Richard Plantagenet was never meant to rule England. His surviving elder brother Henry had been crowned in 1170 to secure the Angevin succession, but the medieval world was a deadly place and his brother died of dysentery in 1183. This led to Richard becoming his father Henry II’s primary heir. Richard Plantagenet With so many … Continue reading A Good King of England? Re-Evaluating the Lionheart.
Tag: England
The Exiled Duchess
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s eldest daughter Matilda was born in 1156, and was likely named after her legendary paternal grandmother the Empress Matilda. She faced the fate of many princesses and was married off young to support her family’s political manoeuvrings. 13th century depiction of Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria. … Continue reading The Exiled Duchess
Eleanor of Aquitaine: An Icon
Eleanor of Aquitaine was iconic and one blog post cannot do justice to the many interesting facets of her life, so today we’re going to focus on her later life during the reign of her sons Richard and John. Portrait in a 12th-century psalter thought to be an older Eleanor). When her husband Henry II died in … Continue reading Eleanor of Aquitaine: An Icon
Thomas Becket: The Murder and Making of a Saint Exhibition
“Very quickly you would turn your heart and favour away from me, which is now so great between us, and replace it with the most savage hatred” - Thomas Becket to Henry II in 1162 I recently visited the British Museum in London to see their current exhibition about Thomas Becket, who was the Royal … Continue reading Thomas Becket: The Murder and Making of a Saint Exhibition
A Tale of Two Matilda’s
When exploring the Anarchy, the majority of attention understandably goes on the two key rivals for the throne King Stephen and Empress Matilda. However, there was another Matilda who was an incredibly important figure in this period of history: Matilda of Boulogne, wife of Stephen and Queen of England. As Sharon Bennett Connolly said in … Continue reading A Tale of Two Matilda’s
Origins of the Anarchy: The White Ship Disaster
This month on Some Sources Say we’re exploring the Anarchy, a civil war that tore the fabric of England apart. As recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, “wherever the land was tilled, the earth bore no corn, for the land was all ruined with such deeds; and they said openly that Christ slept, and his saints. … Continue reading Origins of the Anarchy: The White Ship Disaster
Trailblazers: Joan of Arc ‘The Maid of Orléans’
During a war that lasted over 100 years, a French teenager rose from humble beginnings to become a famous warrior. She led an army into battle against the English, changing the course of the war and history. This warrior mystic who believed she received visions from God met a tragic end at the hands of … Continue reading Trailblazers: Joan of Arc ‘The Maid of Orléans’
Love Letters: Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn
Henry VIII famously had six wives, yet only for one of them did he rip the fabric of England apart in order to marry her and make her his queen. The lady in question? The iconic Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn by unknown artist Anne is first thought to have caught Henry’s eye in 1526. He … Continue reading Love Letters: Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn
Snapshot of History: The Letter that Betrayed the Gunpowder Plot
It's the 5th November and you know what that means - it's Guy Fawkes Night! So in line with the occasion this month's history topic is all about the Gunpowder Plot. Click below to find out how the plot was discovered... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FM9OEh4mjg If videos aren't accessible to you, or they're just not your thing, you … Continue reading Snapshot of History: The Letter that Betrayed the Gunpowder Plot
Mary Tudor & the Letter of 1536
"Most humbly prostrate before the feet of your most excellent majesty, your most humble, so faithful and obedient subject, who has so extremely offended your most gracious highness that my heavy and fearful heart dare not presume to call you father, deserving of nothing from your majesty, save that the kindness of your most blessed … Continue reading Mary Tudor & the Letter of 1536
Some Sources Say 