So, who is "the Tudor Enthusiast"?
Me with "Henry VIII" (Warwick Castle), 2012
I can't quite remember what triggered my love for the Tudor period, but when I think back on it, I believe it started when I was about 15 - at the same time the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl" came out in theaters. Although I had heard of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII before, I knew very little about the time period, but I remember walking away from that movie completely in love (and in tears). It was around then that I started picking up Tudor-era novels - starting with Philippa Gregory's, of course. I moved onto other well-known historical fiction novelists, such as Jean Plaidy, Kate Emerson, Diane Haeger, and Robin Maxwell...and the love grew! Soon, I was learning so much about the people and events through these novels, that I moved onto nonfiction... and my interest only continued to escalate!
University of Oxford Graduation, 2015
In 2011, I turned my interest in the Tudors into a fully-fledged blog and website. What started as a (somewhat) mindless hobby has since become a passionate community of like-minded, history-loving people. I've expanded my website to include book recommendations and reviews, and I'm very fortunate to receive several books every year from authors and publishers who are keen to have me promote their work. I also maintain a Facebook community for the website, and feel very lucky to have such a great group of followers who enjoy being a part of it.
Perhaps the most notable thing to mention here is that I don't just have a great interest in this period of history - I have a masters degree in it! In 2015 I completed my Master of Studies in Modern British and European History at Mansfield College, University of Oxford . My dissertation was titled "The Sunne in Splendour: The Posthumous Reputation of Kind Edward IV (1485-1603)" - (Yes, I like the late Plantagenet period , too!). Through my time at Oxford, I explored many historical places, chatted with several fellow Tudor-loving students and professors, and seriously contemplated making England my home. Now, even though I'm back in the United States, I carry my Tudor enthusiasm with me and still love to share it as much as I did when I first started this journey.
Now that you know a little bit about me, I hope you'll take the time to explore my website to the fullest extent, and maybe drop me a message to let me know what you've thought! I love hearing from readers, and I'm always interested to know what you'd like me to post more about. While you're at it, be sure to connect with my Tudor Enthusiast community on Facebook, and join in the fun there as well!
Thank you so much (again) for visiting my website. I truly hope you're enjoying it!
-Stephanie
Perhaps the most notable thing to mention here is that I don't just have a great interest in this period of history - I have a masters degree in it! In 2015 I completed my Master of Studies in Modern British and European History at Mansfield College, University of Oxford . My dissertation was titled "The Sunne in Splendour: The Posthumous Reputation of Kind Edward IV (1485-1603)" - (Yes, I like the late Plantagenet period , too!). Through my time at Oxford, I explored many historical places, chatted with several fellow Tudor-loving students and professors, and seriously contemplated making England my home. Now, even though I'm back in the United States, I carry my Tudor enthusiasm with me and still love to share it as much as I did when I first started this journey.
Now that you know a little bit about me, I hope you'll take the time to explore my website to the fullest extent, and maybe drop me a message to let me know what you've thought! I love hearing from readers, and I'm always interested to know what you'd like me to post more about. While you're at it, be sure to connect with my Tudor Enthusiast community on Facebook, and join in the fun there as well!
Thank you so much (again) for visiting my website. I truly hope you're enjoying it!
-Stephanie
