1.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
–
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, GCVO, CSM, PC, is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II. Instead of using the title of Princess of Wales, she uses the title Duchess of Cornwall, in Scotland, she is known as the Duchess of Rothesay. Camilla was born into a family as the eldest child of Major Bruce Shand and his wife, the Honourable Rosalind Cubitt. She was raised in East Sussex and South Kensington, and was educated in England, Switzerland, subsequently, she worked for different firms based in central London, most notably the decorating firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. In 1973, Camilla married British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles, for many years, Camilla was in a relationship with the Prince of Wales before and after their former marriages. The relationship became highly publicised in the media and attracted worldwide scrutiny, as the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla assists the Prince of Wales on his official duties. She is also the patron, president and a member of numerous charities, since 1994, she has taken action on osteoporosis, which has earned her honours and awards. She has also raised awareness in areas including rape and sexual abuse, literacy and poverty, Camilla Rosemary Shand was born at Kings College Hospital, London, on 17 July 1947 at 7,00 am. She grew up in the Laines, a house located in Plumpton, East Sussex. Her parents were British Army officer turned businessman Major Bruce Shand and his wife, the Hon. Rosalind and she has one younger sister, Annabel Elliot, and had a younger brother, Mark Shand. Her maternal great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was a mistress of King Edward VII from 1898 to 1910, on 1 November 1947, Camilla was baptised at Firle Church, Sussex. Her godparents were Hon. Henry Cubitt, Major Neil Speke, Mrs Heathcoat-Amory, Mrs Lombard Hobson, Camillas mother worked for an adoption agency, while her father had different business interests after retiring from the army. He was most notably a partner in Block, Grey and Block, during her childhood years, Camilla became an avid reader due to the influence of her father, who read to her frequently. She grew up with dogs and cats, and, at a young age, according to her, childhood was perfect in every way. Biographer Gyles Brandreth describes her background and childhood, Camilla is often described as having had an Enid Blyton sort of Childhood, in fact, it was much grander than that. The Shands had position and they had help—help in the house, help in the garden and they opened their garden for the local Conservative Party Association summer fête. At the age of five, Camilla was sent to Dumbrells and she left Dumbrells aged ten to attend Queens Gate School in Queens Gate, South Kensington. Her classmates at Queens Gate knew her as Milla, her pupils included the singer Twinkle
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
–
The Duchess of Cornwall at
Hillsborough Castle in April 2014
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
–
Signature
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
–
Bolehyde Manor in Allington, Wiltshire
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
–
The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during the
Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012
2.
Term of office
–
A term of office is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject to re-election. Some jurisdictions exercise term limits, setting a number of terms an individual may hold in a particular office. Being the origin of the Westminster system, aspects of the United Kingdoms system of government are replicated in other countries. The monarch serves as head of state until his or her death or abdication, in the United Kingdom Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected for the duration of the parliament. Following dissolution of the Parliament, an election is held which consists of simultaneous elections for all seats. For most MPs this means that their terms of office are identical to the duration of the Parliament, an MP elected in a by-election mid-way through a Parliament, regardless of how long they have occupied the seat, is not exempt from facing re-election at the next general election. The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned, prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 parliaments had no minimum duration. Parliaments could be dissolved early by the monarch at the Prime Ministers request, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated that Parliaments should last their full five years. Early dissolution is possible, but under much more limited circumstances. Hereditary peers and life peers retain membership of the House of Lords for life, Lords Spiritual hold membership of the House of Lords until the end of their time as bishops, though a senior bishop may be made a life peer upon the end of their bishopric. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are variations on the system of government used at Westminster, the office of the leader of the devolved administrations has no numeric term limit imposed upon it. However, in the case of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government there are fixed terms for which the legislatures can sit and this is imposed at four years. Elections may be held before this time but only if no administration can be formed, offices of local government other regional elected officials follow similar rules to the national offices discussed above, with persons elected to fixed terms of a few years. Federal judges have different terms in office, however, the majority of the federal judiciary, Article III judges, such as those of the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and federal district courts, serve for life. The terms of office for officials in state governments according to the provisions of state constitutions. The term for state governors is four years in all states but Vermont and New Hampshire, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported in January 2007 that among state legislatures,44 states had terms of office for the lower house of the state legislature at two years. Five had terms of office at four years,37 states had terms of office for the upper house of the state legislature at four years
Term of office
–
Heads of state or Heads of Government
3.
Joan of Kent
–
Joan assumed the title of 4th Countess of Kent and 5th Baroness Wake of Liddell after the death of her brother, John, in 1352. Joan was the daughter of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent and her father Edmund was the son of King Edward I and his second wife, Margaret of France, daughter of Philip III of France. Edmunds support of his older half-brother, King Edward II of England, placed him in conflict with the queen, Isabella of France, and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Edmund was executed after Edward IIs deposition, and Joans mother, the Earls widow, Margaret, was left with four children for whom to care. Joans first cousin, the new King Edward III, took on the responsibility for the family and his wife, Queen Philippa, was Joans second cousin. In 1340, at the age of twelve, Joan secretly married Thomas Holland of Upholland, Lancashire, the following winter, while Holland was overseas, her family forced her to marry William Montacute, son and heir of the first Earl of Salisbury. Joan later averred that she did not disclose her existing marriage with Thomas Holland because she had been afraid that disclosing it would lead to Thomass execution for treason upon his return and she may also have become convinced that the earlier marriage was invalid. Several years later, Thomas Holland returned from the Crusades, having made his fortune and he appealed to the Pope for the return of his wife and confessed the secret marriage to the king. When the Earl of Salisbury discovered that Joan supported Holland’s case, in 1349, Pope Clement VI annulled Joan’s marriage to the Earl and sent her back to Thomas Holland, with whom she lived for the next eleven years. They had five children before Holland died in 1360 and their children were, Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter Lady Joan Holland, who married John IV, Duke of Brittany. Lady Maud Holland, who married firstly to Hugh Courtenay and secondly to Waleran III of Luxembourg and he was buried in the church of Austin Friars, London. When the last of Joans siblings died in 1352, she became the 4th Countess of Kent and 5th Lady Wake of Liddell. Evidence of the held by Edward, the Black Prince for Joan may be found in the record of his presenting her with a silver cup. Edwards parents did not, however, favour a marriage between their son and their former ward, Queen Philippa had made a favourite of Joan at first, but both she and the king seem to have been concerned about Joans reputation. English law was such that Joans living ex-husband, Salisbury, might have claimed any children of her subsequent marriages as his own, in addition, Edward and Joan were within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity. The secret marriage they allegedly contracted in 1360 would have been invalid because of the consanguinity prohibition, at the Kings request, the Pope granted a dispensation allowing the two to be legally married. The official ceremony occurred on 10 October 1361, at Windsor Castle with the King, in 1362, the Black Prince was invested as Prince of Aquitaine, a region of France which belonged to the English Crown since the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. He and Joan moved to Bordeaux, the capital of the principality, two sons were born in France to the royal couple
Joan of Kent
–
Joan of Kent
4.
Welsh language
–
Welsh is a member of the Brittonic branch of the Celtic languages. It is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, historically it has also been known in English as the British tongue, Cambrian, Cambric and Cymric. The United Kingdom Census 2011 counted 3.1 million residents of Wales, 27% of whom had been born outside Wales, and 73% of whom reported having no Welsh language skills. Of residents of Wales aged three and over, 19% reported being able to speak Welsh, and 77% of these were able to speak, read and this can be compared with the 2001 Census, in which 20. 8% of the population reported being able to speak Welsh. 787,854 of residents in Wales aged three and over had one or more skills in Welsh, in surveys carried out between 2004 and 2006, 57% of Welsh speakers described themselves as fluent in the written language. An estimated 110,000 to 150,000 people speak Welsh in England, Welsh emerged in the 6th century from Common Brittonic, the common ancestor of Welsh, Breton, Cornish and the extinct language known as Cumbric. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, the name Welsh originated as an exonym given to its speakers by the Anglo-Saxons, meaning foreign speech. The native term for the language is Cymraeg, and for the name of the country of Wales it is Cymru, Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic, the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons. Classified as Insular Celtic, the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth. During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, evolving into Welsh and it is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Kenneth H. Jackson suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around 550, Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or Early Poets – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was composed in the Hen Ogledd, raising further questions about the dating of the material. An 8th century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns, the next main period, somewhat better attested, is Old Welsh, poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. Both the works of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin were in this era, Middle Welsh is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts, Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible, albeit with some work, to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The famous cleric Gerald of Wales tells, in his Descriptio Cambriae, during one of the Kings many raids in the 12th century, Henry asked an old man of Pencader, Carmarthenshire whether the Welsh people could resist his army
Welsh language
–
This tattered
Welsh Bible of 1620, in
Llanwnda church, is said to have been rescued from the hands of French invaders in 1797.
Welsh language
–
The 1588 Welsh Bible
Welsh language
–
Trilingual (Spanish, Welsh and English) sign in Argentina
5.
British people
–
British people, or Britons, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown dependencies, and their descendants. British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, which can be acquired, for instance, although early assertions of being British date from the Late Middle Ages, the creation of the united Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 triggered a sense of British national identity. The notion of Britishness was forged during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and the First French Empire, and developed further during the Victorian era, because of longstanding ethno-sectarian divisions, British identity in Northern Ireland is controversial, but it is held with strong conviction by unionists. Modern Britons are descended mainly from the ethnic groups that settled in the British Isles in and before the 11th century, Prehistoric, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norse. The British are a diverse, multi-national and multicultural society, with regional accents, expressions. Although none of his own writings remain, writers during the time of the Roman Empire made much reference to them, the group included Ireland, which was referred to as Ierne inhabited by the different race of Hiberni, and Britain as insula Albionum, island of the Albions. The term Pritani may have reached Pytheas from the Gauls, who used it as their term for the inhabitants of the islands. Greek and Roman writers, in the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, name the inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland as the Priteni, the origin of the Latin word Britanni. It has been suggested that name derives from a Gaulish description translated as people of the forms. By 50 BC Greek geographers were using equivalents of Prettanikē as a name for the British Isles. However, the term Britannia persisted as the Latin name for the island, during the Middle Ages, and particularly in the Tudor period, the term British was used to refer to the Welsh people and Cornish people. At that time, it was the held belief that these were the remaining descendants of the ancient Britons. This notion was supported by such as the Historia Regum Britanniae. Wales and Cornwall, and north, i. e. Cumbria, Strathclyde and this legendary Celtic history of Great Britain is known as the Matter of Britain. The indigenous people of the British Isles have a combination of Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon, oppenheimer continues that the majority of the people of the British Isles share genetic commonalities with the Basques, ranging from highs of 90% in Wales to lows of 66% in East Anglia. Oppenheimers opinion is that. by far the majority of male gene types in the British Isles derive from Iberia, ranging from a low of 59% in Fakenham, Norfolk to highs of 96% in Llangefni, north Wales. The English had been unified under a single state in 937 by King Athelstan of Wessex after the Battle of Brunanburh. However, historian Simon Schama suggested that it was Edward I of England who was responsible for provoking the peoples of Britain into an awareness of their nationhood in the 13th century
British people
–
Medieval tapestry showing
King Arthur, a legendary
ancient British ruler who had a leading role in the
Matter of Britain, a
national myth used as propaganda for the ancestral origins of the
British Royal Family and their
British subjects.
British people
British people
–
The Battle of Trafalgar by
J. M. W. Turner (oil on canvas, 1822–1824) combines events from several moments during the
Napoleonic Wars '
Battle of Trafalgar —a major British naval victory upon which Britishness has drawn influence.
British people
–
Britannia became the figure of
national personification of the United Kingdom during the 18th century
6.
Prince of Wales
–
Prince of Wales was a title granted to princes born in Wales from the 12th century onwards, the term replaced the use of the word king. Since the 13th century, the title is granted to the apparent to the English or British monarch. The title is granted to the heir apparent as a personal honour or dignity. The title Earl of Chester is always given in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales, the Prince of Wales usually has other titles and honours. The wife of the Prince of Wales is entitled to the title Princess of Wales, Prince Charless first wife, Diana, used that title but his second wife, Camilla, uses only the title Duchess of Cornwall because the other title has become so popularly associated with Diana. The Prince of Wales is the heir apparent of the monarch of the United Kingdom, no formal public role or responsibility has been legislated by Parliament or otherwise delegated to him by law or custom, either as heir apparent or as Prince of Wales. He has also represented the Queen and the United Kingdom overseas at state, for most of the post-Roman period, Wales was divided into several smaller states. Before the Norman conquest of England, the most powerful Welsh ruler at any time was generally known as King of the Britons. In the 12th and 13th centuries, this evolved into Prince of Wales. In Latin, the new title was Princeps Walliae, and in Welsh it was Tywysog Cymru, the literal translation of Tywysog is leader. Only a handful of native princes had their claim to the overlordship of Wales recognised by the English Crown, the first known to have used such a title was Owain Gwynedd, adopting the title Prince of the Welsh around 1165 after earlier using rex Waliae. In 1240, the title was inherited by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Instead he styled himself as Prince of Wales around 1244, the first Welsh prince to do so, in 1246, his nephew Llywelyn ap Gruffudd succeeded to the throne of Gwynedd, and used the style as early as 1258. In 1267, with the signing of the Treaty of Montgomery, three Welshmen, however, claimed the title of Prince of Wales after 1283. The first was Madog ap Llywelyn, a member of the house of Gwynedd and his revolt was suppressed, however, after the Battle of Maes Moydog in March 1295, and the prince was imprisoned in London. It is Owain Glyndŵr, however, whom many Welsh people regard as being the last native Prince, on 16 September 1400, he was proclaimed Prince of Wales by his supporters, and held parliaments at Harlech Castle and elsewhere during his revolt, which encompassed all of Wales. It was not until 1409 that his revolt in quest of Welsh independence was suppressed by Henry IV. However, the story may well be apocryphal, as it can only be traced to the 16th century, and, in the time of Edward I, the English aristocracy spoke Norman French, not English
Prince of Wales
–
Incumbent
HRH The Prince Charles since 26 July 1958
Prince of Wales
–
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
–
Edward of Caernarfon
Prince of Wales
–
Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince
7.
Heir apparent
–
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. An heir presumptive, by contrast, is someone who is first in line to inherit a title, today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles, particularly monarchies. They are also used metaphorically to indicate an anointed successor to any position of power, in France the title was le Dauphin. See crown prince for more examples and this article primarily describes the term heir apparent in a hereditary system regulated by laws of primogeniture—as opposed to cases where a monarch has a say in naming the heir. An heir presumptive, by contrast, can always be bumped down in the succession by the birth of more closely related in a legal sense to the current title-holder. The clearest example occurs in the case of a title-holder with no children, if at any time he or she were to produce children, they rank ahead of whatever more distant relative had been heir presumptive. Many legal systems assume childbirth is always possible regardless of age or health, in such circumstances a person may be, in a practical sense, the heir apparent but still, legally speaking, heir presumptive. Adelaide was 44 at the time, so pregnancy was even if unlikely. Daughters may inherit titles that descend according to male-preference primogeniture, thus, normally, even an only daughter will not be heir apparent, since at any time a brother might be born who, though younger, would assume that position. Hence, she is an heir presumptive, for example, Queen Elizabeth II was heir presumptive during the reign of her father, King George VI, because at any stage up to his death, George could have fathered a legitimate son. In a system of absolute primogeniture that disregards gender, female heirs apparent occur, several European monarchies that have adopted such systems in the last few decades furnish practical examples. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is heir apparent to her father, Victoria was not heir apparent from birth, but gained the status in 1980 following a change in the Swedish Act of Succession. Her younger brother Carl Philip was thus heir apparent for a few months, then, as the representative of her fathers line she would assume a place ahead of any more distant relatives. Such a situation has not to date occurred with the English or British throne, several times an heir apparent has died, however, there have been several female heirs apparent to British peerages. In one special case, however, England and Scotland had an heir apparent. William, by contrast, was to reign for life only, thus, although after Marys death William continued to reign, he had no power to beget direct heirs, and Anne became the heir apparent for the remainder of Williams reign. She eventually succeeded him as Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, the position of an heir apparent is normally unshakable, it can be assumed they will inherit. Sometimes, however, extraordinary events—such as the death or the deposition of the parent—intervene
Heir apparent
–
Throngs before the
Imperial Palace in Japan awaiting the appearance of the
Crown Prince Hirohito for the recent proclamation of his official recognition as the heir apparent to the
Japanese Imperial Throne – New York Times, 1916.
8.
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom, its dependencies and its overseas territories. The monarchs title is King or Queen, the current monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. The monarch and his or her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic, as the monarchy is constitutional, the monarch is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honours and appointing the Prime Minister. The monarch is, by tradition, commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, from 1603, when the Scottish monarch King James VI inherited the English throne as James I, both the English and Scottish kingdoms were ruled by a single sovereign. From 1649 to 1660, the tradition of monarchy was broken by the republican Commonwealth of England, the Act of Settlement 1701 excluded Roman Catholics, or those who married Catholics, from succession to the English throne. In 1707, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were merged to create the Kingdom of Great Britain, and in 1801, the British monarch became nominal head of the vast British Empire, which covered a quarter of the worlds surface at its greatest extent in 1921. After the Second World War, the vast majority of British colonies and territories became independent, George VI and his successor, Elizabeth II, adopted the title Head of the Commonwealth as a symbol of the free association of its independent member states. The United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth monarchies that share the person as their monarch are called Commonwealth realms. In the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom, the Monarch is the Head of State, oaths of allegiance are made to the Queen and her lawful successors. God Save the Queen is the British national anthem, and the monarch appears on postage stamps, coins, the Monarch takes little direct part in Government. Executive power is exercised by Her Majestys Government, which comprises Ministers, primarily the Prime Minister and the Cabinet and they have the direction of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Civil Service and other Crown Servants such as the Diplomatic and Secret Services. Judicial power is vested in the Judiciary, who by constitution, the Church of England, of which the Monarch is the head, has its own legislative, judicial and executive structures. Powers independent of government are legally granted to public bodies by statute or Statutory Instrument such as an Order in Council. The Sovereigns role as a monarch is largely limited to non-partisan functions. This role has been recognised since the 19th century, the constitutional writer Walter Bagehot identified the monarchy in 1867 as the dignified part rather than the efficient part of government. Whenever necessary, the Monarch is responsible for appointing a new Prime Minister, the Prime Minister takes office by attending the Monarch in private audience, and after kissing hands that appointment is immediately effective without any other formality or instrument. Since 1945, there have only been two hung parliaments, the first followed the February 1974 general election when Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister after Edward Heath resigned following his failure to form a coalition. Although Wilsons Labour Party did not have a majority, they were the largest party, the second followed the May 2010 general election, in which the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agreed to form the first coalition government since World War II
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
Queen of the United Kingdom
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
Royal coat of arms
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
The English
Bill of Rights of 1689 curtailed the monarch's governmental power.
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
–
The
Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Norman Conquest of 1066.
9.
Charles, Prince of Wales
–
Charles, Prince of Wales is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II. Known alternatively in South West England as Duke of Cornwall and in Scotland as Duke of Rothesay, he is the heir apparent in British history. He is also the oldest person to be next in line to the throne since Sophia of Hanover, Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. After earning a bachelor of degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer and they had two sons, Prince William later to become Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, in 1996, the couple divorced, following well-publicised extramarital affairs. Diana died in a car crash in Paris the following year, in 2005, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles. Charles has sought to raise awareness of the dangers facing the natural environment. As an environmentalist, he has received awards and recognition from environmental groups around the world. His support for alternative medicine, including homeopathy, has been criticised by some in the medical community and he has been outspoken on the role of architecture in society and the conservation of historic buildings. Subsequently, Charles created Poundbury, a new town based on his theories. He has authored a number of books, including A Vision of Britain, A Personal View of Architecture in 1989 and he was baptised in the palaces Music Room by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, on 15 December 1948. When Prince Charles was aged three his mothers accession as Queen Elizabeth II made him her heir apparent. As the monarchs eldest son, he took the titles Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince. Charles attended his mothers coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, seated alongside his grandmother, as was customary for upper-class children at the time, a governess, Catherine Peebles, was appointed and undertook his education between the ages of five and eight. Buckingham Palace announced in 1955 that Charles would attend school rather than have a private tutor, Charles then attended two of his fathers former schools, Cheam Preparatory School in Berkshire, England, followed by Gordonstoun in the north-east of Scotland. He reportedly despised the school, which he described as Colditz in kilts. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, Charles emulated his father in becoming Head Boy and he left in 1967, with six GCE O-levels and two A-levels in history and French, at grades B and C, respectively. Tradition was broken again when Charles proceeded straight from school into university
Charles, Prince of Wales
–
The Prince of Wales in
Jersey, July 2012
Charles, Prince of Wales
–
Signature
Charles, Prince of Wales
–
Telegram announcing the birth of Prince Charles to the
Governor-General of New Zealand
Charles, Prince of Wales
–
Queen Elizabeth II formally invests the Prince of Wales with
his coronet, 1969
10.
Diana, Princess of Wales
–
Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II. Diana was born into a family of British nobility with royal ancestry and was the child and third daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp. She grew up in Park House, situated on the Sandringham estate, in 1975, after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, she became known as Lady Diana Spencer. She came to prominence in February 1981 when her engagement to Prince Charles was announced and her wedding to the Prince of Wales on 29 July 1981, held at St Pauls Cathedral, reached a global television audience of over 750 million people. While married, Diana bore the titles Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, the marriage produced two sons, the princes William and Harry, who were then respectively second and third in the line of succession to the British throne. As Princess of Wales, Diana undertook royal duties on behalf of the Queen and she was celebrated for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She was involved with dozens of charities including Londons Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, Diana remained the object of worldwide media scrutiny during and after her marriage, which ended in divorce on 28 August 1996. Media attention and public mourning were extensive after her death in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997, Diana was born on 1 July 1961, in Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk. She was the fourth of five children of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the Spencer family has been closely allied with the British Royal Family for several generations. Both of Dianas grandmothers had served as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, on 30 August 1961, Diana was baptised at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, with wealthy commoners as godparents. Diana had three siblings, Sarah, Jane, and Charles and her infant brother, John, died shortly after his birth one year before Diana was born. The desire for an added strain to the Spencers marriage. Diana grew up in Park House, situated on the Sandringham estate, the Spencers leased the house from its owner, Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Family frequently holidayed at the neighbouring Sandringham House, and Diana played with Princes Andrew, Diana was seven years old when her parents divorced. Her mother later had an affair with Peter Shand Kydd and married him in 1969, Diana lived with her mother in London during her parents separation in 1967, but during that years Christmas holidays, Lord Althorp refused to let Diana return to London with Lady Althorp. Shortly afterwards he won custody of Diana with support from his former mother-in-law, Ruth Roche, in 1972, Lord Althorp began a relationship with Raine, Countess of Dartmouth, the only daughter of Alexander McCorquodale and Dame Barbara Cartland. They married at Caxton Hall, London in 1976, as an upper-class child at the time, Diana was first educated under the supervision of her governess, Gertrude Allen. She began her education at Silfield Private School in Gayton, Norfolk, and moved to Riddlesworth Hall School, an all-girls boarding school near Diss
Diana, Princess of Wales
–
The Princess of Wales raising money for cancer research in
Chicago, Illinois, June 1996
Diana, Princess of Wales
–
Charles and Diana's wedding commemorated on a 1981 British
Crown
Diana, Princess of Wales
–
The Prince and Princess of Wales after the
wedding of
the Duke and
Duchess of York in 1986
Diana, Princess of Wales
–
Charles and Diana visit
Uluru, Australia, March 1983
11.
Alexandra of Denmark
–
Alexandra of Denmark was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor Edward VII. At the age of sixteen, she was chosen as the wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. They married eighteen months later in 1863, the year her father became king of Denmark as Christian IX. She was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 1901, the longest anyone has held that title. Largely excluded from wielding any political power, she attempted to sway the opinion of British ministers and her husbands family to favour Greek. Her public duties were restricted to uncontroversial involvement in charitable work, on the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Albert Edward became king-emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as queen-empress. She held the status until Edwards death in 1910 and she greatly distrusted her nephew, German Emperor Wilhelm II, and supported her son during World War I, in which Britain and its allies fought Germany. Her father was Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and her mother was Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel, although she was of royal blood, her family lived a comparatively normal life. They did not possess great wealth, her fathers income from a commission was about £800 per year and their house was a rent-free grace. Occasionally, Hans Christian Andersen was invited to call and tell the stories before bedtime. In 1848, King Christian VIII of Denmark died and his only son, Frederick was childless, had been through two unsuccessful marriages, and was assumed to be infertile. A succession crisis arose as Frederick ruled in both Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein, and the rules of each territory differed. In Holstein, the Salic law prevented inheritance through the female line, Holstein, being predominantly German, proclaimed independence and called in the aid of Prussia. In 1852, the great powers called a conference in London to discuss the Danish succession, Prince Christian was given the title Prince of Denmark and his family moved into a new official residence, Bernstorff Palace. Alexandra shared a draughty attic bedroom with her sister, Dagmar, made her own clothes, Alexandra and Dagmar were given swimming lessons by the Swedish pioneer of womens swimming, Nancy Edberg. At Bernstorff, Alexandra grew into a woman, she was taught English by the English chaplain at Copenhagen and was confirmed in Christiansborg Palace. She was devout throughout her life, and followed High Church practice, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, were already concerned with finding a bride for their son and heir, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. They enlisted the aid of their daughter, Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia, Alexandra was not their first choice, since the Danes were at loggerheads with the Prussians over the Schleswig-Holstein Question and most of the British royal familys relations were German
Alexandra of Denmark
–
Photograph by
Alexander Bassano, 1881
Alexandra of Denmark
–
Yellow Palace, Copenhagen: Alexandra's childhood home
Alexandra of Denmark
–
Christian IX of Denmark with his wife and their six children, 1862. Left to right:
Dagmar,
Frederick,
Valdemar,
Christian IX,
Queen Louise,
Thyra,
George and Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
–
The Landing of HRH The Princess Alexandra at Gravesend, 7 March 1863, by
Henry Nelson O'Neil
12.
Mary of Teck
–
Mary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Although technically a princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, she was born and her parents were Francis, Duke of Teck, who was of German extraction, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, a granddaughter of King George III. She was informally known as May, after her birth month, the following year, she became engaged to Albert Victors next surviving brother, George, who subsequently became king. Before her husbands accession, she was successively Duchess of York, Duchess of Cornwall and she supported her second son, Albert, who succeeded to the throne as George VI, until his death in 1952. She died the year, during the reign of her granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Victoria Mary of Teck was born on 26 May 1867 at Kensington Palace and her father was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, the son of Duke Alexander of Württemberg by his morganatic wife, Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde. Her mother was Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the child and younger daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. She was baptised in the Chapel Royal of Kensington Palace on 27 July 1867 by Charles Thomas Longley, before she became queen, she was known to her family, friends and the public by the diminutive name of May, after her birth month. Mays upbringing was merry but fairly strict and she was the eldest of four children, the only girl, and learned to exercise her native discretion, firmness, and tact by resolving her three younger brothers petty boyhood squabbles. They played with their cousins, the children of the Prince of Wales, may was educated at home by her mother and governess. Although her mother was a grandchild of King George III, May was only a member of the British Royal Family. Her father, the Duke of Teck, had no inheritance or wealth, however, the Duchess of Teck was granted a parliamentary annuity of £5,000 and received about £4,000 a year from her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge. Despite this, the family was deeply in debt and lived abroad from 1883, the Tecks travelled throughout Europe, visiting their various relations. They stayed in Florence, Italy, for a time, where May enjoyed visiting the art galleries, churches, in 1885, the Tecks returned to London, and took up residence at White Lodge, in Richmond Park. May was close to her mother, and acted as an secretary, helping to organise parties. She was also close to her aunt, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, during the First World War, the Crown Princess of Sweden helped pass letters from May to her aunt, who lived in enemy territory in Germany until her death in 1916. In December 1891, May was engaged to her second cousin once removed, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. The choice of May as bride for the Duke owed much to Queen Victorias fondness for her, as well as to her strong character, however, Albert Victor died six weeks later, in a recurrence of the worldwide 1889–90 influenza pandemic
Mary of Teck
–
Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, formal portrait
Mary of Teck
–
As an infant with her parents
Mary of Teck
–
Princess Victoria Mary shortly before her marriage to the Duke of York in 1893
Mary of Teck
–
Princess Victoria Mary, Duchess of Cornwall and York, in Ottawa, 1901
13.
Mary I of England
–
Mary I was the Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death. Her executions of Protestants led to the posthumous sobriquet Bloody Mary and she was the only child of Henry VIII by his first wife Catherine of Aragon to survive to adulthood. Her younger half-brother Edward VI succeeded their father in 1547, when Edward became mortally ill in 1553, he attempted to remove Mary from the line of succession because of religious differences. On his death their first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey, was proclaimed queen, Mary assembled a force in East Anglia and deposed Jane, who was ultimately beheaded. Mary was—excluding the disputed reigns of Jane and the Empress Matilda—the first queen regnant of England, in 1554, Mary married Philip of Spain, becoming queen consort of Habsburg Spain on his accession in 1556. Mary is remembered for her restoration of Roman Catholicism after her half-brothers short-lived Protestant reign, during her five-year reign, she had over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake in the Marian persecutions. After her death in 1558, her re-establishment of Roman Catholicism was reversed by her younger half-sister and successor Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry, Mary was born on 18 February 1516 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London. She was the child of King Henry VIII by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Her mother had many miscarriages, before Marys birth, four previous pregnancies had resulted in a stillborn daughter and she was baptised into the Catholic faith at the Church of the Observant Friars in Greenwich three days after her birth. Her godparents included her great-aunt the Countess of Devon, Lord Chancellor Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIIIs cousin once removed, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, stood sponsor for Marys confirmation, which was held immediately after the baptism. The following year, Mary became a godmother herself when she was named as one of the sponsors of her cousin Frances Brandon, in 1520, the Countess of Salisbury was appointed Marys governess. Sir John Hussey, later Lord Hussey, was her chamberlain from 1530, in July 1520, when scarcely four and a half years old, she entertained a visiting French delegation with a performance on the virginals. By the age of nine, Mary could read and write Latin and she studied French, Spanish, music, dance, and perhaps Greek. Henry VIII doted on his daughter and boasted to the Venetian ambassador Sebastian Giustiniani, also, as the miniature portrait of her shows, Mary had, like both her parents, a very fair complexion, pale blue eyes and red or reddish-golden hair. She was also ruddy cheeked, a trait she inherited from her father, despite his affection for Mary, Henry was deeply disappointed that his marriage had produced no sons. By the time Mary was nine years old, it was apparent that Henry and Catherine would have no more children, in 1525, Henry sent Mary to the border of Wales to preside, presumably in name only, over the Council of Wales and the Marches. She was given her own based at Ludlow Castle and many of the royal prerogatives normally reserved for the Prince of Wales. Vives and others called her the Princess of Wales, although she was never technically invested with the title and she appears to have spent three years in the Welsh Marches, making regular visits to her fathers court, before returning permanently to the home counties around London in mid-1528
Mary I of England
–
Portrait by
Antonis Mor, 1554
Mary I of England
–
Mary at the time of her engagement to Charles V. She is wearing a square brooch inscribed with "The Emperour".
Mary I of England
–
Mary in 1544
Mary I of England
–
Philip of Spain by
Titian
14.
Henry VIII
–
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second Tudor monarch, succeeding his father, Henry VII, Henry is best known for his six marriages and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, annulled. Despite his resulting excommunication, Henry remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings to England. Besides asserting the supremacy over the Church of England, he greatly expanded royal power during his reign. Charges of treason and heresy were commonly used to quash dissent, and he achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich and his contemporaries considered Henry in his prime to be an attractive, educated, and accomplished king, and he has been described as one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne. He was an author and composer, as he aged, Henry became severely obese and his health suffered, contributing to his death in 1547. He is frequently characterised in his life as a lustful, egotistical, harsh. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI, born 28 June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London, Henry Tudor was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Of the young Henrys six siblings, only three – Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret, and Mary – survived infancy and he was baptised by Richard Fox, the Bishop of Exeter, at a church of the Observant Franciscans close to the palace. In 1493, at the age of two, Henry was appointed Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He was subsequently appointed Earl Marshal of England and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at age three, and was inducted into the Order of the Bath soon after. The day after the ceremony he was created Duke of York, in May 1495, he was appointed to the Order of the Garter. Henry was given an education from leading tutors, becoming fluent in Latin and French. Not much is known about his early life – save for his appointments – because he was not expected to become king, as Duke of York, Henry used the arms of his father as king, differenced by a label of three points ermine. In 1502, Arthur died at the age of 15 of sweating sickness, Arthurs death thrust all his duties upon his younger brother, the 10-year-old Henry. After a little debate, Henry became the new Duke of Cornwall in October 1502, Henry VII gave the boy few tasks. Young Henry was strictly supervised and did not appear in public, as a result, the young Henry would later ascend the throne untrained in the exacting art of kingship
Henry VIII
–
King Henry VIII by
Hans Holbein the Younger,
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
Henry VIII
–
Henry's childhood copy of
De Officiis, bearing the inscription in his hand, "Thys boke is myne".
Henry VIII
–
An Illumination from a contemporary manuscript thought to depict Henry mourning the loss of his mother (1503). His sisters are also pictured.
Henry VIII
–
Eighteen-year-old Henry VIII after his
coronation in 1509
15.
Her Royal Highness
–
Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes other than monarchs and their female consorts. When used as a form of address, spoken or written. When used as a reference, it is gender-specific and, in plural. Holders of the style Royal Highness generally rank below holders of the style Imperial Highness, by the 17th century, all local rulers in Italy adopted the style Highness, that was once used by kings and emperors only. Thus, the first use of the style Royal Highness was recorded in 1633, gaston, Duke of Orléans, younger son of King Henry IV of France, encountered the style in Brussels and assumed it himself. His children later used the style, considering it their prerogative as grandchildren of France, by the 18th century, Royal Highness had become the prevalent style for members of a continental reigning dynasty whose head bore the hereditary title of king or queen. The titles of members of non-hereditary rulers were less clear. Even in the cases of the titles, they usually only exist as courtesies. The chiefly appellation Kabiyesi is likewise used as the equivalent of the HRH, the title of Archduke or Archduchess of Austria was known to be complemented with the style of Royal Highness to all of the members of the House of Habsburg and later the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. The title of Prince/Princess of the Netherlands with the style of H. R. H. is or may be granted by law to the following classes of persons. The heir apparent to the throne, the spouse of the heir apparent. The children of the monarch, other than the heir apparent, the children of the heir apparent. A Prince/Princess of Orange-Nassau who is not also a Prince/Princess of the Netherlands is addressed as His/Her Highness without the predicate royal and that is the case for example of the children of Princess Margriet, younger daughter of the late Queen Juliana. In the British monarchy the style of Royal Highness is associated with the rank of prince or princess and this is especially important when a prince has another title such as Duke by which he or she would usually be addressed. In the United Kingdom, letters patent dated 21 August 1996 stated that the wife of a member of the Royal Family loses the right to the style of HRH in the event of their divorce. It was for this reason that when the Prince and Princess of Wales divorced, she ceased to be Royal Highness, and was styled Diana, Princess of Wales. Almost a year before, according to the claim of writer Tina Brown. The Princess of Wales is said to have replied, My title is a lot older than yours and she noted that the Spencer family, the family she was born to, is older than the House of Windsor
Her Royal Highness
–
Diana, Princess of Wales in 1987
Her Royal Highness
–
The Duchess and Duke of Västergötland on their wedding day
Her Royal Highness
–
Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill at the celebrations of the
National Day of Sweden, two days prior to the wedding.
16.
Duchess of Cornwall
–
The Duchess of Cornwall is the title held by the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Duke of Cornwall is a non-hereditary peerage held by the British Sovereigns eldest son, the current Duchess of Cornwall is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, since her 9 April 2005 marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales. In Scotland the couple use the title Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, since the title of Duke of Cornwall can be held only by an heir-apparent who is also the eldest son of the monarch, no woman can be Duchess of Cornwall in her own right. However, this may change now that proposals to change the rules of succession are completed, the first Duchess of Cornwall was Joan The Fair Maid of Kent, who, in October 1361, married Edward, the Black Prince. Catherine of Aragon was also Duchess of Cornwall through her marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales, before the present Duchess, the most recent Duchess of Cornwall was Diana, Princess of Wales. During this period, she was usually styled Princess of Wales, in both cases they were known by the title for only a few months between their respective fathers-in-laws accession to the throne and their husbands creation as Prince of Wales. Prior to the marriage of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles and she does not use the title Princess of Wales, because it is still popularly associated with the former wife of the Prince of Wales, Diana, Princess of Wales. It is intended that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will upon her husbands succession to the throne, become HRH The Princess Consort, shakespeares King Lear includes the character Regan, Duchess of Cornwall, Lears second daughter. Marion Zimmer Bradleys The Mists of Avalon included the fictional character Morgaine as the Duchess of Cornwall through inheritance, igraine, mother of King Arthur, was Duchess of Cornwall when she caught the eye of King Uther Pendragon in many retellings of Arthurian legend. Duke of Cornwall Duchy of Cornwall The Duchess of Cornwalls Official Website BBC News report
Duchess of Cornwall
–
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the second wife of
Charles, Prince of Wales, is legally entitled to the title "Princess of Wales", but due to its strong association with her husband's first wife
Diana, Princess of Wales, chooses to use the title "Duchess of Cornwall".
17.
Duchess of Rothesay
–
Duchess of Rothesay is a Scottish courtesy title. It is held by the wife of the Duke of Rothesay since the first Duke in 1398. Due to the mortality rate and the fact very few Dukes of Rothesay were of majority or married prior to ascending the throne. A separate Scottish throne has not existed de facto since 1603 when James VI of Scotland acceded to the throne of England when the House of Tudor died out, the Act of Union of 1707 united de jure the separate kingdoms and thrones into the Kingdom of Great Britain. Ever since 1603 the title of the Duchess of Rothesay is held by the Princess of Wales, who was also the Duchess of Cornwall, the title of Duchess of Rothesay is for her use when in Scotland. Since under current succession law the title of Duke of Rothesay can only be held by an heir-apparent who is also the eldest son of the monarch, however, this may change if the current proposals to change the rules of succession are completed. This is a list of Duchesses of Rothesay
Duchess of Rothesay
–
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, second wife of
The Prince of Wales, is styled Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland.
18.
Countess of Carrick
–
Earl of Carrick or Mormaer of Carrick is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick, subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce. Since the 15th century the title of Earl of Carrick has automatically been held by the heir to the throne, meaning Prince Charles is the current Earl. The earldom emerged in 1186, out of the old Lordship of Galloway, though the Lords of Galloway recognised the King of Scots as their overlord, their lordship was effectively a separate kingdom, and had its own laws. The first Lord recorded is Fergus, who died in 1161 leaving two sons, Uchtred and Gille Brigte, as was the custom then, the two brothers shared the lordship and the lands between them. In 1174, they joined with King William the Lion in his invasion of Northumberland, however, after King William was taken prisoner by the English, the Galwegians broke into rebellion. Uchtred, who remained loyal to the Scottish king, was murdered by Gille Brigtes son Máel Coluim. In 1175, King William was restored to liberty, and he marched an army into Galloway to bring justice upon Gille Brigte, however, he seems to have contented himself with exacting a fine, leaving Gille Brigte to go unharmed. In 1176, Gille Brigte obtained an agreement with King Henry II of England, in which he became his vassal, in exchange, and gave his son Duncan as a hostage. Gille Brigte then spent the next decade carrying out devastating raids on King Williams territory, Gille Brigtes death in 1185 was the signal for general turmoil amongst the Galwegians. Roland, son of the murdered Uchtred, defeated the supporters of Gille Brigte in 1185 and this angered King Henry, and he marched a large force to Carlisle in preparation for invasion. Duncan agreed to terms, and renounced all claims to the Lordship of Galloway. Duncan married Avelina, daughter of Alan, High Steward of Scotland and his son or grandson Nialls eldest daughter Marjorie succeeded him, becoming Countess of Carrick in her own right. She married firstly Adam de Kilconquhar, in 1269, Adam journeyed to the Holy Land under the banners of King Louis IX of France, as part of the Eighth Crusade. He never returned, dying of disease at Acre in 1270, the next year, the widowed Countess happened to meet Robert de Brus hunting in her lands. According to legend, Marjorie imprisoned Robert until he agreed to marry her and they were married at Turnberry Castle, without their families knowledge or the requisite consent of the King. When news got out, Alexander III seized her castles and estates, but she later atoned for her foolishness with a fine and they had five sons and five daughters, Robert, Edward, Thomas, Alexander, Nigel, Isabel, Mary, Christina, Matilda and Margaret. Marjorie and Robert were succeeded by their eldest son, when the old House of Dunkeld became extinct, this Robert, known as the Bruce, became a principal candidate for the throne as the great-great-great-great grandson of David I
Countess of Carrick
–
Earl Duncan's seal. The caption reads sigillvm dvncani filli gilleber, Latin for "seal of Duncan son of Gilbert". The symbol in the centre is a
griffin; later earls used the device of a
chevron
Countess of Carrick
–
Argent, a chevron gules
Countess of Carrick
–
The ruins of Turnberry Castle on the Carrick coast, former seat of the Earls of Carrick
Countess of Carrick
–
Prince Charles, the current Earl of Carrick
19.
Lady of the Isles
–
The Lord of the Isles is a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, although they were, at times, nominal vassals of the Kings of Norway, Ireland, or Scotland, the island chiefs remained functionally independent for many centuries. Their territory included the Hebrides, Knoydart, Ardnamurchan, and the Kintyre peninsula, at their height they were the greatest landowners and most powerful lords in the British Isles after the Kings of England and Scotland. The end of the MacDonald Lords came in 1493 when John MacDonald forfeited his estates and titles to King James IV of Scotland, thus Prince Charles is the current Lord of the Isles. The only island still in the possession of the MacDonalds is tiny Cara off Kintyre, which is owned by the MacDonalds of Largie, the west coast and islands of present-day Scotland were those of a people or peoples of uncertain cultural affiliation until the 5th century. They were invaded by Gaels from Ireland starting perhaps in the 4th century or earlier, whose language eventually predominated. In the 8th and 9th centuries this area, like others, suffered raids and invasions by Vikings from Norway, and the became known to the Gaels as Innse-Gall. The following year, the people of the Isles, both Gael and Norse, rebelled, harald sent his cousin Ketill Flatnose to regain control, and Ketil then became King of the Isles. Scotland and Norway would continue to dispute overlordship of the area, the Norse nobleman Godred Crovan became ruler of Man and the Isles, but he was deposed in 1095 by the new King of Norway, Magnus Bareleg. In 1098, Magnus entered into a treaty with King Edgar of Scotland, Magnus was confirmed in control of the Isles and Edgar of the mainland. Lavery cites a tale from the Orkneyinga saga, according to which King Malcolm III of Scotland offered Earl Magnus of Orkney all the islands off the west coast navigable with the rudder set. Magnus then allegedly had a skiff hauled across the neck of land at Tarbert, Loch Fyne with himself at the helm, Somerled, Gilledommans grandson, seized the Isles from the King of Man in 1156 and founded a dynasty that in time became the Lords of the Isles. He had Celtic blood on his fathers side and Norse on his mothers, his contemporaries knew him as Somerled Macgilbred and he took the title Rí Innse Gall as well as King of Man. King Haakon IV of Norway confirmed Donalds son Angus Mor Mac Donald as Lord of Islay, when that ended with an effective victory for Scotland, Angus Mor accepted King Alexander III of Scotland as his overlord and retained his own territory. The Lord was advised by a Council, in practice, membership and attendance must have varied with the times and the occasion. Angus Ogs son Good John of Islay first formally assumed the title Dominus Insularum – Lord of the Isles – in 1336, in their maritime domain the Lords of the Isles used galleys for both warfare and transport. These ships had developed from the Viking longships and knarrs, clinker-built with a square sail, from the 14th century they changed from using a steering oar to a stern rudder. These ships took part in sea battles and attacked castles or forts built close to the sea, the Lordship specified the feudal dues of its subjects in terms of numbers and sizes of the galleys each area had to provide in service to their Lord
Lady of the Isles
–
MacDonald, Lord of the Isles – a
Victorian illustrator 's impression
Lady of the Isles
Lady of the Isles
–
The ruins of
Finlaggan Castle on Eilean Mòr, Loch Finlaggan, on the island of
Islay, where the Council of the Isles met.
Lady of the Isles
–
Cara from the air
20.
Princess of Scotland
–
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are two of the titles of the heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. Princess of Scotland is the wife of the apparent to the throne. The current holder is the wife of The Prince Charles. The title of Prince of Scotland originated in a time when Scotland was a separate from England. The title was held by the apparent to the Scottish throne, in addition to his being Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles. The title of Prince of Scotland originated from a charter granting the Principality of Scotland to the future James I of Scotland, during the reign of James III, permanency was enacted to the title. In modern times, the Prince remains in these lands, the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000, however, abolished most remaining feudal duties and privileges attaching to the Principality, prior to the 2000 Act the Principality was entirely feued out to tenants and brought in a small income. All title deeds in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire required to be sealed with the Princes seal, revenue gained from feudal dealings were counted as income for the Duchy of Cornwall, a more substantial estate held by the heir to the throne. Since that date it has been enjoyed by the Sovereigns eldest son, the titles Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are normally conjoined in legislation. In the Scottish Parliament such consent is signified by a member of the Scottish Government, when the Sovereign had no son, there has been uncertainty as to who should bear and use the titles and enjoy the revenues of the Principality. The matter remains unresolved, but is unlikely to be of significance for some time
Princess of Scotland
–
HRH The Prince Charles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
21.
Wales in the High Middle Ages
–
Wales in the High Middle Ages covers the 11th to 13th centuries in Welsh history. The aforementioned kingdoms of the south-east seem to have remained isolated until the eleventh century. Throughout this period, the English Saxons exerted some influence over Wales, in the sixth century, the Saxons appear to have attacked Wales, however, relations between the English and the British of Wales were not entirely hostile after these attacks. For some 200 years starting in the century, from the establishment of Mercia, there were sporadic raids. Throughout the tenth century, Davies says, ravagings went on, in Gwynedd, the south-east, in Dyfed, history of Gwynedd during the High Middle Ages Davies, R. R. The Age of Conquest, Wales 1063–1415
Wales in the High Middle Ages
–
Maredudd ab Owain 's territory as of 986 included most of Wales (with the exception of
Glywysing and
Gwent, later combined into
Morgannwg)
22.
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
–
Llywelyn the Great, full name Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for 45 years, during Llywelyns boyhood, Gwynedd was ruled by two of his uncles, who split the kingdom between them, following the death of Llywelyns grandfather, Owain Gwynedd, in 1170. Llywelyn had a claim to be the legitimate ruler and began a campaign to win power at an early age. He was sole ruler of Gwynedd by 1200 and made a treaty with King John of England that year, Llywelyns relations with John remained good for the next ten years. He married Johns natural daughter Joan in 1205, and when John arrested Gwenwynwyn ap Owain of Powys in 1208, in 1210, relations deteriorated, and John invaded Gwynedd in 1211. Llywelyn was forced to seek terms and to give up all lands west of the River Conwy and he allied himself with the barons who forced John to sign Magna Carta in 1215. By 1216, he was the dominant power in Wales, holding a council at Aberdyfi that year to apportion lands to the other princes, following King Johns death, Llywelyn concluded the Treaty of Worcester with his successor, Henry III, in 1218. During the next fifteen years, Llywelyn was frequently involved in fights with Marcher lords and sometimes with the king, but also made alliances with several major powers in the Marches. The Peace of Middle in 1234 marked the end of Llywelyns military career and he maintained his position in Wales until his death in 1240 and was succeeded by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Llywelyn was born about 1173, the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, Llywelyn was a descendant of the senior line of Rhodri Mawr and therefore a member of the princely house of Gwynedd. He was probably born at Dolwyddelan, though not in the present Dolwyddelan castle and he may have been born in the old castle which occupied a rocky knoll on the valley floor. Little is known about his father, Iorwerth Drwyndwn, who died when Llywelyn was an infant, there is no record of Iorwerth having taken part in the power struggle between some of Owain Gwynedds other sons following Owains death, although he was the eldest surviving son. There is a tradition that he was disabled or disfigured in some way that excluded him from power, by 1175, Gwynedd had been divided between two of Llywelyns uncles. Dafydd ab Owain held the area east of the River Conwy, Dafydd and Rhodri were the sons of Owain by his second marriage to Cristin verch Goronwy. This marriage was not considered valid by the church as Cristin was Owains first cousin, giraldus Cambrensis refers to Iorwerth Drwyndwn as the only legitimate son of Owain Gwynedd. Following Iorwerths death, Llywelyn was, at least in the eyes of the church, Llywelyns mother was Marared, occasionally anglicised to Margaret, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys. There is evidence that, after her first husbands death, Marared married in the summer of 1197, Gwion, therefore, some maintain that Marared never married into the Corbet family of Caus Castle and later, Moreton Corbet Castle. In 1194, with the aid of his cousins Gruffudd ap Cynan and Maredudd ap Cynan, Rhodri died in 1195, and his lands west of the Conwy were taken over by Gruffudd and Maredudd while Llywelyn ruled the territories taken from Dafydd east of the Conwy
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
–
Llywelyn the Great with his sons
Gruffydd and
Dafydd
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
–
Dolwyddelan Castle was built by Llywelyn; the old castle nearby may have been his birthplace.
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
–
Seal of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, used on official documents
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
–
Statue of Llywelyn the Great,
Conwy
23.
Joan, Lady of Wales
–
Joan, Lady of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, also known by her Welsh name of Siwan, was the wife of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales and Gwynedd, effective ruler of most of Wales. Joan was a daughter of King John of England. She should not be confused with her half-sister, Joan, Queen consort of Scotland, little is known about her early life. Her mothers name is only from Joans obituary in the Tewkesbury Annals. Thomas Pennant, in Tours in Wales, Volume 2, published London,1810, writes, It is said that Llewelyn the Great had near this place a palace. The church of Trefriw was originally built by Llewelyn, for the ease of his princess, who before was obliged to go on foot to Llanrhychwyn, Joan married Llywelyn the Great between December 1203 and October 1204. The wedding was celebrated at St Werburghs Abbey in Chester, some of Llywelyns other recorded children may also have been Joans, Gwladus Ddu, married Reginald de Braose and Ralph de Mortimer. Susanna, who was sent to England as a hostage in 1228, angharad ferch Llywelyn Margaret, who married Sir John de Braose, the grandson of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. She married Sir Walter de Clifford and had children by both husbands, at Easter 1230, William de Braose, who was Llywelyns prisoner at the time, was discovered with Joan in Llywelyns bedchamber. William de Braose was hanged on 2 May 1230, according to local folklore at Abergwyngregyn, a letter from Nicholas, Abbot of Vaudy, suggests that the execution took place at Crogen near Bala. Joan was placed under house arrest for months after the incident. She was then, according to the Chronicle of Chester, forgiven by Llywelyn and she may have given birth to a daughter early in 1231. Joan was never called Princess of Wales, but, in Welsh and she died at the royal home at Abergwyngregyn, on the north coast of Gwynedd, in 1237. Llywelyns great grief at her death is recorded, he founded a Franciscan friary on the seashore at Llanfaes, opposite the royal home, the friary was consecrated in 1240, shortly before Llywelyn died. It was destroyed in 1537 by Henry VIII of England during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a stone coffin originally identified as Joans can be seen in St Marys and St Nicholass parish church, Beaumaris, Anglesey. Experts have suggested that the costume and style of carving belong to a later decade than the 1230s when Joan died. Eleanor de Montfort is considered the most likely alternative, Joan and her affair with William de Braose is the subject of Saunders Lewiss Welsh verse play Siwan. Edith Pargeters novel The Green Branch is set in Wales and the Welsh Marches in 1228–31, although named Joanna, Joan is the main character of Sharon Kay Penmans novel Here Be Dragons
Joan, Lady of Wales
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Sarcophagus of Joan, Lady of Wales
Joan, Lady of Wales
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The slate panel at Beaumaris
24.
Eleanor de Montfort
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Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon was an English noble. She was the daughter of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and she was also the second woman who can be shown to have used the title Princess of Wales. Eleanors maternal grandparents were John of England and his queen consort Isabella of Angoulême and her maternal uncles included Henry III of England and Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall. Her maternal aunts included Joan of England, Queen of Scotland, Isabella of England, when Eleanor was thirteen years old, her father Earl Simon and brother Lord Henry were killed at the Battle of Evesham. After Earl Simons death, his family was forced to flee the Kingdom of England, Countess Eleanor took her daughter to the safety of the Dominican nunnery at Montargis, France, a Montfort foundation. Countess Eleanor died in Spring 1275, and shortly afterwards Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the Prince of Wales, Eleanor began the sea voyage from France to north Wales, avoiding making a land passage through England. The two ships carrying Eleanor, her brother Amaury and their entourage, sailing off the south coast of England, were captured by sailors from the port of Bristol, six named men together with the crews of four ships of Bristol were rewarded with a payment of 220 marks. Eleanor was taken by ship to Bristol, then held prisoner at Windsor for nearly three years and she was released in 1278 following the signing of the Treaty of Aberconwy between Edward I of England and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. Before the wedding mass was celebrated, Edward insisted that Llywelyn should put his seal to an adjustment to the agreement that they had previously made. Llywelyn had no alternative but to comply, and he stated that he did it under duress. Following the ceremony, Eleanor became officially known as Princess of Wales, Eleanor died giving birth to Gwenllian of Wales on 19 June 1282 at the royal palace in Abergwyngregyn, on the north coast of Gwynedd. Her body taken across the Lafan Sands to the Franciscan Friary at Llanfaes, the Friary had been founded by Llywelyn the Great, the grandfather of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in memory of his wife Joan. On 12 July 1282, members of Eleanors personal household were given safe-conduct while traveling back into England, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was killed on 11 December 1282. Her one-year-old daughter, Gwenllian, was captured the year by English forces. Edward I had the child banished to the remote Sempringham Priory in Lincolnshire where she remained until her death in 1337
Eleanor de Montfort
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Eleanor de Montfort
25.
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
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The son of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Fawr and grandson of Llywelyn the Great, he was the last sovereign prince of Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England. Llywelyn was the second of the four sons of Gruffudd, the eldest son of Llywelyn the Great, and Senana ferch Caradog, the eldest was Owain Goch ap Gruffudd and Llywelyn had two younger brothers, Dafydd ap Gruffudd and Rhodri ap Gruffudd. Llywelyn is thought to have been born around 1222 or 1223 and he is first heard of holding lands in the Vale of Clwyd around 1244. Following his grandfathers death in 1240, Llywelyns uncle, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Llywelyns father, Gruffudd, and his brother, Owain, were initially kept prisoner by Dafydd, then transferred into the custody of King Henry III of England. Gruffudd died in 1244, from a fall trying to escape from his cell at the top of the Tower of London. The window from which he attempted to escape the Tower was bricked up and this freed Dafydd ap Llywelyns hand as King Henry could no longer use Gruffudd against him, and war broke out between him and King Henry in 1245. Llywelyn supported his uncle in the fighting that followed. Llywelyn and Owain came to terms with King Henry and in 1247, the terms they were forced to accept restricted them to Gwynedd Uwch Conwy, the part of Gwynedd west of the River Conwy, which was divided between them. Gwynedd Is Conwy, east of the river, was taken over by King Henry, when Dafydd ap Gruffudd came of age, King Henry accepted his homage and announced his intention to give him part of the already reduced Gwynedd. Llywelyn refused to accept this, and Owain and Dafydd formed an alliance against him and this led to the Battle of Bryn Derwin in June 1255. Llywelyn defeated Owain and Dafydd and captured them, thereby becoming sole ruler of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy, Llywelyn now looked to expand his area of control. The population of Gwynedd Is Conwy resented English rule, an appeal was made to Llywelyn, who, that November, crossed the River Conwy with an army, accompanied by his brother, Dafydd, whom he had released from prison. Rhys Fychan now accepted Llywelyn as overlord, but this caused problems for Llywelyn, Llywelyn restored his lands to Rhys, but the kings envoys approached Maredudd and offered him Rhyss lands if he would change sides. Maredudd paid homage to Henry in late 1257, by early 1258, Llywelyn was using the title Prince of Wales, first used in an agreement between Llywelyn and his supporters and the Scottish nobility associated with the Comyn family. The English Crown refused to recognise this title however, and in 1263, Llywelyns brother, Dafydd, on 12 December 1263 in the commote of Ystumanner, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn did homage and swore fealty to Llywelyn. In return he was made a lord and the lands taken from him by Llywelyn about six years earlier were restored to him. In England, Simon de Montfort defeated the supporters at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, capturing the king. Llywelyn began negotiations with de Montfort, and in 1265, offered him 30,000 marks in exchange for a permanent peace, de Montfort was to die at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, a battle in which Llywelyn took no part
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
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Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at
Cardiff City Hall.
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
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Division of Gwynedd in 1247 following the succession of the brothers Owain (whose lands are shown in dark green) and Llywelyn (light green) ap Gruffudd. The Commote of Cymydmaen (gold) was granted to Dafydd ap Gruffudd by Owain when he reached majority in 1252 (Source: J. Beverley Smith)
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
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The Llywelyn Monument at
Cilmeri near
Builth Wells
26.
Gwenllian of Wales
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Gwenllian of Wales or Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn was the only child of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales. She is sometimes confused with Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd, who lived two centuries earlier, Gwenllian was born in the Gwynedd royal home in Abergwyngregyn near Bangor, Gwynedd. Gwenllians mother, Eleanor de Montfort, died during childbirth, or shortly after, a few months after Gwenllians birth, north Wales was encircled by the English army of King Edward I. On 11 December 1282 her father, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was killed in battle, both accounts agree, however, that Llywelyn was tricked into leaving the bulk of his army and was then attacked and killed. Dafydd, severely injured, was taken to Rhuddlan, then moved under guard to Shrewsbury, Gwenllian and the daughters of her uncle Dafydd ap Gruffudd were all confined for life in remote priories in Lincolnshire and never allowed freedom. It has been speculated that the girls were taken to Lincolnshire from Gwynedd by sea, Gwenllian was placed in the Gilbertine Priory at Sempringham, where she was held behind high walls until her death fifty-four years later. He chose Sempringham Priory in Lincolnshire because of its remote location, Gwenllians royal rank was acknowledged at least once by the English Crown. When writing to the Pope, attempting to secure money for Sempringham Priory from the Church, the English king stated that. herein is kept the Princess of Wales. Having been taken from her native land so young, Gwenllian never learned any Welsh, documents indicate that the priory record-keepers were not sure how to spell her name, she is listed as Wencilian and was herself shown to have signed her name Wentliane. Her death there was recorded by the chronicler in June 1337. Owain ap Dafydd survived, the King of England ordered a cage made of timber, bound with iron, Owain was never released from imprisonment. Edward I took the title of Prince of Wales for the Crown, bestowing it upon his son, Edward, the title is still given to the heir apparent to the British crown to this day. A memorial made of Welsh granite was erected near Saint Andrews Church, known to locals as Sempringham Abbey, there is also a display about Gwenllian inside the church, although visitors must request the key to enter and view it. Gwenllian has been immortalised at least twice in poetry, Gwenllian, by T. James Jones, was inspired by the site of her memorial stone. In Sempringham is by Mererid Hopwood, Hopwood is notable for being the first woman ever to win the Chair at the National Eistedfodd, Wales top honour for poetry. Gwenllian is the subject of Gwenllians Lament, also called Gwenllians Cradlesong, on 26 September 2009, Carnedd Uchaf, in the Carneddau mountain range in Snowdonia, was formally renamed Carnedd Gwenllian in her memory following a lengthy campaign by the Princess Gwenllian Society. The Ordnance Survey added the names Carnedd Uchaf / Carnedd Gwenllian on its maps to be published from 2010 onwards, the original name of Garnedd Uchaf, which is within the Bounds of Abergwyngregyn, is Garnedd Lladron. A plaque has also placed on a rock just below the summit of Snowdon commemorating the Princess Gwenllian, only child of Prince Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, Lord of Snowdonia
Gwenllian of Wales
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Memorial to Princess Gwenllian at Sempringham, England.
27.
Edward I
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Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law, through an extensive legal inquiry, Edward investigated the tenure of various feudal liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal and property law. Increasingly, however, Edwards attention was drawn towards military affairs, the first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his fathers reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons. In 1259, he sided with a baronial reform movement. After reconciliation with his father, however, he remained throughout the subsequent armed conflict. After the Battle of Lewes, Edward was hostage to the rebellious barons, Montfort was defeated at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. With England pacified, Edward joined the Ninth Crusade to the Holy Land, the crusade accomplished little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed that his father had died. Making a slow return, he reached England in 1274 and was crowned at Westminster on 19 August, after suppressing a minor rebellion in Wales in 1276–77, Edward responded to a second rebellion in 1282–83 with a full-scale war of conquest. After a successful campaign, Edward subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns in the countryside, next, his efforts were directed towards Scotland. Initially invited to arbitrate a dispute, Edward claimed feudal suzerainty over the kingdom. In the war followed, the Scots persevered, even though the English seemed victorious at several points. At the same there were problems at home. In the mid-1290s, extensive military campaigns required high levels of taxation and these crises were initially averted, but issues remained unsettled. When the King died in 1307, he left to his son, Edward II, Edward I was a tall man for his era, hence the nickname Longshanks. He was temperamental, and this, along with his height, made him an intimidating man, nevertheless, he held the respect of his subjects for the way he embodied the medieval ideal of kingship, as a soldier, an administrator and a man of faith. The Edict remained in effect for the rest of the Middle Ages, Edward was born at the Palace of Westminster on the night of 17–18 June 1239, to King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. Among his childhood friends was his cousin Henry of Almain, son of King Henrys brother Richard of Cornwall, Henry of Almain would remain a close companion of the prince, both through the civil war that followed, and later during the crusade. Edward was in the care of Hugh Giffard – father of the future Chancellor Godfrey Giffard – until Bartholomew Pecche took over at Giffards death in 1246, there were concerns about Edwards health as a child, and he fell ill in 1246,1247, and 1251
Edward I
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Portrait in Westminster Abbey, thought to be of Edward I
Edward I
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Early fourteenth-century manuscript
initial showing Edward and his wife Eleanor. The artist has perhaps tried to depict Edward's
blepharoptosis, a trait he inherited from his father.
Edward I
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Medieval manuscript showing
Simon de Montfort 's mutilated body at the field of
Evesham
Edward I
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Operations during the Crusade of Edward I
28.
Sempringham Priory
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Sempringham Priory was a priory in Lincolnshire, England, located in the medieval hamlet of Sempringham, to the northwest of Pointon. Today, all remains of the priory is a marking on the ground where the walls stood and a square. However, the church of St Andrews, built around 1100 AD, is witness to the priory standing alone in a field away from the main road. The priory was built by Gilbert of Sempringham, the only English saint to have founded a monastic order, the priorys religious accentuation as an important religious pilgrimage site began when St Gilbert established the Gilbertine Order in 1131 by inducting seven maidens who were his pupils. Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, helped in establishing the religious buildings to the north of St Andrews Church as a protected area, St Gilbert died at Sempringham in 1189 and was buried in the priory church. He was canonised on 13 October 1202, for the many miracles noted at his tomb in the priory and his name is prefixed to the Sempringham Priori, which is known as St Gilbert Sempringham Priory, and is thus a well-visited pilgrimage centre. The priory, which functioned as a community made up of canons and nuns, was dissolved in 1538. The Clinton family, who took possession of the priory, demolished it completely without leaving any trace of it on the ground and they built a mansion from the building material they extracted from the demolished structure. Sempringham Priory was spread over an area of 80 acres of undulating topography located below the ruins of a major Tudor house skirting the Lincolnshire Fens, the land of the priory was used for cultivation. The priory measured 350 feet lengthwise, and was inferred to have had within its buildings for monks. At the time of its demolition during the reign of Henry VIII, the Order of Sempringham originated in 1131. In or about that year, Gilbert of Sempringham left the household of Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln and he found there seven maidens, who had learned the way of holiness from him as children, and longed to live a strict religious life. Gilbert, having inherited lands and possessions in Sempringham from his father, with the help and advice of Alexander, he set up buildings and a cloister for them against the north wall of the church, which stood on his own land at Sempringham. He gave them a rule of life, enjoining upon them chastity, humility, obedience and their daily necessities were passed to them through a window by some girls chosen by Gilbert from among his people. His friends warned him that his nuns ought not to speak with secular women, who by their gossip might rekindle in them an interest in the world which they had renounced. On the advice of William, Abbot of Rievaulx, he decided to yield to the request of the serving maids, soon afterwards, he took men as lay brothers to work on the land, giving them, too, a uniform and rules. The little community grew in numbers, and amongst its earliest benefactors was Brian of Pointon, in 1139, Gilbert accepted three carucates of land in Sempringham from Gilbert of Ghent, his feudal lord. Because of his gift, Gilbert of Ghent was held to be the founder, in 1147, Gilbert went to the general chapter at Citeaux to ask the abbots to bear rule over his nuns, but they refused
Sempringham Priory
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Sempringham Priory
Sempringham Priory
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View of wheat fields along the lane from Sempringham Priory towards the
B1177 Pointon Road
Sempringham Priory
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St Andrew's church, Sempringham
Sempringham Priory
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Commemorative plaque to
Gwenllian of Wales who lived in Sempringham until her death in 1337
29.
Edward, the Black Prince
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Edward of Woodstock KG, called the Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, and the father of King Richard II of England. He was the first Duke of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales and he was called Edward of Woodstock in his early life, after his birthplace, and since the 16th century has been popularly known as the Black Prince. He was a military leader, and his victories over the French at the Battles of Crécy. In 1348 he was made a Founding Knight of the Garter, Edward died one year before his father, becoming the first English Prince of Wales not to become King of England. The throne passed instead to his son Richard II, a minor, Richard Barber comments that Edward has attracted relatively little attention from serious historians, but figures largely in popular history. Edward was born on 15 June 1330 at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire and he was created Earl of Chester on 18 May 1333, Duke of Cornwall on 17 March 1337 and finally invested as Prince of Wales on 12 May 1343 when he was almost thirteen years old. In England, Edward served as a regent for periods in 1339,1340. He was expected to all council meetings, and he performed the negotiations with the papacy about the war in 1337. He also served as High Sheriff of Cornwall from 1340–1341,1343,1358, Edward had been raised with his cousin Joan, The Fair Maid of Kent. Edward gained permission for the marriage from Pope Innocent VI and absolution for marriage to a blood-relative, the marriage caused some controversy, mainly because of Joans chequered marital history and the fact that marriage to an Englishwoman wasted an opportunity to form an alliance with a foreign power. When in England, Edwards chief residence was at Wallingford Castle in Berkshire and he served as the kings representative in Aquitaine, where he and Joan kept a court which was considered among the most fashionable of the time. It was the resort of exiled kings such as James IV of Majorca, Peter of Castile, thrust from his throne by his illegitimate brother Henry of Trastámara, offered Edward the lordship of Biscay in 1367, in return for the Black Princes aid in recovering his throne. Edward was successful in the Battle of Nájera, in which he defeated the combined French. However Peter did not pay fully and refused to yield Biscay, Edward retreated to Guienne by July. The Black Prince returned to England in January 1371 and died on 8 June 1376, Edward lived in a century of decline for the knightly ideal of chivalry. However, some argue he may have been playing for time to preparation of his archers positions. On the other hand, his tendencies were overridden by expediency on many occasions. The Crécy Campaign on the front, which crippled the French army for ten years
Edward, the Black Prince
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Edward, Prince of Wales as
Knight of the order of the Garter, 1453, illustration from the
Bruges Garter Book
Edward, the Black Prince
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Edward, the Black Prince, is granted Aquitaine by his father King Edward III. Initial letter "E" of miniature, 1390; British Library, shelfmark: Cotton MS Nero D VI, f.31
Edward, the Black Prince
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Signet ring of the Black Prince in the Louvre
Edward, the Black Prince
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Original Black Prince Heraldic achievements on display in Canterbury Cathedral
30.
Cecily Neville, Duchess of York
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Cecily Neville, Duchess of York was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and the mother of two Kings of England, Edward IV and Richard III. She herself signed her name Cecylle and her husband, the Duke of York, was the leading contender for the throne of England from the House of York during the period of the War of the Roses until his death in 1460. His son Edward, Earl of March, actually assumed the throne as Edward IV in 1461, the Duchess of York thus narrowly missed becoming queen consort of England. Cecily Neville was a daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and her paternal grandparents were John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby, and Maud Percy, daughter of Henry de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy. Her maternal grandparents were John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt was the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. In 1424, when Cecily was nine years old, she was betrothed by her father to his ward, Richard Plantagenet. Ralph Neville died in October 1425, bequeathing the wardship of Richard to his widow, Cecily and Richard were married by October 1429. Their first child Joan was born in 1438, but died young and their next child, Anne of York, was born in August 1439 in Northamptonshire. When Richard became a lieutenant and governor general of France in 1441 and moved to Rouen. Their son Henry was born in February but died soon after and their next son, the future King Edward IV, was born in Rouen on 28 April 1442 and immediately baptised privately in a small side chapel. He would later be accused of illegitimacy by his cousin, Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, and by his own brother, George, Duke of Clarence, George and Warwick were in dispute with Edward at the time and seeking to overthrow him as king. The claims would later be dismissed, in any case, Richard acknowledged the baby as his own, which established legal paternity. Around 1454, when Richard began to resent the influence of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, when Henry VI suffered a nervous breakdown later in the year, Richard of York established himself as a Protector. After the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses in 1455, Cecily remained at their home, Ludlow Castle, even after Richard fled to Ireland, at the same time, she surreptitiously worked for the cause of the House of York. When a parliament began to debate the fate of the Duke of York and his supporters in November 1459, One contemporary commentator stated that she had reputedly convinced the king to promise a pardon if the duke would appear in the parliament in eight days. This effort failed, and Richards lands were confiscated, but Cecily managed to gain a grant of £600 to support herself. After the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Northampton in July 1460, Cecily moved to London with her children and she carried the royal arms before Richard in triumph in London in September. But in the Battle of Wakefield on 30 December 1460, the Lancastrians won a decisive victory, the Duke of York, his second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland, and Cecilys brother Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, were among the casualties
Cecily Neville, Duchess of York
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Cecily, Duchess of York by Edward Harding, 1792,
National Portrait Gallery, London
.jpg)
