The Light of Many Days: 3 years on...

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"Gentle visitor pause awhile: where you stand death cut away the light of many days: here jewelled names were broken from the vivid threat of life: May they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage: under these restless skies.”

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After my emotions at rewatching Anne Boleyn’s execution in The Tudors last night, Facebook reminded me that 3 years ago today I stood at that very site, and I just wanted to reflect on it for a moment here. In my life, only two physical places have made me cry. This is one of them.

3 years ago I wrote ‘I’ve posted endlessly about my love for Jane Grey and my fascination with Anne Boleyn (and Katherine Howard tbh) so seeing the site where they were executed again, now that I’m older and know more of their stories was really quite emotional for me…Whatever their faults, these women were all essentially killed for being women and failing to satisfy the whims of a man and although their stories have been twisted by centuries of patriarchal bias their struggles and spirits feel so alive today. Whatever their crimes (and Jane Grey was totally innocent despite being written out of history), they did not deserve to die so cruelly. It’s a beautiful yet haunting spot and I hope they are at peace now whatever afterlife exists.’

I think it’s incredible that 500 years after their deaths, these women can still inspire others, move them to tears, spark their interest, and haunt their heart. My overall love of history was born from my love of the Tudor queens who died here, and as stupid as it sounds, I feel like I carry a piece of them with me because they have each inspired me in important and wonderful ways. I think my dream dinner party would just consist of Henry’s wives, his daughters, and Queen Jane Grey so that I could get their sides of the stories, learn from them, thank them, and give some of them back the lives that were stolen from them by the Patriarch of Patriarchy, Henry VIII.

I hope you’re resting in peace, Anne, Katherine, Jane (and the other ladies like Margaret Pole and Jane Boleyn who also lost their lives here). Be assured, I will personally never let your stories be forgotten.

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