The War of the Roses was a period marked by the deep-set and bitter hatred that burned between the Houses of Lancaster and York. After the overthrow of Richard II by his cousin King Henry IV, the House of Plantagenet gave way to the House of Lancaster and the Kingdom of England began to stutter and fall. After the premature death of Henry V, who briefly brought England back to a zenith during his…
In the early modern period, the allure of court life was more than desirable, which caused families to seek positions that were in service of the crown. It has been said that to be around a king and his court was like being next to the sun, but when away it was only…
In order to know how a story ends, it is indispensable to understand the essence of how it began. The years leading up to the French Revolution were tumultuous. Deep in a financial crisis, King Louis XVI and his advisors attempted to implement a taxation system, which was…
Around 2:00 am on the 10th February 1567 the area around Kirk O’ Field in Scotland was rocked by two large explosions. Following them, two people were found dead in a nearby orchard. One was Lord Darnley, and the other his valet. His wife Mary, Queen of Scots, was not present in the house at the time. But what had led to this tragic murder, which marked the downward spiral of Mary, Queen of…
God save our gracious King…This famous anthem has potential to invoke trips down memory lane and possibly create aristocratic fantasies in the minds of those that sing it with pride. However, one of the greatest Monarchs in British history is not someone who had the dream…
The last letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots before her execution is being put for public display by the National Library of Scotland. She wrote the letter just six hours before her execution on 8 February 1587.
The letter has not been on display since 2009, and for…
On 24 March 1603 Queen Elizabeth I breathed her last and – left with no legitimate heir – the House of Tudor came to an end after more than 100 years on the English throne.
Beginnings
The House of Tudor was founded in 1485 when Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III in battle, ending the War of the Roses and capturing the throne as King Henry VII. His claim was then reinforced when he united…
The less than flattering assessment given to King George III by many today has recently been shown to be rather inaccurate, pending new insights derived from a number of papers just uncovered that detail George III’s reign and activities during the course of the…
Kensington Palace to host new exhibition on Diana, Princess of Wales
15th January 2017
Kensington Palace is to host a new exhibition about Diana, Princess of Wales to mark 20 years since the death of the Princess, including a new temporary garden which is being installed in the grounds of the Palace in celebration of her life. The choice of a garden being…
On 17 July 1918, after three centuries in power, the Romanov dynasty came to a tragic end with the brutal execution of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, Empress Alexandra and their five children.
Background
Tsar Nicholas II became Emperor of Russia on 1 November 1894 following the death of his father, Alexander III. Nicholas came to the throne at the age of twenty-six, significantly underprepared for…
