What was it like for Princess Katherine and Prince Henry. They ruled from 1509 to 1539.
The cock doth crow
To let you know
If you be wise
Tis time to rise.
A very apt little rhyme, as with a cock- a- doodle - doo, the castle's alarm clock crowed when the sun appeared. In the Great hall the royalty rose in their high bed behind bulky curtains. The castle actually didn't have enough beds for everybody, so most of them slept on the floor.
When all were awake and stirring, the servants rolled up the quilts and blankets and put them in their storage place. A busy day lay ahead. A trumpet announced twice a day that dinner was served. The people sat on wooden benches at lengthy tables in the Great Hall. No plates or forks were used at that time. Instead, the food was put on thick slices of dry bread. After eating the food, the people often ate their bread- plates too!
The rations of food on these plates were enormous. During just one of the dinners, they might have eaten eel and pigeon pie, boiled bear, fish and chicken as well as a whole ox or wild pig roasting in a huge fireplace. Such gluttons. They also ate peacocks and used many spices to make spoiled food taste better. No wonder their life expectancy was low.
They had fewer vegetables and desserts than we have today. Wine and beer were drunk, the children as well! While people ate, traveling music men played and sang in the Great Hall to entertain the lords and ladies. Jugglers and acrobats performed and clowns ran around doing funny tricks. The castle dogs devoured the bones and scraps that were dropped on the floor.
Eating and preparation took hours and obviously the royalty ate too much. There was nothing to do after their evening meal but to go to bed in the Great Hall and dream of dragons, witches spells, of War and battles, of princesses rescued by brave knights. What an .The Tower London, into the castle area, Henry decorated the chapel by adding glazed windows and stalls for him and his queen. It was Rebuilt by Edward 1st at a cost of over 300 pounds. A fortune long ago.
When visiting castles in Wales, I was utterly stunned by the preservation and beauty. I climbed the spiral staircases and saw the remains of the huge fireplaces, still in tact. What a useful piece of history to add to my general knowledge.
Sources : Wikipedia, Websters book of knowledge, authors experience, Pixabay, Google Images (labelled for reuse)