Contextualizing Tudor Cuisine Culture and Politics in Hilary Mantel’s "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies"

Abstract

This study examines Tudor culinary culture as exemplified in the first two novels of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor Trilogy, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. It argues that rather than serving as a mere historical backdrop, food acts as a vital agent of political representation. Framed through the perspective of Thomas Cromwell, Mantel portrays food practices as indicators of social hierarchy, political power, and religious allegiance in Henry VIII’s court. Mantel draws a sharp contrast between Cromwell’s early experiences with frugality and the elaborate feasts, rare meats, and ritualized dining practices that characterize aristocratic abundance, highlighting the deep class divisions of the Tudor court. Royal banquets symbolize authority, where proximity to the king’s table signals royal favor and dining functions as political performance. Furthermore, the article analyzes the ideological politics behind dietary practices, such as fasting and abstinence, during the English Reformation, framing them as products of religious coercion rather than personal choice. Food culture is also examined through a gendered lens regarding the scrutiny of queens’ bodies and appetites, particularly reflecting Anne Boleyn’s vulnerability in the increasingly tense atmosphere surrounding courtly meals. Consequently, food in Tudor England becomes an instrument of power across various sociocultural and political dimensions, with all these dynamics converging to underscore the central role of authority in the Tudor regime.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The International Journal of Critical Cultural Studies, 2026 · DOI ↗