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The reign of Queen Anne was brought vividly to life in the popular 2018 film, The Favourite. Olivia Colman earned herself an Oscar for playing the last Stuart monarch in a story that focused on Queen Anne’s close relationships with two influential female courtiers, as they vied for her favours and attention. Queen Anne has not always received such rapt attention from students of British royal history. However, she is a fascinating subject to learn about for a number of surprising reasons: 1- Queen Anne reigned after William III and Mary II – Britain’s only joint ruling monarchs Queen Anne was...

Following the very sad passing of Queen Elizabeth the Second in September 2022, the country has entered into a new era with King Charles the Third now sitting at the regal helm. The change is and will continue to be monumental for a population, of which the clear majority will have only known one monarch on the throne all their lives.

The 18th Century in England saw many changes and advancements. Queen Anne oversaw the joining of England and Scotland to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The country lived under its first German-speaking King and survived not one but two separate Jacobite uprisings. Explorers became renowned for their first ever expeditions to faraway locations like Africa, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Science took huge leaps forward too, with ‘firsts’ in the fields of astronomy, surgery and reducing the impact of transmissible diseases, among others. Many engineering feats, sporting events and cultural arrivals also helped to shape and advance...

  English monarch, Charles I is probably most famous for the way in which his reign ended. He was executed by beheading in 1649 after being defeated in the English Civil War by Oliver Cromwell and his followers. After his death, England became a Republic when Cromwell took over the reins under the self-appointed title of Lord Protector. However, England’s foray into Republicanism did not last long. Oliver Cromwell died from an infection just nine years later. His son, Richard ruled for two years, however the monarchy was restored in 1660 when Charles I’s son, Charles II took back the...

Numismatics is the official term for the study of currency. That is, coins, medals, medallions, paper money, tokens and more. Many numismatists collect rare and interesting examples of coins or medals as a hobby or business. Here are seven things you never knew about numismatists and the studying and collecting of coins, medals, memorabilia and money.   Why is collecting coins known as numismatics? The use of the term ‘numismatist’ to refer to a coin collector name, or ‘old coin expert’ first appeared in the early Nineteenth Century. It comes from the late Latin word ‘numismatis’, which is a derivative...