The news cycle is fast, and it’s hard to keep up with our favorite interests and topics! That’s why once a week I make up this post with the top stories that have caught my attention.
Hidden Poisons of the Royal Court
How noble lords and ladies, terrified of poison, unknowingly poisoned themselves on a daily basis.
https://daily.jstor.org/hidden-poisons-of-the-royal-court/
A brief history of beards, from King James I to Prince Harry
For the Tudor and Stewarts, pogonotrophy (growing a beard) was all the rage – Henry VIII and James I both rocked power-beards.
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/a-brief-history-of-beards-from-henry-viii-to-prince-harry/
Jane Seymour: Henry VIII’s favourite queen
Alison Weir discusses the life and tragic death of the Tudor king’s third wife, who bore him his long-awaited male heir.
https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/jane-seymour-henry-viiis-favourite-queen/
The bells of Westminster Abbey
These bells are, however, extraordinarily special in the history of the nation and are in fact, one of London’s most unique choirs, have given voice to important events in the life of the country, as well as marking the Abbey’s life in the rotation of the Anglican Church calendar.
http://royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/the-bells-of-westminster-abbey-103501
What did Elizabeth I really look like at 60?
An elderly, unmarried queen with no heir, many of us might picture the ageing Elizabeth I with chalky white makeup, blackened teeth and a false red wig.
https://www.historyextra.com/period/elizabethan/what-did-elizabeth-i-really-look-like-at-60/
How Shakespeare used music to tell stories
Music was an equally important component of Shakespeare’s dramaturgy, often combined with words, action and the occasional firework to shape dramatic meaning.
https://theconversation.com/how-shakespeare-used-music-to-tell-stories-96301
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop. She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.