This drama series, from Starz but now broadcast on Channel Four, follows the momentous but unheralded reign of Edward VI through the eyes of the future Elizabeth I. It features the literally fratricidal feud between the Seymour brothers as the elder, the Duke of Somerset, becomes Lord Protector but also the King’s governor, powers that… Continue reading “Becoming Elizabeth”
Tag: beards
The many faces of John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln….
Some time ago I posted about a painting called Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap from this exhibition by Titian, which I’d “adapted” to become a portrait of John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln. This adaptation has popped up all over the place since then, and now I’ve happened upon it again… Continue reading The many faces of John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln….
What if Henry Tudor had been a handsome, charismatic challenger….?
As supporters of Richard III, we find it only too easy to dislike Henry VII. Not only did the churl defeat and kill Richard (not even through his own martial endeavours but through treachery!) but his looks mean we wouldn’t trust him an inch. He looks cold, calculating, shifty and downright untrustworthy, nor… Continue reading What if Henry Tudor had been a handsome, charismatic challenger….?
MISIDENTIFIED HISTORICAL PORTRAITS INCLUDING TUDOR QUEENS…
Reblogged from MISIDENTIFIED HISTORICAL PORTRAITS INCLUDING TUDOR QUEENS… Does anyone else like me get irritated by misidentified portraits of historical characters? Is it that difficult to get correct? It’s quite sloppy to be honest as just a quick glance at them tells you something ain’t quite right here! It’s particularly common around 16th century portraiture when… Continue reading MISIDENTIFIED HISTORICAL PORTRAITS INCLUDING TUDOR QUEENS…
Was the 3rd Duke of York like his youngest son in appearance….?
When I posted on my Facebook page that it had been suggested to me I write an M&B article about the physical appearance of the 3rd Duke of York, a friend commented: “. . . .According to John Ashdown Hill’s biography of Cecily, he was probably tall because of some poem written about how… Continue reading Was the 3rd Duke of York like his youngest son in appearance….?
A bearded Henry VII….?
Here is an interesting link about the death of Henry VII. It includes an illustration from the TV series The Spanish Princess, in which Henry seems to have sprouted a beard. Really? I don’t think so, somehow. All his portraits show him clean-shaven, including one painted when he was getting on in years. But… Continue reading A bearded Henry VII….?
Maldon
Following an unsuccesful Viking raid in 924, the battle of Maldon took place in August 991 and the result was a victory for the Norse invaders. Byrthnoth, the Essex earldorman who led the Saxons that day, was among those killed and Ethelred II instituted payment of the “Danegeld” to pacify the Vikings. This Byrthnoth statue… Continue reading Maldon
Royal genealogy before it happens (2)
Seven years ago, before this blog officially began, a letter was published in the Ricardian Bulletin about the common Edward III descent of the Duke and Duchess, as she soon became, of Cambridge through the Gascoigne-Fairfax line. Now it has been announced that Prince Henry of Wales and the American actress Rachel (Meghan) Markle, or Duke and Duchess of… Continue reading Royal genealogy before it happens (2)
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow(2)-Henry VIII’s Beard
Recently I came across a portrait of Henry VIII that I had not seen before–certainly it is one of the lesser known ones. Ar first glance, the painting appears to be of a youth, pudgy-faced and beardless (with some similarities to portraits of Edward IV around the tip of the nose, eyes and mouth)–however, a… Continue reading Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow(2)-Henry VIII’s Beard
murreyandblue 