White Rose of Avalon

Britain

  • Sir Francis Walsingham: Elizabethan Spymaster

    For day two of Elizabethan Intrigue week I have chosen to focus on the figure of Elizabeth I’s spymaster. Francis Walsingham was an important figure in Elizabeth’s court.    Walsingham was a devout Protestant, who went into exile in Switzerland and Italy during the reign of Mary I.   When he came back to the…

  • The Death of Amy Robsart Dudley

    To start Elizabethan Intrigue week, I felt it only right to chose an event from the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign.    The death of Amy Robsart Dudley is a Tudor age mystery that remains technically unsolved to this day.   Amy Dudley was the wife of Robert Dudley, the Queen’s master of the horse, and…

  • Announcing Elizabethan Intrigue Week!

    Starting today it is Elizabethan Intrigue Week here at White Rose of Avalon!   Each day will feature a post discussing a person that lived at, or event that occurred at the court of Elizabeth I.    That means seven posts filled with court gossip of the era, and high drama!   The court of…

  • My Top 5 Favorite Knights of the Round Table

    Today I want to countdown my favorite Knights of the Round Table.    Narrowing it down to five was quite difficult, but I was able to come up with five distinct favorites! Number 5: Percival ~The story of Percival is one of a young knight coming from humble origins to become one of the famed…

  • My Top 5 Anne Boleyn Biographies

    Today I want to countdown my favorite biographies of my favorite historical Queen of all time! Number 5: Anne Boleyn: Young Queen to Be by Josephine Wilkinson ~This biography takes the unique view of telling the youthful years of Anne Boleyn, and not focusing on her time as Queen! Number 4: Anne Boleyn by Amy…

  • My Personal Rankings of the Queens of Henry VIII

    Today I would like to do a countdown of my opinions on the wives of Henry VIII.   While all the Queens here had their merits, and their flaws, I have a definitive opinion on who I like best (and worst). Number 6: Jane Seymour ~It is unsurprising to anyone who has read this blog…

  • Gawain and the Green Knight

    The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a medieval one (14th century) written by an anonymous author.   The title was interestingly only given centuries later.   It has since been translated by many great poets and scholars!    This summer, the much awaited film (that was supposed to premiere last year…

  • Prisoner Queens

    Many queens throughout history have been held captive.    Obviously, the Tudor queens who had been executed were held prisoner first.    Anne Boleyn spent from May 2, 1536 to May 19, 1536 (when she was executed) in the tower.    Likewise, Katheryn Howard and Jane Grey spent time captive before they were executed.   …

  • The Cultural Legend of Anne Boleyn

    Anne Boleyn is a historical figure who has obtained legendary status.    This also means that she is a figure that has been misunderstood over the years, and one that it is near impossible to entirely pin point.    There is a question over whether we could ever truly know who she was. We do…

  • Queens as Polyglots

    A polyglot is someone that speaks multiple languages, and we can see some important queens numbered among them.    Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, and Mary Queen of Scots all spoke at least six languages! It is unsurprising that royal children would be given the education that would allow them to speak multiple languages.    What is…