Well, my opinion only, of course, but where are John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford/de Roët? I don’t believe his first wife, Blanche, was his greatest love. That honour went to Katherine, for love of whom he went to extraordinary lengths, enduring scandal and opprobrium, but eventually making her his third duchess. And managing to… Continue reading The 10 greatest medieval royal romances? Some, maybe….
Tag: Blanche of Lancaster
Henry VII’s iffy Beaufort claim….
There is always a howl of outrage if fingers are pointed at Katherine de Roet/Swynford and John of Gaunt, and the legitimacy of their Beaufort children is called into question. The matter is guaranteed to end up with someone’s digit jabbing toward Richard III. Why? Because in his proclamation against Henry Tudor, Richard derided the… Continue reading Henry VII’s iffy Beaufort claim….
The truth about the Beauforts and the throne of England. . . .
John of Gaunt, third son of Edward III, was the Duke of Lancaster, and his illegitimate children, the Beauforts, were barred from the throne by his legitimate, firstborn son, Henry IV. Clearly the latter wasn’t having any baseborn relative wearing the crown. Nevertheless, we eventually ended up with a Beaufort king, who claimed to… Continue reading The truth about the Beauforts and the throne of England. . . .
A History Walk in Wiltshire
Sometimes, in this very old country of ours, even a simple afternoon’s walk out along the river can come up with some rewarding historical data relating to the Middle Ages and the Wars of the Roses period. Recently I went for a walk near the Wiltshire Avon, from Figheldean to Netheravon, taking in two little-known… Continue reading A History Walk in Wiltshire
In suo jure (or titles that did pass through the female line)
In this post, we reminded our readers that a lineal Lancastrian is a person descended from Blanche, the younger daughter of Henry of Grosmont, not from her husband, John of Gaunt, by another wife. Titles usually fit into these categories: i) To begin with, many older titles were created before Letters Patent in such a way that they… Continue reading In suo jure (or titles that did pass through the female line)
Henry the “Lancastrian”? Another own goal
You may have read here, here, here or even here about the regular own goals of a certain “Tudor”-ist troll. Anyway, given the fact that Henry VII, whether Tudor, Beaufort or Swynford, is not descended from Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster in suo jure but from her husband’s mistress and later wife, Katherine de Roet, he… Continue reading Henry the “Lancastrian”? Another own goal
The Da Vinci Pre-Contract….?
No, no – do not be put off by this dry old illustration, for it but masks the workings of an over-active mind. Mine! Does anything about the following sound familiar? “…The nickname John of London, given to Richard [II], alludes to a report spread by Henry that Richard was the illegitimate son of the… Continue reading The Da Vinci Pre-Contract….?
Which man fathered the first Beaufort….?
Here is the scene. The mother with her newly born child, her ladies, the air of relief and happiness. But presumably she is a faithful wife, and her delighted husband will soon be summoned to see his new offspring. No doubt he hopes for a son. But what if she isn’t a faithful wife, and… Continue reading Which man fathered the first Beaufort….?
Why lineage still matters in battle
The crown of England, among others, has often been claimed in battle or by other forceful means. However, to exercise such a claim, it is necessary to persuade a challenger’s military followers that he has a dynastic claim of sorts, even when this is greatly exaggerated or totally spurious. Thus William I, the Conqueror or… Continue reading Why lineage still matters in battle
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