Henry VIII's Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle (Hardback)
Her Life, Letters and influence on The Tudor Court
Imprint: Pen & Sword History
Pages: 240
Illustrations: 40 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781399052153
Published: 31st August 2025
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The life of Honor, Lady Lisle, follows a dizzying narrative arc. Born into a West Country family, her second marriage propelled her into Anne Boleyn's court, as the new step-aunt to Henry VIII.
Her husband, Arthur, was the illegitimate son of Edward IV, bearing the dangerous surname Plantagenet, one of a few survivors of the old regime. At his side, Honor witnessed tumultuous change in England, before heading out to run the Tudor enclave of Calais. Her surviving letters speak of a happy family, domestic arrangements, clothes and food, as well as including snippets of news about Henry's love life and the unfolding Reformation. A devout Catholic, Honor found herself in a difficult position when instructions arrived to carry through religious reforms in a reluctant, rebellious town.
As the pressure increased upon the couple, and one by one, the giants of the Tudor court fell, did Honor ever fear that she may suffer the same fate? What exactly caused accusations to be made against Honor and Arthur? What role did Honor's faith play? Just how close did she come to dishonour?
This is the first complete biography of Honor, presenting the story of a significant Tudor woman against the backdrop of immense political change.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Nicola Wilton
Admittedly, details of the life of Honor Lisle seemed to have passed me by in all of my Tudor readings and education so far, so this book was a gem!
The author sets the scene by introducing us to the Tudor era, with how the times were starting to change in Honor’s youth to the changing of kings and queens and to her subsequent position in Calais. Through her experiences and correspondences, we see how the Tudor Court changed, what life was like for her and gained further insight into the period.
The storytelling was great in this and I had absolutely no problem getting hooked. Which for a non-fiction read, I always appreciate!
The research that must have gone into this, I could imagine was immense. It certainly payed off for how all encompassing and well written this was and I really enjoyed reading it. Kudos to Amy License for giving Honor her well deserved space in the pages and to bring her to literary light. I really enjoyed!
About Amy Licence
AMY LICENCE is a best-selling author and historian of the medieval and early modern period, specializing in the lives of women, from queens to commoners.
Amy has written for The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement, The New Statesman, BBC History, The English Review, The Huffington Post, The London Magazine and other places. She has been interviewed regularly for BBC radio, including Woman's Hour, and appeared in Philippa Gregory's BBC2 documentary The Real White Queen and Her Rivals in 2013 and Yesterday Channel's Private Lives of the Tudors in 2016. Amy is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Her website can be found at amylicence.weebly.com.
Arthur Plantagenet Henry VIII's Illegitimate Uncle (Hardback)
Illegitimate son to Edward IV and the uncle of Henry VIII, Arthur Plantagenet’s life is an intriguing story. Raised in his father’s court, he then became a trusted member of Henry VII’s household and after his death, was a prominent figure at the court of Henry VIII. Henry VIII treated his uncle well in the early years of his reign, making him vice-admiral and then Lord Deputy of Calais in 1533. Arthur did the best he could in his new position in Calais over seven years, including trying to maintain a relationship with Thomas Cromwell against a background of religious change, but there were…
By Sarah-Beth WatkinsClick here to buy both titles for £31.50