Grow Your Own - finished!

Hello everybody!

Oh, bleurgh to May and June!

With the start of 2022, I thought I'd left my stitching blips behind but, no, they have returned. So, rather than beat myself up about it, I've *shock horror* taken a step back from my monthly plans.

During June, instead of getting bogged down with deadlines and 'compulsory' stitching, I'm going to work on WIPs and aim for a few finishes. A change is as good as a rest, so it's said and, let's face it, finishes aren't exactly a bad goal to work towards!

First out of my h-u-g-e WIP box came a favourite piece, a Hannah Dale design I lovingly named Walter. There wasn't too much to go, so he became a finish quite quickly.

Here's how I left him back in January after 60 hours of work:

And here he is now, with his complete crop of vegetables:

Grow Your Own by Bothy Threads

Stitched on 16ct Tumbleweed over-dyed aida

Started - 25th December 2019

Finished - 13th June 2022

Total stitching time - 65 hours 45 minutes

Isn't he just gorgeous?! I think Walter has to be one of my top ten favourite finishes, and will always be particularly special as he was a birthday gift. Thank you so much again to the fellow stitcher who enabled the enabling - you know who you are.

Now I'm going to dive back into my box of WIPs and see which one calls the loudest. Depending on size, there may be more finishes this month.

Christmas In July

Next month the focus will be 'Christmas in July' with the intent of encouraging last-minute stitchers to make an early start on their Christmas ornies and gifts. I'll be stitching a Christmas Small and then working on Lizzie Kate's Merry Christmas By The Letter. There won't be a linky-thingy, or anything like that, but if you fancy a bit of off-season stitching, then please do join in!

Take care,

Rachel x

Grow Your Own - 60 hours

Hello all!

January continued to be a fantastic month for stitching so I was indeed able to get in another 10 hours on Walter. This is how I left him a week ago:

And now with the tomatoes completed and the onion stitched:

I'm so close to a finish, but Walter has to go away for a while now as it's time for the Winter Olympics!

Following on from last year's Summer Olympics, Tiff and I decided we also wanted to do something for the Winter Olympics, but NOT involving new starts! So we're both pulling out Winter-themed projects to stitch for the duration of the Winter Olympics, and then returning to our dragons for the Winter Paralympics.

There's no link-up involved, but if you fancy joining in with some Winter stitching, please feel free. Let's look past the Covid situation, and controversy surrounding the Games, and cheer on the competitors by stitching some snow!

Instead of posting daily like we did in the summer we'll be rounding up a few days at a time, hopefully with some fun little facts along the way.

Take care,

Rachel x

Grow Your Own - 50 hours

Hello all!

Walter's back!!! Or to give him his proper name, Grow Your Own by Hannah Dale for Bothy Threads.

Last year I promised myself I would finish this project but didn't even put in one stitch. This year, it's another promise and one which I fully intend to keep. If nothing else, I owe it to the person who gifted me the voucher to purchase him.

So here's how I left Walter on 31st December 2020:

And after another 10 hours of love during which I finished the radishes, added the potatoes and made good progress on the yummy-looking tomatoes:

I'm hoping to stay with him, so you may see another update before my focus turns to the Winter Olympics which start in less than two weeks on 4th February.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - George I

Hi all!

It's now time for monarch number 32, George I. Here he is, presumably with the metaphorical keys to the English throne as he's saying goodbye to Hanover:

George I from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 2nd January 2021

Finished - 4th January 2021

Total stitching time - 5 hours 35 minutes

GEORGE I

Preceded by Anne (second cousin)

Succeeded by George II (son)
Lived - 1660-1727

Reigned - 1714-1727
Married - Sophia Dorothea of Celle 1682-1694 (divorced)

Children - 2 legitimate, 3 illegitimate

George, being Anne's closest Protestant heir as set out in the 1701 Act Of Settlement, became King following Anne's death in 1714.

He was the first monarch of the House Of Hanover.

From the outset George was not a particularly popular monarch, preferring to stay out of the spotlight and doing little during his reign to improve his image. For example:

 - he surrounded himself with Germans and German customs.

 - he appeared disinterested in learning English (although there is evidence he later wrote and spoke fairly good English).

 - he made it clear he favoured his beloved Hanover more than England (visiting five times during his reign).

 - he was disliked for the treatment of his wife (after their divorce he had had her 'imprisoned' for an extra-marital affair).

George also had a strained relationship with his son, who not only spoke out against his father's policies but who made a concerted effort to learn English, adopt English customs and popularise himself with the people.

In politics, George distrusted the Tories and favoured the Whigs.

He preferred private meetings with his Ministers rather than attending Cabinet meetings, this inadvertently allowing Parliament more freedom and paving the way for Robert Walpole to become Britain's first 'Prime Minister' in 1722.

Yet, despite his unpopularity, two ill-prepared and failed attempts by the Catholic 'Pretender' James Stuart to claim the throne in 1715 and 1719, and his implicated involvement in the South Seas shares crisis (when lots of rich people lost lots of money) George survived his reign.

He died from a stroke in Hanover in 1727 and is buried in Herrenhausen Gardens.

So next month, his popular son, George II.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Anne

Hi all!

It's now time for monarch number 31, Queen Anne. Here she is, resplendent in royal purple (although I do think with her 'wand' she looks more like a fairy godmother than a queen!):

Anne from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 5th December 2021

Finished - 10th December 2021

Total stitching time - 7 hours 5 minutes

Anne's biography wasn't easy to write! I didn't want to write more about the line of succession, but ended up doing that anyway, and certainly didn't intend to summarise her relationship with Sarah Churchill into just a few words. I was also drawn towards her numerous unfortunate pregnancies and spent ages looking at the births, lives and deaths of each of her children. So sad. Coping with even one child death must have been heart-breaking, but to suffer so many... you have to wonder how she coped.

ANNE

Preceded by William III (brother-in-law and cousin)

Succeeded by George I (second cousin)
Lived - 1665-1714

Reigned - 1702-1714
Married - Prince George of Denmark in 1683

Children - 17 pregnancies, no surviving children

               (7 miscarriages, 5 still births, 4 infant deaths, 1 died aged 11 in 1700) 

Anne became Queen following the death of William III in 1702.

She and George were a devoted couple, Anne taking on her heir/Queen responsibilities and George being content as her loyal husband and supporter. They grieved the deaths of their children together, and Anne was similarly grief-stricken when George died in 1708.

Despite being blighted by gout, and often unable to walk, Anne was a popular Queen who took a genuine and serious interest in politics, the military and the arts. 

However, because of her lack of political affiliation, and her closeness to personal 'favourites' Sarah Churchill and, later, Abigail Hill, Anne was often criticised for being weak and too easily influenced by those around her.

In 1707 the Act Of Union was signed, uniting Scotland and England as 'Great Britain'. Not only was this beneficial for economic and trade purposes, it also meant that Scotland had to accept Anne's heir as outlined in the 1701 Act Of Settlement (up until then Scotland had had its own Parliament and could choose its own monarch, which England feared could be Anne's ousted Catholic father James II, or her half-brother James Stuart).

Anne died in 1714 following a stroke. She was buried in Westminster Abbey alongside her husband and nine of their ten children (their penultimate child having been buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor).

Despite rumours that she secretly wished her half-brother to succeed her, the 1701 Act Of Settlement was invoked, thus making Anne the last monarch of the House Of Stuart.

So next month, with Sophia, Electress Of Hanover having died two months previously, it was Sophia's son and Anne's second cousin, George I, who claimed the throne and began the House of Hanover.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - William III and Mary II

Hi all!

The monarchs are back!!!

It's been six months since I last posted a monarch, but hopefully they're back now. I'm not going to try to catch up, just pick up and carry on from where I left off.

This month we have William III and Mary II, Monarchs 29 and 30, generally considered as ruling together as simply William and Mary. I have no idea why William is upside down; he doesn't seem to have been mad (by royal standards!) or full of whacky ideas, so it's a mystery.

William III and Mary II from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 7th May 2021

Finished - 21st May 2021

Total stitching time - 11 hours 55 minutes

And since these are also at the end of a row, here's the whole project so far:

Because there are two monarchs this month, I'm allowing myself a 450 instead of my usual 300 word limit; it's only fair (although I have sort of cheated by adding lots of waffly footnotes!)

WILLIAM III and MARY II

Preceded by James II (brother-in-law and brother)

Succeeded by Anne (sister-in-law and sister)
Lived - William 1650-1702, Mary 1662-1694

Reigned - William 1689-1702, Mary 1689-1694
Married - 1677

Children - none

William III and Mary II became King and Queen following the deposition of James II in 1688.

They were cousins (Mary's father and William's mother were siblings) and had married in 1677 when Mary was second and William fourth in line to the throne (note 1).

England and the English nobles were restless with James II and his promotion of Catholicism, so wanted the devoutly Protestant Mary to take the crown (note 2).

So, with an invitation to invade, and lots of English support, William and Mary easily deposed James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Two of their first tasks were to clarify the role of the monarch and confirm the Protestant line of succession.

The Declaration Of Right agreed the monarch could no longer use their Royal Prerogative to do things without parliamentary consent (thereby reneging the Divine Right Of Kings) whilst the Bill Of Rights stated that no heir who was Catholic or who married a Catholic could ascend the throne (which made sense as the monarch was head of the Church Of England so shouldn't be Catholic anyway) (note 3).

But ousted James II and his son, Prince James, still had support from Catholic France and from some people who were Catholic or believed in the Divine Right Of Kings.

These supporters - known as Jacobites - made various attempts to restore James to the throne but all were easily quashed, including the defeat of James by William in the 1690 Battle Of The Boyne.

France finally withdrew its support for James and Prince James in 1697 and formally recognised William as King.

William and Mary were popular monarchs, accepting the role of Parliament, instigating religious tolerance, and improving the country's economy with the formation of the (still going today) Bank of England in 1694.

But, despite being recognised as particularly competent when she took over from William when he was away, Mary's poor relationship with her sister and her inability to bear children often made her unhappy.

Mary died in 1694 from smallpox and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

William was devastated but sympathy, along with his popularity, soon waned as Jacobite propaganda that William preferred the company of his favourite men (nothing was proven) took hold.

In 1701, with neither him nor his heir, Anne, having children and the end of the Protestant Stuart dynasty in sight, The Act Of Settlement was drawn up to ensure Protestant succession (note 4).

William died in 1702 from pneumonia and is buried alongside his wife.

note 1

The succession after James II should have been:

 - his son James (and then his children)

 - his daughter Mary

 - his daughter Anne

 - his nephew William

By William marrying Mary and becoming King he leap-frogged over Anne (which did not go down well with her!) and they both leap-frogged over James (who was Catholic).

note 2

Being higher in the line of succession, Mary should have been sole monarch. However, she was not really interested in being Queen, nor in having political power, whereas William was, as he did not simply want to be the 'Queen's Consort'. Since Mary agreed to defer to him, the English nobles came to a compromise where William and Mary would reign as joint monarchs (the only time this has happened).

note 3

The 1698 Bill Of Rights and 1701 Act Of Settlement remained unchanged for over 300 years until the 2015 Perth Agreement in which it became law that those who married Catholics would no longer be excluded from the line of succession (although Catholics still would be) meaning that, for example, Prince Michael Of Kent, who had forfeited his place in order to marry a Roman Catholic, has now been restored to the line of succession (although he is so far down the line - 52nd - it doesn't make a significant difference).

note 4

Between the Bill Of Rights and The Act Of Settlement, the line of succession after William and Mary was established as:

 - William and Mary's children (there were none)

 - Anne (Mary's sister)

 - Anne's children (there were no surviving children after 1700)

 - any children William should have from a second marriage (Mary had already died but it was unlikely William would remarry and have children)

 - Sophia, Electress of Hanover *

 - Sophia's Protestant children (which is how we ended up with George I)

* Princess Sophia, Electress of Hanover, was (depending on sources) somewhere between 50th and 56th in line to the throne at the time of the 1701 Act of Settlement. She was, however the the first qualifying Protestant and had a distant claim, being a granddaughter of James I and Anne's first cousin once removed. Unfortunately for her, she died three month before William so never became Queen. The succession therefore passed to her eldest son, George, who became George I after the death of William's successor, Queen Anne.

Confused??? Sorry, but I find this much over-looked part of British history absolutely fascinating!

So next month, William's sister-in-law and cousin, Anne (and I promise it will be much shorter!)

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - James II

Hi all!

Goodness me, these months seem to roll around so quickly and I can't believe it's way past time for another monarch! This is number 28, James II. I'm think he's supposed to be walking away from his crown carrying his Great Seal Of The Realm:

James II from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 6th April 2021

Finished - 8th April 2021

Total stitching time - 5 hours 25 minutes

For the next three monarchs religion plays a key role. It was not a bloody time, as seen during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary I, but did shape the succession of the monarchy.

JAMES II
Preceded by Charles II (brother)

Succeeded by William III and Mary II (son-in-law and daughter)
Lived - 1633-1701

Reigned - 1685-1688
Married - (1) Anne Hyde 1660-1671 (died) and (2) Mary of Modena 1673

Children - 25 over 32 years!

                 8 with Anne (only 2 girls survived infancy)

                 10 with Mary (only the last two survived infancy)

                 7 illegitimate (five survived infancy)

James II became King following the death of his brother.

Despite being Catholic, James was initially a popular monarch, working hard and tolerating religious differences, but that popularity soon waned as he increasingly favoured Catholics over Protestants, giving them important positions in the army and  his ministry.

In late 1685 James dissolved Parliament after it raised concerns about the influence of Catholics, meaning he was now an autocratic Catholic monarch.

England held out hope his heir, his Protestant daughter Mary, would soon succeed him (note 1).

However, in 1688 James fathered a son (not covered by note 1) thus securing a Catholic heir (note 2).

Now fearing a Catholic succession, Mary's Protestant and popular husband, William Of Orange, was invited to invade England and claim the throne.

During this 1688 'Glorious Revolution' James was captured but, to prevent him becoming a Catholic martyr, was allowed to flee to France with his wife and baby son.

A reconvened Parliament in 1689 agreed that James, having deliberately discarded his Great Seal, had forfeited his crown. They therefore proclaimed William and Mary King and Queen.

But James still had support in Catholic France and Ireland and in 1690 attempted to reclaim his crown. He was defeated by William at the Battle Of The Boyne and returned to France.

James remained in exile until his death in 1701. He was laid to rest in The Church Of The English Benedictines in Paris.

So next month, the only joint reign in England's history of the monarchy, William and Mary.

Note 1 - with the exception of Mary I's short reign, England had been Protestant since Henry VIII had denounced Catholicism in favour of Protestantism. When Charles II failed to produce any legitimate heirs, and it became clear his Catholic brother, James, would be his successor, Charles decreed that, in order to ensure the continuation of Protestants on the throne, James' children would be raised as Protestants.

Note 2 - the birth of a Catholic heir meant James' family, and the Stuart dynasty, was now divided by religion. The Protestant side, through James' daughters Mary and Anne, inherited the crown, but the Catholic side remained strong contenders in the form of James' son, James (The Old Pretender) and, later, his own son Charles (The Young Pretender, or Bonnie Prince Charlie). These, and their followers, known as Jacobites, will pop up during the reigns of the next few monarchs.

Who said families weren't complicated?!

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Charles II

Hi all!

Another month, another monarch. This month it's number 27, Charles II, enjoying a spot of downtime with a game of Real Tennis in, no doubt, the Real Tennis Courts he had refurbished at Hampton Court Palace:

Charles II from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 15th March 2021

Finished - 18th March 2021

Total stitching time - 5 hours 35 minutes

CHARLES II
Preceded by Charles I (father)

Succeeded by James II (brother)
Lived - 1630-1685

Reigned - 1660-1685
Married - Catherine of Braganza

Children - no surviving legitimate children but at least 12 illegitimate by 7 mistresses!

Charles II became King following the Restoration Of The Monarchy in 1660, 11 years after his father's execution.

With the exception of a short time in Scotland - where he famously hid in an oak tree to escape capture by Oliver Cromwell's army - Charles spent most of that time moving between France, Spain and the Netherlands.

In the 1660 Declaration Of Breda, Charles agreed to accept the crown, be lenient (except in the most extreme cases), tolerant and, unlike his father, rule alongside parliament.

He was a flamboyant and popular monarch - nicknamed The Merry Monarch - and reigned with relative stability, including through the 1665 Plague and 1666 Great Fire Of London.

He was fond of the arts, founding the Royal Observatory, the Royal Society and the Royal Hospital Chelsea for retired soldiers. The King Charles Spaniel was also named after him.

In his later years Charles became more tolerant of Catholicism but less lenient in general, authorising numerous executions, imprisonments and seizing of estates, often with dubious evidence.

The prospect of Charles' Catholic brother, James, succeeding to the throne resulted in the introduction of The Exclusion Bill (banning James from succeeding) and, as Parliament became divided, the formation of the first two 'political' parties - the anti-James Whigs and the pro-James Tories.

Charles then reneged on the Declaration of Breda by dissolving Parliament four times between 1679-1681 and ruling as an absolute monarch for his last four years.

He died in 1685, possibly from 'experimenting' with mercury, and, it is rumoured after becoming Catholic on his deathbed, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

So next month, the to-ing and fro-ing of religion and royalty continues with the succession of Catholic James II.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Charles I

Hi all!

Another month, another monarch. This month it's number 26, Charles I.

I have a sneaking suspicion this picture might give a clue as to his fate:

Charles I from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 4th February 2021

Finished - 7th February 2021

Total stitching time - 5 hours 45 minutes

I forgot to mention in last month's post that, with Elizabeth I being the last of the Tudor dynasty, James I became the first of the Stuart monarchs.

CHARLES I
Preceded by James I (father)

Succeeded by Charles II (son)
Lived - 1600-1649

Reigned - 1625-1649
Married - Henrietta Maria of France in 1625

Children - 4 boys and 5 girls

Charles became heir apparent in 1612 following the death of his older brother, Henry, and King in 1625 following the death of his father.

He was an unpopular monarch throughout his reign, starting with his marriage to a Roman Catholic (prompting fears of a resurgence of Catholicism) and building throughout due to his belief in 'the divine right of kings' i.e. that monarchs were appointed by God and answerable to no-one.

Based on this belief, Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 and ruled until 1640 as an absolute monarch - the 'Eleven Years' Tyranny'.

By 1640, with treasury funds depleted and only Parliament able to legally raise taxes, Charles was twice forced to reconvene Parliament. In return for funds, Charles reluctantly agreed to some of his closest allies being impeached for treason.

Charles himself suspected five members of Parliament of treason and, when Parliament refused to hand them over, personally interrupted a sitting in order to arrest them.

By over-stepping his monarchical authority, Charles' invasion of Parliament helped trigger the 1642-1651 English Civil Wars - Charles' Royalist 'cavaliers' versus the Parliamentarian 'roundheads'.

Three years of skirmishes, battles and failed negotiations ended with Charles' defeat and imprisonment in 1645. After a brief escape in 1647 he was recaptured and put on trial in 1648.

Because of his belief in the divine right of kings, Charles considered the court unlawful. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of treason i.e. of putting his own interests ahead of those of his country.

He was beheaded in January 1649 and (after his head had been sewn back on!) buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor.

There then followed a period of 11 years without a monarchy, known as The English Commonwealth. This can be divided into three stages:

- 1649-1653 under a Rump Parliament (basically those not in favour of a monarchy)

- 1653-1658 under Oliver Cromwell (who, having just overthrown the monarchy refused the title of King but was given the non-hereditary title Lord Protector, which was more-or-less the same thing)

- 1658-1659 under Oliver Cromwell's son Richard, who was a weak leader, not really interested in the role and forced out very quickly

By 1659 opinion in favour of the restoration of the monarchy had begun to gain momentum. Charles' son and heir, having fled abroad in 1648 was asked to return to Great Britain as Charles II.

So next month another Charles. Let's hope he learned lessons from his father about how not to be a monarch!

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - James I

Hi all!

As you are all fully aware by now, I have been, and am, stitching Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads at the rate of one monarch per month. It's been going for two years already. during which time I have stitched monarchs 1-24. This year I shall be stitching monarchs 25-36, which will leave me only five monarchs, numbers 37-41 next year, followed by the beading, the title and some sort of border I have yet to design. In other words, I may be over half way through monarchs, but I'm only about half way through the whole piece.

So, we start of this year with monarch number 25, James I.

Here he is, reading a very important version of the bible:

James I from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 3rd January 2021

Finished - 6th January 2021

Total stitching time - 5 hours 15 minutes

As a bit of background information, James had already been King James VI of Scotland for 36 years (since the age of 13 months) before also becoming King James I of England. His mother was Mary Queen of Scots, famously beheaded by Elizabeth for conspiring to overthrow her.

JAMES I
Preceded by Elizabeth I (first cousin twice removed)

Succeeded by Charles I (son)
Lived - 1566-1625

Reigned - 1603-1625
Married - Anne of Denmark 1589-1619

Children - 3 boys and 4 girls (four died very young and another in his teens)

James became King of England in 1603 following the death of Elizabeth I.

He was popular in both Scotland and England and was eager to unite them under one Parliament; neither country agreed.

He was obsessed with witchcraft, contributing to the burning of hundreds, possibly thousands, of witches during his reigns.

Yet James tolerated Catholicism and believed in negotiating peace, rather than going to war, with other countries.

An unintentional tip-off about a Catholic attempt to blow up Parliament and assassinate James and his ministers (The Gunpowder Plot) was foiled in 1605.

In 1607 Jamestown was established as the first permanent English colony in America. Others followed, including the Plymouth Colony settled by the Pilgrims sailing on the Mayflower in 1620.

In 1611 he published the Authorised King James Bible, consolidating a number of translations in one volume.

1612 marked a turning point in James' reign when his 18 year old son and heir, Henry, and his Chief Minister, Robert Cecil, both died.

James had a second son, Charles, to succeed him. But Cecil (who had been instrumental in negotiating James' smooth succession) had no such successor and factions began appearing in the previously-conforming Privy Council.

With Parliament opposing his requests, and his increasing belief in the absolute power of the monarch, James dissolved parliament and ruled without them from 1614 to 1621.

In his final few years, arthritis, gout and kidney stones took their toll on his health and James' power dwindled.

He died in 1625, a shadow of his former self, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

So next month, his son Charles I, a man not born to be king but who would take his father's belief in absolute monarchy a bit too far.

Take care,

Rachel x

Grow Your Own - 40 hours

Hello all!

After rekindling my love for Walter, and those gorgeous and colourful vegetables, I couldn't help but carry on working on him for the last few days of 2020 and then into January to take me up to the next 10 hour mark.

Last time I added the juicy carrots and some of the radish tops:

This time I finished the radish tops, added the cabbage and then had a few minutes left to start on the radishes themselves:

I'm afraid Walter has got to go away for a couple of months now so that I can concentrate on finishing off a few WIPs which don't require too much work. But he should appear again after Easter (ish).

Take care,
Rachel x

Grow Your Own - 30 hours

Hello all!

This month, for the first time since March, I spent some time working on Hannah Dale's Grow Your Own by Bothy Threads. This was a birthday gift last year and was intended to be finished this year, Well, that's not going to happen so it is now on the top of my 2021 to-finish list. Promise!

Here's how it looked back in March:

And now after finishing the lettuce leaf, and adding the juicy carrots and some of the radish tops:

What a difference the splashes of colour make. I'm really excited to be stitching this one again, and can't wait to get stuck into more of those juicy vegetables!

Sometimes I give the characters names when I stitch them. For some reason the name Walter popped into my head for this one. No idea why, but it stuck. Hopefully it won't be too long before you see Walter and his vegetables again!

Take care,
Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Elizabeth I

Hi all!

Time for another monarch, number 24, Elizabeth I.

Here she is, with her trademark red hair:

Elizabeth I from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 1st December 2020

Finished - 14th December 2020

Total stitching time - 6 hours 15 minutes

ELIZABETH I
Preceded by Mary I (half sister)

Succeeded by James I (first cousin twice removed)
Lived - 1533-1603

Reigned - 1558-1603
No marriage, no children

Elizabeth became Queen following the death of her half-sister, Mary. She was the third and final of Henry VIII's children to reign, and the last of the Tudor dynasty.

She was extremely well-educated, fluent in many languages, and a Protestant, meaning that once Queen England returned to Protestantism.

Elizabeth chose not to marry, recognising that a husband might undermine her power and status. Her good friend Robert Dudley might have won her hand had his first wife not died in 'suspicious circumstances'.

There were numerous plots against Elizabeth's life, the most famous being the Babington Plot which implicated her cousin Mary Queen of Scots, and resulted in Mary's execution.

Elizabeth was not really interested in foreign campaigns, so various ventures in Ireland, France and Russia more or less failed.

However, a rousing speech to her troops at Tilbury, plus good fortune with the weather, led to the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 (although what's rarely mentioned is the humiliating defeat suffered by the English fleet in Spain the following year!)

During the 1590s, Elizabeth's popularity began to fade; her new Privy Council failed to make decisions which benefitted the country, the economy was in decline, and, with the loss of a lot of her long-term allies, including her most trusted senior advisor William Cecil, Elizabeth's own authority was decreasing.

Elizabeth's health declined in 1602 and she died the following year. She is buried in Westminster Abbey alongside her half sister Mary I.

With no direct heir, and Elizabeth refusing to name one, secret negotiations had begun prior to her death to prepare James VI of Scotland to become James I of England.

So next month, the first of the Stuart monarchs, James I of England.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Mary I

Hi all!

Back to one monarch this month, and it's number 23, Mary I.

Here she is, looking resplendent as she (presumably) celebrates the burning of Protestants:

Mary I from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 9th November 2020

Finished - 13 November 2020

Total stitching time - 8 hours 5 minutes

MARY I
Preceded by Lady Jane Grey (first cousin once removed)

Succeeded by Elizabeth I (half sister)
Lived - 1516-1558
Reigned - 1553-1558
Married - Philip II of Spain in 1554

No children

Mary was the eldest of Henry VIII's three children, her mother being Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

She became Queen following the death of her half brother, Edward VI, and the failure of Lady Jane Grey to secure the throne.

Mary did not have an easy life. Henry's obsession with both marrying Anne and fathering a son resulted in Mary being proclaimed illegitimate, stripped of wealth, barred from the line of succession, and forbidden from seeing her mother.

Her properties and place of succession were later restored, but Mary's refusal to give up Catholicism and recognise Henry, and later Edward, as Supreme Head of the Church of England remained contentious issues.

Soon after Edward's death, Mary proclaimed herself Queen. Supporting her were Catholics, members of the Council who had previously supported Jane, and those who regarded her as Edward's true heir, irrespective of faith.

Mary's reign focused on reversing her father's and brother's Protestant reforms. Catholic prisoners were freed, Catholicism restored, and almost 300 Protestants executed or burned, leading to her later being nicknamed 'Bloody Mary'.

In 1554 Mary married Philip of Spain in a political, and not particularly popular nor successful, marriage. Mary's first full-term and second shorter pregnancies were both phantom, after which Philip returned to Spain, and Mary fell into a spiral of declining health and depression.

Aside from the Catholic/Protestant struggle, Mary's reign was relatively strong; there was little conflict and she left behind a fairly secure country.

Mary died in 1558, knowing that her half sister and heir, Elizabeth, would return the country to Protestantism. She is buried in Westminster Abbey.

So next month, Elizabeth I, the third and final of Henry VIII's children to become monarch.

But before then, Mary I marks the completion of a row, so here's the full piece do date after 107 hours and 45 minutes of stitching:

That's three rows down and three to go, or more or less the half way mark. My plans to add a border will add on a few more months of stitching but it is still on course to be finished at the end of 2022.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Edward VI and Lady Jane Grey

Hi all!

This month it's two monarchs for the price of one in my attempt to stitch Bothy Threads' Kings and Queens one monarch at a time over the course of four years.

The reason for two monarchs this month is twofold. Firstly, Lady Jane Grey is not usually classed as being a 'monarch' and secondly, stitching LJG gave me the opportunity to catch up on the month I missed back in February.

First up is Edward VI who, I believe, is sucking his thumb?

Edward VI from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 1st October 2020

Finished - 3rd October 2020

Total stitching time - 3 hours 40 minutes

EDWARD VI
Preceded by Henry VIII (father)

Succeeded by Lady Jane Grey (first cousin once removed)
Lived - 1537-1553
Reigned - 1547-1553
No marriage, no children

Edward VI became King at the age of nine when his father died. His mother was Henry's third and favourite wife, Jane Seymour.

As Henry's only son and heir, no expense was spared on Edward's comfort, education and upbringing. He was the model heir - studious, academic and fully aware of his duty to the crown, church and country.

But Edward was King only in name; until he turned 18, Henry had stipulated a Regency Council consisting of sixteen nobles would rule on his behalf.

In reality, however, the Council (possibly through bribery) voted first Edward Seymour and then John Dudley as Protector, in effect giving them the power of a king.

Both were power-hungry schemers, but whereas Seymour abused his position and the trust placed in him, Dudley sought approval from his peers and made it clear he worked in the name of the King.

Edward can be credited for implementing sweeping and long-lasting Protestant reforms to the Church Of England, including introducing The Book of Common Prayer, which is still used today.

He also founded Christ's Hospital, a charity school educating boys from poorer backgrounds. 500 years later the school thrives with the same ethos, and pupils still wear the original Tudor uniform.

[side note - my hubby and his brother both went to Christ's Hospital and we often attend the annual open day reunions, so I am fairly familiar with the school and its history. For anybody who has ever seen the annual Lord Mayor's Parade in London, the school band always lead it.]

When Edward discovered he was terminally ill, he proposed the crown go to Lady Jane Grey, the Protestant granddaughter of his father's youngest sister. His own half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, were excluded for having been proclaimed illegitimate, and Mary for also being Catholic.

 

Edward was only 15 when he died in 1553, probably from tuberculosis. He is buried in Westminster Abbey, his tomb marked by a stone laid by Christ's Hospital.

So next up, Lady Jane Grey, where not everything went according to plan...

And here's Lady Jane Grey, an innocent pawn in her manipulative relatives' game of power, and moments before her execution, looking understandably terrified:

Lady Jane Grey from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 4th October 2020

Finished - 5th October 2020

Total stitching time - 3 hours 20 minutes

LADY JANE GREY

Preceded by Edward VI (first cousin once removed)

Succeeded by Mary I (first cousin once removed)
Lived - 1536/7-1554
Reigned - officially 10th-19th July 1553 (unofficially 9th-23rd July)
Married - Lord Guildford Dudley, no children

Sixteen year old Lady Jane Grey had been named by Edward as his heir due to being the first suitable Protestant in the line of succession.

It is likely that Edward's decision had been influenced by his Protector, Dudley, since Jane had married Dudley's son, Guildford, early in 1553, and he was aware of the power and influence he would gain with his daughter-in-law as Queen and son as King.

She was proclaimed Queen by the Privy Council on 10th July 1553, and reluctantly accepted. But she had little support.

In contrast, Edward's half sister, Mary, had support not only from Catholics wanting England returned to Catholicism, but also from some Protestants who regarded as her as Edward's true heir.

In order to keep Jane on the throne, Dudley planned to capture Mary. But whilst en route, most of the Privy Council changed their allegiance and now proclaimed Mary rightful Queen.

Jane willingly conceded to Mary and, alongside Guildford and Dudley, was arrested and imprisoned.

Dudley was executed in August 1553 but Jane and Guildford, despite being found guilty of treason in November 1553, were allowed to live since Mary considered them to be of little threat.

In January 1554 Jane's father, and two of his brother, joined Wyatt's Rebellion to protest about Mary marrying the Catholic King Phillip II of Spain. Jane's father was executed and, recognising Jane still had support, Mary now ordered Jane's and Guildford's executions.

They were beheaded on 12th February 1554 and are buried together in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula on Tower Green.

So next month, 'Bloody' Mary, the second of Henry VIII's children to become monarch.

Take care,

Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Henry VIII

Hello all!

So, if you're reading this, you will notice it has been back-posted - I'd scheduled it for the 18th - but the 18th of October. What a silly billy!

We've now reached Monarch number 20 on Bothy Threads' Kings And Queens which, you will definitely know by now, I am stitching at the pace of one monarch per month.

And what a way to celebrate number 20 and almost the halfway mark with none other than probably the most famous monarch in British History, Henry VIII, who, I think, is actually looking more friendly than he should!

Henry VIII from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 1st September 2020

Finished - 6th September 2020

Total stitching time - 6 hours 5 minutes

And here comes my biggest test so far.... how on earth to summarise Henry and his reign (and his wives!) into 300 words! Well, it was going to be impossible, so I've doubled up, writing 300 on his life and reign and 300 on his 6 marriages because, afterall, that's probably what he's most famous for. Obviously a lot has been left out; I've just cherry-picked my favourite parts!

HENRY VIII
Preceded by Henry VII (father)

Succeeded by Edward VI (son)
Lived - 1491-1547
Reigned - 1509-1547
Married - 6 times
Fathered - 3 sons, 4 daughters and 1 acknowledged illegitimate son

Henry VIII became King following the death of his father.

He inherited a stable country and vast personal fortune, although spent heavily on an extravagant lifestyle and new ships for his navy.

He suffered leg wounds in a jousting accident in 1536, which worsened over the years as his weight increased. It is about this time that his personality became more paranoid, moody and tyrannical.

Henry made various alliances with France, Spain, and Rome only to break them when it suited him. He eyed the French crown but failed to achieve anything significant there.

He broke from the Catholic Church and ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries; the land and wealth acquired from this helping to replenish the treasury.

He liked having titles:
- Defender Of The Faith - 1521 for decrying Protestantism and defending Catholicism (a title he kept when he swapped faiths!)
- Supreme Head of the Church of England - 1534 Acts of Supremacy
- King of Ireland - 1542 Crown of Ireland Act

He also believed in the Divine Rights of Kings, claiming monarchs were God On Earth and therefore answerable to no-one.

He had no problem executing those who opposed him, or got in his way, often on trumped-up charges of treason, including two wives, two chief ministers and numerous nobles.

His daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, were separately barred from succeeding to the throne but Henry reconciled with and restored them to the line of succession before his death.

Henry died in 1547 from general ill health, leaving the crown to his 9 year old son. He is buried in St George's Chapel Windsor.


Henry VIII and his wives: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

1509 - married his brother's widow Catherine of Aragon (allowed with Pope's approval)

- fathered 3 daughters and 3 sons, although only Mary survived
- became fed up of Catherine not producing a male heir
- became enamoured with Anne Boleyn
- wanted a divorce based on it being wrong to marry his brother's widow
- broke from Catholicism in order to do so
- divorced Catherine 1533

1533 - married the feisty and intelligent Anne Boleyn

- fathered one daughter, Elizabeth, after which Anne had many (male?) miscarriages
- became fed up of Anne not producing a male heir

- became enamoured with Jane Seymour

- started believing Anne had bewitched him into marriage

- listened to (probably trumped-up rumours) she had had affairs, including with her brother

- divorced in 1536
- executed for treason two days later

1536 - married the quiet and demur Jane Seymour

- fathered one son, Edward
- died soon after childbirth 1537
- Henry was distraught; he had loved her deeply
- recommended he remarry for a Protestant alliance

1540 - married Anne Of Cleves

- found her dull and ugly
- marriage never consummated
- divorced Anne 1540
- because Anne had agreed to a divorce she was spared the axe
- she was given property and money and was thereafter known as The King's Sister

1540 - married the young Catherine Howard

- her youthful spirit made Henry feel young again
- discovered to be having an affair with Henry's page, Thomas Culpepper
- accused of having an affair with Francis Dereham, to whom she had been previously engaged
- divorced 1541
- executed for treason 1542

1543 - married the mature Catherine Parr

- she nursed him and tended to his wounds
- still married at time of death


So next month, the young Edward VI.

Take care,
Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Henry VII

Hello all!

This month's monarch of the month is number nineteen, Henry VII. Here he is, holding onto what is presumably a gold-filled money box, given his propensity for saving.

Henry VII from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 1st August 2020

Finished - 4th August 2020

Total stitching time - 5 hours 55 minutes

Is it me, or does anyone else think his crown and hair on the right, as you look at it, looks wrong? It's stitched per the chart, and the cover picture is the same, but it looks as if about two columns of ten rows have been duplicated. It's annoying me...

HENRY VII
Preceded by Richard III (a distant cousin)

Succeeded by Henry VIII (son)
Lived - 1457-1509
Reigned - 1485-1509
Married - Elizabeth Woodville 1486
Fathered - 3 sons and 4 daughters

Henry VII became king, and the first of the Tudor monarchs, following the death of Richard III.

Henry's mother (who was only 13 when had him) always believed it was 'God's will' that he would be King despite, at one point, being only seventh in line to the throne.

After fate had removed five of those in front of him, only Richard III remained, and he was defeated by Henry's forces at The Battle Of Bosworth Field in 1485.

In 1486 Henry married Edward IV's eldest daughter Elizabeth Woodville, thereby uniting the warring houses of Lancaster and York and creating the Tudor Rose emblem. Initially a political marriage, their love grew and Henry soon became devoted to his family.

Due to taking the throne by force, Henry often felt insecure, so he made it illegal for nobles to raise their own private armies and imprisoned or executed a number of potential or actual rivals, including one of the most dangerous, Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be Richard, the younger of the (assumed dead) Princes In The Tower and therefore the rightful king.

Overall, Henry's reign was successful, building up the treasury by astute taxation (and mismanagement), making peace with France, Spain and Scotland (the latter two through proposed marriages with his children) and ensuring the country had a good judicial system through the appointment of local Justices Of The Peace.

Henry's health declined following the deaths of his eldest son, Arthur, in 1502 and his wife in 1503, He died in 1509 from tuberculosis and was buried in Westminster Abbey beside Elizabeth. His crown passed to his second son, Henry.

So next month the larger-than-life Henry VIII (and goodness knows how I'm going to fit his extraordinary reign into 300 words!)

Take care,
Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Richard III

Hello all!

This month's monarch of the month is number eighteen, the infamous Richard III. I have no idea what his pose is supposed to represent but he does look as if he's strolling with purpose.

Richard III from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 1st July 2020

Finished - 6th July 2020

Total stitching time - 4 hours 55 minutes

For clarification, there are two Edwards and two Richards in this summary:
Edward IV and Richard III were brothers
Edward V and his brother Richard were the sons of Edward IV and known as The Princes In The Tower.
I hope this doesn't cause too much confusion!

RICHARD III
Preceded by Edward V (nephew, never crowned)

Succeeded by Henry VII (a distant cousin)
Lived - 1452-1485
Reigned - 1483-1485
Married - Anne Neville 1472
Fathered - 1 legitimate and 2 illegitimate children

Richard III became king following the death of his older brother, Edward IV, and his declaration that Edward's marriage had been bigamous and therefore his sons and heirs, Edward V and Richard, illegitimate.

During Edward IV's reign, Richard had been loyal to his brother, resulting him being named Lord Protector of the young Edward V. However, after 'escorting' Edward to the Tower Of London to await his coronation, Richard proclaimed himself King and was crowned in July 1483.

Those loyal to Edward rebelled. They failed but did start the myth that Edward and Richard, The Princes In The Tower, were dead, and that Richard III was responsible.

In 1485 Henry Tudor led a second rebellion.

Like Richard, Henry was a descendant of Edward III - Richard being the great-great-grandson of his fourth son, Henry the great grandson of his third son - although being descended through a Beaufort, who were barred from the line of succession, his claim was questionable.

They met at Battle of Bosworth Field where Richard was unhorsed and killed, leaving Henry to take the crown.

Originally buried in Greyfriars Church, Richard's remains were lost and famously rediscovered under a car park in Leicester in 2012. He was re-interred in Leicester Cathedral in 2015.

During his reign Richard improved law, order and the judicial system all over the country, including making all aspects accessible to more people. But it is his connection to The Princes In The Tower that will always tarnish his reign.

Richard was the last King to die in battle and, because his son had predeceased him, the last Plantagenet King.

So next month, Henry VII, and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

Take care,
Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Edward V

Hello all!

I've added another Monarch Of The Month to the collection and thought it was about time he appeared on my blog. This is number seventeen, Edward V, looking young and very scared (or at least I think that's what his pose is supposed to be).

Edward V from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Started - 1st June 2020

Finished - 2nd June 2020

Total stitching time - 3 hours 15 minutes

This period of history was dominated by Edwards and Richards and can be confusing.
Edward IV - the late king
Edward V - son of Edward IV
Richard, aka Gloucester, later Richard III - Edward IV's brother and Edward V's uncle
Richard - Edward V's bother

I've tried to make them as clear as possible in my little summary.

EDWARD V
Preceded by Edward IV (father)

Succeeded by Richard III (uncle)
Lived - 1470-1483
Reigned - 1483

Edward V became king after his father's death. At 12 years old he was already a well-educated and well-liked young man.

However, per Edward IV's will, Gloucester was to act as Protector until Edward came of age.

En route to London for his coronation, Edward was met by Gloucester who immediately dismissed and/or executed Edward's entourage.

Edward was then 'escorted' to The Tower Of London where he was housed 'for his own safety'. He was joined a few weeks later by his only brother, Richard.

Gloucester then declared Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville invalid and their children illegitimate, thereby proclaiming himself King Richard III.

In the Tower, Edward and Richard were seen less and less, and by the end of 1483 it was assumed they were both dead.

Because no-one knows what happened to The Princes In The Tower, their fate has been the subject of numerous theories.

Shakespeare wrote that Richard III was the likely murderer, smothering the boys with a pillow.

Author Phillipa Gregory suggests in her books The White Queen and The White Princess that Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future Henry VII, was the instigator as she cleared the path for her own son's succession.

In 1674 the bones of two young children were found in Tower of London. Assumed to be those of Edward and Richard they were re-interred in Westminster Abbey.

In 1789 the coffins of two children were discovered in a vault adjoining Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Not those of their two children who predeceased them, their identities remain unknown.

Edward V may never have been crowned king but his disappearance makes him one of the most mysterious monarchs of the last 1000 years.

Next month then, the infamous Richard III.

Take care,
Rachel x