By Jessica Storoschuk Mary, Queen of Scots has remained a popular historical figure in the centuries since her death and remains so to this day. She has appeared in countless television shows and feature films, both as a protagonist and as a secondary character. Despite leading Scotland in a politically turbulent period (both internally andContinue reading “No Reign: Mary, Queen of Scots on Screen”
Tag Archives: history
Film Review: The Princess Diaries & The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
By Catherine Capel The Princess Diaries, released 2001, and its follow up sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, released 2004, were based upon the popular book series of the same name written by Meg Cabot. The films depict the struggles of American teenager Mia Thermopolis, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, as she grapples with herContinue reading “Film Review: The Princess Diaries & The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”
Book Review: Blanche of Castile by Lindy Grant
By Gabby Storey The life and career of Blanche of Castile, queen of France, rivals that of her illustrious grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine: perhaps no surprise to Eleanor, who in 1200 selected Blanche to marry the heir to the French throne, Louis (later Louis VIII). Grant’s thorough and captivating biography of Blanche (2016) is longContinue reading “Book Review: Blanche of Castile by Lindy Grant”
Studying Medieval Queens and (In)fertility
By Emma Trivett Being a mother was a crucial role for medieval queens, and maternity continues to be a central theme in queenship studies. Scholars of queenship have explored how queens were able to exercise authority and influence through their role as mothers and, recently, Kristen Geaman and Theresa Earenfight have drawn attention to howContinue reading “Studying Medieval Queens and (In)fertility”
A discussion of LGBTQ+ stories and historical spaces
By Holly Marsden The material remains of historic houses and the imagining of their past inhabitants enables the concurrent appreciation by their visitors of the historical specificity and otherness of the past, together with those echoes of the familiar which makes them feel real. Making connections with the ghosts of the past will remain anContinue reading “A discussion of LGBTQ+ stories and historical spaces”
‘You spent fifty thousand on shoes!:’[1] power, gender, and sartorial expression in Versailles
By Holly Marsden Cover Image: BBC Two Canal+’s historical drama Versailles premiered in the UK in May 2016 on BBC Two. It is set during the building of the palace of Versailles, led by King Louis XIV in seventeenth century France. The is frivolous, dramatic and gripping, portraying Louis in his most power-hungry prime: inContinue reading “‘You spent fifty thousand on shoes!:’[1] power, gender, and sartorial expression in Versailles“
Book Review: The Favourite, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough by Ophelia Field
By Holly Marsden Ophelia Field’s 2002 (revised in 2018) biography of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough is a fascinating insight into the eighteenth-century elite. The biography focuses on the intensity of the relationship between Sarah and Queen Anne, with the two having grown up together in and around the court of Charles II. Sarah was laterContinue reading “Book Review: The Favourite, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough by Ophelia Field”
Mater Dolorosa: Elisabeth in the Aftermath of Mayerling
By Lucy Coatman Cover Image: Empress Elizabeth at Corfu by Friedrich August von Kaulbach, after 1898, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Friedrich_August_von_Kaulbach_-_Sisi_auf_Korfu.jpg This blog post complements Lucy’s post published earlier this month, and we highly recommend reading it before delving into Elisabeth here.
Stéphanie: A Life in the Shadow of Mayerling
‘Dear Stéphanie, By Lucy Coatman Cover Image: Crown Princess Stéphanie, mid-1890s, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St%C3%A9phanie,_Crown_Princess_of_Austria-Hungary.jpg ‘Dear Stéphanie, ‘Dear Stéphanie, ‘Dear Stéphanie, By Lucy Coatman Cover Image: Crown Princess Stéphanie, mid-1890s, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St%C3%A9phanie,_Crown_Princess_of_Austria-Hungary.jpg ‘Dear Stéphanie, ‘Dear Stéphanie, ‘Dear Stéphanie,
Film Review: Mary Queen of Scots
By Johanna Strong Cover Image: courtesy of IMDB, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2328900/. With the winter break behind us, some of us might be hesitant to let that holiday spirit go. With that in mind, this month’s first blog post eases back into the historical world by examining the 2018 film, ‘Mary Queen of Scots’.
Team Queens 
