Charles II was forced to hide in an oak tree at Boscobel on 6 September 1651, following his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Worcester three days earlier. He was crowned in Scotland and had led a small army across the border to reclaim the English throne which had been lost two years earlier, when…
Category: Royal Family
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal Engagement, 16 November 2010
News of the royal engagement between Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton was welcomed by most Australians except by the Republican Movement. A statement from Clarence House said, “His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton are engaged to be married.” “Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a…
The Battle of Hastings, 14 October 1066
The Battle of Hastings was a great turning point in English history, which ended 600 years of Anglo-Saxon rule, and the beginning of Norman rule.
The Sir Harry Oakes Mystery: An Unsolved Murder in the Bahamas
Flamboyant Canadian gold-mining millionaire, Sir Harry Oakes, was found brutally murdered on 8 July 1943 at his home in the Bahamas. This mystery remains unsolved today. Oakes’ family had left for their summer holiday in America but he entertained some guests, including personal friend Harold Christie, the night before, until the others left around 11.00…
Louis Mountbatten: 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Viceroy of India
British naval officer Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender during World War II. He was the last Viceroy of India, and also mentor to Prince Charles. Mountbatten, known as “Dickie” to family and friends, was born Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas on 25 June 1900 at Frogmore House, Windsor. His parents were Prince Louis…
The Coronation of Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen
Elizabeth I’s Coronation was a grand spectacle intimately involving her subjects where she combined grandeur with the common touch. It was also a personal success. Mary I died from influenza on 17 November 1558, ending her dream to restore Catholicism to England. Elizabeth faced serious allegations of treason, even death, during her sister’s reign. Elizabeth…
Mary I of England (1553-1558): Bloody Mary
Mary I survived a difficult childhood—separated from her mother, rejected by her father and suffered poor health—to restore Catholicism to England and produce an heir. Mary was born in 1516 at Greenwich Palace, the only surviving child of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Henry was initially disappointed but he proudly showed off his…
Lady Jane Grey (1553): The Nine Days Queen
Lady Jane Grey is best known as history as the Nine Days Queen. She survived an unhappy childhood only to become a pawn in a conspiracy to usurp the throne. Jane was born in 1537 at her family’s estate, Bradgate Manor, in Leicestershire. She was the eldest of three sisters born to Henry Grey, Marquess…
Edward VI (1547-1553): The Boy King
Nine-year-old Edward VI introduced the Reformation, established the English Church, understood international affairs and showed a keen interest in reforming the currency. Henry VIII’s lengthy wait for a male heir ended when Edward was finally born on 12 October 1537 at Hampton Court Palace. However, Henry’s joy was short-lived as his third wife, Jane Seymour,…
The Rough Wooing: Uniting Scotland and England under Tudor rule
Henry VIII negotiated a marriage treaty for his son Edward and Mary Queen of Scots. He pursued an aggressive policy when the Scots rejected the treaty’s terms. The English defeated the Scots at Solway Moss on 24 November 1542 and took 1,200 captive. James V died three weeks later, leaving his week old daughter Mary…