The great-grandson of King William I, Henry II, would prove to be almost as illustrious as his ancestor and just about as notorious. Sometimes portrayed as a villain responsible for the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, Henry’s legacy is greater than this death and his conflicts with the Catholic Church. By the end of his reign, Henry had expanded … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about King Henry II
Plantagenet Britain History
British History Mysteries – Where are the Princes in the Tower?
One of Britain’s greatest unsolved mysteries is that of the deaths of King Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York. Richard, Duke of Gloucester (and future King Richard III) housed his young wards in the Tower of London for their protection prior to Edward’s coronation. However, before that could happen, Edward was declared illegitimate and Richard was crowned in his … [Read more...] about British History Mysteries – Where are the Princes in the Tower?
Brit Movies: The King Trailer Released – Timothée Chalamet Plays Henry in Shakespeare Adaptations for Netflix
Not content with just Scottish Kings, Netflix has also produced a lush period drama adapted from several of Shakespeare's plays. Netflix, which will be releasing the film directly to its service, released a trailer today. Inspired by elements of Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V, The King is about a young, disgraced prince, named Hal inherits the crown and must learn what it … [Read more...] about Brit Movies: The King Trailer Released – Timothée Chalamet Plays Henry in Shakespeare Adaptations for Netflix
British History Mysteries – Did Henry II Order Thomas Beckett’s Death?
Until King Henry VIII officially broke with the Catholic Church to start the Anglican Church, there had long been a struggle between the Crown and the Church over whose authority was superior. While the two institutions had often been able to live with one another, the greatest conflict between the two prior to the Tudor era was the murder of Archbishop Thomas a Beckett. On … [Read more...] about British History Mysteries – Did Henry II Order Thomas Beckett’s Death?
Ten Interesting Facts about the Battle of Bosworth Field
At Bosworth Field, the War of the Roses came to a final and bloody end. King Richard III, representing the Yorks, met with Henry Tudor, representing the Lancasters, in a battle that ended thirty-two years of conflict that split England down the middle. It also gave birth to one of the monarchy’s most-influential houses as the Tudors would oversee England own’s participation … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about the Battle of Bosworth Field
Great Events in British History: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
“Now the time is come… in which ye may cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty”. So spoke John Ball, the English radical preacher, and leader of the so-named Peasants’ Revolt, in a rousing sermon at Blackheath on the 12th of June 1391. Ball spoke passionately to the crowd that had assembled on the heath, urging them to cast off the yoke of servitude and to claim … [Read more...] about Great Events in British History: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
The Monarchs: King Richard III – Dangerous Tyrant or Misunderstood Monarch?
King Richard III is a figure of some controversy and arguably one of the foremost symbols of the adage that “history is written by the victors.” A lot of what we know of Ricard comes from popular culture, which is largely defined by William Shakespeare’s play named after the Plantagenet king. The Tragedy of King Richard III presents Richard as a bloodthirsty opportunist, a … [Read more...] about The Monarchs: King Richard III – Dangerous Tyrant or Misunderstood Monarch?
The Monarchs: Richard I (1189-1199) – Richard the Lionheart – The Crusader Who Tried to Seize Jerusalem
The reign of Richard the Lionheart was dominated by the Third Crusade, his ill-fated and costly siege of Jerusalem. Richard supported his father, King Henry II, in battle from a young age and became Duke of various French territories in his twenties. Despite spending as little as six months of his reign resident in England, Richard I is said to have been adored by his English … [Read more...] about The Monarchs: Richard I (1189-1199) – Richard the Lionheart – The Crusader Who Tried to Seize Jerusalem
The Monarchs: Richard III (1483-1485) – The King in the Car Park
Richard III is now as talked about in the 21st century as he was in the 15th. In 2012, a skeleton was found buried under a council car park in the town of Greyfriars in Leicester, England. Following a series of state of the art tests involving advanced carbon dating and DNA-matching, experts were able to confirm the skeleton was that of Richard III. The last King of England … [Read more...] about The Monarchs: Richard III (1483-1485) – The King in the Car Park
Guest Long Read: Richard III Reburial – First Person Report from the Ceremony – Honoring the Last Plantagenet King
Editor's Note: As many of you know, Richard III was reburied last week to great pomp and circumstance in Leicester. Regular Anglotopia contributor Buffy Martin Tarbox was able to get tickets and attended. Here's here report! Thanks Buffy! Five hundred and thirty years after his death at the Battle of Bosworth, King Richard III was laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral with all … [Read more...] about Guest Long Read: Richard III Reburial – First Person Report from the Ceremony – Honoring the Last Plantagenet King
Great British Houses: Warwick Castle – A Stunning Medival Stone Castle Preserved in Warwickshire
The site of Warwick Castle has a history that stretches way back to the year 914 when an Anglo-Saxon Burh was established by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great. Throughout the next 1200 years, this plot of land and the buildings erected upon it have played an integral part in many major happenings of English History. Some castles in the UK are still the … [Read more...] about Great British Houses: Warwick Castle – A Stunning Medival Stone Castle Preserved in Warwickshire
Great Events in British History: Cousins at War – A Beginner’s Guide to The Wars of the Roses
Editor’s Note: This article is the second in a new series of ongoing articles about major events in British History. Each article will be a long read about the event, its key players, background and its ramifications in British History. These articles are meant to be sketches of the events and their aftermath – it would not be possible to write a comprehensive history for each … [Read more...] about Great Events in British History: Cousins at War – A Beginner’s Guide to The Wars of the Roses
Great British Houses: Berkeley Castle – A Medieval Gothic Castle Famed For the Murder of Edward II
For anyone who still remembers their English History lessons, Berkeley Castle is a place of horror; a medieval gothic castle famed for being the setting of the grisly murder of Edward II and home to many a ghost with unfinished business. Remarkably, Berkeley Castle has belonged to the same family since its first incarnation in the 11th century and is today, not haunted or … [Read more...] about Great British Houses: Berkeley Castle – A Medieval Gothic Castle Famed For the Murder of Edward II
It’s Official! Richard III Buried in Leicester Car Park – The Discovery of a King
At 10am this morning at a press conference, officials at Leicester University confirmed that the remains found under a car park in the City Centre of Leicester were indeed those of Richard III. The University of Leicester led the “Looking for Richard” project along with the Richard III Society. According to a press release issued by the Richard III Society, … [Read more...] about It’s Official! Richard III Buried in Leicester Car Park – The Discovery of a King
Brit TV Preview: Channel 4’s Richard III: The King in the Car Park
In September 2012 human remains were found by a team of archaeologists underneath a Leicester car park. On a quest of a lifetime the discovery of the bones may have found the answer to a 500-year-old mystery. Had they found King Richard III? The program Richard III: The King in the Car Park set to air on February 4th charts the secretive path that researchers … [Read more...] about Brit TV Preview: Channel 4’s Richard III: The King in the Car Park
Brit History: Probable Grave for Richard III Found – This Space Reserved for Richard III
527 years after his death in Bosworth Field, Richard III is again in the news. This time with the possible discovery of his grave. Under a parking lot in Leicester. Late last month, the University of Leicester, along with the Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society, announced a search for the final resting place of the last Plantagenet monarch. The … [Read more...] about Brit History: Probable Grave for Richard III Found – This Space Reserved for Richard III
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