She is more popularly known as the ‘Nine
Days Queen’ though is also remembered for her untimely demise
within the walls of the Tower of London. Lady Jane Grey short-lived
reign began on 10th July 1553 following the death of King Edward
VI, who had personally named Lady Jane Grey as his successor in the
‘Devise for the Succession’. Though Jane became Queen, the
widespread support of Mary…
In the early autumn days of 1537,
King Henry VIII was celebrating as his court welcomed a prince. His
longed for son and heir, Edward, had been born on October 12th at
Hampton Court Palace to widespread rejoicing. Preparations
were in full swing for an elaborate…
She was born at a time when England was
at the height of the Wars of the Roses and was the daughter of
George, Duke of Clarence. Much of Margaret Pole’s early life was
marred by tragedy including the death of her Uncle King Edward IV,
the disappearance of the Princes in…
Though the 1930s brought about
tumultuous change for the country and for Queen
Elizabeth, the 1940s would soon become a decade that
nobody would ever forget. It would also be the decade that
Elizabeth would be dubbed ‘the most dangerous woman in Europe’ and
many argue it was her finest decade. The Second World War had
broken out in September 1939 and it was this conflict that would…
It is the most famous witch trial of the
17th century, the case of the Pendle Witches. Twelve women were
accused of witchcraft, and while one died, eleven went to trial.
One was tried and found guilty at York while ten of the ‘witches’
were tried at Lancaster.
The mystery surrounding the fate of young
brothers, Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of
York is still one that stands today. Many believe that the boys
were murdered and continue to haunt rooms in the Bloody Tower. The
Bloody Tower is also home to the…
Royal Central’s Halloween season begins
with a story of adultery, beheadings, and ghostly apparitions. Here
is Anne Boleyn’s Tale of the Tower. She was the second wife of King
Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I, but ultimately Anne
Boleyn met her fate in the Tower of London on May 19th, 1536. After
several years of marriage to King Henry, in 1536 Anne Boleyn was
arrested on…
Readers will already know of the strong
links between Handel and King George I, which have been already
widely explored. What is less known, however, is the influence of
another figure in the background who though certainly less talked
about, in her lifetime enjoyeda…
Sceptre gifted by Henry V to City of London after Battle of Agincourt goes on display
12th October 2015
It’s just 17 inches tall, but it has a
world of history embedded in its jewels. The beautifully
bejewelled sceptre given in thanks by King Henry V of England to
the City of London for the funding of his forces against the French
at the Battle of Agincourt, fought in…
James was not born to be a King. He was
the third, but second surviving son of Charles I and Henrietta
Maria, born on 14 October 1633. Though he was styled as Duke of
York from birth, he was not formally created so until 1643. His
father was executed on 30 January 1649 but by then James
had already fled to The Hague. James later followed his
brother Charles to France, where he served in the…
