The late actress and singer Jane Birkin, who would have been 77 today, had some interesting ancestors. As this first table shows, these were all through her father David, a naval Lieutenant Commander with a Russell mother, through whom Jane was descended from the Dukes of Bedford, along with several other peers: the van Keppels,… Continue reading The royal and noble descent of Jane Birkin
Tag: George II
Monarchs whose children died first….
Well, here’s British Kings And Queens Who Outlived Their Children (grunge.com), a list of English/ British monarchs who outlived their children. Richard’s there, of course, and reasonably well treated. His is a particularly sad story, losing his only legitimate son, then his wife, then his own life at the hands of traitors when defending… Continue reading Monarchs whose children died first….
Secrets of the Royal Palaces (C5)
I am rather enjoying this series, with visits to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral and others, historians such as Kate Williams, Janina Ramirez and Anna Whitelock and art specialists like Jacky Klein as well as Viscountess Hinchingbrooke and several eminent journalists. There is a lot of useful information about English and British monarchs from the… Continue reading Secrets of the Royal Palaces (C5)
Blood of the Clans
Neil Oliver has been back on our screens, BBC1 Scotland at least, with another short series. Following on from his 2018 Rise of the Clans, which detailed tribal influence over events such as the ascent of Robert I and subsequently the Stewarts to Mary’s troublesome reign and deposition, Blood of the Clans deals with Scottish… Continue reading Blood of the Clans
“World’s Greatest Palaces” …
… is another excellent series on the “Yesterday” Channel. Last night I watched the fourth episode, about Kensington, the influence of architects such as Wren and Hawksmoor, the evolution of the building, the creation of the Serpentine Lake and the monarchs and their relatives who have lived there. These include William III and Mary II,… Continue reading “World’s Greatest Palaces” …
Art, Passion and Power: The Story of the Royal Collection
Andrew Graham-Dixon has been on our screens for almost a quarter of a century; – he is tall, slightly grey, drawls a little and is an excellent art historian. His latest series tells the story of the Royal art collection – from Henry VIII and Holbein, Charles I and van Dyck, the Protectorate selling the… Continue reading Art, Passion and Power: The Story of the Royal Collection
That lawyer in Utah …
As you can see from the article, the author (Tom Leonard) knows the answer to be in the negative because the Royal Marriages Act 1772 precludes the descendants of George II from marrying without the sovereign’s consent – that sovereign being George III at the time. James Ord’s putative ancestor is another James Ord, born… Continue reading That lawyer in Utah …
The October Kings….
Here’s an interesting blog from Lydia Starbuck, which I’ve copied in full here because on my screen a lot of the words on the right margin are hidden by a border. The October Kings By Lydia Starbuck on 1st October 2015 http://royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/the-october-kings-54091 King Richard III was born in October 1452, one of five monarchs with… Continue reading The October Kings….
murreyandblue 