This interesting paper by Carole Cusak is well worth reading. Particularly worthy of note is the fact mentioned in it that no contemporary source suggests that there was anything wrong with Richard II‘s state of mind. It was, in fact, Bishop Stubbs in lectures at late as 1866, who first suggested that Richard was insane.… Continue reading Plantagenets
Tag: insanity
Henry VI was a pain, and Richard II was NOT Richard III….!
Henry VI is not my favourite king, in fact I think he was a real pain in the posterior, whether in his lucid moments or not. This link is to a paper about him, which I confess to not having finished because I lost faith in its accuracy. No fewer than three times Richard II… Continue reading Henry VI was a pain, and Richard II was NOT Richard III….!
Rebellion in the Middle Ages
This is the latest of Matthew Lewis’ books and covers a longer period than any of the others, from Hereward the Wake’s emergence after Hastings to the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, almost as long a period as this book. Lewis is already an expert on “The Anarchy” (chapter 2) and the Roses… Continue reading Rebellion in the Middle Ages
Where did the poisoning witch the Duchesse d’Orléans take refuge….?
In Paris at the end of the 14th century the unfortunate Duchesse d’Orléans , Valentina Visconti, was accused of using witchcraft upon the mentally ill Charles VI, and of poisoning his Dauphin, Charles. I doubt she was guilty of either. It was all politics and sneaky enemies. Isn’t it always? Louis d’Orléans was himself… Continue reading Where did the poisoning witch the Duchesse d’Orléans take refuge….?
THE TUDOR CROWN UNEARTHED
A metal detector enthusiast has come up with an impressive find that may be worth a cool £2 million. Tucked away in a hole in a field field near Market Harborough was a tiny figure made of pure gold. This figure is believed to be from the ‘Tudor Crown’ designed by Henry VII for state… Continue reading THE TUDOR CROWN UNEARTHED
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE! CHARLES VI OF FRANCE
On January 28, 1393, Charles VI decided to partake in the Bal des Sauvages, the Ball of the Wild Men, a masquerade ball in which the ruler joined with gusto, joining a party of five other nobles to perform a frenzied dance dressed as a ‘woodwose’–a Wild Man of the forest. Unfortunately, the Ball ended… Continue reading GREAT BALLS OF FIRE! CHARLES VI OF FRANCE
The Traitor’s Arms?
In 1840 workmen carrying out repairs to St Bartholomew’s Church, Ashperton, Herefordshire were collecting stones from the ruins of a nearby manor house when they discovered a heavy stone plaque, carved with an elaborate coat of arms, among the rubble. The stone was taken to the church for safekeeping and has hung on the wall… Continue reading The Traitor’s Arms?
Joan of Arc or Boudicca? Boudicca every time for me, I fear….
Joan of Arc means a great deal to France, but I’m afraid I have never really cottoned on to her. Perhaps because I’m a little uncomfortable when it comes to people who “hear voices”. Not that I’m saying she deserved her horrible death. Far from it. No one deserves that. But when it comes to… Continue reading Joan of Arc or Boudicca? Boudicca every time for me, I fear….
Elizabeth Woodville and witchcraft in medieval England….
Aha, so Elizabeth Woodvile was a witch, and so was her mother, Jacquette of Luxembourg. Well, everyone knew that already, because Philippa Gregory wrote about it in great detail. So it just has to be true! Anyway, joking aside, this History extra article is interesting for the information it gives about what the English… Continue reading Elizabeth Woodville and witchcraft in medieval England….
Henry VI: saint or sinner?
A gentle and devotional life About seventy years ago, the historian John Harvey wrote this in an essay about King Henry VI: “The life and death, and the thwarting of his noble designs are one (sic) of the sorriest tragedies of English history. He was a victim of forces outside his control, for whose existence… Continue reading Henry VI: saint or sinner?
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