Private & Confidential
Putting ‘Private & Confidential‘ on an envelope indicates the nature of its contents ~ usually legal, financial or medical ~ and covers […]
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The Liberal Party
The Liberal Party endured mixed fortunes throughout its existence from 1859 to 1988. At its inception it picked up support from the […]
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St. Trinian’s
Boarding schools are a perfect setting for children’s fiction in which to celebrate the resilience, heroism and ingenuity of the younger generation. […]
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The Black Prince
King Edward III (1312-77) had thirteen children, the eldest of whom was Edward of Woodstock (1330-76), known posthumously as the Black Prince. […]
Read MoreKing Edward III (1312-77) had thirteen children, the eldest of whom was Edward of Woodstock (1330-76), known posthumously as the Black Prince. He was destined never to sit on the throne due to his early death, probably from dysentry. He married his cousin, Countess Joan of Kent (1326-85) and had two sons. The eldest died aged 6, so it was their second son, Richard of Bordeaux (1367-1400), who succeeded his grandfather when he was only 10 years old.
The Black Prince had several other titles, including the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, and he was one of the first Knights of the Garter. He fought valiantly in battle from age 16 and after victory at the Battle of Poitiers in France he became Prince of Aquitaine. He also fought in Spain to help Don Pedro the Cruel regain his throne.
His reward was a large red spinel gemstone which is now part of the Crown Jewels. It is known as the Black Prince’s Ruby and has been worn in the battles at Agincourt and Bosworth Field. Oliver Cromwell sold it to a jeweller who then sold it back to King Charles II (1630-85) in 1660. It is now a centrepiece of the Imperial State Crown.
(Top image of the tomb of the Black Prince at Canterbury Cathedral: Peter Trimming at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Colossus
The ten Colossus machines built at Bletchley Park during WW2 were the first electronic programming computers, albeit for one specific purpose ~ […]
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It’s its
With the advent of social media it has become all too apparent that many people are unaware of the correct use of […]
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The hen party
While a husband-to-be can traditionally hold his ‘stag do‘ as late as the night before the wedding, the bride-to-be could not possibly […]
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Sir Chris Hoy
British cycling’s modern-day success is due in large part to Sir Chris Hoy, MBE (1976-). Born in Edinburgh, he joined his first […]
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Advertising
Gone are the days when an advertisement was brief and to the point, consisting only of text giving the product name, manufacturer, […]
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Carbon dioxide
Dr. Joseph Black (1728-99) discovered carbon dioxide (CO2) in 1754 whilst working on his thesis at the University of Glasgow. He is […]
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Youth Courts
After the dust of the Industrial Revolution had settled, there began to be voices heard about declining morals and their effect on […]
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