Year: 2017

Happy Birthday to the Queen’s Ancestor, Regency Era Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck

April 14, 2017kyra

William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck was born on 14 April 1738, the eldest son and heir of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland and Margaret Cavendish-Harley. The newborn had an illustrious future ahead of him. Not only would he be the 3rd Duke of Portland, he would hold every title of British nobility – Duke, Marquess,… Read more Happy Birthday to the Queen’s Ancestor, Regency Era Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck

Catholic Emancipation and the Regency Whigs

April 13, 2017kyra

One of the longer-lasting effects of Henry VIII split from Rome, Elizabeth I’s reign, and the Jacobite Rebellion two centuries after, was that laws codifying discrimination against Catholics became seemingly set in stone. The only people who regarded this as slightly unfair was the Catholics, most Whigs (the de facto left wing by the Regency… Read more Catholic Emancipation and the Regency Whigs

Able Was I Ere I Saw Elba

April 10, 2017kyra 2 Comments

On 11 April 1814 representatives for France’s Emperor Napoleon I and those from the Sixth Coalition member states of Austrian Empire, Russia, and Prussia met and signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau. Once it was ratified on 13 April Napoleon’s reign was officially over, and he would be sent into exile on the island of Elba.… Read more Able Was I Ere I Saw Elba

William V, the Last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic.

April 9, 2017kyra

William V, Prince of Orange, the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, was born in The Hague on 8 March 1748, the only son of William IV and Princess Anne. His mother was the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, so when the French Army invaded the Netherlands in 1795 in support of the Batavian Revolution in Amsterdam, the Stadtholder and… Read more William V, the Last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic.

Warring Matilda

April 7, 2017kyra 3 Comments

Empress Matilda (AKA Maude), widow of Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, wife of Geoffery of Anjou, and heir to King Henry I, became “Lady of the English” on 7 April 1141. However, when she went to be annointed as the new queen in Westminster Abbey, the people of London and her cousin’s wife rallied against… Read more Warring Matilda

James Mill: Liberal Philosopher and Racist Asshat

April 6, 2017kyra 1 Comment

James Mill, considered one of the best philosophical minds of the Regency era, was born on 6 April 1773. He was one of the founders and most ardent proponents of philosophic radicalism and was one of the key writers that helped steer Regency liberal politicians towards fighting to guarantee the freedom of the press and… Read more James Mill: Liberal Philosopher and Racist Asshat

That word doesn’t mean what you think it means …

April 5, 2017kyra 2 Comments

My lovely, sweet –natured, bleeding-heart daughter Blossom recently announced to a table of her birthday guests that she was “genocidal”. While her friends stared at her, aghast, I calmly asked, “What do you think that word means, Blossom?” She smiled and chirped, “That you are a fan of creepy movies and stories about murder and… Read more That word doesn’t mean what you think it means …

Napoleon’s First Abdication on 4 April 1814

April 4, 2017kyra

It is nearly impossible to overstate the influence of Napoleon Bonaparte on European and British politics and culture during the Regency period. The British upper-class, terrified after the French Revolution and by the onslaught of attempted democracies, had stirred up the average Briton against the ‘forces of Godless anarchy’ and had been at war off… Read more Napoleon’s First Abdication on 4 April 1814

Happy Birthday Beautiful Blossom

March 30, 2017kyra 1 Comment

My beloved eldest daughter came into the world on 29 March 2005 like a firework, and she has been filling me with same overwhelming awe and joy that I felt when I first saw her ever since. Blossom has been in my life for 12 glorious years now, and I cannot fathom how my world… Read more Happy Birthday Beautiful Blossom

Happy New Year, AKA Lady Day, AKA 25 March!

March 25, 2017kyra 1 Comment

March 25 is one of the quarter days that once marked the English year, called Lady Day (Our Lady’s Day) after the Virgin Mary. It was a very important in the Middle Ages, and was considered New Year’s Day for centuries (although New Year’s presents were typically given on the 1st of January, that was… Read more Happy New Year, AKA Lady Day, AKA 25 March!