White Rose of Avalon

Britain

  • Five Welsh Celtic Goddesses

    For today’s post I want to look at five of the most important Welsh Celtic goddesses.    This list contains five goddesses that appear in the Mabinogion.   I have mentioned all of them before, two of them I have written about more than once!    Today will be a countdown of these goddesses that…

  • Guinevere as Arthurian Adulteress

    Welcome to the first ever Femme Fatale Friday here at  White Rose of Avalon!    For this first post in this themed Friday series I have chosen to discuss a figure I have talked about often on this site, Arthur’s wife Guinevere.    Today I want to specifically look at Guinevere’s role as an adulteress…

  • Tudor Women’s Fashion

    At the Tudor court, as with many other royal courts, fashion was an important element of how courtiers distinguished themselves.    There are strict court politics when it came to sartorial choices, yet some were able to make a splash in how they dressed. Two of the most important figures in the Tudor era to…

  • Anne Boleyn and the Art of Flirting in Royal Courts

    I have written about courtly love traditions before.   Today I want to focus on a specific element of courtly love tradition.    Flirting was something well groomed and intelligent courtiers were expected to participate in.   There were rules to how to flirt without offending the strict traditions of the royal courts! Flirting would…

  • James I: Witch-Hunter King

    James VI of Scotland became James I of England in 1603, after the childless death of Elizabeth I.    He is most often remembered for being the first Stuart king of England, and the first monarch to rule a united England and Scotland.     Another important fact about James I is that he was…

  • Rumours About Elizabeth I

    Welcome to the final day of Elizabethan Intrigue week, here at White Rose of Avalon!   Elizabeth I was far from being without her share of scandalous rumors!    In this post I will take a look at three of the most interesting rumors spread about her! I will start with a rather obvious rumor. …

  • The Ridolfi Plot, the Babington Plot, and the Execution of Mary Stuart

    For day six of Elizabethan Intrigue week I have chosen to discuss the plots to remove Elizabeth from the throne, and replace her with Mary Stuart!   The Ridolfi Plot was hatched by Roberto Ridolfi in 1571 with the intent of assassinating the Protestant Elizabeth to put her Catholic cousin on the throne.   The…

  • Christopher Marlowe: Playwright Spy

    For day five of Elizabethan Intrigue week I have chosen to focus on the figure of the great playwright, Christopher Marlowe.   Christopher Marlowe, who was known to his friends as Kit, died a mysterious death.   His death has long been attributed to his other job, spy for Elizabeth I! Kit Marlowe is best…

  • Sir Francis Drake: Elizabethan Pirate

    For day four of Elizabethan Intrigue week I have chosen to discuss the figure of Sir Francis Drake.   The most famous privateer at the court of Elizabeth I, was none other than Francis Drake!    He worked on some of the earliest English slaving missions to Africa.    He was second in command during…

  • Sir Walter Raleigh

    For day three of Elizabethan Intrigue week I have decided to focus on the figure of Sir Walter Raleigh.   If you are a fan of the All Souls trilogy of books, and the A Discovery of Witches television series (which is based on it) then you may remember Walter Raleigh as a character during…