The great fortresses built by Edward I to subdue the rebellious Welsh are all spectacular and have survived the centuries. Now they are considered beautiful examples of medieval workmanship and have become great tourist attractions, which isn’t really what old Longshanks ever intended! One of the finest of these fortresses is Caernarfon which is always… Continue reading Caernarfon Castle, one of Wales’s great historic sites….
Tag: Princes of Wales
CROWN IN EXILE: A NOVEL OF RICHARD AND EDWARD IN BURGUNDY
A part of Richard III’s life often overlooked in fiction is the brief time he spent in exile with his brother, Edward IV, from October 1470 to March 1471. Usually, this event is a mere footnote in most novels, no doubt because it might be seen as ‘slowing down the action’ and also… Continue reading CROWN IN EXILE: A NOVEL OF RICHARD AND EDWARD IN BURGUNDY
Henry VII’s lavish gift to his daughter….
Oh dear, how very Henry VII. I’ve just read in this link that because the leek was the emblem of the Welsh, on one St David’s Day he presented a leek to his daughter. A real leek, that is, not one studded with precious stones. Talk about a cheap gift! I’m sure she was thrilled.… Continue reading Henry VII’s lavish gift to his daughter….
Was the lost coronet/crown of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, really the lost crown of King Arthur. . .?
The above illustration is of the British Crown Jewels as we know them now, but there were predecessors, long gone now, thanks to the efforts of Oliver Cromwell, who had no truck with such baubles. We are inclined to forget that there was a Welsh crown too, until it was seized by Edward I in… Continue reading Was the lost coronet/crown of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, really the lost crown of King Arthur. . .?
Richard III, Henry VII and the City of York….
This is not my work, but has been lifted entirely from British History Online. My contribution is the illustrations. It is a sensible assessment of the relationship of both Richard and Henry Tudor with the great city of York. :- York, Richard of Gloucester, and Henry VII There was much that was new in… Continue reading Richard III, Henry VII and the City of York….
A sword made for Richard’s son….?
The following is taken from an item in one of the Mortimer History Society newsletters. It was by a member, Stefan Zachary, and concerns a sword of state in the British Museum. Mortimer Heraldry on a Sword of State This sword is dated c1460-70 and it is said to be a ceremonial sword of the… Continue reading A sword made for Richard’s son….?
Another little boy who went into the Tower and never came out. (As far as we know.)
After the fall of Harlech Castle in February 1409, various members of Owain Glyndwr’s family were taken to the Tower. Among them was his grandson, Lionel ap Edmund (or Lionel Mortimer) the young son of Sir Edmund Mortimer and his wife Catrin ferch Owain. This boy cannot have been older than six at the uttermost,… Continue reading Another little boy who went into the Tower and never came out. (As far as we know.)
Dan Jones (again)
His current Channel Five series (Secrets of Great British Castles, Fridays, 20:00) is quite informative in parts. However, as a Starkey protege, Jones relies on fairly simplistic views and with his pre-selected one-dimensional heroes and villains, the latter including John (from the opener on Dover) as well as Edward II (mentioned in at least three… Continue reading Dan Jones (again)
murreyandblue 