Princess Elizabeth of York
Princess Elizabeth of York Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) 1943 It seemed right that we commemorate the death of Queen Elizabeth II by including one of the many photographs taken of her over the course of her 96 years. I have chosen one that shows Elizabeth as heir apparent in 1943, taken by the eminent Canadian photographer, […]
The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower
The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower by John Everett Millais (1829-1896)c1878 Apart from one pen portrait of Edward V with his father (which does not represent a likeness), no contemporary portraits of either of Edward IV’s sons exist. It is hardly surprising then that this romantic portrait, painted 400 years after the […]
Tudor Women: Elizabeth Fitzhugh (1462-c1505): marriage, widowhood and remarriage
The beginning of the Tudor era bore witness to two of its most formidable women, Elizabeth Fitzhugh (1462-c1505) and her daughter-in-law, Maud Green. Both were married at a young age to husbands that were far older, and both became widows whilst still in the early twenties. In this first article we look at Elizabeth’s life […]
Mary I and her deteriorating eyesight
Mary I of England is often remembered for her phantom pregnancies, but her poor eyesight was one of her longest and most debilitating illnesses.
‘Edward the prince and excellent yowth’: the birth, life and death of Edward of Lancaster
Today marks the 551st anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury, the final battle of the second phase of the Wars of the Roses. In terms of the number left dead it was not the bloodiest of the conflict, but it was one death in particular that made the difference – that of Edward of Lancaster. […]
Queen Anne and her son, William Duke of Gloucester
Princess Anne and her son, William duke of Gloucester Sir Godfrey Kneller c1694 I’ve always found this painting particularly poignant. It depicts Princess Anne (later queen) with her five-year-old son, William Duke of Gloucester. He has such an angelic face and the portrait shows real affection between mother and child. William was Anne’s seventh child […]
Charles III or George VII: a brief history of regnal names
Regnal names can be tricky to choose, but when you have been known by your family and the world as Charles for 73 years, why would you suddenly want to change it so late on in life? For the Prince of Wales, this is not a hypothetical question. New monarchs will make one of the […]
The Prisoners of Pevensey Castle
Built as a Roman fort, by the fifteenth century Pevensey Castle was being used as a state prison. We look at some of the most important prisoners who were kept there. The beginings of Pevensey Castle On the East Sussex coast sits the ruins of one of England’s least well-known and yet most significant castles. […]
Ignatius Sancho (c1729-1780): composer, writer, mentor and friend
When a two year old boy named Ignatius Sancho arrived in England in 1731, an orphan and a slave, it would have been hard for anyone to have imagined that we would still be talking about him nearly 300 years later. Yet that small boy was to make a mark on history, not just because […]
How Anne Hyde changed the course of history
Had Anne Hyde lived beyond 13 March 1671 she would have been Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, and yet she remains relatively forgotten, lost amongst the more famous Stuart consorts. Married to James, duke of York, the younger brother of Charles II, she did not live to see him become king, but her influence […]
