Isabella of England Countess of Bedford

The betrothals of Princess Isabella of England, Countess of Bedford

This article was written by Hannah Pym. A particularly interesting example that demonstrates the unstable and calculating nature of arranging marriages of royal daughters was that of Isabella, eldest daughter of Edward III. Isabella defied all common stereotypes of a princess’s marriage by not becoming married until she was thirty-three. She also married a man [read more]

elisabeth of france
Elisabeth of France (1602–1644)

Elisabeth of France – The proud daughter of Marie de’ Medici

Elisabeth of France was born on 22 November 1602 at the Château de Fontainebleau as the daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second spouse Marie de’ Medici. She was known as by the honorific Madame Royale as the eldest daughter. She spent her youth at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye under the watchful eye of Françoise de Montglat. The nursery became [read more]

Æthelflæd

Founder, Fighter, Saxon Queen: Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians by Margaret C Jones Book Review

Alfred the Great’s daughter defied all expectations of a well-bred Saxon princess. The first Saxon woman ever to rule a kingdom, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, led her army in battle against Viking invaders. She further broke with convention by arranging for her daughter to succeed her on the throne of Mercia. To protect her [read more]

Exhibitions

Historic Royal Palaces to mark the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth with major new exhibition at Kensington Palace

On 24 May 1819, the future Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace. To mark the bicentenary of this event, Historic Royal Palaces has announced a major new exhibition at Kensington Palace in 2019. The suite of rooms occupied by the future Queen and her mother will be reimagined through a display of remarkable objects [read more]