The Death of Joan, Countess of Kent, Princess of Wales, King’s Mother.
… the final days of a determined and ambitious woman. After a life which was nothing if not adventurous, Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent, died on 7/8th or perhaps…
Anne’s Blog
The Last Will and Testament of Joan of Kent, Princess of Wales, King’s Mother.
… and the importance of a good bed. In the year of our Lord 1385, and of the reign of my dear son Richard, King of England and France; at…
Wooing By Proxy: A Medieval Love Story
In February 1400, Joanna of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany and newly widowed, wrote this letter, in her own hand, to King Henry IV of England. It was within…
The Witch of Leeds Castle.
What was life like for Queen Joanna, widow of King Henry IV, imprisoned for Witchcraft in Leeds Castle? In its beautiful setting, surrounded by water, Leeds Castle in Kent…
Rumours and Portents: the Prophecy of The Six Kings
I had come across this Prophecy of the Six Kings before in my readings surrounding the Plantagenet kings, but when writing ‘The Queen’s Choice’, it suddenly became very pertinent because…
Anne O’Brien in the Independent on Sunday
As part of the excitement for The Queen’s Choice, Anne was featured in a wonderful piece in the Independent on Sunday discussing her aim to give a voice to the…
A Medieval Royal Christmas with the Lancasters
An Invitation to Spend a Royal Christmas and New Year with the Lancasters! Here is William Bruges, Chester Herald, at your door, sent by the King. His tabard glows with the…
Was Joanna of Navarre a Witch?
Was Joanna of Navarre, Dowager Queen of England, guilty of necromancy? So Halloween is approaching and thoughts turn to witchcraft with bats and black cats and things that go bump…
Is this the real Joanna of Navarre?
Historical paintings: Authenticity v. Drama This is a painting of Duke Arthur III of Brittany, painted by the French artist Henriette Lorimier and exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1806…
The King’s Sister: A Family at War
And A June Giveaway! To Commemorate the Wedding of Elizabeth of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, to John Holland, Earl of Huntigdon on 24th June 1386 As a close…
Why did I write The King’s Sister?
My compulsion to write about Elizabeth of Lancaster, younger daughter of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster, was born out of my own initial ignorance about her (for which…
New Year Gift Giving
New Year Gift Giving in the House of Lancaster 1392 Jewels all the Way What value do we put on a man who is more than happy to buy gifts…
