Henry VIII’s third Queen, Jane Seymour, died on the night of the 24/25 October 1537 as a result of complications from the birth of her son, Edward VI. For the first ten days after Edward’s arrival, all seemed well with both mother and child. Then, on the afternoon of the 23rd, the Queen suffered from… Read more The Death of Queen Jane
Edward of Westminster (or Lancaster), the only child of king Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, was born on 13 October 1453 and was the rightful Prince of Wales. He was the touchstone for the War of the Roses and the only heir apparent to the English throne to ever be killed in battle. Edward of… Read more Edward of Westminster, the Lost Lancastrian Prince of Wales
George II was crowned King of Great Britain and Ireland on 11 October 1727 at Westminster Abbey. History hasn’t been kind to the second Georgian monarch, in part because “in the memoirs of contemporaries such as Lord Hervey and Horace Walpole, George is depicted as a weak buffoon, governed by his wife and ministers” and… Read more The Reign of King George II
On 28 September 1795, Charles James Fox and Elizabeth Bridget Cane (AKA Mrs. Armistead), were quietly in Wyton by Rev John Pery. The only attendees at the ceremony were the bride’s literal maid, Mary Dassonville, and Rev Pery’s clerk, Jeremiah Bradshaw, who signed the marriage certificate as witnesses. Why such a hush-hush wedding? Because the… Read more Foxy Lady — Mrs Armistead Becomes Mrs Charles James Fox
Without John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, there may have never been a Tudor reign. John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, was born on 8 September 1442 to John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford and Lady Oxford, Elizabeth Howard. The Oxfords were devout Lancastrian loyalists, determined to fight to the death for… Read more The Oxfords and the Tudors
I adore Queen Elizabeth II. Many people have lauded QE2 for her scandal-free life. Her kids have scandals and her relatives have scandals and her husband gets in trouble for gaffes (i.e. he says racist, stupid things sometimes), but the Queen does none of that. Queen Victoria has had more ‘sex scandals’ than Queen Elizabeth.… Read more Queen Elizabeth II and Her Descent From Jezebels
On 1 September 1532, one year and six days before the birth of the their daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth I of England, King Henry VIII invested his intended bride, Anne Boleyn, with Marquessate of Pembroke and its income of more than ₤1,000 per annum. Anne was now the highest ranking peeress in Great Britain.… Read more The Lady Marquesse of Pembroke
I think we all know the old saw about how for the want of a nail a kingdom was lost. Well, it became a proverb because it is true. It is the little things on which history often pivots. Lewis of Caerleon is one of those small things on which the arc of history depended. Lewis… Read more Lewis of Caerleon
Geoffrey V of Anjou was born on 24 August 1113, the eldest son of Foulques V d’Anjou and Eremburga de La Flèche, daughter of Elias I of Maine. He was the heir to several important titles and properties, and he grew into a good-looking, strapping young lad as well. He was often called Geoffrey le… Read more The Man Who Sired the Angevin and Plantagenet Dynasties
The is an episode of Star Trek (Original Series) called “The Enemy Within” that’s stuck with me since I was a kid. The premise is simple – “A transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into two halves: one meek and indecisive, the other violent and ill tempered. The remaining crew members stranded on the planet cannot… Read more Star Trek, Edward I, and the Execution of William Wallace