According to Caroline Halstead in Richard III As Duke Of Gloucester And King of England, the White Rose derives from Clifford Castle (near Hay-on-Wye). It therefore came to the York family as part of their inheritance from the Mortimers, who had themselves inherited Clifford Castle. But why is Clifford Castle associated with a white rose?… Continue reading The origins of the White Rose of York?
Tag: Fair Rosamund Clifford
The mystery of the vanished manor of Ostenhanger….
There once was an Anglo-Saxon manor in the south of Kent called Berwic, which became known as Le Hangre, and was then split into two manors, Westenhanger and Ostenhanger. Westenhanger is still very much in evidence (see illustration above) but Ostenhanger as such has disappeared entirely. It’s still there really, of course, but was… Continue reading The mystery of the vanished manor of Ostenhanger….
Biggest Lies of the Middle Ages
There are many, many false ideas and funny beliefs about the Middle Ages and some of the notable figures who lived in those times. Alfred and the cakes, Edward II and the hot poker, Eleanor of Aquitaine flinging poisoned toads on Fair Rosamund… And of course, almost everything you can think of about Richard III. … Continue reading Biggest Lies of the Middle Ages
The Bones in the Urn again!…a 17th Century Hoax?
UPDATED POST @ sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri https://sparkypus.com/2020/05/14/the-bones-in-the-urn-again-a-17th-century-hoax/ 19th century painting of the Henry VII Chapel by an unknown artist. The entrance to the area where the urn stands is to the left of the tomb of Henry VII Helen Maurer, in her wonderful article, Whodunnit: The Suspects in the Case mentioned in the notes ‘As for why… Continue reading The Bones in the Urn again!…a 17th Century Hoax?
MISTRESS OF THE MAZE—Rosamund Clifford, Lover of King Henry II
Jane Shore is one of the most famous royal mistresses and certainly the prime one of the 15th century. Arguably, however, the most famous royal mistress in medieval English history is the enigmatic Rosamund de Clifford, known as ‘Fair Rosamund’ or ‘Rose of the World.’ Like Jane, Rosamund seemed to have received a generally benign… Continue reading MISTRESS OF THE MAZE—Rosamund Clifford, Lover of King Henry II
What do Matilda and Margaret, Eleanor and Elizabeth, plus two Henrys, add up to…?
To my mind, it adds up to two very similar situations that are two centuries apart. Let us begin in the 12th century. On his deathbed, Henry I of England named as his successor his only surviving child, his daughter, the Empress Matilda. He obliged the nobility to agree. They reneged, of course. A woman… Continue reading What do Matilda and Margaret, Eleanor and Elizabeth, plus two Henrys, add up to…?
murreyandblue 