Year: 2010
7th September 1533 – The Birth of Queen Elizabeth I
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon of the 7th September at Greenwich Palace, a great Queen was born. This little…
RIP Catherine Parr
In the early hours of the 5th September 1548, a woman who had had a profound influence on the teenage…
The Death of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
On this day in 1588, not long after England’s victory over the Spanish Armada, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, died…
Elizabeth I in the Movies
This article has been inspired by Mark Glancy’s article “Three Films about Queen Elizabeth I” in the August 2010 edition…
Elizabeth I – Primary Sources
While there are some excellent biographies and books out there on Elizabeth I, her reign and Elizabethan times, there’s nothing…
St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
On this day in history, the 24th August 1572, an estimated 3,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) were massacred in Paris and…
The Battle of Bosworth 1485
Today is the 525th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth, the battle which saw the death of King Richard III,…
Spanish Armada 9 – God Blew and They Were Scattered
On this day in history, the 20th August 1588, a thanksgiving service was held at St Paul’s in London to…
Mary Queen of Scots Lands in Scotland
On this day in history, at six o’clock on the morning of Tuesday 19th August 1561, Mary Queen of Scots…
Painting the Armada Exhibition
Visitors to London this summer will be able to visit a wonderful exhibition of six huge paintings of the Spanish…
The Spanish Armada 8 – Elizabeth’s Tilbury Speech
On the 9th August 1588 (old calendar) Elizabeth I appeared before her troops gathered at Tilbury. In her article “The…
The Spanish Armada 7 – Elizabeth I Visits Tilbury
Even though the remaining ships of the Spanish Armada were homeward bound, England was still expecting to be threatened by…
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
I meant to write this article to coincide with the anniversary of William Cecil’s death, the 4th August 1598, so…
Mary I Enters London as Queen
On this day in history, 3rd August 1553, Mary, who had just been proclaimed Queen, rode with her half-sister, Elizabeth,…
Elizabeth and Leicester – Bess and Robin
After reading Jeane Westin’s wonderful novel about the relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, I…
His Last Letter: Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester
Just a quick post to say that I have written a review of Jeane Westin’s “His Last Letter: Elizabeth I…
The Spanish Armada 6 – The Spanish Fleet Homeward Bound
By the first week of August 1588, the battered, defeated and demoralised Spanish Armada had started the first part of…
The Spanish Armada 5 – The Protestant Wind
On the 30th July 1588 the wind changed and the remaining ships of the Spanish Armada were forced northwards and…
Elizabeth I and Somerset House
On this day in history, the 30th July 1553, Princess Elizabeth left her new home, Somerset House, to ride to…
Mary Queen of Scots Marries Lord Darnley
On this day in history, the 29th July 1565, Elizabeth I’s nemesis, Mary Queen of Scots, married Henry Stuart, Lord…