Nobody ever asks if Henry VIII was straight. Henry VIII had six wives and several mistresses, and just like almost every king in British history, his heterosexuality is simply assumed. Suggest a monarch might have been queer, however, and suddenly every minute scrap of evidence is placed under a microscope entirely absent when considering heterosexual… Read More The Question of Queer History Part II: William II and Edward II
If you lived in Europe, June 2026 was hot. Temperature records across the continent were broken, especially in Western Europe, with France recording the highest highs at 44.3°C (111.7 °F). It’s thought that almost five and a half thousand people have died in heat related incidents, and there has been an incredible amount of discourse over how… Read More Topical Tuesday: Surviving a Medieval Heatwave
Judging the sexuality of any historical figure is difficult. Making a determination on the sexuality of a royal figure, whose status and position depended on marriage and children, during a time that lacked the wide array of labels available to us in the present is even more challenging. When tradition demanded a king or queen… Read More The Question of Queer History Part I: Queen Anne & King James
Since Donald Trump announced his intention to run for the Presidency of America, he has apparently faced multiple security incidents and threats to his life. These range from plots that were foiled before they could be enacted, to the infamous shooting during a rally at Butler, Pennsylvania. Most recently (at time of writing) was on… Read More Topical Tuesday: Manufactured Threats and Manipulation
In our penultimate Reign post, we look at the star herself; Mary, Queen of Scots. We have already considered the political landscape in which Mary found herself, so now we turn to the personal. The fourth season shows Mary’s hunt for a husband, her second marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the birth of their son,… Read More Everything Wrong with Reign (S4): Mary, Queen of Scots
Although Reign follows the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and she has long since left France, the plot continues to follow the characters that she left behind. We see a traumatised King Charles IX struggle with the weight and responsibilities of the crown, his mother trying to help him, and his brother trying to… Read More Everything Wrong with Reign (S4): édition Française
We are kicking off our more in depth look at Everything wrong with Reign (S4) with a look at the portrayal of Elizabeth I. Having been introduced as the primary antagonist in Season 3, Rachel Skarsten reprises her role in Season as an Elizabeth desperate to keep her throne. Elizabeth’s plot lines focus on her romantic… Read More Everything Wrong With Reign S4: Elizabeth I
It took a minute, but I have finally finished Reign. Ostensibly showing the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, Reign was famous (or infamous) for its anachronisms and its sheer drama. It took historical fiction to new heights with increasingly ridiculous and outlandish storylines that had little to no bearing on reality. But boy, was it entertaining.… Read More Everything wrong with Reign (Season 4)
At time of writing, it is a bad time to be a British royal. For a family that depends on positive headlines and values quiet action, the current media onslaught centered around the king’s brother is uniquely devastating. There is no need to go through the very many accusations being levelled against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, not… Read More Why is the Royal Family royal?
When studying the English court over any period of time, certain family names become familiar and are inevitably repeated. Prominent families rise and fall throughout the ages; the Percy Family from the North of England have been at court since that of William the Conqueror and have held the Earldom of Northumberland longer than any… Read More The Boleyn Blip: The Rise and Fall of a Family
