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Much of Jonathan Swift’s seminal ‘Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts, by Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon, and then a captain of several ships’, or Gulliver’s Travels as it is more popularly known, is metaphor and allegory. Swift had lived through the troubles of James II’s dalliances with Catholicism, the…
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I have just completed my new novel, Richard Liveth Yet (Book II): A Foreign Country, an alternative history story in which Richard, having won at Bosworth, continues as King of England and pays a visit to Florence at the invitation of Lorenzo de’ Medici. On researching Lorenzo, I became intrigued by the number of parallels…
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… are about the history of the Royal Mail and it’s predecessors: http://shop.royalmail.com/issue-by-issue/royal-mail-500/icat/royalmail500 As you can see, they feature Sir Brian Tuke, who Henry VIII made Master of the King’s Posts in 1512. He occupied other positions, including clerk of the council of Calais, Treasurer of the Household and secretary to Cardinal Wolsey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tuke http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/27/101027803/…
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Here’s one to avoid, I think. The picture with the Times Literary Supplement review is the Delaroche daub of the two golden-haired little angels cowering on their bed in dread of Wicked Uncle Richard’s murderous intentions. Natch. Such an appealing little scene, is it not? Why are so many people utterly determined to pin such…
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Originally posted on Giaconda's Blog: Combining my two great loves, history and art, I want to look at some of the imagery used to depict Plantagenet kings during the period and taking a few examples examine what the visual language may be telling us about how kingship was viewed and how the kings themselves…
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We all know that Richard’s cognizance was the white boar with gold tusks and bristles but there are several theories as to why he chose this as his personal symbol. There are also a large number of interesting associations which connect the boar to Richard. There is one theory that the white boar had already…
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The above picture is taken from an article by Alexandra Womack, on Friday, 2nd October 2015. The churchgoers of Wapley are preparing to mark the 600th year since Agincourt. The church of St Peter contains the tomb of Henry V’s standard bearer, Sir John Codrington. Bob Pritchard, of the Richard III Society, researched and embroidered…
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After we left Moyse’s Hall Museum, we wanted to visit St Mary’s Church, as we knew there was a wedding going on at the Cathedral. However, when we arrived, the church was closed a s a service was going on for the WI. By this time the bells of the Cathedral were ringing indicating the…
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It is always a pleasure to visit the sumptuous J. Pierpont Morgan Museum and Library located in the Murray Hill section of New York City. Built in 1906, designed by the esteemed architectural firm of McKim, Meade and White, it is breathtakingly beautiful as well as a unique source of medieval riches, housing one of the smallest…
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English Costume from William I to George IV by Dion Clayton Calthrop, published 1937. I have just received this book, and of course turned immediately to the reign of Richard III. Dismay promptly ensued. Hump-backed Richard! Oh, natch. Then: “The axe of the executioner soiled many white shirts, and dreadful forebodings fluttered the dovecots of…
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