A medieval tournament at Arundel Castle….

Well here’s something exciting and diverting for high summer this year—a great tournament at Arundel Castle. This event will take place from 26-31 July and looks set to be a wonderful recreation of a medieval tournament. All sorts of diversions and goodies (see the above link for many, many photographs) are on offer and I’m…

THE MONUMENTAL EFFIGIES OF GREAT BRITAIN : CHARLES A STOTHARD

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri sparkypus.com Effigies of Ralph Neville 2nd Earl of Westmorland d.1491 and one of his wives.  Branchepeth Church, Durham.  These effigies, which were wooden, are now lost to us having since been destroyed by a disastrous fire in 1998.  Made in very dark oak it was difficult to get good photos of…

MAD, MURDEROUS MABEL

Many people still hold to the idea that all medieval women were quiet, timid, and downtrodden, unable to defend themselves and at the mercy of others. Clearly they have never heard of Mabel de Belleme! Mabel was a Norman noblewoman, born sometime in the 1030’s to William Talvas de Belleme and his first wife, Haburga.…

Philippa Mortimer, Countess of Pembroke and Arundel – a short, interesting and little-known life

Philippa was the younger of the two daughters of Edmund Earl of March and Philippa of Clarence,and second youngest of their four children, being born in November 1375. Philippa lost both her parents at a very young age, but her future was provided for (eventually) by her marriage to John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke after…

THE MARRIAGES OF THE SIBLINGS OF ELIZABETH WOODVILLE

Elizabeth Woodville Royal Window Canterbury Cathedral Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri sparkypus.com Very soon after the clandestine marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville had taken place in 1464 it became abundantly clear to the old nobility that the siblings of the new Queen would henceforth be having their pick of the most sought after heirs and heiresses of…

Rosary of Mary, Queen of Scots, stolen from Arundel Castle….

The theft of items of great historical importance aren’t common, thank goodness, but they do come along…and this time—on Friday, 21st May, when a burglar alarm went off at 22:30 BST—it was Arundel Castle that was raided. To read all about it, go to this site.  The stolen treasures were worth more than £1 million,…

THE SIX SISTERS OF WARWICK THE KINGMAKER

REBLOGGED FROM A MEDIEVAL POTPOURRI @ sparkypus.com Joan Neville and her husband William Fitzalan Earl of Arundel lie together to this day in their beautiful tomb in the chapel at Arundel Castle. Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury (d. 1460) and his wife Alice Montacute had 10 children, including two sons, Richard Earl of Warwick and John…

The Death of Robert, Earl of Gloucester

In writing Stephen and Matilda: Cousins of Anarchy, I was keen to apply the same narrow-eyed pursuit of solid facts that I hope comes across in my books on the Wars of the Roses. More than being about battles and, well, anarchy, I wanted to discover the real personalities behind the stories, the people who…

Found lurking at Arundel Castle….

Lurking? Well, apart from me, of course, and my camera (which I managed to mess up rather, so apologies for the quality of the two portrait-photos, which were taken on 9th June 2018. Richard and Elizabeth of York were among the many portraits. Of course, there having been so many Fitzalans and Howards at Arundel…

THE STORY OF THE MEDIEVAL TOWN OF ARUNDEL

Here is an interesting article with some beautiful photography Note to my Ricardian friends.  Joan Neville, wife to William Fitzalan Earl of Arundel and sister to Warwick the Kingmaker  is buried in the Fitzalan Chapel, St Nicholas, Arundel.  Their tomb and monument can be counted as among the most exquisite from that period of English tomb building.…