Who Would you Invite??

I borrowed this idea from a post over in one of the groups at Goodreads (here is the link to the original thread). One of the ladies started a discussion that has generated some wonderful answers and I had to borrow it to post here! I hope I get some interesting responses!!

If you could invite any 5 historical people to a dinner party, who would you invite and why?


1. Elizabeth I - Queen Bess would have to be my first choice as my interest in her really got me into reading historical fiction and my love of British history. I would really love to ask her how she really felt about her father, what her relationship with Dudley was really like, was she lonely and regretted not marrying and having children, what was her childhood like being cast off by her father, did she have an illegitimate child, etc, etc? I think she would be a fascinating dinner partner.

2. Anne Boleyn - I would just love to find out what this lady was really like. While I don't believe she was as evil as some historians have made her out to be, it would be interesting to see just what made up her personality. Of course, I'd have to ask all the obvious questions dealing with Henry and the adultery charges, etc, etc. It would also be nice to have her at the table with her daughter. I think she would find it amazing how much she is still talked about and discussed over 500 years after her death.

3. Richard III - I have become fascinated with this man, probably for some of the same reasons I enjoy reading about Anne Boleyn - he has been so vilified by history that I want to see how accurate any of it is. I'd have to ask him about his nephews in the Tower because that is just something EVERYONE is dying to know (at least historical fiction people LOL!), did he really love his wife, Anne, or did he just want her money, did he really want the Crown? I'd also like the chance to tell him that finally, not everyone believes he was a horrible, murdering hunchback. Since I don't believe he was that horrible (probably somewhere in the middle) I actually find myself liking the man!

4. Eleanor of Aquitaine - She was an absolutely fascinating woman who lead a fascinating life. I would love to hear the details from her. There are so many things that I could ask her about (her sons, what did she think of what eventually happened with John, why did she take part in that rebellion, etc, etc) but one of the first things I'd ask would be about Rosamund Clifford and if Eleanor had anything to do with her death.

5. Boudicca - For those of you not familiar with the name, she was the leader of the Eceni tribe and lead an almost successful revolt against the Romans. I have been interested in this lady since I saw a program about her on the History Channel. Since this period of Britian's history is scantily recorded (except by the Romans and they're going to be biased) I would love to learn what it was really like during those times, what she really was like, and what eventually happened to her.


I had an extremely hard time choosing. I would much rather have a big dinner party so I could talk to lots of historical people: William of Normandy, Henry II, Edward I, Queen Isabella, Hugh Despenser, Edward III, John of Gaunt, Katherine Swynford, Henry V, Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII (I'd love to let Henry VIII know that it was his daughter that reigned so successfully after him, most don't even know he had a son, and that people today think he was a tyrant), William Shakespeare, and more. However, as there would probably be a lot of tension with a group like that, I wouldn't want blood shed at my table!