Henry VIII of England

The secret 1464 marriage between Elizabeth and the then philandering bachelor, newly crowned King of England, was not a political alliance. Custom and tradition dictated that Edward’s bride would be of noble birth, preferably a princess or a high ranking noblewomen from another European kingdom which would bring foreign alliances to England. This potential match would also need to be a virgin. Historian J.L Laynesmith wrote, “He [Edward IV] had apparently rejected all the prospective…

She impacted the future of England for centuries to come, because of her second marriage with King Edward IV from a royal family. Although controversial challenges such as witchcraft faced Woodville, she still made a lasting impact. Elizabeth Woodville and her family established a legacy that has had a tremendous effect in history to this date. Woodville was the first born of Sir Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. She was born around 1437 at Grafton in England (“Woodville”38).…

her decision to marry the Spanish prince, Philip II. The prospect of a marriage alliance with Spain was unpopular with the English people who believed England would be involved in wars without the support of the nation. His strong Catholic faith combined with that of Mary’s also stirred up resentment and fear among the Protestant population in England and as a result, a Protestant courtier, Thomas Wyatt, led a rebellion against Mary aiming to dethrone and replace her with her half-sister…

The research topic I chose is Henry of Blois (Winchester) the brother of King Stephen of England. He was born around 1098/9 and was a very influential man during his time. He was in a sensitive position by being a bishop. He had a great influence with the building of castles and art. Henry of Winchester would also become one of the richest men in England as well, which brings in my specific research topic. Is Henry of Blois based off self-preservation? In other words, was he always looking after…

with 18,000 men transporting an army from Flanders to attack England due to religious differences.1 George Gower (1540 - 1596), Queen Elizabeth’s Serjeant Painter, painted The Armada Portrait to commemorate the Queen Elizabeth I’s accomplishment in leading England to successfully defeating the Spanish Armada. The portrait is currently on display at Woburn Abbey and was originally painted during the Elizabethan Era (1558 - 1603) in England.2 The Armada Portrait provides insights into Queen…

whether Thomas Becket’s fight with secular authority (such as the king) ended with his murder in Canterbury Cathedral on the 29th December 1170 . Becket was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry II from 1162 until his death , and came into conflict with him over clerical privilege, with Henry believing that the Church was subject to the laws of the land, whilst Becket maintained that ‘the church was above the law’ . This led to Becket’s murder at the hands of some of the king’s…

Joan of Arc. Saint Joan of Arc was born in France in 1412. She died on May 30, 1431. On history.com it says that “she a peasant girl living in medieval France, believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its long-running war with England”. With no military training, Joan convinced the embattled crown prince Charles of Valois to allow her to lead a French army to the besieged city of Orléans. After seeing the prince crowned King Charles VII, Joan was captured by…

Now we move our focus to a completely different geographical area. This case study is in early modern Spain, specifically the Inquisition, and some of the ways they punished people. The Spanish Inquisition was created in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Its main purpose was to maintain the catholic orthodoxy in the realms of Spain. The inquisition was under direct control of the monarchy, and it was abolished in 1834. Because it existed…

A Utopian Calamity Since the beginning of time humans have lived in conflict with one another. Wars and rumors of wars circulate and riddle very century, reminding the population of constant strife and unattainable peace. The natural response to appease a desire that is either unavailable or unattainable would be to fantasize and entertain the idea. Sir Thomas More, in 1516 imagined a place of perfection in which he decided to named Utopia. The very word Utopia itself derives from the Greek…

In the Middle Ages, there was a man named Thomas A’ Becket, who rose to great power under the rule of his friend King Henry II. Henry appointed Thomas in order to gain the upper hand in disputes with the Pope and Catholic Church. Thomas would go against Henry which infuriated him. Henry accidentally ordered for Thomas to be killed, leading to the corruption of the Catholic Church and Thomas becoming a martyr. In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, a group of people embark on a pilgrimage…