Henry VIII’s third Queen, Jane Seymour, died on the night of the 24/25 October 1537 as a result of complications from the birth of her son, Edward VI. For the first ten days after Edward’s arrival, all seemed well with both mother and child. Then, on the afternoon of the 23rd, the Queen suffered from… Read more The Death of Queen Jane
Although women and female family members did most of the hands on and practical work of heath care in the Medieval and Tudor period, I have to think that physicians doubtlessly earned their salary. Not only were they excellent astronomers and very competent herbalists, they were also the guys who had to examine, smell, and… Read more P is for Physician
I married the love of my life, my Sweet Babou, 18 years ago today. I know it looks like I snatched him from a high school dance, but he was actually 25. I thought he was just the cutest young man I’d ever seen. Now, after three children and a lot of water under the… Read more Happy 18th Anniversary Sweet Babou!
Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna came into the world on November 2, 1755 – the fifteenth born and the last daughter of the sixteen children of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and his empress Maria Theresa. Her life was taken from her, courtesy of Madame Guillotine, at 12:15 p.m. on 16 October 1793. Most people know… Read more Marie Antoinette’s Death
Edward of Westminster (or Lancaster), the only child of king Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, was born on 13 October 1453 and was the rightful Prince of Wales. He was the touchstone for the War of the Roses and the only heir apparent to the English throne to ever be killed in battle. Edward of… Read more Edward of Westminster, the Lost Lancastrian Prince of Wales
George II was crowned King of Great Britain and Ireland on 11 October 1727 at Westminster Abbey. History hasn’t been kind to the second Georgian monarch, in part because “in the memoirs of contemporaries such as Lord Hervey and Horace Walpole, George is depicted as a weak buffoon, governed by his wife and ministers” and… Read more The Reign of King George II
Kyra Cornelius Kramer (Please enjoy this guest post by Tony Riches, author of many excellent Tudor historical novels, including his latest – Katherine: Tudor Duchess.) I began exploring the life of Katherine Willoughby when writing about her first husband, Charles Brandon. With typical panache, Brandon borrowed the money to buy the wardship of nine-year-old Katherine,… Read more Understanding the life of Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk
I have noticed that nearly everyone, regardless of how staunchly they disavow astrology, is curious about the traits of their sign if someone is talking about it at a party. I am no different. When I was researching Tudor medical practices, I confess that I was enthralled while reading about latromathematics, or “medical astrology — an… Read more Latromathematics