Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was sent down from the University of Oxford on the 25th of March, 1811, for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism. Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the most impactful figures of the Romantic era, continues to mesmerise readers with his...
King James
King James VI of Scotland was pronounced King James I of England and Ireland on the 24th of March 1603, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I. I confess that I’m not a great fan of King James, since he sent my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, to the Tower of London...
Tsar Paul I of Russia
On the 23rd of March, 1801, Paul I was struck with a sword, strangled, then trampled to death in his bedroom. Tsar Paul I of Russia, often overshadowed by his more illustrious predecessors and successors, was a monarch whose short and tumultuous reign from 1796 to...
King Æthelred
The Battle of Merton, fought on the 22nd of March, 871, was one of the defining clashes between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings during a period of intense conflict in England. Taking place in what is believed to be modern-day Marden, Wiltshire, the battle was part of...
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer, born on 2 July 1489 in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, was a seminal figure in the English Reformation. His life and work played a pivotal role in shaping the Church of England as it transitioned away from Roman Catholicism. As the first Protestant...
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was freed from the Tower of London on the 20th of March, 1616. I didn’t treat Raleigh particularly well in The Spy who Sank the Armada. That’s because my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, worked for the Earl of Essex after Walsingham died, and Essex...
Amboise
On the 19th of March, 1563, the Edict of Amboise was signed. Amboise is a location in my work in progress, the fifth book of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. It is where Leonardo Da Vinci spent his final years, and where he lies in his tomb. The Edict of Amboise...
Knights Templar
On the 18th of March, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burnt at the stake. Jacques de Molay is one of the most enigmatic and tragic figures of the medieval period. As the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, he...
The Black Prince
On the 17th of March, 1337, Edward, the Black Prince was made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy in England. Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince, was one of medieval England’s most formidable warriors. As the eldest son of King Edward III, he was...
Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was sent down from the University of Oxford on the 25th of March, 1811, for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism. Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the most impactful figures of the Romantic era, continues to mesmerise readers with his...
King James
King James VI of Scotland was pronounced King James I of England and Ireland on the 24th of March 1603, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I. I confess that I’m not a great fan of King James, since he sent my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, to the Tower of London...
Tsar Paul I of Russia
On the 23rd of March, 1801, Paul I was struck with a sword, strangled, then trampled to death in his bedroom. Tsar Paul I of Russia, often overshadowed by his more illustrious predecessors and successors, was a monarch whose short and tumultuous reign from 1796 to...
King Æthelred
The Battle of Merton, fought on the 22nd of March, 871, was one of the defining clashes between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings during a period of intense conflict in England. Taking place in what is believed to be modern-day Marden, Wiltshire, the battle was part of...
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer, born on 2 July 1489 in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, was a seminal figure in the English Reformation. His life and work played a pivotal role in shaping the Church of England as it transitioned away from Roman Catholicism. As the first Protestant...
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was freed from the Tower of London on the 20th of March, 1616. I didn’t treat Raleigh particularly well in The Spy who Sank the Armada. That’s because my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, worked for the Earl of Essex after Walsingham died, and Essex...
Amboise
On the 19th of March, 1563, the Edict of Amboise was signed. Amboise is a location in my work in progress, the fifth book of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. It is where Leonardo Da Vinci spent his final years, and where he lies in his tomb. The Edict of Amboise...
Knights Templar
On the 18th of March, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burnt at the stake. Jacques de Molay is one of the most enigmatic and tragic figures of the medieval period. As the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, he...
The Black Prince
On the 17th of March, 1337, Edward, the Black Prince was made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy in England. Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince, was one of medieval England’s most formidable warriors. As the eldest son of King Edward III, he was...