A MEANDER INTO MEDIEVAL HISTORY INCLUDING MEDIEVAL LONDON, PALACES, CASTLES, CHURCH MONUMENTS, TOMBS, YORKIST KINGS AND QUEENS, HEROES, VILLAINS AND VILLAINESSES AND THE ODD CATTE..
Durham Cathedral in the moonlight.. A familiar sight to both medieval royalty and commoners alike our Cathedrals soar above us, centuries old, constant, enduring, and kind of reassuring. There is nothing more thrilling as you approach a cathedral city than the first glimpse of their cathedral appearing on the horizon. So to all thatContinue reading “The English Medieval Cathedral”
Save as PDFThe glorious ceiling of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court. Photo James Brittain . Historic Royal Palaces. The main reason, and perhaps the only reason, why the bones in the urn in Westminster Abbey supposedly to be those of the sons of Edward IV known as the Princes in the Tower, Edward of Westminster and Richard of ShrewsburyContinue reading “ROYAL PECULIARS AND THEIR PECULIARITIES”
Save as PDFPossible portrait of Elizabeth Talbot, Viscountess Lisle c1468 Petrus Christus of Bruge Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. Note the gleam of the pearls, the pattern of the brocade gown and the little gold pin used for pinning the fine lawn partlet onto the bodice. How delicious! Could this charming portrait be of Elizabeth Talbot, Viscountess Lisle – LadyContinue reading “ELIZABETH TALBOT, VISCOUNTESS LISLE, LADY ELEANOR BUTLER’S NIECE”
Save as PDFThe two QCs prepare to do battleFollowing on from my earlier post. The day had dawned – the trial commenced. Because of the length of the trial I only give snippets here which stand out and which I think are the most pertinent/funny/excruciating. The judge addressed the jury as to whether Richard III was responsibleContinue reading “THE TRIAL OF RICHARD III – PART TWO”
Save as PDFThe statue of Justice, Old Bailey, London. Way back in 1980 the late Jeremy Potter, Chairman of the Richard III Society, and producer Richard Drewitt discussed King Richard III at length and an idea was born. That was to put Richard on trial for a heinous murder he had been held responsible for overContinue reading “THE TRIAL OF RICHARD III, PART 1”
Save as PDFTHE ANCIENT OAK TREE KNOWN AS THE ‘ELIZABETH’ OAK. With thanks to Spitalfieldlife for this photo. In the words of Sir John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Richard III’s loyal friend, I get as ‘wode as a Wilde bullok‘ when I read yet another tedious reference to Henry VIII stayed here, Elizabeth I stayed there,Continue reading “THE ANCIENT TREES OF GREENWICH PALACE HUNTING GROUNDS”
Save as PDF‘I came in my might like a sun in splendour, Soon suddenly bathed in my own blood’ George duke of Clarence’s epitaph – Tewkesbury Abbey. This is thought to be a portrait of Isobel from the Luton Guild Book. See The Dragonhound’s interesting post here After the death of Isobel Duchess of Clarence on the 22Continue reading “GEORGE DUKE OF CLARENCE, ISOBEL NEVILLE AND THE CLARENCE VAULT”
Save as PDFJoan Neville and her husband William Fitzalan Earl of Arundel lie together to this day in their beautiful tomb in the chapel at Arundel Castle. Photo author’s own. Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury (b.c1400-d. 1460) and his wife Alice Montacute/Montague Countess of Salisbury (b. 1407, d. before 9 December 1462) had ten children, including twoContinue reading “THE SIX SISTERS OF WARWICK THE KINGMAKER”
Save as PDFBeing of somewhat a silly old romantic I was pleasantly surprised to read in the blurb of Kingsford’s Stonor Letter and Papers 1290-1483 that there were love letters to be found among them. And what could possibly be nicer than a medieval love letter? And there they were, letters from the three wives of SirContinue reading “THE STONOR PAPERS, LOVE LETTERS THEREIN..”
Save as PDFOld London Map c1572. Franz Hogenberg And so Dear Reader, we are going to take a break from murderous queens, scheming duchesses, bad kings, good kings, missing royal children and silly bishops. We are going to take a look at London’s Old Gates. Where were they positioned, how many were there, and what become ofContinue reading “THE ANCIENT GATES OF OLD LONDON”
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