Sorry about the title, I just had to do it even though I have no right to put my name next to that of a queen, oh well! Today, we have four important “on this day in history”s:-
- 1466 – Birth of Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII, at Westminster.
- 1503 – Death of Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII, from a post-partum infection.
- 1971 – Birth of Claire Ridgway, owner of The Anne Boleyn Files, writer and mother, in Lancashire, England.
- 1982 – Birth of Natalie Dormer, the actress known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in “The Tudors”, in Reading, Berkshire. Happy 30th birthday, Natalie!
Now, you can find out all about Elizabeth of York in the following articles:-
But what about Claire of Lancaster? I hear you ask – you did ask, didn’t you? – Well, here is a brief bio of Claire Ridgway. Sorry, just had to do it, it is my birthday after all and if you can’t hog the limelight on your birthday when can you?
Claire Ridgway (that’s me!) was born in Lancashire, England, on the 11th February 1971. She moved to Warwickshire, 12 miles from Straford-upon-Avon, at the age of 4 and lived there until she started university. Claire studied at the University of Warwick for four years (near to Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle, yay!) and then began her working life as a teacher in Birmingham. Claire married the swashbuckling hero, Sir Tim, in 1995 and the couple had three children. Claire gave up teaching to be a full-time mum.
In 2006, the Ridgways left England for a new life in Spain, moving from the scenic Cotswolds to a traditional white pueblo up a mountain in Andalucia. Big change! Claire threw herself into freelance writing and then, after a vivid dream about Anne Boleyn’s execution, started The Anne Boleyn Files in February 2009. Her aim was to spread the REAL truth about Anne Boleyn and to challenge the many myths and misconceptions out there. Claire now works full-time on running the site, researching Tudor history and writing about it. Her first book, “The Anne Boleyn Collection“, comes out in March 2012.
There, that’s my ego trip done!
Also on this day in history…
- 1531 – Convocation granted Henry VIII the title of “singular protector, supreme lord, and even, so far as the law of Christ allows, supreme head of the English church and clergy”.
