english history

Guest Post: Understanding The Essex Rebellion from the Letters of Robert Devereux

April 20, 2021kyra

Today’s guest post is courtesy of author Tony Riches, whose books I can highly recommend as well-written, and more importantly well-researched, historical fiction. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, is one of the most intriguing men of the Elizabethan period. Tall and handsome, he soon becomes a ‘favourite’ at court, so close to the queen… Read more Guest Post: Understanding The Essex Rebellion from the Letters of Robert Devereux

Guest Post by Sylvia Barbara Soberton on the Health of Henry VIII

October 23, 2020kyra

Many thanks to Sylvia Barbara Soberton for sending me such an interesting post! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did, and that you give her new book on the health of the Tudor monarchs a look Did Henry VIII suffer from venereal disease or a urinary tract infection? The theory, first… Read more Guest Post by Sylvia Barbara Soberton on the Health of Henry VIII

Incorrect Information in the History Extra Article by Alison Weir

October 12, 2020kyra

Alison Weir, who is a very famous popular historian, just had an article published in History Extra about Henry VIII’s reproductive problems. In it she wrote: “One theory is that Henry suffered from McLeod Syndrome [a neurological disorder that occurs almost exclusively in boys and men and affects movement in many parts of the body],… Read more Incorrect Information in the History Extra Article by Alison Weir

There is a LONG History of Immigration in Britain

August 11, 2020kyra

(Due to current refugee/immigration hysteria, this seemed like a good time to remind readers that 1) net migration to the UK has been steadily going down and 2) more than 380,000 British people emigrated FROM the UK last year and 3) that immigration is good for the economy and 4) roughly 28% of NHS doctors who… Read more There is a LONG History of Immigration in Britain

The Medieval Fear of Women Rulers

July 13, 2020kyra 3 Comments

Long before John Knox first blasted his trumpet about the ‘monstrous regiment of women’ rulers, the fear of a female head of state was considered just and natural in Medieval Europe. Several kingdoms had codified Salic Law from 500 AD onward to prevent a woman from inheriting a throne. In the 12th century, England had… Read more The Medieval Fear of Women Rulers

Medieval Understandings of Being Transgender

June 23, 2020kyra

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. ( Ecclesiastes 1:9) While the terms ‘transgender’ and ‘gender dysphoria’ are new, the phenomenon of believing yourself to be trapped in the body of the ‘wrong’ gender is not. There is archeological evidence of… Read more Medieval Understandings of Being Transgender

The Fear and Loathing of Edward II

February 25, 2020kyra

Edward II was crowned king on 25 February 1308, and nothing much went well for him after that. Why do some historians and authors of popular history write such scathing and distorted reports of Edward II? Why do even some academics overlook facts to concentrate of salacious might-have-beens? Homophobia, pure and simple. It doesn’t have… Read more The Fear and Loathing of Edward II

Miscarried of Her Savior

January 29, 2020kyra 3 Comments

Anne Boleyn miscarried a male fetus on 29 January 1536. This also happened to be the day of Katherina of Aragon’s insultingly small funeral. One wonders what the superstitious Tudors made of that? Henry’s queen was most likely into the second trimester when the fetus spontaneously aborted. In spite of continued speculation to the contrary,… Read more Miscarried of Her Savior

Did Arthur Tudor Consummate his Marriage?

January 26, 2020kyra 2 Comments

Sometime in January of 1502, Arthur Tudor and his bride, Katherina of Aragon, arrived at Ludlow Castle. There the young prince was to begin learning kingship by governing Wales, and to officially have some time to honeymoon with his spouse. But did Arthur consummate his marriage while they were together? According to Katherina, he did… Read more Did Arthur Tudor Consummate his Marriage?

Mari Lwyd Rides in the Vale of Glamorgan

December 9, 2019kyra 2 Comments

The Mari Lwyd is a traditional folk custom that managed to survive in South Wales, particularly around the area of Glamorgan. It involves a hobby horse, which is a horse’s skull mounted on a pole with glass eyes, being carried by a person hidden under a large sheet of decorated white cloth, and it can freak… Read more Mari Lwyd Rides in the Vale of Glamorgan