Category Archives: kings and queens

John Heywood, England’s First Great Dramatist

Posted on August 3, 2017 by

We know little of John Heywood’s life, other than the year of his birth, which was 1497. Likely, he was once served as a choir boy in the Chapel Royale and then studied at Oxford as a King’s Scholar. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Chaucer, British history, drama, kings and queens, playwrights, poetry, political stance, theatre | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

24 July 1817: The Burial of Jane Austen at Winchester Cathedral, a Guest Post from Collins Hemingway

Posted on July 24, 2017 by

Last week Kyra Kramer presented us a moving tribute to the passing of Jane Austen on 18 July 1817. Today, I have chosen to repeat one of Collins Hemingway’s beautiful pieces speaking to the burial of Jane Austen at Winchester … Continue reading →

Posted in British currency, British history, Georgian England, Guest Post, Jane Austen, kings and queens, Regency era, Regency personalities, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Forest of Dean

Posted on May 29, 2017 by

In west Gloucestershire, marked by the rivers Severn and Wye, we find the Forest of Dean, a large tract of woodland and waste land reserved for royal hunting before 1066. It remains the second largest of the principal Crown forests … Continue reading →

Posted in estates, history, Industrial Revolution, kings and queens, legacy, royalty | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ceremony of Quit Rents

Posted on May 11, 2017 by

Have you ever heard of this tradition? The Ceremony of Quit Rents is the oldest legal ceremony in England (other than the coronation). It occurs between St Michael’s Day (October 11) and St Martin’s Day (November 11). On October 17, … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of Chaucer, British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, kings and queens, Living in the UK | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Monday Tragedy

Posted on April 17, 2017 by

 Black Monday was the Monday after Easter on 13 April 1360, during the Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1360). The Hundred Years’ War began in 1337; by 1359, King Edward III of England was actively attempting to conquer France. In October, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Edward III, kings and queens, military | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Princess Helena’s Marriage Splits Queen Victoria’s Family

Posted on April 11, 2017 by

Princess Helena chose to marry Prince Christian, one of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburgs. On the maternal side, Prince Christian held ties to a Danish noble family, as well as to the British royal family. His grandmother was the granddaughter of Frederick, King George II’s … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, family, history, kings and queens, marriage, political stance, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anthony William Hall, the Man Who Would Be King

Posted on February 20, 2017 by

In 1931, a former Shropshire police inspector claimed to the rightful heir to the British throne. He was determined to be King Anthony and to displace King George V. His declaration provoked panic at the palace when two doctors refused … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, kings and queens | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments