Tag Archives: Mary II

New article on Queen Anne out now!

Hear ye! We’re nearly at the end of July, but there’s still time for you to grab a copy of this month’s (Issue 17) History of Royals magazine, for it contains my latest article, “Crossing the Line” about the tumultuous relationship between Queen Anne and her decades-long favourite, Sarah Churchill. Those of you who follow me on Twitter, Instagram,… Read on

Scribed on |5,804 views thus far|Comment

Review: Masters of the Everyday, a new exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Masters of the Everyday, a new exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. For the purposes of this review, I will only be focusing on the 17th-century exhibition, although there is another which is being presented at the same time, High Spirits: The Comic Art of Thomas Rowlandson, comprising works from one of the wittiest and most popular caricaturists of… Read on

Scribed on |15,934 views thus far|1 thought

Review: The Royal Way of Death by Olivia Bland

I really wanted to like this, I really did, but I had some issues with this book. I have to take into consideration that it was written in the 80s, but that really can’t be an excuse for some of the mistakes I found. I’ve based this review on the Stuart section of the book since that is… Read on

Scribed on |8,623 views thus far|Comment

When Kensington Palace Became a Royal Residence

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

Scribed on |8,123 views thus far|Comment

Groovy Historian Podcast on the Glorious Revolution

Groovy Historian recently invited me to do a podcast with him and we did so earlier today. This is a very short introduction to the Glorious Revolution, so please do not expect a highly detailed analysis! Whilst I am no great orator (in fact, I’m quite a shy person), I do hope that some who haven’t heard about… Read on

Scribed on |12,639 views thus far|2 thoughts

Meet My Characters: William & Mary

My Facebook friend, Francine Howarth invited me to partake in the fun of a blog/tag, which entails a questionnaire for a WIP (work in progress). The instigator of the on-going blog/tag is Debra Browne. Please have a look at the websites of my fellow invitees: Alison Stuart, Anna Belfrage.  Questionnaire: 1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or… Read on

Scribed on |18,646 views thus far|6 thoughts

The Death of Queen Mary II

This post is dedicated to Mary, a controversial, intelligent, beautiful, ill-fated, yet beloved Queen, died on this day the 28th of December, 1694. She was only thirty-two years old.   I say that she was controversial because her reign was, and still is, a subject of controversy. You see, William and Mary were invited to take the throne… Read on

Scribed on |59,969 views thus far|17 thoughts

Jacobean, Jacobites, and Jacobins…

OK! I’ve had one too many messages from people who are confusing these terms, so I thought it’s time to clear these things up! It’s easy to get confused as each of these words begins with Jacob, but they are very, very different things. So, it’s Seventeenth Century Lady to the rescue! JACOBEAN: Of, or pertaining to, the… Read on

Scribed on |72,051 views thus far|17 thoughts

Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough: Guest Post by Debra Brown

Please welcome historical fiction writer, Debra Brown to The Seventeenth Century Lady! Debra was kind enough to invite me to write The Stuart Curse: The Tragic Lives of a 17th-Century Dynasty on a website that she runs, English Historical Fiction Authors. Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough by Debra Brown Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, held an influential position in the court… Read on

Scribed on |20,357 views thus far|11 thoughts

William & Mary’s Cipher at Kensington Palace

I only realised recently that I have spent an enormous amount of time at Kensington Palace over the past four years, yet I have very few photos to show of my favourite palace. Let’s fix that, shall we?! I’ll begin with the oldest part of the whole building which was used for Queen Mary II. So, here is… Read on

Scribed on |15,598 views thus far|1 thought

“In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor & Stuart Fashion” Review

I recently went to the amazing “In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor & Stuart Fashion” in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. I had just finished tours at Kensington Palace and then took the Number 9 bus (a Routemaster) from Palace Gate to Green Park and then walked across the beautiful Green Park towards Buckingham Palace. I… Read on

Scribed on |18,082 views thus far|7 thoughts

The Birth of Queen Mary II

That beauteous, intelligent, sensitive woman, Mary Stuart, who later became Queen Mary II of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was born on this day 30th of April, 1662.   Her mother was Anne Hyde, a commoner who had become the Duchess of York upon marrying James, Duke of York, younger brother to Charles II. The birth took place at… Read on

Scribed on |14,038 views thus far|Comment

Review: “Fit to Rule”

I have just finished watching an episode of “Fit to Rule”. I shall comment on this one in particular, as I haven’t been able to see the previous episodes. I was working in the other room when my family called me down because Lucy Worsley was on the telly. As I sat down I heard her begin to… Read on

Scribed on |12,912 views thus far|4 thoughts

Anne Hyde – The Commoner Who Became a Duchess

Anne Hyde, daughter of the Earl of Clarendon and Frances Aylesbury, was born on this day 12 March, 1637. Some people think that our current Duchess of Cambridge, the lovely Catherine, is the first commoner to have married an heir to the throne. Au contraire, one of the first ones was this lady, Anne… We must go back… Read on

Scribed on |33,016 views thus far|7 thoughts

Lucrezia Borgia, Stuart ancestress?

Lucrezia Borgia is one of those figures in history that we are taught to believe was a really evil person. The name of Borgia alone conjures up a images of poison, ruthless ambition, incest, cruelty, among other unsavoury traits. More than likely, what we’ve learned about her is from anti-Borgia propaganda, and therefore, not to be taken as… Read on

Scribed on |69,261 views thus far|8 thoughts

De Gouden Eeuw Series

Love the Dutch Golden Age? Then you will love the new documentary series entitled, “De Gouden Eeuw,” which will be broadcasted beginning tonight in The Netherlands. I was delighted to have been asked to participate in this major documentary, and should appear in what I believe is the last episode of the series – Episode 13, where I… Read on

Scribed on |12,434 views thus far|Comment

Vile Villiers

During the Seventeenth Century the Villiers were one of the most socially ambitious families in England. The following are some of the most notorious of the lot… George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham Ah, the first of the ambitious Villiers. Pretty-boy George was so incredibly beautiful that he immediately came to the attention of King James I. Now,… Read on

Scribed on |24,671 views thus far|7 thoughts

The Fabulous Peter Lely

Famous for the sensual portraits known as “The Windsor Beauties,” Lely was the leading portrait painter of the Restoration. He died on this day 30th November, 1680. Lely, whose birth name was Pieter van der Faes, was born to Dutch parents in Germany, and he trained in art in Haarlem, back in the Dutch Republic. He made portraits… Read on

Scribed on |15,678 views thus far|1 thought

William & Mary

I recently contributed a guest post about William & Mary to the excellent blog of “Hoydens & Firebrands: Roaring Ladies who write about the 17th Century.” It was posted yesterday here: http://hoydensandfirebrands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/william-and-mary.html Alternately, you can read it here and now: The story of William & Mary is one of duty, love, war, heartbreak, betrayal, and revolution. It was a… Read on

Scribed on |11,678 views thus far|Comment

William III

Willem Hendrik, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and King of England, was born on this day the 14th of November, 1650. It had been a dark week for the House of Orange. William II, aged only twenty-four, had died of smallpox on the sixth of November. His widow, the nineteen-year-old Mary Stuart, Princess of Orange,… Read on

Scribed on |19,198 views thus far|5 thoughts

Smallpox and the Seventeenth Century

I just finished reading this post from the excellent Anne Boleyn Files about Queen Elizabeth I’s bout with smallpox on this day in 1562 and it made me think of how many people throughout history that were affected by this terrible disease. Rich and poor alike, this disease was nasty, and there were varying strains of the disease. The worst, called Hemorrhagic smallpox, was almost always… Read on

Scribed on |12,541 views thus far|Comment