What to Expect When We Are Expecting “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light” *UPDATED*

“Your Majesty is the only prince. The mirror and the light of other kings.”

Henry repeats the phrase as if cherishing it: the mirror and the light. (Excerpt from The Mirror and The Light)

It is 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead. King Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, who gets pregnant soon but sadly dies days after giving Henry the male heir he has been expecting for a long time. Since one heir is not enough to secure the throne, finding a new bride for Henry is critical. And this is only one item on Thomas Cromwell’s to-do list in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light!

Cromwell, a blacksmith’s son from Putney and a newly created baron who continues his meteoric rise in the court of Henry VIII, needs to succeed at all costs to keep his power, wealth, and privileges. Imperial Ambassador Chapuys tells him: Continue reading “What to Expect When We Are Expecting “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light” *UPDATED*”

What to Expect When We Are Expecting “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light”

“Your Majesty is the only prince. The mirror and the light of other kings.”

Henry repeats the phrase as if cherishing it: the mirror and the light. (Excerpt from The Mirror and The Light)

It is 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead. King Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, who gets pregnant soon but sadly dies days after giving Henry the male heir he has been expecting for a long time. Since one heir is not enough to secure the throne, finding a new bride for Henry is critical. And this is only one item on Thomas Cromwell’s to-do list in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light!

Cromwell, a blacksmith’s son from Putney and a newly created baron who continues his meteoric rise in the court of Henry VIII, needs to succeed at all costs to keep his power, wealth, and privileges. Imperial Ambassador Chapuys tells him: Continue reading “What to Expect When We Are Expecting “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light””

Happy Birthday Henry VIII: Revisiting Damian Lewis in Wolf Hall

“Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. No other nation has a king who had six wives and cut the heads off two. We’re perversely proud of Henry.” – Hilary Mantel

source: BBC
source: BBC

Welcome to year 1535! In the most delightful deleted scene in Wolf Hall,  King Henry declares his age to the women in Thomas Cromwell’s household: “45 in June…”

Well, Henry is 533 years old today and popular as ever — to quote Damian Lewis:

“Henry, as a brand, is right up there with Coca Cola!”

I don’t think anyone can deny the recent contributions of Hilary Mantel’s brilliant work Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies — the books, the play and the TV drama to Henry’s as well as Tudors’ popularity in general! And BBC has completed filming of Mantel’s final installment in Thomas Cromwell series The Mirror and The Light with Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis resuming their roles. We’re looking forward to having the limited series on our screens later this year or early next year.

And now, in celebration of King Henry’s birthday, it is my utmost pleasure to take you back to the most memorable Henry moments in Wolf Hall TV Drama.

Long Live the King! Continue reading “Happy Birthday Henry VIII: Revisiting Damian Lewis in Wolf Hall”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis’ “very own ‘Enry”

The star-studded ensemble cast led by Damian Lewis and Mark Rylance completed the filming of Hilary Mantel’s third and final volume of Wolf Hall series “The Mirror and The Light” back in March. And as we can’t wait to see Damian wear the crown as Henry VIII one more time on our TVs later this year or early next year, here is the sweet story behind Damian’s “very own ‘Enry” from Knitting Witch UK! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis’ “very own ‘Enry””

Damian Lewis Created a Monster

Damianista’s note: We published this post by Holliedazzle on May 3, 2016 just after Wolf Hall aired on PBS Masterpiece. And  we’re sharing it again more than seven years later to celebrate the return of the king to film the sequel to Wolf Hall adapted from Hilary Mantel’s final volume of the Cromwell Trilogy The Mirror and The Light. 

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I’ll admit to not being the most educated person. I spent most of high school just trying to pass the time and get out with a diploma. I wasn’t a bad student, but when you decide on beauty school in your sophomore year, suddenly AP History and three hours a night of homework seem kind of like a waste of time. And I certainly didn’t spend my two study halls a day reading up on history, math or science. Now, as an adult, I am revisiting these subjects with a newly-found appreciation. I am learning things as a 36 year old woman that most people learn in high school. The history of The Tudors has been my newest interest, and I have Wolf Hall to thank for opening me up to something new. Continue reading “Damian Lewis Created a Monster”