Audience And Interests

For these blog posts, I feel my intended assignment will appeal to a reasonably large audience. Tudor history is one of the more popular eras in British history after all, there are few people in England who would not recognise a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I or haven't heard the nickname “Bloody Mary,” enough times for it to be unrecognisable.  As such this angle I feel will draw in a good portion of the contemporary audience. Anyone with even a basic interest in Tudor, or even British history will consider reading it.

After them, we have the people whose interest in Tudor history goes further than a simple passing interest. Genuine Tudor history buffs or fans will of course be interested in this article, simply due to their attraction in the subject matter.

And of course after that, for the people who do not care about Tudor history, we have the very human story of the lives of three siblings, and the conflicts they faced throughout it: how relationships were formed, how they deteriorated, whether or not reconciliation was possible or not. The fact that the relationships between the Tudor siblings is the focus of my piece, I feel shall draw a reasonable amount of attention in its own right. As the simple story of family relationships, especially ones in extreme circumstances have been popular throughout all of history.

As to what it is about, my piece will appeal and stand out to both the audience and any potential publishers. From my research it seems very few (if any for that matter) articles have ever been written specifically on the relationship of the three Tudor siblings. As such I effectively have the opportunity to break new ground here, a rare phenomenon in the modern world of writing.

Issues And Difficulties

When researching and adapting the events of the personal relationship between the Tudor siblings: Mary, Elizabeth and Edward. So far there have been several issues and difficulties I’ve faced. The main one is that I’m writing about people who lived almost five hundred years ago. As such a completely accurate depiction of their personal relationship is going to be impossible to capture. It’s simply been too long since the events occurred.

Another issue I’m facing is that despite there being quite a lot written about each individual monarch and their reigns comparatively little has ever been written about their personal lives, especially in relation to each other. I was aware of this problem before I chose my topic; in fact it was one of the things that drew me to writing about it. As such this limits the already finite amount of resources I have to draw from.

A quite major issue is simply the practicality of looking for this information. I have neither the funds nor the time to scour every single possible resource across the country. As such up to this point I’ve been forced to get my research from books or websites. It has likewise been quite slow. I do plan to try and visit Bodleian Library in Oxford at my earliest possible convenience. With their wide range of sources, it will hopefully find more available information.

A final issue I have to contend with is the subject of bias. In what has been written about the Tudor siblings and their relationships, there is always the concern of whether or not the source is biased. These sources were after all written during or about a time when Britain was going through a great dissidence of both politics and religion. Likewise the siblings belonged to multiple different factions during said nonconformity. This dissidence could have shaped the authors opinion and interpretation of the events.

Preparing Your Stratagem

Reading over these very complicated relationships, the only thing that is immediately clear to me is that I need to do a lot more research. As such I have decided to attempt to visit Bodleian Library in Oxford, to see if I can look over their collection for any other information onto the Tudor siblings personal life’s and relationship.

However when dealing with the question of how to present this story as an engaging narrative, it is clear to me that I cannot simply write out their life’s stories. The events in question took place over a period of twenty-five years. With the available two thousand word maximum, it will be necessary to compress their lives, and only focus on the moments that truly capture their relationships. As well as the essential context to provide enough information on the matters that occurred, without it overtaking the essay.

Unlike Kate Summers, I am unable to recreate the world of the characters, or at least not to such a rich and vast degree. Likewise as Edward dies before the real crisis in Mary and Elizabeth’s relationship occurs, to prevent him receiving a lack of focus it is clear that it can’t be a chronological essay. As Gutkind puts it “…writers do not always frame in a strictly chronological sequence.”

He goes on to say “The best answer to finding a frame and where in the process to start it is to isolate a point in the story at which major action or conflict or ideal resolution is about to take place. Begin a little bit before that point so that you can easily work up to it. Starting…as close to the heat of the action as possible is the best way to invoke the readers and compel them onward.”

It is clear, that this is the best way to present my story. However choosing said action will require more research.

Development of Research

Throughout the previous week, my research into the relationships of the Tudor siblings has been slower than I would have liked. Due to lack of practical (or in some cases, possible) alternatives, I have been mostly focused on reading books and websites upon the topic for information. Never the less I have still managed to make several developments into nature of Mary, Elizabeth and Edward’s relationships.

Mary and Edward’s relationship had a positive start, as Mary was named Edward’s maiden aunt when he was still a boy. As a child it is reported he would often follow her around, asking her questions and having long discussions. The subject of religion did not come up between the two of them. Upon Mary falling ill, Edward sent her multiple letters and assured her he would keep secret anything she wished to confide. At eight years of age Edward was already giving his older sister advice such as worrying for her love of dances; in a letter he sent to her included the line: “Foreign dances and merriments do not become a most Christian princess!”

Mary and Elizabeth’s relationship also it appears started off quite lovingly. Despite being ordered into Elizabeth’s household at Hatfield, the two grew close quite quickly. In 1536, just a few months after Anne Boleyn’s execution Mary wrote to her father on the subject of her sister’s health:

“My Sister Elizabeth is in good health and such a child toward as I doubt not but your Highness shall have cause to rejoice of in time coming.”

In 1537 following the birth of her brother, it is recorded that she left Edward’s christening, holding Elizabeth’s hand. Mary also proceeded to supervise over her sister’s education, taught her games and showered her with small gifts and pocket money.

All sources suggest that initially all the Tudor siblings were close to one another and their relationship was positive, especially considering their circumstances. However, how did it progress as they grew older, and the politics and power they each shared by being Tudors from birth, became the forefront of their lives?

The Three Who Ruled

Diverting from initial intentions, I decided that neither topic was progressing and therefore switched my focus to a subject I feel has more potential. I have been fascinated with Tudor history since my childhood. One topic that has long intrigued me, was what was the relationship of the Tudor siblings?


After nearly forty years on the throne the reign of King Henry VIII had come to an end. Never again would the country be the same. The King's legacy would be polarising; to some he was a modern monarch who had brought England into the Renaissance, but to others he was a brutal tyrant.

Yet Henry’s true legacy was his children. In an event that is practically unheard of in world history, all three siblings managed to ascend to the throne. Throughout their reigns they each faced problems. From fears of being usurped to differences in religion, it would have be perfectly logical for the three siblings to spend their lives as bitter rivals.

However the matter is far more complicated. Despite there being countless articles written in the last four hundred years on their individual reigns, there has been comparatively little written on their actual relationships. Nevertheless, several sources indicate they were much closer than most would suspect.

For example, in 1553 when Mary succeeded to the throne, she made certain her little brother, Edward received Protestant funeral rites despite the fact she was a devout Catholic. Likewise upon her march on London to seize the crown she invited Elizabeth to march with her. Elizabeth also spent much of Edward’s reign at Court with him.

How strong was their relationship? How did it change as their lives progressed? And what did the siblings really think of each other? That is what I intend to discover. The main focus of this of course will be upon Edward, Mary and Elizabeth.

Key dates I may need to look into include:
1533, Elizabeth’s birth,
1537, Edward’s birth,
1547, Henry’s Death and Edward’s succession,
1553, Mary’s succession,
1554, Wyatt Rebellion, leading to Elizabeth’s imprisonment.

Locations of course would include both Edward and Mary’s courts as well as their homes growing up, such as Elizabeth’s household in Hatfield where Mary stayed to look after her as a child.

Initial Ideas, and the Stories They May Become

Both my potential topics for research are serial killers. Mankind has always had a fascination with serial murderers. In the Greek Myths, the hero Theseus faces not one but several Serial Killers on his journey to Athens.[1] Modern historians have speculated the beliefs in werewolves may have stemmed from medieval killers. The fascination for such people is easy to understand. For in every culture murder is universally decried as one of the ultimate sins. So how is it possible for someone to commit multiple homicides and still claim to be human?


The problem is many serial killers are either too well known or too obscure. As such I've chosen two possible candidates, one that was especially well known and one that isn't.

Gary Ridgeway AKA The Green River Killer
America’s most prolific Serial Killer, operated between 1982 to 2000. During which time, he systematically abducted, then murdered female sex workers in Seattle.
Though sentenced for 49 deaths, Ridgeway confessed to 71, and estimates place his possible total death toll at over a hundred.
My research would go into Ridgeway’s motives and insanity,  such as, were their signs of derangement present for his whole life or not? and if so, when did such signs first manifest?
The advantage with using Ridgeway is that, as one of the most prolific killers, there is a wide variety of information about him and his crimes that is easily accessible.
The downside is, Ridgeway has already had multiple books (and a graphic novel) written about him, his life and his crimes. As such finding a fresh perspective could prove difficult.

Alexander Pichushki AKA The Chessboard Killer AKA The Bitsa Park Maniac
A Russian Serial Killer, operated between 1992 to 2005.
Convicted of causing 48 deaths, suspected of being responsible for 60; Pichushki confessed to 62 (on account of being unaware that two of his victims survived).
Interesting points of potential could be looking into the accident he suffered as a child, and whether this contributed to his bloodlust. Another possible point is whether or not there is any truth in the rumours of his killings being committed to challenge fellow Serial Killer Andrei Chikatotilo[2]. Also how true was Pichushki’s claim of desiring to kill 64 people, one for every square of the chessboard.
The advantage of doing Pichushki is he is not so well known and there is very little written about him.
The disadvantage is this also means there is less information and detail available to study.

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[1] Memorable members include Sinis, who tied his victims between two bent trees so they were ripped apart when he released them. And Procrustes the inn keeper who would stretch out his victims too short for their bed, cut off the legs of the ones to tall and simply smother the ones who fit.

[2] AKA The Red Ripper, convicted of murdering 52 women and children between 1978-1990.