Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpeper were executed on 10 December 1541 for treason; one for the treason of sleeping with with King Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Katheryn Howard, before she was married and the other for flirting with her with the intent to canoodle. I am always bothered when I think of the death of Dereham. He was… Read more The deaths of Dereham and Culpepper
Many historians have condemned King Henry VIII for beheading his Plantagenet first cousin, Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, on 9 December 1538. On the surface the odious act looks to be the result of paranoia and cruelty and heartlessness . But was it? And was Henry the prime motivator of Courtenay’s death? God knows the king was by… Read more The Exeter Conspiracy?
Mary, Queen of Scots, was born on 8 December 1542, the last child and only daughter of Marie de Guise and King James V of Scotland. Mary’s two elder brothers had died as infants, and now the tiny newborn was heir to the throne of Scotland. John Knox recorded the almost certainly mythical tale that… Read more Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Margaret of Austria was one of the most famous and most respected female rules of the late Medieval period, and for good reason. She was not only well-connected to the principle ruling families in Europe, she was politically astute and had a knack for arranging international trade agreements that benefited all parties. Such was her… Read more Archduchess Margaret of Austria, Cultural and Political Queen
The 30 November is St. Andrew’s Day, the patron saint of Scotland, and on this day in 1529 King Henry VIII was metaphorically kilt. (brief pause for applause) According to the Spanish ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, on this day Henry went to have dinner with his wife, who was still recognised formally as the queen. During… Read more Poor Henry VIII
Some historians, many historical novelists, and even Cardinal Thomas Wolsey himself, have blamed his displacement from King Henry VIII’s favor on the machinations of Anne Boleyn. Wolsey called Anne “the midnight crow” and seems to have been entirely convinced that it was her influence and hers alone behind his loss of position. However, his fall… Read more Cardinal Wolsey and the Midnight Crow
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, was born on 29 November 1338, the second surviving son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. Although he died at the age of 30 and had only one child – his daughter Philippa – he is the genetic precursor to the modern English monarchy. He was the great-great-grandfather of Kings Edward… Read more Was Lionel of Antwerp Poisoned?
Margaret Tudor was born on 28 November 1489, the oldest surviving daughter of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and she was destined from birth for a dynastic marriage. When she was 13 years old she married King James IV of Scotland on 25 January 1503 by proxy, and was sent north to… Read more Happy Birthday to Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots
Isabella I of Castile, co-ruler of Aragon and queen of most of the Iberian peninsula, passed away on 26 November 1504, causing a major shake-up of European politics — especially in Britain. Queen Isabella’s death was a terrible blow to her daughter, Katherina of Aragon, the widow of King Henry VII’s eldest son, Prince Arthur… Read more Isabella of Castile’s Death
Perkin Warbeck first came to international attention in 1490, when he showed up at the court of Burgundy claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, the second-born son of King Edward IV. He said he had miraculously escaped from the Tower after his older brother, King Edward V, was murdered because his captors took pity on his youth.… Read more Perkin Warbeck