More Royal ancestry

Who do you think you are? has now completed eighteen series as British television’s predominant genealogy programmes. In that time, with an average of eight episodes per series, they have uncovered many celebrities with interesting lineage and some unexpected royal descendants, including Alexander Armstrong, Clare Balding, Danny Dyer, Frank Gardner and Sir Matthew Pinsent. Now… Continue reading More Royal ancestry

Walking “Tudor” England

Suzannah Lipscomb has just completed another series on Channel Five, this time visiting the sites related to the “Tudors”. In the first episode, she concentrated on Henry VIII and the naval power he inherited from John Howard, Duke of Norfolk. The second was principally about the penultimate “Tudor”, Mary I, as well as Edward VI… Continue reading Walking “Tudor” England

The Grafitti of the Tower of London

REBLOGGED FROM A MEDIEVAL POTPOURRI sparkypus.com The graffiti commemorating the Dudleys.  Beauchamp Tower.  Photo Spitalfieldlife  I am, to be honest not a fan of graffiti, also known as graffito, neither do I know anyone who is. However, if you are talking historical graffiti, and from no less than the Tower of London, well that is definitely… Continue reading The Grafitti of the Tower of London

Did Amy Robsart fall or was she pushed….?

  Not our period, but Amy Robsart’s  is a story that has always fascinated me. Did she fall, or was she pushed…? I think we all have our theories. I believe Dudley was behind it and shot himself in the foot, so to speak, because Elizabeth took fright. She already knew she was playing with… Continue reading Did Amy Robsart fall or was she pushed….?

Medieval (sic) Murder Mysteries

This is a six-part series, first shown on “Yesterday” (a UKTV channel) in 2015 but is available to view on their website here. The producers used pathologists, coroners, historians, barristers and other writers to form their conclusions, some of which are more reliable than others. The first episode, which surely misses the mediaeval timescale, is… Continue reading Medieval (sic) Murder Mysteries

13 of the biggest mysteries of the British monarchy….

Oh, dear. The fate of Edward V (if he ever was a king) tops the Reader’s Digest list of 13 of the ‘Biggest Mysteries Surrounding the British Royal Family’. Hm. As the following quoted paragraph is a sample of the article’s accuracy, I won’t be bothering to read the other twelve. “….In April 1483, King… Continue reading 13 of the biggest mysteries of the British monarchy….