Charles II
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I find it – interesting, shall we say – that some people are so keen to hate Richard III that they tend to play down the fact that his brother, Edward IV, was at least as ruthless, if not more so. This does no service to Edward, who in some narratives seems to be a…
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The Battle of Sedgemoor 1685 by Stephen Lark (Bretwalda Battles Book 19) [Kindle Edition] ASIN: B00TEAO11G Driving the M5 today, across the Somerset Levels, it is hard to imagine what the landscape used to be like, before rhynes and ditches drained much of the water. The rhynes were there in the 17th century, but they…
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Late last year, the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi (Free Saudi Liberals) was sentenced on appeal to ten years imprisonment and a thousand lashes for two offences: apostacy (apparently changing his religion, which is generally a capital offence in KSA) and “undermining the regime and officials” (essentially sedition). He had previously been sentenced to seven years…
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Yesterday there was a comment on a Facebook group by a lady named Elizabeth Borson, that Kit Harington, the actor who plays Jon Snow in “Game of Thrones”, is a descendant of William Catesby, Richard III’s advisor. Kit is apparently also descended from Charles II, but it is Richard’s era that is of interest to…
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Note, in particular, the beginning of the last paragraph: THE BONES IN THE URN The main accusation against Richard III has always been the assumption that he murdered his nephews, and the discovery of the skeletons of two children under a Tower staircase in the 17th century has often been quoted as virtual proof of…
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Lady Antonia Fraser’s “The Kings and Queens of England” was a favourite of mine nearly forty years ago – my grandmother owned it and I read it whilst visiting her. Anyway, I consulted the entries on Charles II and James II – Maurice Ashley wrote the Stuart chapter and he said: 1) (p.236) “(the Rye…
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8) Richard III was negotiating to marry the King of Portugal’s sister when he died. Henry VII may also have tried to do so. Charles II did marry the King of Portugal’s sister. 9) Edward IV was paid a secret annuity by Louis XI after 1475. Charles II was paid a secret annuity by Louis…
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Consider the following coincidences: 1) The Mortimer-York army in 1458-60 was led by the Duke of York, two sons, a brother-in-law and a nephew. Charles I’s principal commanders were himself, two sons and two nephews. 2) Richard of York had four healthy sons, one named after himself who became King. Charles I had three healthy…
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Given the amount of evidence that has accrued over the past decade both about Edward IV’s bigamy and the cover-ups, both in his reign and those of the “Tudors”, he can now be classified as having no legitimate and fourteen or fifteen illegitimate children. Charles II’s record is almost identical, although he was more open…
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April 29 will see the marriage of Prince William of Wales to Miss Catherine Middleton. As the engagement was announced, many articles proclaimed their common descent from Edward III and I have investigated some of their assertions: They are descended through the King’s second son, Edmund – quite apart from the uncertainty in some…