Nightgowns in Tudor time were the equivalent of a modern day
Tudor beds were constructed using English oak or walnut and were so valuable that they were often bequeathed in the will as a prized possession to be passed on.
Tudor four-poster beds were grandiose, with thick carved pillars up to 18-inches in diameter. They were heavily carved with the family coat of arms, knights, floral and other symbols. The beds of nobility were ornately carved and skillfully painted. They were decorated in the coats of arms of the family.
If you've ever been on a tour of an upper-class historical home or castle, the docent probably made a point of telling the group that beds of the past were so short because people used to sleep sitting upright, leaning against the headboard.
For example, people did not bathe often, instead just washing their face and hands, and combing their hair and beards. When they did bathe, families would take turns to use the same water, because it took a long time to heat enough for a bath.
Wool and linen cloths were used by Tudor people to clean their teeth – there were no toothbrushes at this time. Worn out clothes were torn and used as cloths; larger pieces were used as household cleaning cloths, smaller pieces for washing bodies and cleaning teeth.
They used soap made from olive oil and water scented with herbs like sage, rosemary and camomile to wash parts of the body exposed to the air. Don't worry if you don't have light coloured hair–the Tudors had a few tricks to lighten it up.
Lying flat in bed was associated with death, so medieval people would sleep in a half upright position. Andrew Boorde even suggested that daytime naps should be taken standing up, and leaning against a wall.
It has been reported that the Queen and Prince Phillip don't share a bed because of a tradition followed by the upper classes. Not only did the monarch and her husband not share a bed, but it's also believed that they each had separate bedrooms altogether.
As for how humans slept without soft pillows, they likely slept in a more upright or reclined position rather than lying flat on their backs, as is common today. They may have also used blankets or other soft materials to cushion their heads and support their necks while they slept.
Ideals of Beauty
The Tudor view of pure beauty during the Elizabethan era was a woman with light hair, a very pale complexion and red cheeks and lips. This snow white complexion could only be achieved by a wealthy woman of the upper class.
Beds in the middle ages
For those further down the social scale, they would own wooden bedsteads with headboards, to which were added feather mattresses, sheets, blankets, coverlets and pillows, Peasants slept on mattresses stuffed with straw or wool, while the poorest slept on straw or hay.
Very few original garments have survived from this time, and the nature of portraiture has meant that our knowledge of what the average Tudor man or woman wore is very limited as only the rich and powerful could commission them.
Tudor women were expected to support their husbands in their businesses or work, run their households and bear children.
People normally shared beds, alongside family members, friends and, if travelling, even strangers. During sleep, it was common to observe a series of social conventions to prevent awkwardness. People were to avoid physical contact or moving around excessively.
The proclamation may have proved less than accurate, but for almost a century between the 1850s and 1950s, separate beds were seen as a healthier, more modern option for couples than the double, with Victorian doctors warning that sharing a bed would allow the weaker sleeper to drain the vitality of the stronger.
The monarch isn't a fan of a deep bath either, she is said to bathe in “no more than seven inches of water”, according to royal author Brian Hoey for the Daily Mail.
Droit du seigneur ('right of the lord'), also known as ius primae noctis ('right of the first night'), was a supposed legal right in medieval Europe, allowing feudal lords to have sexual relations with subordinate women, in particular, on the wedding nights of the women.
Their home has four bedrooms, so it seems likely they now share a room, unless their children, George, Charlotte and Louis are bunking in together.
The purpose of marriage was to procreate but for the times the Tudors didn't want to fall pregnant, there were rudimentary forms of contraception they could use. Basic condoms made from a cleaned out fish gut or sheep's intestine turned inside out.
Tudor Toilets
Toilets were called 'Privies' and were not very private at all. They were often just a piece of wood over a bowl or a hole in the ground. People would wipe their bottoms with leaves or moss and the wealthier people used soft lamb's wool.
Floors were of hard earth and furniture was very basic, benches, stools, a table, and wooden chests. They slept on mattresses stuffed with straw or thistledown. The mattresses lay on ropes strung across a wooden frame. Poor Tudors lived on a dreary diet.
Women (and actors) wore make-up made from all kinds of 'natural' ingredients. These included chalk, lead (which is poisonous) and powdered mouse bones! People didn't drink water, as it often made people sick, because it was mixed with sewage. Instead, adults and children mostly drank 'small' (weak) beer.
Instead of drinking water with their meals, they often drank ale and the rich drank wine. Water was often unfit for drinking because it as contaminated with sewage. Sugar came rom abroad and so was expensive.
Tudor health and medicine relied heavily on herbs and spices, some of which are still used today. Doctors would have an arsenal of herbal remedies used to treat a wide range of afflictions.