Tag: George IV

Inside Windsor Castle

This is another new Channel Five series, as they have broadcast about royal palaces before. Xand van Tulleken, Raksha Dave and JJ Chalmers explore the subject well, covering the architecture, health and make-up, but quite a few important monarchs are omitted: William I who conceived it, Edward III who was born there, Richard III who… Continue reading Inside Windsor Castle

Our monarchs’ nicknames….

When I first saw this list of monarchs’ nicknames I felt sure I’d have come across them all. But no, I only knew ten of the eleven. No doubt you know them all, but the one on which I came a cropper was number seven, the Be-Sh*tten – James II. Or James the Sh*t.  Good… Continue reading Our monarchs’ nicknames….

Royal Autopsy returns for Series II….

On 7 September last year on the Sky History channel was the first series of Royal Autopsy. It dealt with Charles II and Elizabeth I, and was excellent, if a little gory. I reviewed it on the following link: https://murreyandblue.org/2023/09/07/royal-autopsy-a-documentary-series-dealing-with-the-recreated-post-mortems-of-charles-ii-and-elizabeth-i/ Now the second series is soon to commence, and there are four monarchs having the… Continue reading Royal Autopsy returns for Series II….

How many Princesses of Wales have there been….?

  I have a liking for deliberately misinterpreting what someone else has written, and the headline of this article Who has held the title of Princess of Wales throughout history? (msn.com) is a prime example. Blimey, thought I, somewhere there’s a very, very, very old royal dear who has survived all these centuries…. But that’s… Continue reading How many Princesses of Wales have there been….?

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….

The Royals: A History of Scandals

This is a four-part series on More4, presented by Suzannah Lipscomb and with a focus on the Hanoverian era. It started with financial scandals, such as George IV’s extravagance and his brother‘s mistress who sold army commissions. The second episode was about sexual scandals and rumours, such as Edward VII’s mistresses and the male brothel… Continue reading The Royals: A History of Scandals

Found: The state bed of Charles II….

When I saw a headline about a family who bought a king’s bed, my first thought was of the marriage bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, which was found at auction in 2010 in Chester. But no, this is a different bed, and only dates back to Charles II. Nor is it a… Continue reading Found: The state bed of Charles II….

More Secret Marriages!

Back in 2010, historian Dan Snow was married in secret to Lady Edwina Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke of Westminster. I’ve looked but I can’t see that Dan mentions Edward IV‘s probable ‘secret marriage’ to Eleanor Talbot in any of his Twitter or other postings on history. (He did once post a very entertaining picture… Continue reading More Secret Marriages!

Digging up our monarchs; no, not Richard III this time….!

I’m told that even now, if you purchase a plot of ground in which to put your loved ones to rest, the chances are they’ll only lie in peace for eighty years, at which time they are removed and new occupants move in. Well, for centuries our dead haven’t always been left to enjoy their… Continue reading Digging up our monarchs; no, not Richard III this time….!