History

How did Queen Mary become known as ‘Bloody Mary’?

While King Henry VIII lived, his greatest fear was dying without a male heir to the throne. As it turns out, he needn’t have worried, for when he died in 1547, King Henry was succeeded by his son Edward VI. But the new King Edward was very frail and sickly boy of nine, and in just six short years he succumbed to his illness, bringing his reign to an end and leaving the throne unoccupied once…
Read more
FeaturesHistory

Monarchy Rules: the consorts of the House of York

The role of consort can make or break a monarchy. Some have seen their reign saved by the energies of their spouse while others have seen their power waver because of their consort’s actions. Here, we look at the consorts of the House of York. Queen Elizabeth, 1464 – 1470; 1471 – 1483 Many of her enemies would rather Elizabeth Wydville had never been queen at all. Instead, she is…
Read more
HistoryInsight

Margaret Thatcher & The Queen - What was their relationship like?

It was May 1979, and Margaret Thatcher had just been elected as Prime Minister of Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth II was 27 years into her reign, and for the first time in history, the country was ruled, at the highest level, entirely by females. When Elizabeth II acceded to the throne in 1952 at the age of just 25, some thought that this would be the beginning of the end of the male-dominated…
Read more
British RoyalsFeaturesHistoryHistoryPalaces & Buildings

What are the royal links to the 5th of November?

“Remember remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot…” November 5th is still considered to be one of the most important in British history. But why? What are the royal links? And why do we still mark it today? On April 13, 1570, Guido ‘Guy’ Fawkes was born in York, England. He was to become one of the greatest criminal masterminds in history. The daring escapade he…
Read more