Fitzroy Fitzroy

And here's the second - reverting to my familiar Tudor theme and reusing a Bowie classic.

Rebel Rebel Fitzroy Fitzroy not by David Bowie
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo 

Born the son of King Henry eight
Was thrilled with you he thought you were so great
A son, that’s just the thing
A son, to please this king
Needs a prince, for the fam’ly line
Just a daughter after all this time
Then you come and he claims to know
Exactly where the blame should go
It must be down to Aragon
You just watch, soon she’ll be gone

Fitzroy Fitzroy, the king’s bastard
Fitzroy Fitzroy, you’re his flesh and blood
Fitzroy Fitzroy, a shining star
Duke of Richmond you are! 

Oh yeah!
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo 

Born the son of King Henry eight
Was thrilled with you he thought you were so great
A son, that’s just the thing
A son, to please this king
Needs a prince, for the fam’ly line
Just a daughter after all this time
Then you come and he claims to know
Exactly where the blame should go
It must be down to Aragon
You just watch, soon she’ll be gone 

Fitzroy Fitzroy, the king’s bastard
Fitzroy Fitzroy, you’re his child preferred/flesh and blood
Fitzroy Fitzroy, a shining star
Duke of Richmond you are!

Oh yeah!
Oh!
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo 

Fitzroy Fitzroy, the king’s bastard
Fitzroy Fitzroy, you’re his flesh and blood
Fitzroy Fitzroy, a shining star
Duke of Richmond you are!

The king’s bastard, his flesh and blood
The one he accepts, the one he thinks is good
Because you proved that he could father sons
He’ll give you titles and money and land
Who knows what other things the king has planned
You’re the king’s bastard
And you’re his child preferred
Because you’re his flesh and blood
But it won’t be long
Until your swan song 

‘Cause soon you’ve got to go
A short lived child, uh-huh, uh-huh
Soon you’ve gotta go
When you are just nineteen, you’ll have to leave the scene
You’re the king’s bastard
And you’re his flesh and blood
Ooh, you’re his flesh and blood
Ooh, ooh, but you’ve got to go
Eh, eh, you’ve got to go
Eh, eh

From The Mind of Merc - The Tudor Curse

 Then a Mind of Merc post in which today I was thinking about the mortality of the Tudor heirs and, more specifically, whether it could be said that a curse haunted the Tudor monarchs as this issue wasn’t just exclusive to Henry VIII and his desperate quest to produce a male heir to succeed him as it struck both before and after his reign.

 An example of potential victims of this curse are:

- Arthur Tudor (eldest son of Henry VII) – born 1486, died 1501 (aged 15)
- Edmund Tudor (youngest son of Henry VII) – born 1499, died 1500 (aged 1)
- Henry Tudor (eldest son of Henry VIII) – born 1511, died 1511 (aged 2 months)
- Henry Fitzroy (illegitimate son of Henry VIII) – born 1519, died 1536 (aged 17)
- Edward VI (son of Henry VIII & Jane Seymour) – born 1537, died 1553 (aged 15)

While the majority of these are generally believed to be due to tuberculosis, or even plague, I wonder if they could possibly be linked to (or even caused by) the similar(?) malady of sweating sickness.

This unpleasant little disease is in itself interesting as it only appears in history during the Tudor era but this was more than enough time to have done plenty of damage including reportedly killing off Henry VII’s eldest son and heir, Arthur. It is said to have come across to England with Henry VII when he came to combat Richard III at Bosworth and the subsequent theory is therefore slightly ironic in that seeking to overthrow the previous monarch, Henry VII sealed the fate of his own son (thus also changing to course of English history yet again by making his younger son, Henry, his sole heir and, in time, leading to the Break With Rome).

To further this theory (and admittedly this part takes a bit of a leap) the last recorded occurrence of the disease is reputed to have been in 1551 – later than either of the Henrys but still in time to kill off the only two male heirs of Henry VIII’s best friend and companion, Charles Brandon – perhaps the virus thought him guilty by association. 

What makes it even more interesting is the virus was even said to have a penchant for Englishmen as during the 1517 outbreak foreign visitors were reported to be less likely to succumb and during the 1528 it didn’t breach the Calais border into territorial France or even the northern border into Scotland.

As well as this, although by no means confined to royalty as it also did for other connected persons such as William Carey (husband of Mary Boleyn) and the wife and children of Thomas Cromwell it was said to target or perhaps favour the rich and powerful – surely an odd characteristic for a disease.

Could it be then that Henry VII brought this malady on his people himself? Both physically by bringing it across with his army and spiritually by inviting it through some unspeakable act that earned him this vengeful response with its first notable victim being Henry VII’s eldest son and heir and the last being the two sons of his successor’s best friend (as well as the sole heir of his loyal adviser)?

We may never know but it is still an intriguing theory.

Bessie - !!!NEW!!!

 Two historical parody songs in one month! I'm spoiling you!

Ruby Bessie not by Kaiser Chiefs

Sadly it must be said my marriage is dead
'Cause there's no little boy in the royal cot bed
If there’s one thing I need, it’s a son to succeed
But my dear queen it seems cannot give this to me

Bessie Bessie Bessie Bessie
Will ya will ya will ya will ya
Do what I need you, need you to do
Bessie Bessie Bessie Bessie

We’ve been married so long back since fifteen oh nine
It all started so well thought that we would be fine
But now it’s looking bleak and I keep losing heart
I need to find something new maybe make a fresh start

Bessie Bessie Bessie Bessie
Will ya will ya will ya will ya
Do what I need you, need you to do
Bessie Bessie Bessie Bessie

Could it be could it be that you're pregnant by me
And it’s not really all down to me
Could it be could it be that you're pregnant by me
And it’s not really over for me

Bessie Bessie Bessie Bessie
Will ya will ya will ya will ya
Do what I need you, need you to do
Bessie Bessie Bessie Bessie
Will ya will ya will ya will ya
Do what I need you, need you to do

The Man in Red - !!!NEW!!!

Went to Hampton Court last weekend - on one wall of which hangs an infamous portrait of a mysterious Tudor gentleman dressed entirely crimson - The Man in Red. Hmm - sounds like an idea for a song.

 

Woman in Red The Man in Red not by Chris de Burgh

You ever seen that portrait that’s in the Royal Collection,
An object of fascination,
You ever seen that full length man who is dressed so strikingly,
And also dressed so ornately, standing so proudly,
Have you ever looked at the clothes he’s wearing,
Or the distinct blue-grey colour of his eyes,
The man in red;

Yes the man in red is standing up there, tall and proud,
Such bright clothes that he stands out in a crowd,
Silent and yet so loud,
But we don’t know this person’s real name,
He’s an unidentified man of great fame;

You ever seen that portrait that’s in the Royal Collection,
An object of fascination,
You ever seen all of the people who go to see his portrait,
So many who will speculate, guessing who he is,
But it’s never been firmly resolved,
Could he be the illegitimate king’s son, or a man of state;

Yes the man in red is standing up there, tall and proud,
Such bright clothes that he stands out in a crowd,
Silent and yet so loud,
But we don’t know this person’s real name,
He’s an unidentified man of great fame;

Yes he’s an unidentified man of great fame.
It’s the man in red, it’s the man in red,
It’s the man in red, it’s the man in red,