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Claire | March 24, 2011
On this day in history, the 24th March 1603, Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, died at Richmond Palace. Elizabeth I’s death was the end of an era in so many ways: the end of England’s Golden Age, the end of a long reign (over 44 years) and the end of
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Claire | March 18, 2011
In my previous article on Elizabeth I’s early life, Elizabeth I’s Early Life – Family Background, I looked at Elizabeth’s immediate family, her parents and her half-brother and -sister, but I did not look at people who were alleged to be her illegitimate siblings. Today, I’m going to look at the children who could have
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Claire | December 7, 2010
On BBC iPlayer at the moment, you can listen to Michael Butt’s documentary style drama about the Babington Plot, the plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots. The play was aired on BBC Radio 4 and it really is wonderful as different characters give their take on events, including
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Claire | November 23, 2010
On this day in history, Wednesday 23rd November 1558, Elizabeth I left Hatfield and processed to London. David Starkey writes of how the procession “was a thousand strong” and Alison Weir describes how, as she travelled through Hertfordshire and Middlesex, Elizabeth was cheered by crowds of people lining the streets. I can imagine how excited
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Claire | November 17, 2010
On the 16th November 1558, at around midnight, Mary I received the last rites. A few hours later, at 6am on the morning of the 17th November, Mary heard mass in her bedchamber and was able to make the responses. At around 7am*, the first crowned Queen Regnant of England slipped away, she was just
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Claire | November 3, 2010
In the final scene of Shekhar Kapur’s “Elizabeth”, starring Cate Blanchett, we see Kat Ashley cutting Elizabeth’s hair off and Elizabeth making a dramatic entrance in front of her court dressed as a bride in an elaborate white gown, pearls (which symbolise purity), a red wig, a huge ruff and a whitened face. When Elizabeth
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Claire | September 10, 2010
On this day in history, Wednesday 10th September 1533, Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was christened at the Church of Observant Friars in Greenwich. Elizabeth was just 3 days old, having been born on the 7th September, when she was processed along a carpet of green rushes from the Great Hall
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Claire | August 27, 2010
While there are some excellent biographies and books out there on Elizabeth I, her reign and Elizabethan times, there’s nothing quite like going back to the primary sources. Secondary sources obviously have their use, particularly when they are written by historians and authors who have made good use of primary sources and have based their
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Claire | July 12, 2010
Just a quick post as I’m on the road travelling around the UK, but I thought you’d all be interested in reading this article from one of my favourite authors and historians, Leanda de Lisle:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1293102/Katherine-Mary-Grey-Loved-locked-Virgin-Queen.html
Claire | June 29, 2010
Thank you so much for all of your comments regarding symbolism in the Armada portrait, I still can’t figure out whether it’s a pomegranate or a finial behind Elizabeth, but it’s great fun discussing these portraits and puzzling them out. Today, we’re going to look at the famous Pelican Portrait thought to have been painted
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