staircases
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Monarchs and the perils of legitimacy….
“Lambert Simnel”, “Perkin”, “Princes”, “Tudor” rebellions, Battle of Bosworth, Black Prince, coronations, Edward III, Edward IV, Henry VII, illegitimacy, Jehan de Wavrin, John of Gaunt, Lady Eleanor Talbot, Margaret Duchess of Burgundy, relegitimisation, Richard II, Richard III, staircases, succession, Thomas of woodstock, Titulus Regius, Titulus Regius 1486, Toronto Sun, Tower of London“….In medieval and Tudor times, it was important for people to know that their king had actually died and that the succession was ‘safe’…. “….We all remember the story of the little princes in the Tower. The older of the two would have been King Edward V, had he lived. But no one ever really…
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Oh, is there no end to the groanworthiness of TV documentaries? I found myself watching Blowing-up History, series 8, episode 5, about the Tower of London. (My hand is cupped to my shell-like ear, and yes, I can hear your soaring chorus of groans!) You’re right, yet again it was Richard wot dunnit to…
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Myths abound about the medieval period, and some of them seem logical enough…yet they turn out to be untrue. One such is that spiral/newel staircases were built to be advantageous to those who use their right hand. So, as the majority of the human race is right-handed, this seemed a good, sensible idea. Yes?…
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Recently it was reported that a secret staircase some 600 years old was unearthed at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire. Immediately the reporter leapt on the idea that ‘Maybe Henry VIII walked down these stairs?!’ as if that ultimately was the most exciting thing about the new discovery. (Why, why, why, are there so many newspapers…