This excellent documentary was featured on Channel Four during March. It told of Wales’ existence as a Kingdom before the Normans arrived and sought to reinforce their borders and the last Principality was suppressed about a year before the future Edward II was born at his father’s greatest military outpost at Caernarfon. It discussed the… Continue reading A Royal guide to … Wales
Tag: Henry VIII
The sack of Rome
This 1527 event, which led to a Charles V inspired papacy ultimately refusing Henry VIII‘s annulment, because Catherine of Aragon was his aunt and Clement VII almost his prisoner, was discussed on “In Our Time” this week. In turn, however, this was inspired by Habsburg mercenaries being unpaid after their victory at the seige of… Continue reading The sack of Rome
Meet the Brownes
Sir Thomas Browne (abt. 1402-1460) was a fervid Lancastrian. This is no doubt the reason that after the Battle of Northampton, he was either beheaded or hanged, drawn and quartered. (Sources differ). He was found guilty of High Treason, a bit of a stretch given that Henry VI was still King at the time and… Continue reading Meet the Brownes
“Becoming Elizabeth”
This drama series, from Starz but now broadcast on Channel Four, follows the momentous but unheralded reign of Edward VI through the eyes of the future Elizabeth I. It features the literally fratricidal feud between the Seymour brothers as the elder, the Duke of Somerset, becomes Lord Protector but also the King’s governor, powers that… Continue reading “Becoming Elizabeth”
I wonder …
We all know that Sir John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, was descended from Thomas of Brotherton, a younger son of Edward I. Several branches of the Howard family have held the title ever since, except for periods under attainder from 1485-1514, 1547-53 and 1572-1660. Were any of them descended from more recent monarchs? Henry… Continue reading I wonder …
Tyrants – Part 3
In some ways, it is surprising that Edward IV is not usually denounced by historians as a ‘tyrant‘. He had, after all, a key qualification, as he was neither a Lancastrian nor a Tudor. Edward also summarily executed the Earl of Oxford and his son after a brief ‘trial’ before the Constable. And some of… Continue reading Tyrants – Part 3
Tyrants – Part 1
I am heartily sick of certain historians – or ‘historians’ in some cases – who use the ‘tyrant’ word as a badge to stick on the rulers they dislike as a sort of badge of disgrace. These people invariably gloss over the similar – no, let’s be plain, worse, far worse! – deeds of the… Continue reading Tyrants – Part 1
An Abbey in Dublin Unearthed
Excavations in Dublin city centre have uncovered the remains of what was once one of Ireland’s most important medieval monasteries. St Mary’s was a House of Benedictines, followed by Savignac monks and then Cistercians, and it was exceedingly wealthy, with the added bonus of being permitted to claim goods from shipwrecks. At times, it was… Continue reading An Abbey in Dublin Unearthed
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….
What was the sweating sickness and where did it come from….?
The general belief is that the dreaded sweating sickness arrived in England along with Henry Tudor and his French army. Maybe it did. Certainly it became rife after Bosworth and he entered London. It was a fearsome disease, worse even than the Black Death, for you could be hale and hearty at breakfast and dead… Continue reading What was the sweating sickness and where did it come from….?
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