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
Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot. I know of no reason, Why gunpowder treason, Should ever be forgot. English Folk Rhyme Tweet The greatest of British holidays is upon us (more or less); the 5th of November, otherwise known as Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night. A night where the British… Read More Remember, Remember: A Brief History of Bonfire Night
Was King Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, a Nazi? The question is still being asked of the one time King of England; Edward Windsor, almost a century after the fact. Despite numerous biographies and books on the subject, a definitive answer still eludes us. On one hand, as King, Edward was extremely close… Read More Vergangenheit: The Duke of Windsor and the Nazi Party
We continue our exploration of the historical events that inspired HBO’s series House of the Dragon with a brief account of the Civil War between Stephen and Matilda. Because we are considering it in as much as it inspired a television show, this is hardly a detailed and academic account of the historical equivalent of… Read More The History Behind: The House of the Dragon Pt II – The Anarchy
The history that inspired HBO’s House of the Dragon albeit with less incest and fewer dragons.… Read More The History Behind: The House of the Dragon Pt I – A Prelude to Anarchy
The early 1800s saw a massive global endeavour to circumnavigate the world. Naval technology was improving and every successful expedition improved cartography and in many cases opened up new trade routes. The British Admiralty was especially interested in discovering a potential passage over and around Northern Canada that would expand trade routes to Asia. To… Read More The History Behind: The Terror
The coronation of King Charles III approacheth. The event is being hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime event given that it’s been seventy years since the last one, but we should remember that as the longest-reigning British monarch Elizabeth II’s reign is the exception rather than the rule. Her coronation in 1953 was in fact the fifth… Read More Breaking Down Pomp and Circumstance II: The Coronation
The Wonder (2022) is a period drama set in Ireland, 1862 in a community recovering from the Great Famine. Based on the book of the same name by Emma Donoghue, the film follows English nurse, Elizabeth Wright, as she is instructed to closely watch over Anna O’Donnell, a young girl who hasn’t eaten since her… Read More The History Behind: The Wonder (2022)
For the weeks following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain was on show. There followed two weeks of ceremony, tradition, and queuing which drew the attention of the world. Ceremony is what the monarchy does best. Its entire existence is predicated on traditions and splendour that date back centuries specifically with the goal of… Read More The Queen’s Funeral: Breaking down Pomp and Circumstance
The death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September 2022 has prompted numerous changes among the Royal Family, big and small. Prince Charles and his wife are now King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Angela Kelly, one of the queen’s closest confidantes and responsible for the queen’s iconic sense of style, will now perform her… Read More The History of the Prince of Wales; or, Why a Growing Number of Welsh people don’t want one
