Anne Boleyn was a talented and attractive young lady who became the second wife of King Henry VIII. After a few years of marriage without a son, Henry VIII began looking for a new wife and a way to get rid of Anne. in 1536, she was...

Calming the tension between Protestants and Catholics was important to Elizabeth I of England. She re-instituted the Church of England as the country's chosen church but repealed strict heresy laws and permitted people to practice...

Victorian Christmas part 2

The expansion of the railway system across the British Isles and the introduction of Bank holidays made it easier, cheaper, and quicker to travel to see friends and relatives during Christmas. Mass...

Queen Mary arrives in London. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland goes on trial. Ironically, most of the people deciding his fate had also originally pledged allegiance to Jane. Though he is spared being drawn and quartered, the Duke of...

After about 8 years of house arrest, Lady Mary was finally granted freedom at the age of 27. She spend the time reconnecting with family and friends and building a comfortable home for herself. Lady Mary also succeeded in winning back...

Victorian Christmas part 8<br/>
The Victorians were the first to create what we might recognize as a modern Christmas, modifying medieval meals and focusing on family, children, and charity during the holiday season.

Victorian Christmas part 1

During the Victorian era, Christmas evolved to become a family-oriented holiday and the tradition of the Christmas tree began! Learn how an image of Queen Victoria popularized the evergreen tree as a...

Around 886, Alfred took London, reverting it back to Saxon hands. He quickly handed London to Lord Aethelraed of Mercia, perhaps as a wedding gift. Aethelraed and Aethelflaed were married around 886. The couple poured their money and...

King Richard III of England is remembered as one of history’s most villainous royals: a cruel, calculating hunchback who did whatever it took to secure power for himself. But there’s a lot more to Richard than what the detractors want...

From gendered criticism to mercury poisoning from cosmetics, there are many theories about why Elizabeth I could be so cruel.

When their brother died in 1553, Elizabeth's sister was crowned Mary I. Mary, a devout Catholic, soon began to distrust her Protestant sister, accusing Elizabeth of involvement in Wyatt's Rebellion of 1554. Despite a lack of evidence,...

Victorian Christmas part 4

The Christmas Cracker was invented by Tom Smith in 1847. Smith began working in confections and was always looking for new ways to capitalize on the Christmas season. Legend has it that he was inspired to...

Victorian Christmas part 3

Sir Henry Cole is usually credited with introducing the commercially available Christmas card. He came up with the idea of creating a single, form card that people could send easily to friends and family...

Learn how Aethelflaed balanced violence and diplomacy to bring all of England back under united, Anglo-Saxon rule. Did Aethelflaed fight in battle? Or did she direct from behind the lines? How did Aethelflaed and her forces capture Derby...

Eleanor and her second husband, Henry II combine their territories to become what is known today as the Angevin Empire, stretching from the Carcassonne in the South of France to Northumbria in the North of England. Eleanor has more...

What were the duties of a Anglo-Saxon royal women? Learn what role these women played in social, domestic, and legal affairs in their lands. In addition to the usual responsibilities, in the early 900s, Aethelflaed took on more of the...

In 902, an army of Danes crossed into Mercia. Rather than battle, Aethelflaed and Aethelred chose a diplomatic solution, giving the Danes a bit of land to live and work and avoiding an armed conflict. Aethelred died soon after. The...

Aethelflaed was the eldest daughter of Albert the Great. Though Anglo-Saxon women held little political power at the time, Aethelflaed went on to become a queen and a legend. Learn what her early life was like and how she would have...

In June of 918, Aethelflaed died suddenly at 48 years old. There is dispute as to whether her brother Edward immediately took over as ruler of Mercia or whether her daughter, Aelfwynn ruled for a while. Eventually, Edward's son...

Aethelflaed quickly began shoring up the defenses of her kingdom, restoring strategically located fortresses. Understand how Aethelflaed worked with her brother Edward to defend their kingdoms with an offensive strategy. Did...

National Archives: This video presents primary sources overseen by Jeffrey Chaucer, author of The Cantebury Tales, during his time working at the customs house, looking at goods coming our of the port of London. Dr Euan Roger introduces...

Living in a medieval castle wasn't all that glamorous. If you were one of the lucky ruling class, you got some wine or the occasional hot bath. But with the lack of plumbing, castles smelled pretty ripe. Not to mention rats. So many...

The life and legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots, remains intriguing more than 400 years after her passing. Her political scheming and personal hardships were colorful enough to inspire several films, including 2018's Mary Queen of Scots, but...

As Britain's second-longest reigning monarch, Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. If her would-be assassins had gotten their way, that reign would have been a lot shorter.