Category Archives: History
Exciting times ahead?
I feel the 17th century may soon experience a surge in interest. For far too long, the 1600s, sandwiched in between the ever-popular Tudor era and the sexy Enlightenment/Dangerous Liaisons of the 18th century, has been too readily forgotten about. Perhaps I am being too optimistic, I don’t know, but I just have this incredible feeling about my… Read on
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
The Birth of Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena, second wife of James, Duke of York, and his Queen consort upon his becoming King James II, was born on this day the 5th of October, 1658, in the Ducal Palace in Modena. She was a beautiful woman, with black hair and dark eyes – what we’d call an Italian beauty now. As you can… Read on
Remembering Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, better known simply by his forename, Rembrandt, died on this day the 4th of October, 1669. During his life, the Dutch Republic, aka the United Provinces, was in its Golden Age (gouden Eeuw) and this region prospered not only economically, but culturally – with some of the most beautiful works of Baroque art being… Read on
Sebastian Anton Scherer
Queen Mary II is now on Facebook!
Why did I decide to make a page for her? Well, I think she’s always overshadowed by her husband, William III of Orange, and whilst that’s understandable, she was too good a person for us to forget about. For Mary II, Princess of Orange and Queen of England, please go to: http://www.facebook.com/MaryStuartII