history

Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Four Kingdoms and Preserver of France

Yolande of Aragon was born on 11 August 1384 to King John I of Aragon and his second wife, Yolande of Bar. She was not only a king’s daughter, through her mother she was also the granddaughter of King John II of France. As a well-dowered and noble bride, she was a marriage prize from… Read more Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Four Kingdoms and Preserver of France

No More Crocodile Dung!

When you research royalty in history, it is mostly about how desperately they needed to be fertile. The last thing a royal wanted was a way of preventing conception. The ideal was as many kids as fast as possible, with all-star standouts such as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (10 births/9 surviving), Queen Eleanor of Castile… Read more No More Crocodile Dung!

The Alhambra Decree

On 31 July 1492 the Alhambra Decree, which targeted the Jewish population for expulsion or death, went into effect in Spain. Jews were given three choices: they could convert to Catholicism, or surrender their goods and leave the country, or be executed horribly if they tried to remain in their homes and retain their religion. Tens… Read more The Alhambra Decree

Warwolf? Warcastle!

The Wars of Scottish Independence were long, bloody, and brutal. A major turning point in the English’s favor during the first of these wars was on 20 July 1304, when King Edward I of England accepted the surrender of Stirling Castle. The castle was a military gateway into Northern Scotland, and the site of one… Read more Warwolf? Warcastle!

The 6th Time is the Charm?

King Henry VIII married his sixth and final wife, Kateryn Parr, on 12 July 1543.  The widowed Lady Latimer was well known for her piety and virtue at court. Her mother had been a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherina of Aragon, and as fate would have it, Henry’s last wife was probably his first wife’s goddaughter… Read more The 6th Time is the Charm?

Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham

Four alleged co-conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln  — George Atzerodt, David Herold, Lewis Powell, and Mary Surratt – were “hanged by the neck until dead” at the Old Arsenal Penitentiary on 7 July 1865. Mary Surratt was the first woman executed by the US government, and the subject of Susan Higginbotham’s excellent book,… Read more Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham

Louis the Cunning, the Prudent, the Universal Spider, the Tudors’ Best Friend

King Louis XI of France was the original Machiavellian monarch, although ironically Niccolò Machiavelli stoutly criticized Louis in Chapter 13 of The Prince, “calling him shortsighted and imprudent for abolishing his own infantry in favor of Swiss mercenaries”. Nonetheless, Louis had a gift for turning situations to his advantage, duplicity, formulating conspiracies, and laying false… Read more Louis the Cunning, the Prudent, the Universal Spider, the Tudors’ Best Friend

Review: Thomas Cranmer in a Nutshell by Beth Von Staats

Thomas Kranmer was born on 2 July  1489, and for his birthday I am reviewing an excellent novella-length book, Thomas Cranmer in a Nutshell by Beth Von Staats. “In Thomas Cranmer in a Nutshell, Beth von Staats discusses the fascinating life of Thomas Cranmer, from his early education, through his appointment to Archbishop of Canterbury,… Read more Review: Thomas Cranmer in a Nutshell by Beth Von Staats