by Heather R. Darsie Philippa Avesnes von Hennegau und Holland, or Philippa of Hainault as she is known to English speakers, was Queen Consort of England from 24 January 1328 to 15 August 1369. It is speculated that she was born on 24 June sometime between 1310 and 1315. Her exact date of birth is unknown, though some estimates put her year of birth as … Continue reading Philippa of Hainault
by Heather R. Darsie Yesterday evening I was browsing through the Walters Art Museum of Baltimore’s collection of illuminated manuscripts. I was viewing a late 14th century Book of Hours, created for the Use of Paris, when I thought I spied a very familiar bird: a Princess of Wales Parakeet or Princess Parrot. Princess Parrots are indigenous to Australia, so I thought that surely there … Continue reading A Princess of Wales Parakeet in 14th Century Manuscript?
by Heather R. Darsie The seventeenth love letter from Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn was likely written in late September 1528 because it mentions the arrival of the papal legate, Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio. Campeggio was acting legate in Rome for Pope Clement VII after Henry’s nephew through his current marriage to Katharine of Aragon, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, sacked Rome in … Continue reading Henry VIII’s Seventeenth Love Letter to Anne Boleyn
by Heather R. Darsie Happy New Year, everyone! My very best wishes to you for a prosperous 2019! Pieter Bruegel the Elder, “The Wedding Dance,” c. 1566, via Wikimedia Commons. When asked about trades which had a large impact upon economic development and government interests during the Renaissance, twenty-first century observers might instinctively point to the wool trade between England and the Low Countries, the … Continue reading A History of Beer Brewing in Germany and the Low Countries
Maidens and Manuscripts: Taking a fresh look at people and events from 1347 to 1625, with a focus on women and illuminated manuscripts 