show importance), how long it took them to dress, smells, ablutions, moving around court, roles of people within court, number of people attending to each monarch, childbirth, the game of marriage and ageing and death. I just really enjoyed it. The writing was fluid and exciting and I felt that this was a real 'page turner' even though I knew the story if you see what I mean? The months and days leading up to the death of Elizabeth I I found really touching. After all the acting (dressing in appropriate ways, etc etc) she was an ageing woman, with no offspring and was, almost, ignored as the 'New Kid on the Block' was worshiped and their old lady was just left to fade away. Even the fat that her body was just cared for by her ladies whilst James I (VI) partied and got round to planning her funeral. Just little details like that made it very informative, exciting and a wonderful read.

This has to be one of my absolute favourite Tudor books, really couldn't put it down. In fact read it in two days.Full of excellent facts and descriptions that really bring the Tudors alive. It's written in such a wonderful manner that it just spills from the page.Whether your a Tudor lover already or looking for a book to introduce you to their exquisite world this is the book to read 100%. Really can't recommend it enough! Wow!

Like other reviewers, I thought that I knew most things about the Tudor period, having read many other books on the subject, but this book gave me many new fascinating insights into the lives of the Tudor royals. I found the details on the day to day practical aspects especially interesting, such as what the duties of the personal attendants were, what the royals wore and how they kept themselves clean, even down to how they went to the toilet. Imagine being Henry VIII's Groom of the Stool - not a job you would think anyone would want but it was actually a sought after and highly regarded role! I also enjoyed reading about Elizabeth and the different ways she attempted to disguise the visible signs of her ageing, although it painted a rather sad and pathetic picture of an old woman in her 70s wanting to appear as a twenty year old. Also interesting was the ongoing rivalry between Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots, not to mention Mary's pretty gruesome ending, her corpse then laying neglected and unburied for months.As usual, Tracy Borman has really done her research and then made this into a book that's not only fascinating but really well written. I highly recommend it.

This is a fascinating book and a must-read for anyone interested in the Tudor dynasty. Tracey Borman clearly relishes her subject and her style is very readable. There is lots to entertain/intrigue, particularly regarding Elizabeth I. She was a night owl and never retired before midnight: then her ladies in waiting had to undress her by unpinning her clothes/removing makeup which probably took another hour at least, so these poor women would have been utterly exhausted by the time THEY got to bed! Elizabeth also bathed at least once a month "whether she needed it or no", so very like her father in terms of personal fastidiousness. The book is a mine of information and I would thoroughly recommend it for all Tudor buffs.

A compelling read, delving into the private lives of the Tudor monarchs, revealing details about how they conducted their private everyday lives that rarely appear in books that tell the story of the Tudor Dynasty. Tracy Borman 's books are always absorbing, colourful, & easily read, & this is no exception. The chapter relating to Mary I, the first Sovereign Queen of England, is one of the best I have read, even though no mention is made of 'Bloody Mary,' but then this book is about the private lives of the Tudor monarchs, not a history of their reigns. Acknowledging that fact, the author can be forgiven for the limited mention of Lady Jane Grey (the 'Nine-Day Queen'), whom the English people never accepted as their rightful queen. More information of her private life & a better understanding of her temperament would, for me, make this excellent story even more complete.