I am available to give talks, make school visits and attend book signings and other events (including private engagements). Please contact me at mail@elizabethnorton.co.uk for more information.

My previous speaking engagements have included talks for the Historical Association, the Folkestone Literary Festival, the Friends of Anne of Cleves House in Lewes, Sussex, the Anne Boleyn Experience (http://www.historytoursofbritain.com/), the Richmond Local History Society.

I am available to speak on a variety of topics in relation to the Tudor and medieval periods in England. A selection of past topics are detailed below. Forthcoming talks include a discussion of Anne of Cleves' association with Richmond Palace - the scene of her divorce and one of her main homes during her life in England. I have also recently spoken on the early life of Catherine Parr, the political significance of Bessie Blount and the history of the Boleyn family. Topics can be tailored to meet individual requirements.

Anne Boleyn: The Woman Behind the Queen

This talk focussed on Anne Boleyn's early life and family background in an attempt to determine how they influenced the woman, and the queen, that she later became. Anne's family background, and the importance of both paternal and maternal kin in sixteenth century England were discussed, alongside surviving evidence from Anne's childhood. In particular, the pivotal roles played by Anne's father, Sir Thomas Boleyn, and her sister, Mary Boleyn, in shaping her destiny were discussed. Whilst Mary's role was somewhat passive, with Anne consciously defining herself in a different way to her sister, Thomas Boleyn was an active force in Anne's early career. Anne's time in Brussels and France was also discussed in relation to the way that these experiences shaped her future life. Following this, Anne's relationships with Henry Percy and Thomas Wyatt, as well as her early interaction with Henry VIII were detailed, alongside the role that her family played in promoting her relationship with the king.

Other talks have included the early life of Anne Boleyn - looking at the woman behind the queen. In another talk I looked at the early career of Margaret Beaufort and, in particular, her role in bringing Henry VII to the throne as the first Tudor monarch.

 

School Visits

I also make school visits. At secondary level, I can give a talk to the students. For example, I have spoken on Margaret Beaufort, and her role in the accession of Henry VII, to a secondary school's student history society.

 

Alternatively, at all levels I run workshops with the students. For example, for years 4-6 I have run a workshop on the six wives of Henry VIII, specifically looking at the theme of farewell letters. The children were asked to write their own letters to Henry either as Catherine of Aragon on her deathbed, Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London or Anne of Cleves on hearing of her divorce. We then compared these letters to the actual letters written by the three queens. Finally, we considered how reliable these sources were, looking at the fact that Anne of Cleves' dictation was translated into English before it was sent to the king, while Anne Boleyn's letter is commonly considered to be a forgery.