Queen Elizabeth I In Exquisite Needlework, C1580, Possibly Originally Applied To The Front Of A Purse

Queen Elizabeth I in exquisite needlework, c1580, possibly originally applied to the front of a purse which would have contained sweetmeats or money. The symbolism worked into such a small piece is staggering and typical of the glorified mythological image of Elizabeth.

doomed couple: ↳ Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII 

The love affair between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is shrouded in historical myth, romantic legend, cliché and half-truths. Much of their story remains fiercely debated by historians – everything from why Henry fell for Anne, to why he destroyed her in the end.

                                       ♥ Jane Seymour in every scene             “Mistress Seymour, will you place your hand upon this Holy Bible And will you promise and swear to serve Her Majesty Queen Anne faithfully, honorably and discreetly; and will you promise and swear that your conduct will always be modest, virtuous and good, presenting at all times a godly spectacle to others?” - “I do so promise and swear.” 

The Lost Kings & Queens of England + Part II

Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (1486-1502): The eldest son and heir apparent of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, Arthur was viewed as the great hope of the newly established House of Tudor. Soon after his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Spanish Catholic Monarchs, he died suddenly of an unknown ailment. 

Lady Jane Grey (1536/37-1553): Also known as the “Nine Days Queen”, Jane was a great-granddaughter of Henry VII and was nominated as the successor to the Crown by her cousin, Edward VI, in an effort to avoid his half-sister - the Catholic Mary Tudor - from taking the crown. Jane was Queen of England for nine days before Mary and her supporters deposed her, later executing her when Protestants rebelled in her name during Mary’s reign. 

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542-1587): The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, Mary was six days old when her father died and she became the queen of Scotland. After discontent amongst her subjects forced her to abdicate, she sought the protection of her first cousin once removed, Elizabeth I of England. As the Catholic Mary was a threat to Elizabeth’s crown due to her descent from Henry VII, she was held as a virtual prisoner for nearly two decades until she was finally executed after being found guilty of plotting to assassinate her queenly cousin. 

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594-1612): The elder son of James VI and I, King of England and Scotland, and Anne of Denmark, he was destined to inherit both the English and Scottish thrones but he predeceased his father when he died young of typhoid fever.

James Francis Edward Stuart, Prince of Wales (1688-1766): Also known as the “Old Pretender”, James was the only surviving son of James II and VII, who had failed to produce a living son after nearly three decades of marriage to two different women. His Catholic father was deposed in the Glorious Revolution just months after James’s birth due to the realm’s unwillingness to have a James’s Catholic son succeed to the throne. James spent the rest of his life unsuccessfully attempting to win back his father’s thrones with the backing of his Jacobite followers. 

Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (1689-1700): The only child of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, and Prince George of Denmark to survive infancy, William was seen as a Protestant champion as his birth seemed to cement the Protestant succession established in the Glorious Revolution. His death at the age of eleven precipitated a succession crisis, resulting in the Crown passing over to his Protestant Hanoverian cousins after his mother’s death.

Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover (1630-1714): A granddaughter of James I and VI, Sophia became heir presumptive to the Kingdom of Great Britain when her cousin Anne lost her only child, resulting in the end to the Protestant line of succession established by the Bill of Rights. However, she died less than two months before she would have become queen, and her position as heir passed on to her eldest son, the future George I.

Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-1751): The eldest but estranged son of George II and Caroline of Ansbach, Frederick was heir apparent to the British throne from 1727 until he predeceased his father by nine years. His position as Prince of Wales passed on to his young son, the future George III. 

Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817): The only child of the future George IV and his cousin, Caroline of Brunswick, she was the only legitimate grandchild of George III during her lifetime, meaning she was destined to be the future Queen of the United Kingdom. After a year and a half of happy marriage to the future Leopold I of Belgium, she died after delivering a stillborn son, resulting in a succession crisis and pressure on the King’s unmarried sons to produce an heir.

Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence & Avondale (1864-1892): the eldest child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and grandson of the reigning Queen Victoria, he was second in the line of succession from the time of his birth but never became king after dying of influenza weeks after becoming engaged. 

A Man for All Seasons - 1966

Harlem in the 1920s.

“Harlem was the end of the line, the promise land, the place where all our fantasies came true. If I had to choose between Heaven and Harlem… Harlem, of course, would win everytime.” - Ossie Davis