This week’s episode, Necessity compels me to plague you, was jam-packed!
Thomas Seymour stalks Elizabeth and manages to wheedle out of her an agreement to marriage, Lord Protector Somerset makes a secret deal behind the king’s back, a rebellion breaks out, Thomas Seymour shoots a dog, Elizabeth has a night of celebration, Robert Dudley gets beaten up, and Elizabeth and Kat Ashley are arrested. Phew!
But did all of this really happen in 1549?
Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as I look at the real history behind Becoming Elizabeth…
Click here for Becoming Elizabeth book recommendations.
Want to know even more about the real Elizabeth I and the history behind “Becoming Elizabeth”? Join me and 7 other historians for the “Elizabeth I: The Life of Gloriana, the Virgin Queen” online event – https://claireridgway.com/events/elizabeth-i-the-life-of-gloriana-the-virgin-queen-online-event-7-16-september-2022/
Related posts:
Becoming Elizabeth – Episode 1 – Keep the Knife Bright – Fictions versus history
Becoming Elizabeth – Episode 2 – Elizabeth I’s #metoo moment is ruined
Becoming Elizabeth – Episode 4 – Lighten Our Darkness – Becoming Elizabeth or Becoming Mary?
Becoming Elizabeth – Episode 2 Part 2 with feedback from Tom Cullen and Anya Reiss
News – Elizabeth Norton joins the Elizabeth I event to talk about Seymour and Elizabeth, our first talk goes live, and you can join our Zoom call
NEW Elizabeth I online event starts with a chat about Becoming Elizabeth this week!
Becoming Elizabeth – Episode 3 – Either Learn or Be Silent
Actor Tom Cullen responds to my anger over Becoming Elizabeth’s Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth Storyline
Becoming Elizabeth Books – Books to help you learn the history behind the series
Forgetting God to love a king – Thomas Seymour’s execution
Thomas Seymour – A Man with Much Wit and Very Little Judgement
I really was flabbergasted during this episode, although a lot of the stuff did happen. I was flabbergasted at the sexual scenes between Elizabeth and Tom Seymour. They were shown as two passionate people in love or lust and actually had sex.
Now yes at this point Tom Seymour has said he wants to marry Elizabeth and she did consider his proposal. I don’t think it’s entirely clear as to how involved they were physically at this point and if Elizabeth took him seriously. She did say she would consider but that she had to have the permission of the Council. Was Elizabeth trying to ward him off or get out of hot water? I think she was confused by an overbearing older man who was obsessed with her. I think he was serious but Elizabeth wasn’t. I don’t think they had a sexual encounter and I can’t see Elizabeth having a wild party to celebrate his love.
It all went wrong anyway when Tom Seymour broke into the Palace and tried to abduct King Edward. What on earth was that about? We know he allegedly did this, killing the dog but how far he intended to go we can only surmise.
I am not happy that the relationship between Tom and Elizabeth is being shown as a passionate affair, although by now he was more interested in marriage for his own ambitions than carrying on his alleged abuse. Elizabeth is well and truly under his spell in the series and she didn’t discourage him in reality. But they didn’t have a mad sexual encounter.