It was a famous royal love story that
shocked as much as it thrilled. John of Gaunt was the
ultra-ambitious prince whose desire to be a king almost cost him
his life, Katherine Swynford was the mysterious commoner who
supplanted a queen in his affections. Their relationship lasted
decades, survived a serious separation and ultimately led to the
creation of a dynasty which would snatch the throne…
History’s royal Kates have taken part in
some of the best-known stories in Britain’s regal history but while
royal Katherines can be found in England as far back as the 13th
century, it’s a name that has gone in and out of favour as a regal
choice. A…
Born a princess, daughter of a feted king
and a much-admired queen, this royal Kate seemed destined for
a crown of her own. But when civil war once more erupted in
England, she found herself on the wrong side of royal favour and
ended up a countess instead. This is the…
Catherine of Braganza has gone down in
history as a rather nice lady who liked drinking tea. The
Portuguese princess who arrived in Portsmouth in 1662 to marry
Charles II has been portrayed as a gentle soul whose heart was
broken by her inability to have children and who instead contented
herself by making a nice cuppa the fashion of the day while trying
to be friends with her husband’s many…
For a woman who founded one of the most
famous royal dynasties in British history, she is surpisingly
enigmatic. Katherine of Valois was the first Kate to be Queen of
England and yet much of the modern imagining of her comes from her
fleeting appearance in the works of…
