A dusty box has just been found behind the wooden panels of Hampton Court Palace. Inside is a collection of royal diaries. The pages are fragile, full of faded ink, emotional confessions… and secrets that could change how we see Tudor history forever. What truths do they reveal? What voices have finally broken centuries of silence?

Write a diary page.
Step into the shoes of a Tudor figure: Henry VIII or one of his six queens. You will write one fictional diary page that reflects your character's personality, emotions, regrets, or wishes at a key turning point in their story. Use what you've learned about both historical facts and modern representations to create a voice that feels true!

• Choose your character (Henry or one of the queens).
• Identify a key moment in their story (wedding, betrayal, imprisonment, etc.).
• Re-read your notes: what do we know “historically”, and how has this person been “represented” in pop culture?
• Brainstorm emotions, regrets, hopes or frustrations they might have at that moment, as well as hopes and dreams for the future.
• Decide on tone and voice: angry? sad? ironic? resigned?
Cliquez pour accéder à un module d'enregistrement audio
Enregistreur audio

➤ Commencez par la date et le lieu

• Inscrivez ces éléments en haut à gauche, comme s'ils venaient d'être écrits par le personnage.

     Tower of London, May 18th, 1536

➤ Adoptez la voix du personnage

• Écrivez à la 1re personne du singulier et imaginez les émotions, pensées ou dilemmes du jour. Vous pouvez utiliser la formule Dear diary puis commencer par une phrase simple : Today was the longest day of my life...

Plongez-vous dans la psychologie du personnage. Pensez à ses relations avec les autres, aux événements qui peuvent le troubler ou le faire évoluer, ainsi qu'aux conflits intérieurs qui peuvent le tourmenter (un secret, une décision difficile, etc.).

➤ Structurez votre page

• Organisez le texte en trois ou quatre courts paragraphes :

 Humeur du jour ou événement marquant ;
 Souvenirs, sentiments ou explication d'un choix ;
 Souhait, regret ou rêve (utilisez wish, if only) ;
 Espoir ou crainte pour l'avenir (utilisez will, would like to, hope to).

➤ Terminez comme une vraie page de journal

• Ajoutez une signature ou une formule personnelle qui reflète l'état d'esprit du personnage.

      Until tomorrow... or not.
      Yours in silence, Anne
      Still hoping, Jane
      Ready to fight, Catherine

Record a history podcast.
You are a historian who has discovered the mysterious box containing the royal diary. You're hosting a podcast episode to present this groundbreaking find to the world. Explain who wrote it, when and why, what it reveals, and how it could change the way we understand Tudor history.

• Choose the monarch who wrote the diary that you discovered (Henry or one of the queens).
• Place it in context: when was the diary written, and what's happening historically at that moment?
• What kind of emotions or secrets does it reveal?
• Cross-check with historical fact and modern portrayals: what does this “discovery” challenge or confirm?
• Plan your episode structure: intro, background, key extract, interpretation, conclusion.
• Rehearse your tone: you're a historian, but a passionate one! Make us care!
Cliquez pour accéder à un module d'enregistrement audio
Enregistreur audio