Latest Posts
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Divine Right and Crisis: The Fate of Charles I
Charles: What’s in a name? Charles, is a name largely associated with drama and failure in British history. Odd choice then that the late Queen chose it for her first born son, the current Charles III. Seriously, this is never a fact that doesn’t fail to register with me and illicit some sympathy for the…
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Why the Hate for Historical Fiction?
More and more as I make the rounds in various historical/period piece groups on social media, I’m starting to see some passionate divisions on people’s feelings on historical fiction. Some, especially in the academic community are hard against it. Academics tend to dislike even commercial history (non-fiction you find at the bookstore versus something that…
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The Crown Corner- Princess Margaret: Love, Loss, and the Townsend Affair
Fans who have watched Princess Margaret’s tragic storyline via The Crown, likely were left with one impression by its conclusion- if only Margaret had been allowed to marry Peter Townsend, things would have ended up different for her. Margaret, became known in life for her biting, snobbish acidity regarding decorum, excessive drinking and as the…
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Ethel Kennedy- An Open Letter of Adoration.
To be honest- I started writing this 3 days ago, when Kerry Kennedy announced that her mother, Ethel Kennedy had suffered a stroke. Given that Ethel was 96, it felt like this turn of events was likely signaling the end. The end. What an odd turn of phrase. Life and existence in all of its…
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Historical Hot Take: Fangirl Tourism- Don’t Be That Person…
We’ve all heard stories in the news about people defacing, or vandalizing historical places and artifacts. Recently, an unsupervised child, broke an ancient artifact at a museum, years ago in Philadelphia, a mentally ill man attacked the Liberty Bell with a hammer. However; what about the people who don’t make the news, the tourists who…
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The Complex Reign of James I: Politics and Personal Scandals
Last week we looked at the woman who started it all Mary, Queen of Scots. This week’s focus, her son James VI/I is making quite the comeback in 2024, and I’m not sure it’s the one he would have wanted. Thanks to the Starz series “Mary and George” with Julianne Moore, a particularly private part…
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The Complex History of Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots is a tough historical figure to present. Tragic narrative aside, much of the issue is in how she is often portrayed. Mary’s life has provided the perfect backdrop for dazzling Hollywood epics with full period costume and gorgeous casting as well as page turning historical fiction (thank you Saoirse Ronan and…
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Historical Hot Take- Queen Consort vs. Queen
A few nights ago, I was watching a documentary on Prince Philip and his steadfast and loyal role, two steps behind Queen Elizabeth II. The documentary painted Philip as a young newlywed who struggled in his role of consort given he was so dominating, strong-willed and alpha driven. While the aforementioned qualities wouldn’t exactly be…
A Courtly Affair: A Blog of Royal Intrigue and Modern British History 