Tag: George V

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

The Secret Diary of Edward VI (and other monarchs)

Yes, Edward VI and other monarchs wrote diaries. Here are some extracts : Edward VI, early 1547: “After the death of King Henry th’eight his son Edward prince of Wales was come to at Hartford by th’erle of Hartford and S[ir] Anthony Brown Master of t’horse for whom befor was made great preparation that he… Continue reading The Secret Diary of Edward VI (and other monarchs)

Who was first to lie in state in Westminster Hall….?

  One of the things that always springs to mind about Westminster Hall is the amazing hammerbeam roof, for which we have our 14th-century monarch, Richard II, to thank. He didn’t build the hall itself, of course, because that accolade goes as far back as King William II “Rufus” in 1079. And Rufus was disappointed… Continue reading Who was first to lie in state in Westminster Hall….?

The missing arm of Henry VI….

I have to admit that I didn’t know Henry VI‘s arm was ever missing (post mortem!) let alone that it had been replaced by a bone from something else! How very irreverent. In 1471, Edward IV first buried the defeated Lancastrian king Henry at Chertsey, presumably all in one piece. Chertsey was out of the… Continue reading The missing arm of Henry VI….

13 of the biggest mysteries of the British monarchy….

Oh, dear. The fate of Edward V (if he ever was a king) tops the Reader’s Digest list of 13 of the ‘Biggest Mysteries Surrounding the British Royal Family’. Hm. As the following quoted paragraph is a sample of the article’s accuracy, I won’t be bothering to read the other twelve. “….In April 1483, King… Continue reading 13 of the biggest mysteries of the British monarchy….

Some more Despenser connections

Last year, we showed how Anne Neville (and thus Edward of Middleham) were descended from Hugh Despenser the Elder, Earl of Winchester. Having followed up Kathryn Warner’s suggestion, this file allows us to add another Queen Consort, a King, a Lord Protector and a Lord High Admiral to the list of that Earl’s descendants. This can… Continue reading Some more Despenser connections

The Howards, Talbots and Seymours – England’s auxilliary royal families?

This document shows the descent of the known “wives”, secret wives, mistresses, illegal wives and alleged partners of five English and British kings, taken from Ashdown-Hill’s Royal Marriage Secrets: thosehowardsagain As a bonus, Laura Culme-Seymour, from a naval family, including Admiral Thomas Lord Seymour; Admiral Rodney and the first three Culme-Seymour baronets, has a famous… Continue reading The Howards, Talbots and Seymours – England’s auxilliary royal families?

A C20 peacetime high treason case?

Today in 1936, George V died and it is not at question that he was terminally ill from a combination of lung conditions, most notably bronchitis. The timing of his death is another matter. Articles dating from 1986, when the matter was revealed, suggest that this was brought forward, via quantities of morphine and cocaine,… Continue reading A C20 peacetime high treason case?

The Windsor centenary

Today in 1917, the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was renamed the House of Windsor, at the behest of George V and his advisors. There has been a series on Channel Five about it, focussed on the Castle and Great Park, whilst rather too gossiply and less historical than it could have been, was highly informative, with… Continue reading The Windsor centenary

The man who would be King

This is Anthony William Hall, a former Shropshire police inspector. In 1931, he claimed to be the rightful King of England, descended from an illegitimate son of Henry VIII whilst James VI/I had been an impostor, thereby disqualifying all of his descendents down to George V, whom Hall sought to supplant. The chief obstacles to… Continue reading The man who would be King