The future King Edward VI of England was baptized at Hampton Court on 15 October 1537, with all the holy pomp his father, King Henry VIII, could muster. Every caution was taken to preserve the baby from illness or cold, and no expense was spared on ceremony. As Margaret Beaufort had dictated decades before, the… Read more Baptizing Edward VI
Time to begin exploring the history and culture of Wales! And where better to do that than the free, open-air, 40 acre walk though the Welsh past that is St. Fagan’s national history museum? It’s lush, it is! It is in a beautiful park and woodland nature paths between the buildings, which have been meticulously… Read more St. Fagan’s National Museum
Queen Mary I of England wed King Philip II of Spain on 25 July 1554 at Winchester Cathedral, and although she was personally very happy, it was one of the worst political moves should could have made. Mary’s Lord Chancellor, Stephen Gardiner, and the entire House of Commons begged the queen to wed an Englishman… Read more Merry Mary Marries
On 18 July 1290 King Edward I issued an Edict of Expulsion decreeing the forcible removal of all Jews from England. The expulsion edict was the law of the land for the next 360-odd years, until 1657, when Oliver Cromwell (of all people!) permitted Jews to return to England. Cromwell only let Jewish people return… Read more Edict of Expulsion 1290
King Edward I of England, known as Edward Longshanks, died on 7 July 1307. As I have explained before, Edward’s historical legacy is complicated; he was a good man who did horrible things. Longshanks was on his way to Scotland to battle Robert the Bruce, who had recently rebelled against English rule and had declared… Read more The Death of Edward Longshanks
I thought Good Friday would be an excellent time for this guest post by Kathryn Claahsen. I hope you all find it as thought provoking and interesting as I did! Two years ago I was taking a painting class at the Art Institute in Chicago. It was a class which involved copying the original… Read more Art is Meant to Disturb, by Kathryn Claahsen
Today is a very important day in the United Kingdom. It is Ron Weasley’s birthday. Also, it is St. David’s Day. St David’s Day is a BIG deal in Wales … as it should be considering 1) St David was Welsh and 2) he is the patron saint of Wales and 3) honoring him… Read more Happy St David’s Day to the Welsh and Welsh of Heart
Today is a very important day in the United Kingdom. It is Ron Weasley’s birthday. Also, it is St. David’s Day. St David’s Day is a BIG deal in Wales … as it should be considering 1) St David was Welsh and 2) he is the patron saint of Wales and 3) honoring him… Read more Happy St David’s Day to the Welsh and Welsh of Heart
Religious turmoil was ubiquitous in sixteenth century England. In fact, the entire continent of Europe was a roiling cauldron of ecumenical and dogmatic crazy-sauce. The question of who had the “correct” form of Christianity – the Catholics or the Protestants – was so controversial and important that people were burned to death over their answer,… Read more God’s Traitors by Jessie Childs
I have Asperger’s syndrome. I like things that make sense. You know, if A = B, and C = B, then A is equivalent to C because they both equal B. People’s opinions, especially their sociopolitical opinions, do not follow this at all, and it drives me bananas because I cannot grasp how they cannot… Read more Illogical Perceptions and Reactions