Still on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoyalHistoryBl1 Thanks, Joanne Hayle ..read more

Royal Biography Review Bastard Prince: Henry VIII’s Lost Son by Beverley A. Murphy. Not a lot is known about King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son but this book is a great way to find out about the short lived Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, who had an interesting and important role to play in Tudor history as his father struggled to have a legitimate heir. From his privileged upbringing to his crown offices and role as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to his dynastic marriage, his seventeen years were filled with Henry VIII’s influence. Had he lived, could he have been king? How did Henr ..read more

Mary, Queen of Scots or Mary Stewart (not yet spelled Stuart*) was born prematurely on the 8th December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace, less than 20 miles west of Edinburgh, Scotland. In Scots Gaelic her name was Màiri Stiùbhairt. Her mother, Marie of Guise was French. James V of Scotland had been king since he was an infant. When Mary was born, he was fighting the English. Again. (For more on Linlithgow Palace: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/linlithgow-palace/ ) James and Marie had both been married and bereaved once prior to their union. Marie politely rejected a m ..read more

Windsor Castle in the 1650’s drawn by Wenceslas Hollar. The House of Windsor has sat on the British throne since 1917. When George V became king in 1910 he was of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha but seven years later a serious issue presented itself. Britain was at war with Germany. Anti German feeling was fired at the royal family, even at their own dinner table one night as a guest took aim. Author H.G. Wells wrote about Britain’s “alien and uninspiring court”, George V responded, “I may be uninspiring, but I’ll be damned if I’m alien.” The king rebranded the monarchy so that they were seen as 100% Britis ..read more

Britain’s most hated king has to be George IV (1762-1830.) This Hanoverian was debauched, arrogant and unapologetic about his behaviour. Although he was an intelligent young prince, George chose to party, gamble, get in to huge debts, have a legion of mistresses and he even married in secret. With George, everything except duty was done in excess. Courtier Charles Greville said “…a more contemptible, cowardly, unfeeling, selfish dog does not exist…” When George IV died in 1830 not even The Times newspaper pretended that they or the people were grief stricken. Why did no one try to overthrow hi ..read more

Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown at her coronation in 1953. Beside her stands Prince Philip. The Imperial State Crown is the most used British royal crown and it’s the most frequently repaired. It is often worn by the monarch towards the end of their coronation as they leave Westminster Abbey. It can be seen at the State Openings of Parliament. The Imperial State Crown’s arches were connected to signify to the king or queen’s subjects that the monarch was answerable to no one on Earth, only God. Imperial Crown Versions The Tudors’ Henry VIII replaced the medieval crown. He ..read more

Lord Penzance presided over the Mordaunt divorce case Divorce destroyed reputations in the Victorian era. A senior royal in court was rare and dreaded. Queen Victoria must have shuddered when she learned that her heir Bertie or Edward, Prince of Wales had been called as a witness in a scandalous divorce case. Mordaunt V. Mordaunt, Cole and Johnstone was heard at the public Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes. The trial lasted seven days and was presided over by Lord Penzance. A special jury was selected. Sir Charles had petitioned for a divorce because Harriet had confessed to committing ..read more

Newsflash! George III was not a mad king. A portrait of King George III with Queen Charlotte and six of their children circa 1770’s. George III Under Strain King George III’s first episode of mental illness began in early 1765. Many people believe incorrectly that the first one occurred after he lost America and he temporarily became a mad king. The stresses of the 1760’s domestic and international matters brought him mental strain. Troubles included the skyrocketing national debt, tension in the American colonies and war in Europe. He had three Prime Minsters in five years and the blame for t ..read more

How well do you know the British kings and queens from Queen Victoria to Elizabeth II? See how you do with the 20 royal history quiz questions below. There are no prizes. Sorry, no freebie holiday to the moon, but have fun with it anyway. The quiz should take you under 5 minutes: [ays_quiz id=’2′] So, how did you do? Did you get 20 royal history quiz questions correct? Congratulations! Smug face moment? Bang your head on a brick wall time? Ouch. Found a new excuse to treat yourself to chocolate? Decided to search the internet, scribble the answers down and try again, pretending it’s your firs ..read more

The monarchy of England began in 927A.D. The first king of all England was Aethelstan who was an Anglo Saxon and the grandson of Alfred the Great. Aethelstan was born circa 894 to Edward the Elder and his first wife Ecgwynna. His name meant Noble Stone in old Norse. Although he is largely forgotten, he was the first king of England and the bloodline has continued for over 1094 years. That’s a pretty amazing fact. The first King of England, Aethelstan depicted at All Souls College Chapel in Oxford. He was the Anglo Saxon peoples’ ruler between 924 and 927 and he had his coronation in Kingston U ..read more