#his royal highness the duke of york

[demigodsanswer]

Your modern royalty AU is *chefs kiss*

Thank you thank you, I'm enjoying it! Here's just a little more!

part one | part two

~

Annabeth woke up to a hard knock on the door. Her face was buried in one of Percy's soft pillows, and his chest was pressed up against her back, holding her in a comfortable little spoon position. Percy Jackson was an excellent cuddler, which was on her "must have" list for a future prince consort. Not that she was thinking that far ahead.

"Pedro Felipe Juan de Todos," a male voice yelled into their room. Annabeth was only half awake, and thought distantly, who the hell is Pedro?

"Qué?" Percy called back.

Oh right, Annabeth thought. He was Pedro. "Jackson" was his mother's maiden name, the Duke's second wife. He was her only son. And "Percy" was ... she actually had no idea if "Percy" was any part of his legal name. (She herself was Ambritt Ingrid and then several long Swedish names almost no one ever bothered with. Princess Annabeth, or Princess Ambritt if she was home-side, was much easier).

"[Is her royal highness Princess Annabeth of Sweden in there with you?] The man asked.

"[Who wants to know?]" Percy asked back.

"[Her security detail.]"

Annabeth tried to keep a neutral, uninformed face, remembering that she led him to believe she did not speak Spanish last night.

"Sorry about my brother. Your people are looking for you," Percy said.

Annabeth looked at her phone. She'd missed a call from her dad. Kings generally did not like being left to go to voicemail.

"I have to call my dad back," she said, sitting up. Percy sat up with her. She let her eyes roam over his chest again. He had a bite mark on one of his pecks. She hadn't meant to bite him that hard.

The night before had been ... wow. The sex had been some the best, but he was, well, just fun. She liked him. She liked him a lot. Annabeth smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"[You are such a gorgeous woman. I don't know how I've gotten so lucky to enjoy you in my bed two nights in a row,]" he'd muttered to her in Spanish the night before when he thought she couldn't understand. He turned her on, sure, but he also gave her butterflies. He was, in Annabeth's opinion, kind of the perfect Prince Charming.

And a Prince Charming she had to be honest with.

"Percy, about last night --" she started. I know what you were saying, she thought, and it was so kind. I'm sorry for lying. But I feel --

While she was planning her speech, Percy interrupted her.

"It can't happen again."

Annabeth leaned back, grabbing the sheets to cover the bare chest on instinct. "What?" She asked, suddenly confused about how the night before had gone. "Why not? What happened?"

Percy looked shocked and then a bit scared. "No, no, I'm sorry," he reached for her but she leaned back, so he settled for running a hand through his sleep messed hair. "I thought that's what you were going to say," he explained.

"Oh," Annabeth said, relaxing a little. "That wasn't even a little bit what I was going to say."

Percy's eyes lit up. "Really?" He asked.

"I was going to say," Annabeth scooted closer. It maybe wasn't the best time for the Spanish confession. "I was going to say that I had a great time last night." She let the sheet fall down. "And not just the sex, but that was amazing. It was really fun hanging out with you. And I'd like to keep hanging out with you."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, yeah, that'd be awesome!" He said with a wide smile.

"How much longer are you in Paris?" She asked.

"A few days, then I go back to New York," he said.

"Me too," she said. "I have a private tour of the catacombs today. If you want to join me?"

"Dark, underground tunnels full of dead bodies? Sounds like a great date spot," he said.

"I think so," Annabeth said with a smile. "Let me just call my dad back."

Before she could reach for her phone, Percy snuck a hand into her hair and pulled her in for another kiss, pressing gently on the back of her neck to bring their mouths together. Annabeth sank into it, not caring about morning breath or anything. He was a dangerously good kisser. Annabeth didn't stand a chance.

The King of Sweden picked up on the first ring, as if he didn't have better things to do than wait for his daughter to call.

"Hi, Daddy, I'm alive and perfectly safe," she said.

Percy raised an eyebrow at her and mouthed daddy? At her. She frowned and mouthed back thin ice.

He just chuckled. She'd given him a little honesty and now she wasn't scary any more? She'd have to find some way to fix that.

"[Are you still with Percy?"] Her dad asked her in Swedish, not worrying about titles for a boy so much lower in status than him. Although, her dad never seemed rude when he ignored titles. He just seemed like a normal dad. Annabeth liked that the most about her father.

"I am," she said. "He's going to join me at the catacombs today. I'm going to call Hugo to pick us up in a few minutes and bring us back to the hotel before we go over."

"[Why are you speaking English?]" He asked.

"Uh..." How did she explain that she was pretty close to getting her childhood crush to finally date her, and she didn't need her muppet voice ruining it? She got a little quieter. "[Percy is still here. It just seems rude to speak a language he doesn't in front of him,]" she said rapidly.

She felt Percy's arms snake around her, and he planted a kiss to her cheek.

"[Alright sweetheart. Be safe, stay in touch,]" her father said. She wondered if he would worry so much if he had remarried and given the nation a few spares. But after her mother died, he simply declared that Annabeth was more than enough for him and for the country. It did make Annabeth feel rather special.

"[Love you too,]" she promised, before hanging up the phone.

"I'm sorry I said you sound like a muppet," Percy said again, still holding onto her. "You actually sound really cute. You're voice is higher when you speak Swedish," he said.

"I'm glad you think so," she said, "because I need to call my driver, and he only speaks Swedish."

A few minutes later, her security and rides were arranged. Percy took a quick shower and got dressed. She showered with him to cut down on water, to prove she did in fact care about the environment.

Percy got dressed in a crisp button down and a pair of jeans.

Annabeth only had her clothes from the night before. "I guess you got your wish," she said, as she rebuttoned her wrinkled blouse. "Walk of --" certainly not shame "--satisfaction," she landed on.

Percy smirked and picked up her panties. "Commando or dirty undies?" He asked.

Annabeth reached into her purse and pulled out a clean pair. "You think I'd suffer the indignity of either? I'm always prepared," she told him. He handed her the dirty pair as she slipped the clean ones on under her skirt.

Annabeth shook her head. "You keep them," she said. "But if I find them for sale online, that will be an act of war," she promised.

Percy stashed them under his pillow, and she was pretty sure he whispered awesome to himself.

A few minutes later, they were in the car back to her hotel. She'd been promised security had cleared out any paparazzi, but she was emotionally ready for them to be pictured together again.

Percy was humming something next to her. It sounded familiar. Annabeth wracked her brain trying to place it.

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the light.

"Is that the fucking Muppets theme song?" She asked.

Percy stopped and started laughed. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't --"

"Bullying!" She accused. "I'm being bullied!"

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

The Disgraced Prince

CHAPTER FIVE: The Duke of York and I

My name is Ethan Clarke, and I'm Prince Andrew's lover. If you read the first installment to this story, you learned that His Majesty, Charles III's PR chief, James Cole hired me to keep Andrew; whose behavioral antics throughout his career as a Royal brought scandal and disgrace to the British Royal Family in line for the firm. More importantly, keeping his tryst between his new fuck boy a secret.

I considered how lucky I was, as the prince was still a very handsome man. At 64 years of age he stood at 6 feet, with a full head of thick whitish hair, and blue eyes with just a hint of mischief in them. His shoulders were broad, and he had a prominent belly which only made him that much more attractive in my eyes. Even though he'd yell at me and make me obey his commands, no matter how outrageous. He would have his way with me until HE was satisfied. I knew my goal was to please His Highness and invariably this would lead to my own pleasure.

After we had breakfast, Andrew asked me if I wanted to go riding with him. I said yes, even though I've never rode a horse before. We jumped into his Range Rover and drove to the grounds of Windsor Castle for his usual Saturday morning ride. The Duke cut a casual figure in a burgundy shirt and black trousers, with a Champion riding hat and riding boots, while out for a canter. Andrew is an elusive figure these days, having permanently resigned from all his public duties following controversy over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and since then, he has not been seen in public often.

Dirty thoughts were running through my mind as I watched the prince during a break from exercising his horses. I looked at the outline of his cock through his black trousers and smiled at myself for knowing the taste of his treat. He knew I was watching him with more than just a little interest, but he just stared off onto the leafy grounds. Although I wanted to move over to him and start up with him, I stayed on my horse and just enjoyed the view.

Back at the stable, I was complaining about my ass hurting from the ride to see Andrew standing there, blatantly looking me over from head to toe. He also adjusted himself and rubbed his crotch before saying, "So was it the horse or me that gave you a sore ass," followed by a big laugh and a hard smack to the ass.

Next thing I know, Andrew was standing there with his swelling cock in his hand. I looked up at him and saw that big, stupid grin on his face. Then back down at his now stiff, a full 8" of royal cock. Well, giving in to lustful temptation was the only thing I was good at, so I put my hand around it and slowly jacked it. He then pulled me into a nearby empty stall, before I fell onto my knees in front of him. I stared at his boner for a moment then took his helmet in my mouth and sucked at it. I was licking him with vigor as I felt my cock flutter uncomfortably in my trouser. I reached down and unzipped them, allowing my prick to fall out, leaking precum onto the hay covered floor.

"That's it. I love that." Andrew said encouragingly.

I began bobbing my head up and down his shaft while I jerked my cock, he let go of my head and wrapped his hand around his wet cock, stroking generously.

Just then, someone entered the stable. We quickly zipped up and looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but no one had, so Andrew headed out. I followed him eagerly, and my cock was dripping in anticipation. Next thing I knew, we we're in his Range Rover speeding back to the Royal, nearly running over some guy's dog. By the time we got back to the estate, I was afraid he wasn't interested anymore as he sent on an errand. And when I returned, he was in the sitting room.

The lights were dim, Andrew had changed, sitting in a chair sprawled out and watching television. With a big grin on his face, he waves me over as I notice his hand stroke his hard cock through his pants. Once in front of him, he points down and quickly drop to my knees.

"Blow me."

What a dominate sexy fucking god of a man I thought as I slide my hands up his legs towards his crotch. Feeling that girthy, long cock through the pants, it takes every muscle in your body not to rip his pants off then. I unzip his pants as Andrew lifts his ass so I could pull down his pants. And as I did, his underwear catches his cock and cause it to snap back against his hairy belly. I licked and sucked his nipples as I rubbed the head of his cock, spreading his pre-cum like lube. I kissed my way down his chest, leaving a trail of saliva all the way to his cock. Taking him in my mouth, I began to suck while I swirled my tongue around his boner.

Covering his cock with my spit and sliding up and down hard. Then I slide it all the way down my throat, taking the full length. Andrew throws his head back and groans as he grabs the back of my head and trusts in deeper somehow, making me gag. I went back to stroking his now wet cock.

"Did Fergie ever suck you like that?" I asked.

"The cow could never suck my cock right." He said and I said she was missing out then. "Did she ever let you fuck her in the ass?"

He yes to that, saying "She had a good ass" as my tongue lapped at his nuts while he lay there stroking himself. I it looked like he was all ready to cum and everything when he whispered, "Ride me."

I stood up and looked around for some lube, he told me he had some Vaseline in his bag in the corner. I walked over towards it and bent over to pull the Vaseline out, as I bent over, I felt him grab my legs, I looked back from under my legs and saw him kneeling behind me. I let out a sharp gasp as I felt his tongue slid up and down my sweaty crack until it pressed against my hole.

"Oh yeah." I moaned as he slid the tip of his tongue into me, tonguefucking me, eating my ass.

He did that for around five minutes till my hole must have been dripping. My cock was twitching and I wanted to touch it, but I knew I'd shoot if I did. Then Andrew stood up, took the Vaseline tub from me and started spreading Vaseline over his prick while heading back to the couch. I stood there, pinching my nipples as he lay back and spread his legs wide. Andrew had that big, stupid grin on his face again as I climbed on top of him, guiding his 8" cock into my hole with one hand and tweaking his nipple with the other. As soon as his dick made contact, he immediately thrust all 8 inches into me. I gasped loudly, so loudly in fact that I’m sure the servants in the next room heard.

Placing both my hands on his chest, I dig into it as I lifted my ass and slid back down again, telling him he could fuck me as hard as he wanted.

Andrew let me take control, so I rode his dick, stopping whenever I thought he was getting close to coming so we could kiss. After teasing him and prolonging the excitement, he was desperate to cum. Just then, the disgraced prince took charge and flipped me over. He laid me flat on my stomach and shoved his cock back up into my ass. Again, I moaned as he started pounding my ass furiously, slapping it was his free hand like he was riding a bronco.

“Oh me! Oh! Oh!” I cried out as Andrew stared fucking me hard and fast. I could feel his hot breathe on the back of my neck as I push my ass back against his crotch each time he slammed his cock into of me. Pinned under him, that was all I could do. I knew he was getting close, so it didn't take too much bouncing until that hot cock exploded inside me. He emptied his balls inside me, then pulled out and hurried to his feet.

Then as he shook the last drops of cum from the piss hole of his dick, I turned over and started jacking myself off in front of him. With his dick still in his hand, Andrew stared down at me pounding away at my engorged dick. I swear I almost enjoy him watching me play with myself as I did with him fucking me as I shot my load all over my chest and stomach.

[ginandoldlace]

88 years ago. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, Duke of York arrived at his home, 145 Piccadilly, in London on 10 December 1936.

The next day, HRH The Duke of York succeeded the throne as King George VI, following the abdication of his elder brother, HM King Edward VIII, given by His Majesty‘s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936.

[mydaddywiki]

Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Physique: Average Build Height: 6'0"

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born February 19, 1960 -), or "Randy Andy," is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the younger brother of King Charles III. Once the beloved son and a decorated naval officer, his career has been more about navigating scandal than the high seas, tarnishing the 1200-year-old legacy of the British Royal Family.

When I first clapped eyes on him, I thought, "Now here's a prince I'd like to knight me with his personal sword." But oh, how the mighty have fallen. His involvement with Jeffrey Epstein turned him from a royal heartthrob to a headline horror, and Charles's ascension exposed him as arrogant, self-indulgent, and with a penchant for hubris. Plus, who can forget the 72 teddy bears on his bed? Yet, there's something about this disgraced duke that still stirs my royal desires.

Now, let's dive into the juicy details. Andrew's been caught in a web of scandal so thick, it could be its own royal tapestry. He's accused of associating with sex offenders, attending parties that make Sodom and Gomorrah look tame, and allegedly having intimate relations with underage girls, which he vehemently denies. His infamous interview where he claimed he couldn't sweat and was at Pizza Express in Woking left us all questioning his grip on reality.

Stripped of his titles, retreated from public duties, he's now shacked up with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, in what must be the most awkward royal cohabitation since Henry VIII. There's chatter of him wanting to "reinvent himself." Well, I'm more than willing to help with that reinvention, starting with my own royal rod. Why? Because the allure of fucking a prince, even one with a tarnished reputation, is just too hard to resist.

In summary, Prince Andrew might be a royal mess, but there's a part of me that's still eager to be his knight in shining… well, let's just say I'm ready to dive into his scandal with my sword in hand. Here's to hoping he reinvents himself right into my bed.

[royalty-nobility]

Edward, Duke of York (1739-67) with his Friends in Venice

Artist: Richard Brompton (English, 1734-88)

Date: 1764-1765

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, United Kingdom

Description

Edward, Duke of York (1739-1767), set off on a Grand Tour of Italy in the summer of 1763, at the age of 24. After first visiting Genoa, Florence and Rome, he travelled to Venice in May 1764. He spent three weeks there, hosted in lavish style by several Venetian noblemen, in the company of members of his Household and other English gentlemen.

It is surrounded by these men that the Duke of York is depicted by Richard Brompton: the Duke sits in the centre, wearing the ribbon and star of the Order of the Garter; on the left stands the Duke’s Master of the Horse, Sir William Boothby (1721-87) with his arm around the shoulders of the Duke’s Groom of the Bedchamber, Colonel Henry St. John (c. 1738-1818); on the right, Whig politician and Dilettanti Society member Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston (1739-1802) leans his arm on the Duke’s seat, with Resident at Venice John Murray (d. 1775), the Earl of Upper Ossory, John Fitzpatrick (1745-1818) and the grandson of the 1st Duke of St Albans, Topham Beauclerk (1739-80) also standing beside him. Brompton may have been commissioned to produce the work by Murray, and though the group portrait is set in Venice it is likely that Brompton did not start painting it until the party travelled on to Padua.

In this painting, Brompton followed a growing tradition of Grand Tour group portraiture. An Antique vase, upon which a relief of Leda and the Swan can be discerned, sits on a high plinth in the centre of the painting, above the Duke of York. Thus, both the Duke and the cultural education he was experiencing are prominent. Not only is his status made clear by his attire, his positioning and the gestures of his companions, but the Duke’s name is actually inscribed on one of the greyhounds’ collars, on the left-hand side.

[scotianostra]

On 14th December 1542, James V died at Falkland Palace.

When James IV was killed at Flodden, yet another royal minority ensued, for his son James V was only one year old when he became the kKing.

The Scots were reluctant to accept his English mother Margaret Tudor as Regent, and after her remarriage in 1514 they replaced her with James IV's half-French cousin, the Duke of Albany.

Queen Margaret's tempestuous private life complicated her son's childhood, and after she divorced her second husband, Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of Angus, the Earl kidnapped young James.

For two years he held him captive, showering him with gifts and introducing him to a round of unsuitable pleasures. James loathed his former stepfather, and finally managed to escape in 1528, to rule by himself, he was around 16 at the time.+

James' personal rule began by savagely pursuing his opponents and he hounded the Earl of Angus out of Scotland. James combined suspicion of nobles with a popular touch, travelling anonymously among Scottish people as the 'Gudeman o'Ballengeich', The Gudeman of Ballengeich.

John Knox described him thus: 'he was called of some, a good poor man's king; of others he was termed a murderer of the nobility, and one that had decreed their whole destruction'.

In 1536 he decided to marry. A highly strung, intelligent man who alternated between black depression and bouts of feverish energy, he had already fathered at least nine illegitimate children by a series of mistresses.

He chose as his wife Princess Madeleine of France, for he was eager to strengthen 'the Auld Alliance' against England. The Princess was a frail wee lassie, her father was not keen on sending her to Scotland and it’s harsher climate, she died in his arms on 7th July 1537, seven weeks after her arrival in Edinburgh, she was only 16.

In 1538 he married another French lady, the widowed Mary of Guise, tall, well-built and already the mother of two sons. She had two more sons by James but they both died in infancy within hours of each other in 1541.

James V's uncle, Henry VIII, who had by now broken with the Roman Catholic Church and dissolved the monasteries, was urging him to do the same. He refused to listen to his uncle's persuasions and in 1542 failed to go to an arranged meeting with Henry at York.

Furious, Henry launched an invasion of Scotland. Already ill, James marched his army south with his army, to defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss on the Scottish/English Border, on 24th November 1542.

Although he himself had not been present at the battle, James suffered a complete nervous collapse. Retiring to Falkland Palace in Fife he took to his bed with a high fever and, when a messenger came to tell him that his pregnant queen had given birth to a daughter instead of the hoped-for son, he believed that the Stewart dynasty was at an end.

'It cam wi' a lass and it will gang wi' a lass', he said, remembering how the crown had come to his family through Marjorie Bruce and fearing that no woman could ever rule his troubled nation. Six days later, he was dead.

James V King of Scots was buried at Holyrood Abbey beside his first wife Queen Madeleine. His tomb. like many other Scottish kings was destroyed during the reformation was rediscovered and reported as such by John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, one of Scotland’s leading jurists and historians of the era, you can read an account of this event at the link below. The second pic is a statue at Stirling Castle showing James as The Gudeman of Ballengeichhttps://marieguiselorraine2015.com/2015/02/23/1683-rediscovery-of-the-tombs-of-james-v-stuart-and-his-two-sons-by-mary-of-guise/

[kateshistoryspot]

The New Evidence Concerning The Princes In The Tower: What Does This Mean?

In 1483, the nephews of the future King Richard III, the future King Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, went missing. Even during the time period, the concept that two royal princes could just disappear into thin air was absurd, and because a previous heir apparent had been found dead under mysterious circumstances, the worst was assumed by the public. Richard III would only reign two years, dying at The Battle Of Bosworth in 1485, causing the House of Plantagenet to lose power for the first time since the 12th century. With the years following the disappearance, fingers pointed to Richard for having caused and concealed the deaths, yet in the 20th century, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating Richard's name (aptly named The Richard III Society) began proposing that someone other than Richard- if anyone had at all- had destroyed his nephews. After the success of the Finding Richard Project in 2012, the RIII Society was taken more seriously, and they vowed to find his missing nephews next.

However, a few days ago, what some are hailing as "damnable" evidence was found: a relative of the infamous Sir James Tyrell, who was accused by King Henry VII and Queen Elisabeth of York as having done the deed for Richard III, was found to be in possession of a "Cheyne which was Yonge kynge Edward the Vth.” As those who believe Richard III was usurping tyrant celebrate this find, we should look into what this means as an article of history.

First of all, lets look at what the document is: the new information comes from the 1516 will of Lady Margaret Capell, who was half sister to Sir James Tyrell's wife. In her will, Margaret wrote:

“I bequeath to my sonne Sir Giles his fadres Cheyne which was Yonge kynge Edward the Vth.”

Now, at face value, this looks pretty bad: why does James Tyrell's family have ANYTHING of Edward V's? Yet, it was very common for kings and princes to gift trinkets and jewelry to people who had done them some service. Tyrell had been knighted in 1471 by King Edward IV, later entering the service of Richard, then Duke of Gloucester. Once Richard assumed the throne, Tyrell became High Sheriff of Cornwall. Yet, things would come crashing down with the untimely death of the king, and the coronation of Henry VII, who needed to prove that his brothers-in-law were dead. This meant that he needed some proof that there were no other claimants, and so he imprisoned Tyrell with the hopes that he would confess, which he did.

So, James would have been, under most circumstances, near the Royal Household. This gives us three options as to how Tyrell became the owner of Edward's chain:

Theory 1: Tyrell did something worthy of honor and Edward gave him a token of gratitude.

It wasn't uncommon for kings to give away pieces of jewelry and trinkets to people who do some good for them. Although the late Middle Ages were steeped in record keeping, it seems that there isn't much from the Royal Household during this time period. It could be that, like the will, any documentation of the sentiment was lost, or at least yet to be found.

Theory 2: The chain was for Tyrell's role as High Sheriff of Cornwall.

One of the things I think were overlooked when this document came to light is that Tyrell and Edward held the same office: Edward was granted the title as an infant, while Tyrell was granted it in 1483. This means that, under the circumstances at play, Tyrell could have been given Richard's chain, which very well might have also belonged to Edward. When the will was written, Richard III was not someone you wanted to have ties to: people thought very poorly of him for how he came to the throne and how he died. This could have led Margaret to gloss over Richard's ownership of the chain and emphasize more on Edward's ownership. This would also allow them family to distance themselves from their involvement with Richard III, and align themselves with the newly crowned King Henry VIII.

Theory 3: James Tyrell kept the chain as a trophy for the crime he committed.

This theory relies heavily on the concept of Ocam's Razor: that the simplest reason for something is what happened, or that Richard did away with his nephews with the help of James Tyrell, and he kept the chain as a memento for his crimes. This doesn't really explain everything, but it is a possibility, I guess.

What do you think happened? Is Richard innocent? Is the chain just a happenstance?

[goodoldroyalty]

BILL AND BERTIE

On May 9 1927 a horse-drawn landau, complete with postilions wearing horsehair wigs, deposited the Duke and Duchess of York at the front steps of Parliament House. The Royal couple had arrived to open the building and the first sitting of federal Parliament in Canberra. After the ceremonies, the Duke had to take the salute at a troop review in what is now York Park, southeast of Parliament House. The two-hour review was to feature more than 2,000 troops, including Light Horsemen, and massed brass bands.

But the Duke couldn’t take the salute standing on his own legs. He had to ride a horse with the strength and stamina to handle the pressure. The horse also had to be very calm, because the saluting Duke would be holding the reins in one hand. These requirements were a big ask of an animal whose instinctive response to loud or scary situations is to flee.

Some 250 police horses were considered for the Duke. Only one made the grade: ‘a big, black mare, of magnificent appearance’, reported Brisbane’s Daily Standard on May 6.

In this photo, the Duke looks very nervous. He is perching rather than riding, and holding the reins high and tight. Perhaps he was trying to hold Bill back. The Age of May 10 reported:

‘As soon as the Duke approached the saluting base … a blast was blown on a bugle. The Royal Ensign was unfurled at the mast … and the troops came to the slope. Another blast and the troops were given the command to present arms. At the same instant the massed bands from the navy, army and air forces, stationed at the rear of the parade, played the National Anthem, and the Duke, whose horse was restive, received the salute.’

The fluttering pennants and flashing bayonets startled at all angles. The blaring bugles and thumping brass bands sent strange vibrations through the earth and air. Bill pulled and bounced and flung his rider about.

One spectator, Hilda Abbott (the wife of Northern Territory Administrator Charles Abbott), recalled ‘the Duchess looked anxious and her face had flushed as the horse had pranced about’. 

An elegant solution: the Duke swapped to Black Bess and the Governor-General mounted Lord Cavan’s horse. Most spectators did not notice the change.

[wonder-worker]

what did cicely neville do in edward iv's reign?

Hi! Cecily’s entire role during Edward IV’s reign is too long and complex to fully get into right now, so this is just going to be a very brief overview. It’s also not going to touch on her relationship with her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, even though that's somewhat relevant here in some aspects, because that’s also too complex and speculatory.

Ironically, despite the Duke of York’s claims to kingship, it was only after his death and during her widowhood that Cecily Neville truly emerged as a “quasi-queen”. After her son Edward IV had been acclaimed as King in London, and before he left for Towton with the other lords, he summoned the mayor and “all the notables of London” to gather and “recommended them to the duchess his mother”. During his absence, Cecily would preside over his household in Baynard Castle and was probably meant to act as his representative of sorts in the city. After his kingship was more firmly established, Cecily primarily resided at Westminster with him from 1461-64 and regularly accompanied him on several ceremonial and political occasions, such as their visit to Canterbury where she was magnificently welcomed. She also appears to have had a great deal of personal and political influence with her son: Nicholas O’Flanagan, the contemporary Bishop of Elpin, observed in the first few years of Edward IV's reign, his mother could “rule the king as she pleases.” This may have relied on popular topos of mothers and their young sons, it may have reflected reality, or it may have been exaggerated - we don't really know - but it does indicate Cecily's prominent position.

Cecily’s role demonstrably changed after Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville in 1464. She remained the second-highest ranked woman in the country, but she took a significant step back from high politics (a la Joan of Kent after her son’s marriage to Anne of Bohemia). That does not mean that either of them suddenly became apolitical or uninvolved: quite the opposite*. Cecily remained the head of a large household, her administration supported her son’s, she continued to support a few religious institutions, she engaged in trade, she launched court cases, and she clearly inspired loyalty among her affinity. All of this was fairly standard for a medieval noblewoman, but was naturally enhanced by Cecily’s own prominent royal status. Cecily was godmother to at least three of the royal children: Elizabeth of York, her namesake Cecily, and the youngest child, Bridget. She also played a role in reconciling her son George to the Yorkist cause in 1471, though she did not have the spearheading role which has often been erroneously credited to her by historians (ie: “engineering peace between her warring sons”); instead, it was her daughters Anne and Margaret who took the leading role in achieving the reconciliation, while Cecily probably aided them. She was also clearly perceived to be influential with Edward IV, best evidenced by how the mayors of Norwich petitioned her to aid them against the Duke of Suffolk in 1480, though we don’t actually know the result of Cecily’s intervention to judge whether it succeeded or how effective it was**. Regardless, though, she evidently had a much lower national profile during these years.

(On a more personal level, we also have a very sweet anecdote from Elizabeth Stonor who spoke of a meeting between Cecily and Edward in October 1476 at Greenwich: 'and ther I  sawe the metyng betwyne the Kynge and my ladye his Modyr. And trewly me thowght it was a very good syght’.)

Cecily’s numerous titles are also interesting. Immediately after Edward IV’s ascension, she called herself “the Kyngs Moder, Duchess of York”. Variations of the title included references to her late husband, but she primarily defined herself in relation to her son, through whom her current position and power derived. As Laynesmith says: "narrative accounts, particularly chronicles, had naturally used the phrase ‘the king’s mother’ to describe women in the past, especially Joan of Kent. However, it was Cecily who turned this into a specific title in her letters and on her seals." A few months after Edward's marriage was announced, Cecily adopted a new title, now styling herself as: “By the ryghtful enheritors Wyffe late of the Regne off Englande & of Fraunce & off ye lordschyppe off yrlonde, the kynges mowder ye Duchesse of Yorke.” This referenced the Yorkist perception of her husband, Richard Duke of York, who was called the "true and indubitable heir" of England. In 1477, a herald for the wedding of her grandson Richard of Shrewsbury styled Cecily as “the right high and excellent Princesse and Queene of right, Cicelie, Mother to the Kinge”. This was once again linked to her husband’s status: Cecily described him in her letters as “in right King of England and of France and lord of Ireland”. All in all, Cecily’s various designations appear to have been designed to signify her own importance within the regime, to uphold the claim of her late husband, and to strengthen Edward IV’s position by promoting him as the son of the (supposedly) rightful heir. It’s also very possible, as Laynesmith has suggested, that “it was as her queenly power diminished [after the early 1460s] that her claims to queenship were more elaborately emphasized in wax and on parchment”.

Cecily’s role and prominence, and how it changed overtime, is best demonstrated by the number of times English subjects offered prayers for her soul in return for grants. Between June 1461 and September 1464, there are twelve instances of grants made to people who offered prayers for her. (To compare, during the first three years of Elizabeth Woodville's queenship, there were sixteen grants of the same type. So, Cecily didn't quite reach the level of the queen, but she came close; it was quintessential "quasi-queenship"). However, mentions of Cecily dramatically deceased following Edward IV's marriage: over the next 19 years till 1483, she is only mentioned five times, and in all cases Elizabeth Woodville was also listed before she was. Three of these mentions are in 1465, likely reflecting contemporary unease with her son's controversial marriage and the perceived unsuitable origins of the new queen. After that, however, Cecily is mentioned only twice: once in 1476 and once in 1481, with the latter being a grant to her own son-in-law Thomas St. Leger***. This fits well with what I mentioned above about her quasi-queenship in the early 1460s, followed by a much more reduced role and lower national profile in the future years.

Hope this helps!

*Oddly, Cecily is not mentioned at all in contemporary reports for her daughter Margaret’s wedding. Laynesmith believes that she was unwell, and that may as well be true, but Margaret's celebrations went on for a great period of time and it does seem conspicuous that Cecily was entirely absent from them all. It's also worth noting that a letter from the Milanese ambassador Giovanni Pietro Panicharolla on the marriage wrote that "the king, the queen, her father, and the king's brothers are all disposed to it" (sidenote: it's VERY interesting that the queen's father is mentioned before the king's own brothers and male heirs) but made no mention of Cecily. Nor, iirc, was she mentioned in the tournament held to celebrate Anglo-Burgundian relations. It does clearly seem as though Cecily did not play a notable role in the marriage, and relevant diplomacy, at all. (Laynesmith's claim that its Cecily had "helped lay the ground for" the marriage because she *checks notes* dispatched both her sons to Burgundy in middle of a civil war 7 years earlier, with many fluctuations in Anglo-Burgundian relations in between, is, I'm sorry to say, nonsense). ** Laynesmith believes that "Cecily’s intervention to control Suffolk perhaps marked a turning point in the duke’s violent career because when he resorted to force again the following summer his victim successfully reclaimed the manor from which he had personally ejected her." I think that Laynesmith is being far too assumptive and that we don’t even know the result of Cecily’s intervention in 1480 to somehow credit her with entirely different case one year later that literally did not even involve her, lol. ***Even more oddly, Cecily’s own son Richard didn’t include her among the list for who to offer prayers for in his college in Middleham in 1478. This was despite the fact that he had included Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, his wife Anne Neville, his sisters, his dead brothers and his dead father. It’s incredibly striking, and I wonder what could have happened to cause her exclusion, especially since she was included in religious foundations by both Edward and her son-in-law Thomas St. Leger? Laynesmith claims that "this rather suggests that Richard's own piety was not consciously influenced by hers", and sure, that seems obvious, but it certainly can't have been the only reason. Was she merely overlooked, or did they have a quarrel at the time, or was it for another now-unknown reason? Whatever the case, it's a small but intriguing detail to me.

Sources:

"Cecily, Duchess of York" by J.L. Laynesmith

"A Paper Crown: The Titles and Seals of Cecily, Duchess of York" by J.L. Laynesmith (The Ricardian)

"Cecily Neville: Mother of Kings" by Amy License

[racefortheironthrone]

I saw not long ago that the Duke of Norfolk is still a thing, and he's the #1 Duke outside the ones who are made up for being the King's close family, and he's a Howard descended from the guy who died at Bosworth and the Howards have been the top Catholic family in the UK for centuries. How did that work when Catholicism was illegal, and also BOTH the wives Henry VIII killed were members of that family? Why didn't Henry or a devout king take them out? Why didn't they go down with the Stuarts?

Great question!

The Howards have always had a remarkable talent for getting themselves into and out of trouble - the former because they were ambitious noblemen who aspired to high office and dynastic marriage alliances with the royal family, the latter because they were rich and powerful noblemen who were good at laying low for a while and coming up with a good plan b.

So to take Thomas Howard, his father and grandfather had gambled heavily on Richard III and lost almost everything when the Tudors came to power. However, Thomas managed to marry Anne of York, which gave the Howards a blood tie to the Tudors, and a route back into power as Lord Admiral. Highly successful military service against the Scots made Thomas an Earl and thereafter he was the Tudors' go-to military man in Ireland and France.

Then Thomas gambled again with Anne Boleyn, and when that ended disastrously, he very carefully made sure he ended up on the right side of things by presiding as judge over the trials of Anne Boleyn's "lovers." His prestige nevertheless took a hit and he had to spend some time away from court before eventually being recalled to deal with the Pilgrimage of Grace. (Notably, despite being the leader of the Catholic faction, Thomas had no problem with promoting his Protestant niece or brutally suppressing the Catholic Pilgrimage.)

After bringing down Cromwell, Thomas achieved his zenith of power by bringing about Henry's marriage to Catherine Howard. That gamble ended disastrously when Catherine's adultery was found out, leading to Thomas being exiled from court. He later found his way back into power, only to be thrown into the Tower along with his son and the rest of the Catholic faction when the Seymours came to power. And so it went.

As to the issue with Catholicism, the thing to keep in mind is the "middle way" that the English Reformation pursued. When the dust had settled between the conflict between Edwardian Calvinists and Marian Catholics or crypto-Catholics, Elizabeth I's settlement didn't quite outlaw Catholicism. Catholic "recusants," as they were known in the statues, were fined for not attending Church of England services, but a wealthy family like the Norfolks could afford to pay. Now, it wasn't exactly safe - Thomas' son Henry Howard the Earl of Surray got himself executed by Henry VIII due to his extreme political stupidity, and his son Thomas got executed for trying to overthrow Elizabeth I in favor of Mary Queen of Scots, and his son Philip died of disease in the Tower of London, where he had been jailed for being a Catholic and plotting with Jesuits, although Philip's son actually did quite well as a diplomat and courtier under James I in part because the two shared interests in collecting art.

And so it went...

[invisibleicewands]

Michael Sheen steps into the shoes of Prince Andrew, and Emily had insider advice for him, too. “I spent a lot of time talking to Michael about elements of the interview that you couldn’t get from the actual tape; Andrew’s demeanour before the interview and how happy he was afterwards.”

Michael says shooting the interview scenes was “intense”. “The interview is the heart of the piece so there was a lot of pressure. And something else I found interesting is that this story still needs to be out there, and not brushed under the carpet,” he says.

The Mirror

Michael Sheen: Andrew Newsnight interview series explores ‘dangers of privilege’

Michael Sheen has said his new series based on the infamous Newsnight interview with the Duke of York is about the “dangers of privilege and entitlement”.

The Welsh actor, 55, portrays the duke in the upcoming Prime Video series A Very Royal Scandal, which depicts the interview in which former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis grilled Andrew over his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Luther actress Ruth Wilson takes on the part of Maitlis for the three episodes, which explore the events surrounding the high-profile interview.

Speaking about the show’s message ahead of the launch next week, Sheen said: “The more we’ve been working on it, it’s become clearer and clearer to me that it’s a story about the dangers of privilege and the dangers of entitlement, both for the person who has that privilege and entitlement but also for the society that is the context for it.

“And how easy it becomes to exploit people and situations, and to feel justified in doing that somehow.

“Or to not even think about it too much because you don’t have to, and the injustice in that.

“And when that happens, it is very difficult for people who have very little privilege and very little power or voice to confront that and to get people to listen.

“And so, I hope that an audience will come away from this having had an experience of that and seeing the far-reaching effects. Not only for within this story but within our culture.”

During the Newsnight exclusive, the duke was questioned on allegations that Epstein’s victim Virginia Giuffre was trafficked to have sex with him when she was aged 17.

Following the BBC broadcast in November 2019 and the furore over Andrew’s friendship with Epstein, the duke stepped down from public life.

Michael Sheen talks "exhausting" scenes with Ruth Wilson for new drama

[...] Sheen, who plays Prince Andrew in the new drama, spoke exclusively to Digital Spy about filming the groundbreaking interview in long takes, which were both "exhausting" and "thrilling".

It was one of the few times on the drama that the Good Omens star worked with Ruth Wilson, who plays Emily Maitlis, and they shot the scenes over a couple of days.

He said: "We had put so much work into it. The research and the studying of it and the talking about it, so that it felt like the stakes were very high. Knowing that the interview itself is the heart of the piece and so much comes out of that – it's about building up to it and then about the aftermath."

In the drama, the interview plays out in interwoven segments throughout the second episode. Given that it was "chopped up", Sheen said he and Wilson felt they should run the takes of the interview for as long as they could.

"The first few times we did any filming on the interview, each take was about 19-20 minutes long," Sheen said. "For anyone who doesn't know how the process works, that's incredibly long for a take.

"So there was a real crackle in the air when we were doing it. It was thrilling. It was exhausting. By the time we finished each take, it was like having come off stage doing a play. But it was amazing. I will never forget what it was like doing those early takes of that."

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

The Disgraced Prince

CHAPTER SIX: The Offer

My name is James Cole, PR chief to His Majesty, King Charles III. My job is to drum up good press and to neutralize any disgrace and embarrassment to the British royal family. More importantly, keeping his tryst between his new fuck boy a secret. Another being Prince Andrew, who has been reduced to nothing more than Lord High Dogwalker, keeper of the royal corgis under Charles' rule, who I'm also a fuck boy too. And he wants me to use my status to help him become a 'working royal' again. But recently, I introduced him to a hand picked rent boy to keep him occupied.

On today's agenda, His Majesty wants me to encourage Andrew to leave the Royal Lodge in Windsor in exchange for Frogmore Cottage. Apparently, the brothers have reportedly been at odds over a sweetheart deal cut between Andrew and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to give the Duke of York lifelong possession of a grand mansion on the grounds of Windsor Castle. He doesn't need all that space, and also the optics are absolutely terrible that someone who stepped back as a working royal in disgrace is in this huge grace-and-favour property. And now it's my job to make the offer.

After the meeting with Charles, I headed over to the Royal Lodge in Windsor to break the news and maybe fuck him. When I arrived, I was escorted into the sitting room where Andrew was. The closer I got to the room, I heard moaning, swearing and loud noises that sounded like slapping. Having heard the sounds of sex before, I excused the sevant hurried into the sitting room and to my surprised found Andrew fucking Fergie doggy style. The two were fucking like rabbits as I to watch unnoticed. Randy Andy was insatiable, still fucking his ex I thought before saying, "Don't let me interrupt."

"Sorry Mr. Cole… Fergie and I still like to get togetherfrom time to time." Andrew said as he helped Sarah to get dressed to leave.

"Andrew, I don't care who you fuck or from who. Just as long as there legal and your careful that no ones finds out." I said after she left.

"Had enough?" I asked after noticing his still hard erection.

"Of course not."  

"Well, we can't have that now. Can we?" I said as I knelt in front of him and took his cock in my hand, looked at it, admiring its stiffness and straightness.

Then I licked his balls, taking each in my mouth and alternatively sucking, then ever so gingerly, biting on each. Hearing Andy moan, I wanted to bring the hubristic prince to the height of excitement before sucking the cum out of that lovely cock. And once his cock passed my moist lips, I instantly tasted Fergie's pussy as Andrew stared down at me with a smile.

Moments later, we were both naked in bed with me bobbing up and down on Andrew's cock. I alternated licking up and down his cock and balls, making sure Andrew didn't cum too quickly.  

"I love the way you suck my cock." The prince said, when I stopped. I slid up his body, stopping to kiss each nipple on his chest before I pulled my face up even with his and placed a wet kiss on his mouth.

It was wonderful to share the taste of his cock with him as we locked our tongues together, sucking on each other’s tongue. And the prince’s kisses became more passionate the longer we embraced. But I wanted to feel his tongue on my cock. I pulled my face away from him and moved up and straddle Andrew's chest and pushed my dick against his mouth.

"Suck me." I said.  

I didn’t think The Duke would open his mouth, but then I guess he was so turned on he didn’t know what he was doing. The next thing I knew Andrew was sucking my dick and it felt wonderful. But even better was looking down at Andrew's face while he had my dick in his mouth. He remembered what I did to make him feel good and tried to copy my technique, bob his head up and down just as I had done earlier.

"That's it, just like that." I said as I reached behind me and grabbed Andrew’s dick and started jacking him as hard and fast as possible while he sucked my rock hard dick.  

I worked on it with such skill that he began moaning deep inside his throat as he sucked my dick until we came together. I shot off in Andrew’s mouth and he squirted his big load onto my naked back. He gagged at first, but swallowed all my load before pulling it out. But even as I climbed off him and onto the bed, I could tell Randy Andy still wasn't satisfied. Neither was I.

I moved down, hoisted his legs up over my shoulders and I spit on the head of my dick. Andrew knew I was going to insert my thick meat up his ass. But he was so worked up he was ready to let me do whatever I wanted as I pressed the swollen red head of my cock against his tight royal hole. I put more and more pressure against my dick until it popped into his asshole.

The entitled, arrogant prince cried out as my dick slowly plunged into his ass, stretching it to accommodate my thick dick. I leaned over and kissed him as I drove my dick deep into him. Andrew reached up and pulled my face hard against his as I sent my tongue down his throat. He couldn’t cry out, just moaned deep in his throat as I rammed my dick up to my balls inside of him, fucking the decadent upper class twit brutally. I was fucking him so hard that the bed creaked with the weight of two of us squirming in ecstasy. Andrew was clutching the bed sheets as he was now enjoying the fierce pounding that I was administering.  

Suddenly, the hubristic prince was screaming, "Fuck me James, Fuck me!" over and over again, surprising me.

The passion we exchanged sent me into a sex craze as I was pounding his ass pussy like he must have pounded all the pussy in his life. The slapping sound was getting more intense and I started to wonder if anyone of the servants could hear.

"You like a cock up your ass. You love it. You were born to be fucked like this Your Royal Highness!"

I got so much pleasure out of controlling him, of spitting my words at him like he'd done to his servants, that I suddenly shot my load inside of him. And as my orgasm flooded through me, Andrew suddenly released his second load between us. He held me tightly for a few moments before I collapsed on the bed beside him.

After resting for a few minutes, I finally made Charles' offer, but Andrew saw it as a demotion and said no. Looking at him, I thought this entitled, arrogant asshole is never going to be a public-facing member of the Royal Family again deserves worse. But he's a good fuck, better than Charles. So I'll continue to string him along. I fucked Andrew long into the night, making him cum again and again. Between sessions, I allowed him to plow my ass. We thoroughly enjoyed each other until we were totally spent.

[tailsbeth-writes]

Heyyy! 💖 So many good prompts and I'm a very indecisive person, but how about 😴 + RWRB?

I know for a fact that I've mentioned Princess Diaries 2 in relation to Henry before a fic but let's pretend I'm super original 😅 read on Ao3 here 💤

Henry's never been to a slumber party before. It wasn't exactly a custom for royals when the people you mixed with were the prince of Sweden or some duke's boarding school brat. He fantasised about asking his parents for one after he and Beatrice watched the Princess Diaries 2 but alas his grandmother was not Julie Andrews and he never plucked up the courage.

Beatrice had arrived in New York the day before, her foundation’s concert series was hitting American shores so she used it as an excuse to visit her little brother. She enters the living room in cherry blossom printed pyjamas and bunny slippers Alex had bought her for visits.

‘I still think those are utterly ridiculous.’ Henry points to Beatrice's feet. Alex comes in behind her with sleeping bags piled high in his arms and sighs.

‘Quit shitting on my perfectly adorable gift and start helping me.’

Beatrice holds a hand over her mouth to keep a giggle in, Henry shoots her daggers before taking some of the sleeping bags. The three of them get to work making the living room look extra cosy, Alex and Henry nearly lose a fight with the air mattress but thankfully Beatrice saves them.

‘Bloody idiots,’ she whispers under her breath. The buzzer goes before the boys can reply, Nora and June have bags of groceries between them, there's a twizzler hanging out of Nora's mouth. Percy follows with a Louis Vuitton suitcase.

‘You know we're only here for a night, right?’ June asks, eyeing up the large case. Percy shakes his head, puts a finger in the air before crouching and opening up the case. Everyone gathers round and coos, it is filled to the brim with Korean skin care products.

An hour later, the six of them are deposited around the living room in pyjamas, with face masks on, gorging on pizza. Nora and Alex are debating which Disney movie to put on, Beatrice is painting Percy's nails and June is reading while using Henry’s shoulder as a cushion. Henry feels cosy, he can't help but think this is better than the Princess Diaries. Although he wouldn't mind the addition of Chris Pine.

[landoom]

Fanfic - Logan/George - Red, White and Williams Blue - Masterpost

“On Sunday, we will have the honour to receive the visit of His Highness Prince George, Duke of York.” The room erupted in chatter and murmurs. Logan wasn’t sure why. He looked around and nearly everyone seemed excited at the prospect. Logan knew the British still had a special relationship with their royal family; he had never seen people getting so excited for a VIP visit. “Oh my god, Logan! Prince George is coming!” Even Alex, apparently. “Hum. Yeah.” “Logs! Prince George!” Alex squealed.  “Yeah, I heard. Duke of something. He’s the second son of the King, isn’t he?” “Logan… Tell me you’re joking.” Logan wasn’t. He was pretty sure Prince George was indeed the youngest child of King Stephen. He remembered having a lesson about him at the boarding school and being all weirded out because George was nearly the same age as him. “No?” “Logs! It’s George! One of the most handsome men in the UK!” “Alex… Aren’t you straight?” “Exactly. Even straight guys have a crush on Prince George.”

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII - coming soon

Bonus scenes

[spiritundaunted]

Interesting post on Instagram from british_colonial_collector (see link below) about a bronze sculpture in his collection of Joseph Chamberlain (father of Neville Chamberlain, the WW2 Prime Minister before Churchill) who served as Secretary of State for the colonies 1895-1903.

The interesting part for me is the hinge on the reverse side that reads “this bronze plaque was moulded by His Royal Highness the Duke of York at the British Industries Fair, Birmingham March 1st 1921” with the coronet of the DofY on top.

So it was cast by the future King George VI, unbeknownst to him some 26 years later, he would be king and Joseph's son Neville would be his PM.

The Industrial Prince, doing his thing and leaving his mark. 😊

Incidentally, this was only a few days after Elizabeth had turned down his first marriage proposal, so I just think about what his state of mind might have been while going about the engagement. Things to ponder...

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[george-the-good]

THE DUKE OF YORK visits the Northampton factory of shoe-makers Crockett & Jones, February 6, 1924. He is pictured examining the work of an employee in his 80s.

Some anecdotes about his visit, from the NORTHAMPTON MERCURY:

As a memento of his visit, the Duke of York was asked to accept a pair of shoes.

He tried one or two pairs on, and as he stood up to make sure of the fit, remarked ‘I’ve got a hopeless sort of foot.’

Sir James Crockett personally measured His Royal Highness and drew an outline of his stockinged foot on a sheet of blotting paper. The Duke was also presented with a tobacco pouch, made on the premises, and a pair of slippers that were rather ornamental in their decoration. As he tried the slippers on, the Duke laughingly remarked, ‘I shall have to go to meetings in these.’