THE GELDERLAND DOCUMENT – ‘PROOF OF LIFE OF RICHARD DUKE OF YORK* ALIAS PERKIN WARBECK

*This is the title of a chapter from The Princes in the Tower by Philippa Langley.  Without the aid of this invaluable book I would never have been able to write this post… Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com The Gelderland Document is a unique, tantalising and quite astonishing document that was discovered back in the… Continue reading THE GELDERLAND DOCUMENT – ‘PROOF OF LIFE OF RICHARD DUKE OF YORK* ALIAS PERKIN WARBECK

THE TOURNAMENT TAPESTRY – PORTRAITS OF MARGARET OF BURGUNDY AND PERKIN WARBECK?

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri sparkypus.com The Tournament Tapestry of Frederick the Wise c.1490.  South Netherlandish.  Silk, silver and gold threads.  Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes, France. Photo Nicholas Roger theartnewspaper.com My attention was first drawn to this sumptuous tapestry by an article written by Nathalie Nijman‐Bliekendaal in the Ricardian Bulletin, the magazine of the Richard III Society… Continue reading THE TOURNAMENT TAPESTRY – PORTRAITS OF MARGARET OF BURGUNDY AND PERKIN WARBECK?

The history of castles….

We all love early castles. Well, we can love those from later ages, but they don’t have quite the same cachet as those wonderful old fortresses that always make us gasp when we see them. But how did they evolve? And why did they become obsolete except as tourist attractions and scenic splendours? This article… Continue reading The history of castles….

A new Mancini – by Annette Carson

Towards the end of 1482 an Austin friar by the name of Domenico Mancini was sent to London by a senior minister of King Louis XI of France This was pursuant to France’s act of hostility in breaching her long-standing treaty with England, and Mancini was clearly on a fact-finding mission, as shown by the… Continue reading A new Mancini – by Annette Carson

Another one (denialists’ myth) bites the dust

Another subject that Cairo dwellers frequently pontificate about is Henry “Tudor”‘s marriage to Elizabeth of York. We do know that he promised, on Christmas Day in 1483 at Rennes Cathedral, to wed her and we know that he obtained a dispensation for the purpose. The denialists claim that this shows her and her mother’s knowledge… Continue reading Another one (denialists’ myth) bites the dust

Matthew Lewis on YouTube: 2) Mancini

Here is the second in my series of Top 10’s. This one is focussing on Dominic Mancini’s account of the events of 1483. It’s a hugely problematical source, both in terms of Mancini himself, who spoke no English, had no grasp of English politics and very limited sources, and in terms of the current translation… Continue reading Matthew Lewis on YouTube: 2) Mancini

Ten medieval scandals….!

“….What are the scandals that made headlines in the Middle Ages? Kings and Popes would be involved in some of the craziest stories of sex and corruption that would make today’s news seem quite tame. From a cross-dressing prostitute to the trial of a dead Pope, here are ten almost-unbelievable medieval scandals….” Well, you’ll find… Continue reading Ten medieval scandals….!

Henry V and the tennis balls….?

The above image depicts Henry V receiving a box of tennis balls from the French Dauphin. Right. I know this was supposed to have happened – well, Shakespeare said so – but this doesn’t look like Henry V to me! It looks more like a Tudorised Richard III! Wearing Nora Batty’s wrinkled stockings. More bah,… Continue reading Henry V and the tennis balls….?

Anne of Brittany’s heart has been stolen; literally….

At least the word “presumed” has been allowed in! It introduces an element of doubt about Richard III. Which is better than nothing. I hope this relic is returned to where it belongs. This sort of thievery is despicable. Footnote: I am delighted to be able to report that since I wrote this article, the stolen… Continue reading Anne of Brittany’s heart has been stolen; literally….

The Survival of the Princes in the Tower

The Survival of the Princes in the Tower has finally been released. There was a delay in some copies reaching readers in September, so by way of apology I blogged a little extract which can be found below. I also wrote a piece for On the Tudor Trail which was quite well received and can… Continue reading The Survival of the Princes in the Tower