Events
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In the course of seeking the date when Henry Percy, Baron Percy, became the 1st Earl of Northumberland (it was 15 July 1377, the eve of the coronation of the boy king Richard II), I came upon the website of Alnwick Castle. The section about the history of the castle is very well illustrated…
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I didn’t know how perilously close Shakespeare’s great work came to complete and utter obscurity, if not to say oblivion. But it seems that this year is the First Folio’s 400th anniversary. And if you read here 400 Years of the First Folio (shakespeare.org.uk) you’ll find the story of its miraculous survival….although I imagine the…
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Richard II was certainly the royal connoisseur of food. His famous book of recipes (well, he didn’t actually write it!) the Forme of Cury, is constantly resorted to as a record of just how well our 14th-century ancestors were provided for when they sat down to eat. How often are we told that they…
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The news has broken that the Book of Hours belonging to Thomas Cromwell is here which appears in the Holbein portrait above, has been recognised (by Hever Castle curator, Alison Palmer) as the Hardouyn Hours, held today at Trinity College, Cambridge. You can view the Hardouyn Hours page by page at the Wren Digital…
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For those of you who listened to Paddy’s Christmas Cracker on Radio Four during Christmas morning, the host really did announce that the King’s Message that day would be delivered by Charles the SECOND!
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It’s always amusing to ponder things concerning people from the past, and in this article the idea is to imagine a Secret Santa doling out gifts to specific figures. For instance, Alfred the Great should be given an air fryer, to solve his cake-baking hang-ups. And King John would surely benefit from a snorkel…
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With the first coronation in seventy years looming fast, there is naturally a lot of discussion about various aspects of the ancient ceremony. I don’t know what the new king’s wish to “modernise” might finally entail, but I do know the proceedings will have to include the Coronation Chair (now a shadow of its former…
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I’m told that Max Keen is well worthing watching and hearing because he is a great expert on his medieval subject. Given that, and the fact that he will be appearing in the majestic surroundings of Kenilworth Castle make this coming occasion a must for those who can attend. This article states that Richard III…
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