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February 2025
Republic: Britain’s Revolutionary Decade, 1649–1660
- Wednesday 12 February, 19:30
Events moved with giddying speed in the 1650s. After the execution of Charles I, ‘dangerous’ monarchy was abolished and the House of Lords was dismissed, sending shock waves across the kingdom. These revolutionary acts set in motion a decade of bewildering change and instability, under the leadership of the soldier-statesman Oliver Cromwell.
England’s unique republican experiment – imposed on Scotland and Ireland, too – may have been short-lived, but it has had a lasting impact on British monarchy, politics, religion and culture, and on the story the British continue to tell about themselves. It is a period that, for a long time, history chose to forget, or recalled as a failure. Here, in thrilling detail, Alice Hunt brings the republic and its extraordinary cast of characters, from politicians to poets and prophets, back to life.
The Chevalier d’Eon in the English Law Courts
- Friday 14 February, 14:00
In the 1770s, a remarkable rumour abounded in London and the rest of Europe. The Chevalier d’Eon, French spy, soldier, and diplomat, was not a man but a woman. Even more remarkable, in 1777 d’Eon returned to France from England under a certificate of safe conduct from the French king, acknowledging that the Chevalier d’Eon was in fact female.
During this period, d’Eon was involved in a number of cases in the English law courts. Many of these legal records, including newly discovered letters by d’Eon, are held by The National Archives. Marking LGBTQ+ history month, Legal Records Specialist, Dan Gosling will be examining these to provide new perspectives on the Chevalier d’Eon during this transitional period.
The story of Europe’s medieval Jewish communities
- Wednesday 26 February, 19:30
The Jews of medieval Europe were a distinct people yet also deeply rooted in their local and urban communities. There was a great deal of mutual influence and interaction between these communities and their neighbours, as well as moment of crisis and acute violence.
Historian Miri Rubin will explore the rich history of Jews and their communities in medieval Europe. She’ll review what we can learn about the communities themselves as well as what they can tell us about the diversity of European cities and their capacities to manage – not always equitably – the variety of groups that called them home.
A constitutional monarchy? Magna Carta in the 13th century
- Friday 28 February, 14:00
Discover how Magna Carta overcame its faltering start in 1215 to influence the political landscape throughout the reign of Henry III and beyond. The charter, which originally sought to limit the powers of the king and protect baronial rights, was reissued several times during Henry III’s reign, each iteration reinforcing its importance and adapting to the changing political climate.
Join Jessica Nelson, Head of Collections Expertise & Engagement at The National Archives, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the 1225 reissue of Magna Carta, and find out more about the history and legacy of this iconic document.
March 2025
Eleanor of Castile: Queen of Hearts?
- Wednesday 5 March, 19:30
Eleanor was a devoted and loyal wife to Edward I. Theirs was a notoriously affectionate marriage, not only did she support him during the civil war and crusade, she played an active role as a cultural and religious patron, diplomat and arranger of marriages. Yet, there was another, more sinister side to Eleanor’s rule as queen. Widely perceived as a harsh and unscrupulous estate administrator, whose activities were criticised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Eleanor controversially took over debts owed by English subjects to Jewish financiers, and then took over the lands pledged for the debts.
Even so, on Eleanor’s death in November 1290, Edward I was devastated. Twelve, splendid monumental crosses marked the route of her funeral procession from Lincolnshire to Westminster; and three tombs were erected at Blackfriars Priory (London), Westminster Abbey and Lincoln Cathedral, for Eleanor’s heart, body and internal organs.
Historian Louise Wilkinson explores Eleanor’s life and her impact on 13th-century Britain and queenship.
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