Mail-order queen
Well aware of this increase in realism, Henry VIII decided to choose his fourth wife from her portrait. Traditionally, dynastic...
08/07/2014
HISTORY
The death of King Edward VI of England
On 6th February 1553, Mary rode to court to see Edward who was still ill. By March, some observers believed...
26/06/2014
The cultural legacy of Alexander the Great
On his death, Alexander left as heirs only a mad brother and a posthumous son, neither of whom were able...
24/06/2014
The Battle of Normandy, 1944
The Allies agreed that the establishment of a second front in north-west Europe was essential to defeat Germany. The Soviets...
06/06/2014
Egyptomania
The fashion for “Egyptian” design that swept Europe after Bonaparte’s expedition was actually a revival of sorts. Europeans had drawn...
28/05/2014
Guelphs and Ghibellines
Aristocratic factionalism, popular rebellions and the relationship between Italian and German culture all combined to ensure the long-term use of...
14/05/2014
The Officer’s Code of Honour in Russian Empire
The Russian army in 1914 was considerably larger than that of Germany at 5 million men against the 4.5 million...
14/05/2014
King John of England and the French invasion
When Richard the Lionheart was killed by a crossbow bolt in France in April 1199, a French chronicler, no friend...
03/05/2014
Medieval sense of humour
The passions of a violent society spill over into the sense of humour you will encounter. Yes, there is humour,...
20/04/2014
Hammering the Celts, 1272 – 1330
Henry’s heir was a swarthy giant of 6ft 2in, as Provencal (through his mother) as he was Plantagenet. Edward I...
02/04/2014