2 February (Candlemas) marks the 400th anniversary of the coronation of King Charles I  at Westminster Abbey in London. The lavish ceremony was designed to emphasise royal power and splendour, reflecting Charles’s firm belief in the divine right of kings and absolute monarchy. The coronation was particularly notable because his wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, was not present . A devout Catholic, she refused to take part in a Protestant religious ceremony and is said to have watched discreetly...

This week marks the 250 th  anniversary of the publication of “Common Sense”,  a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating American independence from Great Britain at the beginning of the American Revolution. This publication was a huge instant success, selling over 100,000 copies in three months, and was said to have inspired the Declaration of Independence in July later that same year. This led to Paine becoming known as the “Father of the American Revolution,” having played such an...

Biddenden is a quaint and picturesque village in the Weald of Kent, near Tenterden. Amongst its most famous former residents are Eliza...