Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, Good Queen Bess, daughter of Henry VIII & his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was the last of the Tudors, and died on this day 24th March, 1603. One of the greatest queens in English history, Elizabeth had come to the throne aged twenty-five, following a dangerous and challenging upbringing. How could… Read on
I really enjoy Sir Walter Ralegh’s poetry. I don’t like that he made tobacco and potatoes popular, but that’s just me. I would like to share this one poem by him, entitled “The Excuse.” I picked up a copy of his poems from the National Portrait Gallery when I went to see the Lost Prince exhibition, and I… Read on
Continuing on from our last post on the history of Hever Castle, we come now to its gardens. Hever Castle is lovely, but it’s gardens are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in the world. There are dozens of different varieties of flowers and plants along the sprawling landscape. It was here that I saw a garden of… Read on
In the half of Hampton Court that remains from the Tudor period, there are the world-famous kitchens. Built around 1530, these kitchens were a hub of food preparation activity for over 230 years. Today, food historians and re-enactors sometimes cook historical Tudor fare in front of interested visitors, and it’s wonderful. We all know that Henry VIII had… Read on
Did my heart love ’til now? Forswear it, sight for I ne’er saw true beauty ’til this night! Quite possibly William Shakespeare’s most popular play, Romeo and Juliet was written between 1591-1595 and was first published in 1597: There are so many very memorable parts in the play – it’s all so endlessly quotable. At Rockledge High School, I… Read on
Isabella is the wife of Hieronimo, the Marshal of Spain and is the mother of Horatio. This play, written by Thomas Kyd in the late 16th century, is above all a revenge play similar to Shakespeare’s tragedies in various ways due to the possibility that Shakespeare borrowed a good deal from Kyd. The play begins with the death of Andrea;… Read on
Simon Vouet, French painter who helped usher in the elaborate Italian Baroque style of painting into France, was born on this day the 9th of January, 1590. King Louis XIII’s wife (and King Louis XIV’s mother) Anne of Austria posed for Vouet in this next painting, where she is depicted as Minerva: As you can see, Vouet… Read on
I visited the National Portrait Gallery yesterday to attend the “The Lost Prince – The Life & Death of Henry Stuart.” For those who plan on visiting, please do, but perhaps you shouldn’t read more below, as I’ve written this mainly for people who live abroad and will not be able to go to the exhibition. I was… Read on