Rose Tremain’s Restoration is probably one of the most popular novels set in the seventeenth century, and with good reason: it’s a great book. Originally published back in 1989, I was but four years old and obviously far too young to read it. That being said, it is lamentable that it took until 2015 for me to get… Read on
Please welcome D.W. Bradbridge to The Seventeenth Century Lady! Bradbridge writes historical fiction set in the 17th-century (by the way, his novel The Winter Siege is on a Kindle Countdown Deal from Aug 27 – September 2 during which time it will be £0.99 on Amazon UK!). Daniel Cheswis, the lead character in my novels, The Winter Siege and… Read on
Today I’m very pleased to present you The Seventeenth Century Lady Interview with Baroque ensemble Armonia Celeste! This increasingly popular group is comprised of three singers: sopranos Sarah Abigail Griffiths and Rebecca Choate Beasley, and mezzo-soprano Dianna Grabowski. Lyle Nordstrom accompanies on lute, theorbo, and Baroque guitar, and Paula Fagerberg plays the Baroque triple harp. SCL: What was it about the music… Read on
The following was a draft I wrote about two months ago. The Stuarts in 100 Facts is currently being edited and Steel and Lace is out for sale, so I now have a brief window of time before I begin to focus on A Year in Stuart Britain. I’m spending time with my family in the United States… Read on
Please welcome Joanne Limburg to The Seventeenth Century Lady! I’ve known Joanne for several years now because we started working on our novels at the same time (me on William & Mary, she on A Want of Kindness). Joanne’s novel is soon to be released (and I’m still looking for a publisher!), so please give a warm welcome to… Read on
When I finished listening to the audiobook version of Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier, I was left sitting at my kitchen table in floods of tears. What a moving story! The first thing I thought after I finished was that this was rather like The Bridges of Madison County – a woman is married to someone and has children… Read on
Armonia Celeste is a US-based Early music ensemble of three women’s voices and plucked-string period instruments. They specialise in Italian music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque – so as soon as I could I purchased their 2015 album Udite, amanti: Music from Seventeenth-Century Barberini Courts which contains eighteen tracks of excellent music. I knew about them from their Twitter page. (This social… Read on
The 23rd of April is St. George’s Day here in England. There is something inherently romantic in the many artistic depictions of St. George. He is often in full armour, brandishing a weapon, and on the verge of killing a dragon. Later on in this post, I hope to convey the importance of St. George in the history… Read on
Once again, Audible delivered the goods. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this excellent lecture series by Professor Alan Charles Kors. For those of you who study philosophy, the content may not bring anything new to the table, but for the rest of us I found it immensely enlightening. Some other reviewers have been overly harsh about Professor Kors’s delivery and… Read on
Two Sundays ago (my how time flies!), I attended the 8am Easter Sunday service at the iconic Basilica di San Marco by the Piazza San Marco, Venezia, Italy. In this, the first of a series of articles from my recent trip to Venice, I would like to briefly cover a fraction of the history of this building and… Read on
Good day to you! Today we have Art Historian Alison Lodge as our guest writer on The Seventeenth Century Lady! I’ve known Alison for several years now on Twitter, where she mainly tweets about 18th-century topics. Today, however, she’s in our century with a wonderful, fact-filled post on George Jamesone: The Scottish Van Dyck! George Jamesone: The ‘Scottish Van Dyck’… Read on
I am very pleased to have Pamela J. Womack’s company today on The Seventeenth Century Lady. I was privileged to read an Advanced Review Copy of her exquisitely crafted novel about the Duke of Buckingham – The Darling of Kings, and her love of the 17th-century shines through all of her work. The reluctant bride: A Jacobean Tragedy… Read on
Although the Battle of Blenheim took place in the 18th Century, the historical persons involved were extremely important in Late 17th-century European history. This book, published in 2005, was the second work by historian Charles Spencer that I have read, the first being his Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Kill Charles I, published last year… Read on
Earlier today, I went to the 2:30pm performance of John Ford’s The Broken Heart. John Ford (1586-1639) wrote this tragic play during the Caroline era (reign of Charles I). I thought it was superb and I can honestly say I have rarely had such an amazing time in a theatre. This was my first time inside the relatively… Read on
In honour of World Poetry Day, I’ve chosen John Donne’s poem, The Flea. Why? Well, what’s not to like about this classic erotic metaphysical poem? The Flea by JOHN DONNE Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is; It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our… Read on
Most of the readers of The Seventeenth Century Lady are not only fans of 17th-century history, but also of the Baroque music of that time. It is therefore my pleasure to have DM Denton here with a guest post about Alessandro Stradella – a commonly (and sadly!) overlooked composer of wonderful Italian Baroque music. Alessandro Stradella: Fascinating, Flawed, Forgiven,… Read on
This week, I spent a great deal of time in the National Archives, where I studied the funeral plans for William III, read miscellaneous letters by the Duke of Monmouth, and found more information to go into my book, The Stuarts in 100 Facts. When I was using their wifi connection, I was unhappy to discover that my website… Read on
I recently ‘met’ Jessica Cale via mutual friends on Facebook and I quickly learned that she writes historical fiction set in the 17th-century (yey!). Today, she stopped by The Seventeenth Century Lady with the lamentable story of Minette, Charles II’s youngest sister. The rumours surrounding her death persist to this day. But was Madame poisoned? Was Madame Poisoned?… Read on
My article, “When Kensington Palace Became a Royal Residence” is now available on English Historical Fiction Authors. There’s something about Kensington Palace that immediately conjures up the word glamorous. Perhaps it is because in recent memory, it has been the home of notable, glamorous royals such as the late Princess Margaret, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and… Read on
Another week is over, so that means it’s time for our Weekly Wrap Up! I hope you have all had a good week. Earlier in the week, I met up with historian Laura Brennan, who is working on a project about the Duke of Monmouth. She had a look through my 100 Facts and thought they were coming… Read on
By the Sword is Alison Stuart’s first novel and is set for a re-release in March of this year. Although I have known Alison for some time (Hoydens and Firebrands), I had never before read any of her books until now. England 1650. In the aftermath of the execution of the King, England totters once more on the brink… Read on
Happy weekend to you all! I hope you are all well. The past two weeks have gone by like a flash. It being half-term, it’s been quite difficult for me to do my work – there have been screaming children everywhere I usually go to write – the library, the coffee shops, the pubs, etc. I haven’t been able… Read on