Did you know the Tudors didn’t give gifts at Christmas?

For them, New Year’s Day was the most political, strategic, and nerve-wracking day of the entire festive season; a glittering ritual where loyalty was displayed, and favour was won (or lost).

Welcome to Day 3 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we’re stepping inside the astonishing world of Tudor gift-giving.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why New Year’s Day was the true “gift season”
- How Henry VIII used gifts to reward, punish, and send unmistakable signals
- What Anne Boleyn gave (and what Henry gave her in return!)
- The lavish presents exchanged across the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I
- Why gifts were not sentimental… but political tools

From H ...