Grace and Favour
Hampton Court Palace Story When most people think about the residents of Hampton Court Palace, the first name that comes in place is King Henry VIII, the first monarch to…
Stories
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The 27 lovers of Lady Worsley.
An Appuldurcombe House Story The title of this story could perhaps be a little shocking (especially by today’s standards). But maybe the real shock should be the idea that no…
To Fall in Love at First Sight (After you got married)
A Goodwood House Story The First Duke of Richmond had royal blood in his veins: you could even say that he was a prince since his father was King Charles…
The Real Romeo and Juliet
A Longleat story Every year thousands of English tourists arrive in the city of Verona to see the house of Juliet. Incidentally, they could all just travel to Longleat in…
The Virgin Widow and the Swedish Assassin
Syon House and Alnwick Castle and Longleat story How can you marry twice and still stay a virgin? and who would be “crazy enough” to marry a woman that lost…
Becoming a Fertility Doctor in the 17th Century
A Lydiard House story Sometimes the apple can fall very far from the tree. In the case of Anne St. John, it probably fell so far, the tree couldn’t see…
To Fall in Love with Art
An Eastnor Castle Story Charles Somers loved to paint and his life’s ambition was to become an artist. Unfortunately for him, he was the eldest son of the 2nd Earl…
The Wife, the Prime Minister and Oliver Twist
A Basildon Park story Having an affair in Victorian England was not an issue if you were of the upper class. After all, most marriages were pre-arranged and had nothing…
The Curse of the Most Beautiful Girl in Ireland
A Croome Court story In the 18th century, marriage in the upper classes was still something more like a deal than a love story. If you were a poor or…
The Black Book of the Nazis
A Blenheim Palace story When World War II broke out in September 1939, the Nazi high command already had a plan called ‘Operation Sealion’. Their goal was to invade and…
Mr Thorkmorton’s £70,000 Coat
A Coughton Court story When you can’t play Bingo or bet on football what do you do? Well, you bet on the technology of course. There is a saying that…
The Witch of Leeds Castle
A Leeds Castle and Beaumaris Castle story During the 15th century, justice was not something anyone sought. Courts were not looking for it and victims did not hope to get…
The Dwarf in the Pie
A Sherborne Castle story During my visit to Sherborne Castle, I happened upon an unusual portrait of someone who resembled like a bizarre child. I did some research and discovered…
The Secretary
A Hanbury Hall story George was the last Vernon. With this in mind, he married heiress named Dorris Hill, but their marriage turned out so badly that they lived in…
The Prince of Wales and Mad Mordaunt
A Chiswick House Longleat and Witley Court story During the majority of the 19th and 20th century, Britain was reigned by two queens: Victoria and Elizabeth II. Both queens succeeded…
Lucy Percy, the Double Agent of the Civil War
Syon House and Alnwick Castle story She was the muse of most of the poets and writers who met her. She was a lover and a spy, and Alexandre Dumas…
The Birth of King Arthur
An Oxford Castle story The history of the British Isles is packed with great characters stories of kings and queens that could fill an infinite amount of books, but it…
The “Blazing World” of Margaret Cavendish
A Bolsover Castle story She was a feminist writer who believed in religious tolerance and was against cruelty to animals. It does not sound that unique in the 21st century…
Ford Lord Grey and the Berkeley Sisters
A Berkeley Castle and Chillingham Castle story What happens when you discover that your son-in-law is cheating and that the other woman is your own younger daughter? Well, you take…
The Lady Who Owned an Island
A Carisbrooke Castle story When a wealthy relative dies, it can totally change your fortune. In the case of Isabella de Fortibus, she had three wealthy relatives who died in…
Dragfoot, the Butcher of the Scots
A Chillingham Castle story It is the norm to start talking about ghosts in Chillingham Castle. It seems that the guides in the various rooms are really keen on this…
She was not a “Disney Princess”
A Corfe Castle story We have all read the fairy tales about the princess in the tower waiting for her saviour, right? Here is the real life version…without the happy…
The Worst Underground Movement in History
A Chirk Castle story If you join an underground movement and plan a rebellion, you really should know how to keep a secret. It’s quite hard to explain exactly what…
13 Years Old Mary Anne Needs a Husband
A Coughton Court story Marriage for us today is an institution that celebrates love, but at the end of the 18th century, marriage was a business. Wealthy and prestigious families…
The last Prince of Wales
A Harlech Castle story In 1995, the entire world learned the name of William Wallace the 13th century Scottish rebel who raised an army against the English. The blockbuster by…
The Most Expensive Marriage Proposal in History
A Kenilworth Castle story Planning a marriage proposal is tricky, especially when you intend to propose to a queen. During the 15th and 16th century Kenilworth was a royal castle,…
Peter the Wild Boy
A Kensington Palace story When George I arrived from Hanover to reign over Britain, he needed to make many improvements to Kensington Palace in order for it to fit his…
The Oldest Ghost in England
A Ludlow Castle story If you visit Ludlow Castle and suddenly hear a loud scream or bump into a ghostly white figure, you would be proud of meeting one of…
The Indian Man from Osborne House
An Osborne House story When you visit Osborne house on the Isle of Wight, it is easy to be dazzled by its sheer size and the amounts of paintings and…