In late April 1388, John of Gaunt‘s son-in-law Sir John Holand returned to England from the Spanish peninsula, where he had been constable of Gaunt’s army. Gaunt had invaded the peninsula in pursuit of the Crown of Castile, to which he had a claim through his marriage to the Infanta Constanza. I am now going… Continue reading “Time-honour’d Lancaster” was given to pressing on at the expense of his men….
Tag: Spain
The boy who had been King Edward V….
Ladies and gentlemen, please remember that this novella is a fictional account of what might have happened to the boys known as the Princes in the Tower. The theory about Coldridge is not my original thought, nor have I done anything personally to help prove it. To my knowledge there is nowhere called Oakhanger in Kent, let alone that it was held by the Earl of Lincoln. I… Continue reading The boy who had been King Edward V….
Useful Charts on Italy
So now, having analysed Henry VIII’s will, the Jacobites, the Roman Empire, France, Russia, Germany and Portugal, we move on to a monarchy that was still extant eighty years ago: that of Italy, which was ended by referendum in 1946. Umberto II (pictured), who reigned for the (1861) House of Savoy’s last five weeks after… Continue reading Useful Charts on Italy
A complete suit of early 16th-century armour found in Spanish castle….
Why the illustration of Catherine of Aragon’s arrival in England? Well, it starts with this article, where you’ll find the following opening paragraph: “….The castle was previously thought to have been constructed following the Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, which became part of Umayyad Caliphate around AD 711–732. However, very little is known… Continue reading A complete suit of early 16th-century armour found in Spanish castle….
“Useful Charts” tries to answer the big question: the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire dates back to this day in 27BC, when Augustus assumed the title Princeps, to end (in the West) with Romulus Augustulus’ deposition in 476 and (in the East or Byzantine) with the defeat and death of Constantine XI by the Ottomans at Constintinople in 1453. So, who is the hypothetical Roman Emperor… Continue reading “Useful Charts” tries to answer the big question: the Roman Empire
The Middle Ages and the movies….
“….In The Middle Ages and the Movies eminent historian Robert Bartlett takes a fresh, cogent look at how our view of medieval history has been shaped by eight significant films of the twentieth century. The book ranges from the concoction of sex and nationalism in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, to Fritz Lang’s silent masterpiece Siegfried, the art-house classic The Seventh Seal to… Continue reading The Middle Ages and the movies….
Historic royal families and incest….
The above gentlemen have the infamous Habsburg chin on full display. It means they are definitely not going to win a World’s Handsomest Man competition any time soon. Their chins and general looks are the result of generations of inbreeding, the aim being to keep the royal blood pure. Well, there’s pure and there’s… Continue reading Historic royal families and incest….
Clearing up a French genealogical mystery (2)
Just over six years ago, we published an article about the claimants to the French throne. They divide into three lines: BOURBONS: Charles X’s male line, comprising the entire legitimate male line of Louis XIV with one proviso, became extinct in 1883. The exceptions are the Spanish Borbons, with their habit of… Continue reading Clearing up a French genealogical mystery (2)
Isabella of Castile takes the crown, in more way than one….
This article lists the top five great European queens as Elizabeth I, Maria Theresa of Austria, the Empress Elizabeth, Catherine the Great and Queen Victoria. Ah, but that’s the top five after Isabella of Castile, who reigned from 1474 until she died in 1504. Isabella snatches this particular crown right under the other ladies’… Continue reading Isabella of Castile takes the crown, in more way than one….
Another king slain by a treacherous Henry….
“….During his life and in the years following his death, Pedro [I of Castile, 1350 to 1369] became a central figure in a wide range of historical narratives composed in Castilian, French, English, Catalan, Latin, and Arabic. These accounts present contrasting depictions of Pedro; however, as it is well known, the lasting image of… Continue reading Another king slain by a treacherous Henry….
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