The Tower of London holds many fascinating and eerie secrets behind its somber, grey walls. This awesome palace (once residence of the Kings and Queens of England) and fortress of old was erected in 1066-87 with the largest ‘White Tower’ as its first building.
In the mid 16th century it became known as the ‘Bloody Tower’ when it was suspected that the imprisoned ‘Princes in the Tower’ (child sons of King Edward IV and nephews of Ricard III) had also become victims of the countless and... Read Full Story
Celebrating the 500th anniversary of the ascension of a king considered to be controversial at the least, the Royal Mint has issued the 2009 UK Henry VIII £5 coins. These coins are available in silver, platinum, gold and cupro-nickel.
Dave Knight, Director of Commemorative Coins at the Royal Mint:
Love him or hate him, King Henry VIII is undoubtedly one of history’s most influential monarchs. His reign changed the face of England forever and we felt it was essential that this remarkable... Read Full Story
A stylish but ruthless ruler who failed to win the crown of the Holy Roman Empire but paved the way for the Habsburg dynasty, Charles of Burgundy, nicknamed "the Bold", is the subject of a new exhibition in Vienna. "Charles the Bold: Splendour and Fall of the Last Duke of Burgundy", which opened on Tuesday, is an elegant, restrained display of medieval opulence -- some items shown abroad for the first time in half a millennium. Under the ornately painted ceilings and carved pillars of the... Read Full Story
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Don a velvet cloak, practice your curtsey and join Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace as he prepares to say "I do" for his sixth and last time. Visitors to this attraction southwest of London can roam Henry's favorite royal residence on the banks of the River Thames and join the monarch and Catherine Parr as they prepare to wed. "Heads and Hearts" is not so much an exhibit but an entire experience, immersing visitors in the sights, sounds and smells of the Tudor... Read Full Story
"Wolf Hall," a historical novel about King Henry VIII's advisor Thomas Cromwell, won its British author Hilary Mantel the coveted Booker literary prize. "I can tell you that at this moment, I'm happily flying through the air," said Mantel, 57, as she accepted the honour at a ceremony at London's Guildhall. "I hesitated for such a long time before beginning to write this book -- actually for about 20 years." One of the most prestigious awards in English-language literature, the annual Booker... Read Full Story
Wolf Hall: A Novel ( Hardcover ) By Hilary Mantel Buy new : $11.00 69 used and new from $10.25 Customer Rating: First tagged by MMM Customer tags: booker prize (46), tudor england (41), thomas cromwell (32), henry viii (29), historical fiction (29), anne boleyn (24), thomas more (22), cardinal wolsey (13), bestseller (7), best sellpsychological thriller (4), booker prize winner (3), 9 99 boycott (3) Review & Description In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII’s court, only one man dares to... Read Full Story
Feb 3 1959, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens had their swan song in Clear Lake, Iowa. Been there and it is a beautiful lake in the middle of miles of cornfields. There is a super steak joint at the edge of the lake with pick-your-own and they grill each to order.
A long, long time ago…
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.
But February... Read Full Story
The complete list of British Prime Ministers since the seventeen century till now.
· Sir Robert Walpole 1721 - 1742 Whig Party
· The Earl of Wilmington 1742 – 1743 Whig Party
· Henry Pelham 1743 – 1754 Whig Party
· The Duke of Newcastle 1754 – 1756 Whig Party
· The Duke of Devonshire 1756 – 1757 Whig Party
· The Duke of Newcastle 1757 – 1762 Whig Party
· The Earl of Bute 1762 – 1763 Tory Party... Read Full Story
Although history has much to say about king Henry VIII there was relatively little interest in him as a child. Although Henry was one of six other children, only four lived to adulthood, Henry himself, two sisters, Margaret and Mary and Henry’s older brother, Arthur.
Arthur was born in 1486 (only one year after his fathers victory at Bosworth) in Winchester and was named after King Arthur. His birthplace was chosen specifically for its connection to King Arthur, at the time, Winchester... Read Full Story
Henry VIII was born on 28 June 1491 and reigned as the King of England until his death on 28 January 1547. He succeeded his father Henry VII and was the second in the line of monarchs of the House of Tudor. He was a prominent figure in the history of England and Christopher Freville states that Henry is most attributed to the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry VIII was the 6 th child born to Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Henry had six siblings of... Read Full Story
