Joel Ridgway | December 14, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 14th December 1542, six-day-old Mary, daughter of King James V and his second wife, Marie de Guise, became Queen of Scotland – Mary, Queen of Scots. King James V, who had ruled since 1513, was just 30 at his death. Find out what happened to James V, and how […]
Joel Ridgway | December 8, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 8th December 1538, courtier and Master of the Horse to Queens Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, Sir William Coffin, died at Standon in Hertfordshire. It is thought that he died of the plague because his wife Margaret wrote to Thomas Cromwell saying that Coffin had “died of the great […]
Joel Ridgway | December 5, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 5th December 1560, King Francis II of France, died at the age of just 15. Francis was King Consort of Scotland, as the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and his father had also proclaimed him and Mary as King and Queen of England back in 1558! He was […]
Joel Ridgway | December 2, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 2nd December 1586, following a joint petition from the Houses of Lords and Commons, Elizabeth I finally agreed to a public proclamation of sentence against Mary, Queen of Scots: death. Mary had been found guilty of high treason back in October 1586, but Elizabeth had not wanted to contemplate […]
Claire | August 31, 2021
My latest online course, The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, goes live tomorrow, 1st September 2021, so you only have today to pre-order it and save $25! Simply use coupon code MQS2021 here The course comprises streaming video lessons, which are also available as audio lessons and PDF transcripts. Although the course will be […]
Claire | July 7, 2021
Back in 2016 I produced my first course for MedievalCourses.com, The Life of Anne Boleyn, and now I’m just finishing another and this time it’s on another queen whose life ended on the scaffold – Mary, Queen of Scots. The course goes live on 1st September 2021, but you can pre-order it right now and […]
Claire | September 19, 2013
Linda Porter on how she came to write her latest book, Crown of Thistles: the fatal inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. The rivalry between the Tudors and the Stewarts lasted for over 100 years and was crucial in shaping sixteenth century Britain, but this dramatic tale of flamboyant monarchs, cultured courts, sibling rivalry, bloody […]
Claire | June 12, 2012
Here’s Tim’s diary entry for day three of the Executed Queens Tour… What a moving day we’ve had on the Executed Queens Tour today. Our day visit was to Sheffield Manor Lodge on the site of a once huge deer park around Sheffield. Although the large part of the Manor Lodge is actually in ruins, […]
