17thcenturylady

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Book Review: Costanza by Rachel Blackmore

The name of Bernini is one that all fans of Baroque sculpture instantly recognise. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, born in 1598 and died in 1681, is known for such works as The Rape of Proserpina (1621-22), the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647-52), David (1623-24), among many others. His works are known for being highly expressive, dynamic, and passionate. Even his self-portraits convey an intensity that…

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John Dee: A 17th Century Morality Tale: A Guest Post by E.M. Swift-Hook

John Dee: A 17th Century Morality Tale O what pity that such a man should fall into such a delusion! ~ Méric Casaubon If you visit Mortlake and wander into the St. Mary’s church, you will find a plaque that reads:   Near this place lie the remains of John Dee MA, Clerk in Holy Orders 1527 ~ 1609. Astronomer, Geographer, Mathematician, Adviser to Queen Elizabeth I It was placed there by the John…

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Discovering the Bones of the Missing Princes in the Tower: A Guest Post by Elizabeth St.John

The inspiration for The King’s Intelligencer grew from my research for The Godmother’s Secret, which focuses on the enduring mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, disappeared in 1483, with many believing they were murdered by their uncle, Richard III. This historical enigma has intrigued scholars and writers for centuries, and I found myself…

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Book Review: The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick

I had the pleasure of having historian and author Nicola Cornick on my Stuart Saturday Live Show a few months ago in June, when we discussed the Restoration period, Elizabeth Stuart, Lord Craven, Ashdown House, her previous books set in the 17th-century and much more. She was a delightful guest and — at the time of our show — I hadn’t yet finished reading her most recent book, The Other Gwyn…

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Book Review: A Very Private School: A Memoir by Charles Spencer

It is no secret that Charles Spencer has been one of my favourite historians for several decades. In recent years, I have had the honour of communicating with him about Stuart-era history and he has always been kind, supportive, and helpful. I’m also fond of him because he lives in Northamptonshire, where my husband, Gavin, is from (and, according to my mother-in-law, my husband’s…

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New release! RAVENOUS: A Life of Barbara Villiers, Charles II's Most Infamous Mistress

Hear ye! Ravenous: A Life of Barbara Villiers, Charles II’s Most Infamous Mistress is out now in the USA! If you love scandalous royal stories full of drama, sex, political intrigue and power, you might enjoy this one. I dedicated Ravenous to my late son, Rupert, so it holds a particularly special place in my heart. Barbara Villiers was a woman so beautiful, so magnetic and so sexually attractive…

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Book Review: 'The Myrtle Wand' by Margaret Porter

I recently had the pleasure of reading The Myrtle Wand by Margaret Porter a couple of months ago, a story set in seventeenth-century France during the time of Louis XIV. Porter is the award-winning author of over a dozen books of historical fiction and historical romance (under Margaret Evans Porter). Although I have purchased several of her novels, this is the first one I’ve had the time to…

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Interview with C. de Melo, author of The Apprentice: Love and Scandal in the Kingdom of Naples

Today, we welcome a prolific author and history lover: C de Melo! I recently had the pleasure of working on the audiobook production de Melo’s The Apprentice (out today!), which is a dramatic adventure that takes place in the early 1600s, and is set in alluring, stunning Italian cities such as Florence, Siena, Rome, and Naples. The protagonist, ‘Carlo’, becomes an apprentice to a great artist,…

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The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor

I had the pleasure of meeting the author of The Fire Court, Andrew Taylor, a few years ago back in Oxford when we were both participating in an author conference and he was very amicable and signed my hardback copy of The Ashes of London, his first book in the series. I wish I had read that book first, as it would have probably been better to continue the story as envisaged by Taylor, but The…

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Guest Post: 'Library of Dreams' by Dominic Pearce

Library of Dreams When I wrote about Queen Henrietta Maria I found surprises such as the attempt by parliament to kill her, then to impeach her. Yes the killing came first, as it were. Happily it failed. Henrietta Maria (Amberley 2015) by Dominic Pearce I should not mislead anyone by implying parliament sent an executive order to do away with the turbulent lady. What happened was the captain of a…

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Book Review: 'The Tragic Daughters of Charles I' by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Book Review: ‘The Tragic Daughters of Charles I’ by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Far more has been written about the sons of King Charles I and his queen, Henrietta Maria, than about the daughters who were born of the couple—perhaps understandably, since both Charles and James became kings. But with such works as Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII, The Tudor Brandons, Catherine of Braganza, Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots and Anne of Clevesa…

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'Covent Garden: The 17th Century West End'—A Guest Post by John Pilkington

Author John Pilkington (@_JohnPilkington) writes about the colourful and seedy side of Covent Garden in the #17thCentury. #KeepItStuart

It may be hard to imagine now, but there was no ‘West End’ in the mid-17th century; nor, for that matter, was there an ‘East End’ as such. There were the two cities of London and Westminster, linked by the Strand, with the tiny community of Charing between them. Oxford Road – a Roman road, not yet known as Oxford Street – ran through open land to the Tyburn gibbet where public hangings were…

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Frances Teresa Stuart: The 'It' Girl of the Restoration: A Guest Post by Linda Porter

Frances Teresa Stuart: The ‘It’ Girl of the Restoration: A Guest Post by Linda Porter

King Charles II was very fond of his youngest sister, Princess Henrietta, the last child of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, though he did not get to know her until he was an exile at the French court, where she was brought up. The little sister had rather a grim time of it until her two elder brothers arrived. She was dominated by her mother and patronised by her Bourbon relatives, who barely…

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'Naked and Barefoot'—Colonial Quaker Women Finding Courage: A Guest Post by Jae Hodges

‘Naked and Barefoot’—Colonial Quaker Women Finding Courage: A Guest Post by Jae Hodges

In his journals, George Fox wrote of an occasion when he joined a gathering of men and women of all faiths in a steeple house near his home in Leicester. The discussion of the Book of Peter inspired a woman to speak out and ask a question, what was birth. The priest bade her sit down for he would not permit her . . . or perhaps any woman . . . to speak in his church, though before Fox understood…

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Book Review: Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott

Book Review: 'Royal Harlot' by Susan Holloway Scott @2nerdyhistgirls #SexyStuarts #BarbaraVilliers

Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess of Castlemaine and King Charles II by Susan Holloway Scott was published in 2007, and has been in my to-be-read pile for least a decade. After this, I’ve got all her other books on my list!

Reading for pleasure is hard to do these days, but when one can read for both entertainment and as part of one’s work, that’s ideal. As readers on this site may know, I…

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Book Review: ‘Killing Beauties’ by Pete Langman

Book Review: ‘Killing Beauties’ by Pete Langman

KILLING BEAUTIES is a gripping historical fiction novel set during the Protectorate of the 1650s and focuses on the underworld of espionage through the actions of the main character, Susan Hyde. Susan, sister to Edward Hyde (he who is best known for being the powerful advisor to Charles II and for his History of the Rebellion) is a she-intelligencer, or female spy, and her task is to extract what…

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'The Perils of Being an Early-Modern Bottle-Blonde' - A Guest Post by Pete Langman

'The Perils of Being an Early-Modern Bottle-Blonde' - A Guest Post by Pete Langman @elegantfowl, author of KILLING BEAUTIES #KeepItStuart #17thCentury #ECW #SheIntelligencers

It’s quite usual to compliment the author of a work of historical fiction on their research, even though this doesn’t mean much more than ‘we’ve read the same history books’, but there is something to be said for appropriating knowledge that you happen to have, even if it didn’t start out as a considered part of the book.

When I was writing Killing Beauties, I was working from an historical…