Author Guest Post - Helene Harrison - #author #guestpost

It is my great pleasure to welcome author, Helene Harrison, to the blog today. Helene is going to be talking to us about why she thinks we are still so fascinated with Anne Boleyn.

If you missed my review of her latest book, The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception, you can find it here.

Welcome Helene.

Why are we still so fascinated with Anne Boleyn?

Firstly, thank you so much for having me on your blog, Annie! My third and most recent book is called The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception so today I thought I’d offer some of my thoughts on why we are so fascinated with Anne Boleyn. None of the others of Henry VIII’s six wives get so much attention, or so many books written about them. Even books which cover all six wives, the majority is Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn with the other four wives condensed into the last third or quarter of the book. 

The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception by Helene Harrison [2025].

So, what about Anne Boleyn makes us so enthralled by her story? Well one thing is the sheer drama of her rise and fall. The fact that Henry VIII annulled his first marriage to Katherine of Aragon and broke with the Roman Catholic Church in order to marry Anne, means that she was a very controversial person by the time of her coronation on 1 June 1533. But less than three years later when she was arrested for multiple adulteries, incest with her brother, and treason, her reputation disintegrated further. Anne Boleyn basically became taboo on her execution.

However, her life and reputation have been both rehabilitated and attacked over the nearly 500 years since her death. For me, in choosing to write this book on Anne Boleyn, I consciously decided that I didn’t want to write a traditional biography, but more of a study of how her image and reputation have been tackled over 500 years. The fact that we have Anne recurring through 500 years gives a sense of how much her story means to people – we don’t have the same interest in the other wives, or even in other consorts or regnant monarchs from across time!

Today, we have popular culture. The popularity of the likes of Philippa Gregory, or Showtime’s The Tudors, or Wolf Hall, or SIX The Musical, brings Anne Boleyn and Tudor history to new audiences. We are spoiled in the modern age with television, film, theatre, and a glut of historical novels. Anne Boleyn is a prime candidate for featuring because of the drama of both her rise and fall, as well as her position as the mother of Elizabeth I, often considered to be England’s first successful queen regnant, paving the way for later ruling queens like Victoria and Elizabeth II.  

Anne Boleyn, mid-16th century, at Hever Castle and Gardens, Kent, England.

The lack of concrete knowledge about Anne Boleyn is also intriguing. Once people start digging into her life, they want facts but that often isn’t possible. We don’t know when Anne was born, what she really looked like, whether she really did hold Henry VIII at arm’s length for seven years, or how many pregnancies she underwent during her marriage. The portraits and images we have of her are all from after her death, aside from a crude sketch from her coronation banquet which doesn’t show any features, and a portrait medal from 1534 which has been damaged. The most popular images we think of are later creations. Not knowing her year of birth (estimates vary from 1501 to 1507 generally) means that we don’t know her age at significant events. The state of her relationship with the king is something that intrigues everyone who looks at her life, specifically Henry VIII’s involvement in her downfall.

What we find so alluring about Anne Boleyn is that she is a bit of an enigma, surrounded by drama, and ripe for modern entertainment drama. But we need to remember that Anne was a real person, who really was beheaded on the orders of her husband, a mother who lost at least two children, and spent years serving a queen, only to replace her on the throne. We will never be able to know or understand what she was feeling because times have changed hugely. We need to be careful not to put 21st century thoughts and feelings onto a 16th century woman. Anne Boleyn will no doubt continue to fascinate, and I hope that my book, The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception, will give some insight into how some of the myths about Anne came to be, and why I don’t think interpretations of Anne will ever stop – we just need to dig down into what we actually do know and strip away the layers of myth and perception to try and get closer to the real Anne Boleyn.

Thank you for being my guest on the blog today. That was so interesting and I thought your book was fascinating.

More About the Author

Helene Harrison studied at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, achieving both a BA and MA in History before going on to complete an MSc in Library Management. Her passion for Tudor history started when studying for A Levels and completing a module on Tudor rebellions. Her master’s dissertation focused on portrayals of Anne Boleyn through the centuries, from contemporary letters to modern TV and film adaptations. Now she writes two blogs, one Tudor history and one book-related, and works in the university library of her alma mater. In her spare time, she loves visiting royal palaces and snuggling up with a book or embroidery project. Her books are ‘Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue and Treason’ (2023), ‘Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block’ (2024) and ‘The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception’ (2025), all published by Pen and Sword.

Purchase Links to Helene's Publications

‘Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue and Treason’ (2023)

Bookshop.org   Pen & Sword

 ‘Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block’ (2024) 

Bookshop.org     Pen & Sword

 ‘The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception’ (2025)

Bookshop.org    Pen & Sword

"Small Business Saturday weekender! Buy ANY book 5-7 Dec, and you could win a £250 Bookshop.org digital gift card. Every sale supports independent bookshops: Bookshop.org"

(media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Charles II's Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza by Susan Abernethy - #bookreview

 

Shortly before the union of the crowns, the financing of the India fleets and the operation of the royal spice monopoly had become too much for the Crown to manage...

The Blurb

Catherine of Braganza has regularly been referred to as ‘the forgotten queen’ and there is much truth in this statement. Following her death in 1705, a fully detailed biography in English remained unwritten until 1915. The last major bio published about her was in Portuguese in 1941 and it has never been translated into English. Despite her sheltered and religious upbringing, she made a spectacular marriage that was plagued by the infidelities of her husbands. Readers can readily find published biographies of Charles II’s many glamourous mistresses, but curiously, little on his wife. 

This new work presents more comprehensive information on Catherine’s life in Portugal than previous biographies and integrates new scholarship regarding Catherine’s practice of queenship and patronage of Catholic Baroque culture in an effort to carve out a prominent role at the Stuart court and to compete with her rivals. Readers familiar with Catherine’s story may learn some delightful new details about her life. Catherine has never been forgotten in Portugal. She considered herself Portuguese at heart and during her reign as Queen of England, she persistently looked out for Portuguese interests. In her own words, she considered her marriage a personal sacrifice to what was best for her home country. She is one of the few dowager queens in history to return to her homeland where she acted as regent for her brother. 

This biography places Catherine within the context of the history of Portugal and their seaborne empire, and the strong political and commercial ties between England and Portugal dating to the mid-fourteenth century which played a key role in the culmination of the Marriage Treaty of 1661. Her legacy lives on in her dowry, specifically the port of Bombay which allowed England to become a global empire, introducing many everyday items into European culture.

My Review

History is full of the stories of kings and other great men. But what about the queens who served alongside them? In this book, the author, Susan Abernethy, brings to the fore the life and legacy of Catherine of Braganza.

Catherine was the wife of Charles II, a little-known queen who I am pleased to have learned more about in this informative book. She may be the 'forgotten queen' here in the UK, but in her homeland of Portugal, her legacy lives on to this day.  In addition, she had a significant influence on English culture.

In this book, Catherine's story is sandwiched between the history of the time before and after her death. The author portrays the political upheaval of the period before Catherine's arrival as the bride of Charles II. Indeed, it demonstrates why the British looked to Portugal to provide a queen for the king, and this has clearly been extensively researched. 

My heart went out to Catherine on many occasions. Not only was she parted from her family in Portugal and all that was familiar to her, sent to a country where she neither spoke the language nor understood the English culture, but she also had to contend with a string of mistresses that her husband, the king, openly flaunted before her and society.

The author provides the reader with glimpses into the primary sources with the inclusion of letters and contemporary accounts, all of which blend together to provide this excellent narrative of Catherine's life.

The author has done a great job in celebrating Catherine's life in this book. She has elevated a little-known, female historical figure, bringing her to the fore in this excellent book.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1036121648

Publisher:  Pen & Sword

Formats:  Hardback

No. of Pages:  248

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Pen & Sword Books

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Blackwell's

About the Author

Susan Abernethy has a degree in history and is a member of the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association, the Society for Renaissance Studies, the Historical Writers Association and The Historical Association.  Her blog, The Freelance History Writer has been continuously publishing historical articles since 2012, with an emphasis on European, Tudor, medieval, Renaissance, Early Modern and Women’s history.  

Susan's latest book, The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe is due to be published on 30th November and is available for pre-ordered here.

You can also find Susan at:

Author Website

X

Bluesky

Catherine of Braganza

King Charles II

(ARC and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org  affiliated)

Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones - #bookreview

 

The doctor is nervous.

John Bradmore is the best surgeon in England. He has a famous practice in London. He attends on rich and powerful clients, including the king...

***

HENRY V reigned over England for only nine years and four months, and died at the age of just thirty-five, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond.

The victor of Agincourt was remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. William Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. In the dark days of World War II, Henry's victories in France were presented by British filmmakers as exemplars for a people existentially threatened by Nazism. Churchill called Henry 'a gleam of splendour in the dark, troubled story of medieval England', while for one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, 'the greatest man who ever ruled England'.

For Dan Jones, Henry is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down: a hardened warrior, yet also bookish and artistic; a leader who made many mistakes, yet always triumphed when it mattered. As king, he saved a shattered country from

economic ruin, and in foreign diplomacy made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses.

Dan Jones's life of Henry V stands out for the generous amount of space it allots to his long royal apprenticeship - the critical first twenty-six years of his life before he became king. It is an enthralling portrait of a man with a rare ability to force his will on the world. But, above all, it is an unmissable account of England's greatest king from our bestselling medieval historian.

***

If you are looking at this book and thinking that it might be a heavy going historical tome then think again. 

This is so accessible to read as the author, Dan Jones has steered away from the traditional style of history writing being in the past tense and has written this in the present tense. This may be unconventional, but Mr. Jones has accomplished this extremely well. It drives the text along, pulling the reader in and allowing them to observe history from a closer perspective.

That said, the book contains a vast amount of knowledge as it covers Henry's entire lifetime - from the time of his birth in 1386 to his death in 1422 via his ascension to the throne in 1413. We learn much about the boy and youth, Hal who became the serious King Henry. However, the author states that these two personas were very much one and the same and he sets this out for the reader perfectly.

Despite the fact that I have a history degree, I actually knew little about Henry V other than on a superficial level.  I focussed more on modern history. Therefore, I was very eager to dive into this and I feel that I am far more informed now. I have ploughed through many history textbooks over the years and by comparison, this made for easy reading and was more like reading a detailed novel.

This book is an intelligent and informative read which made for enjoyable reading. Publishing today, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys history.

ISBN: 978 1804541937

Publisher:  Head of Zeus/Apollo

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  448 (hardback)

***

About the Author:

Dan Jones is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of many non-fiction books, including The Plantagenets, The Templars and Powers and Thrones. He is a renowned writer, broadcaster and journalist. He has presented dozens of TV shows, including the Netflix series Secrets of Great British Castles, and writes and hosts the podcast This is History. His debut novel, Essex Dogs, is the first in a series following the fortunes of ordinary soldiers in the early years of the Hundred Years’ War. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

(ARC and author info courtesy of the publisher)

(author photo courtesy of Penguin Random House)

(all opinions are my own)

Books I Want to Read in June 2023

 

One of the things that I love the most about June is the roses. They have long been my favourite flower. I have a beautifully fragrant one in my garden called Maiden's Blush. It is the palest pink you could imagine and smells divine.

There are a few books which are vying for my attention this month. Here are ten which I really hope to read.

Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch

The Village Vicar by Julie Houston

Queen of the Exiles by Vanessa Riley

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah

The Plantagenet Prelude by Jean Plaidy

Saying Goodbye to Tuesday by Chris Manby

Bigfoot Island by Roderick O'Grady

The Choice by Michael Arditti

Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker

The Garden of Evening Mists by Twan Eng Tan

Do you have any reading plans for June? I would love to hear about them.

(header photo courtesy of Paula Hayes/Unsplash)

James I, The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman - #BookReview @penswordbooks

 

The king's first child, and his great hope as the rightful ruler of the two island kingdoms, Prince Henry, was born in Stirling Castle in February 1594. The great hopes of the father were set down in the Basilikon Doron, the 'royal gift,' an extended missive to Henry which the king published when his son was five. As he grew, it seemed to some that Prince Henry was everything that his father was not: comely in appearance, attractive in personality, upright in morality. In later years, after the shady favouritism of his father's court and the weakness of his brother, Charles, as king, there was a retrospective urge to idealise the lost prince who died before maturity...

***

The life of King James VI who united England and Scotland under one crown and became James I in 1603 is marked by contradictions. Generally praised as a good king of Scotland and a poor English one, James was a deep theological thinker, but he also inspired a superstitious frenzy which resulted in the North Berwick witch hunt and trials in the 1590s. Scholar and pedant, he was in his own view God’s appointed ruler, yet also a foul mouthed sloven and forever tarnished with the title of the Wisest Fool in Christendom.

The most glaring contrast in his personal life was between his image as a married family man and as a ruler who lavished indiscreet affection on a series of men whom he invested with considerable power. This book approaches James through the lens of his relationships with his major favourites. First was Anglo-French lord Esme D’Aubigny, then Scottish squire Robert Carr (later Earl of Somerset), and finally the consummate nobleman George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. ‘A king will have need to use secrecy in many things,’ the king wrote in one of his books. Although his private life was sometimes astonishingly visible, there are still many mysteries about James I as a man rather than a ruler.

This work tracks the king’s life from a barren childhood through a succession of plots, intrigues and conspiracies in Scotland which largely forged, or deformed, his character. Beyond his complex and disputed connection with these men the book looks at his relationship with his wife, sponsorship of the arts, and contains a reappraisal of the first and most neglected historical mystery of his first reign, the Gowrie Conspiracy.

***

If I wandered into a bookshop, any bookshop, and browsed the history shelves I suspect that I would find the section on British royalty dominated by the Tudors. That is not a criticism as it was an extremely interesting period of history. Comparitively, I wonder how many books on the Stuarts I would find? This is certainly one such book that should feature on those shelves. 

It is rich in scope and whilst it discusses those events pertinent to King James VI/I's reign in England (1603 - 1625), the author offers something a little different in his book. The witch hunts, the Gowrie conspiracy and his unification of Scotland and England into a United Kingdom are all expectedly there. 

However, we learn much about King James the man. Mr. Coleman portrays the contradictory lifestyle led by James VI/I. On one hand, he portrayed himself as a husband and father. On the other, he openly displayed and elevated a series of 'favourites,' all men who were believed to be his bedfellows. As an historically apparent homosexual, (although the author explains that the concept of homosexuality was not the same as we understand it today)  he would still have been expected to fill the royal nursery and provide the country with an heir.

Mr. Coleman's book has been extensively researched and is presented in an accesible manner. I have read many books on this period in history and this is an excellent addition to the canon. It is suitable for those who are already familiar with Stuart history or to those who are new to the period. It explains much about King James himself and would entice a reader to find out more about the historical events of the period. It is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

ISBN: 978 1399093590

Publisher:  Pen & Sword History

Formats:  e-book, hardback

No. of Pages:  240 (hardback)

About the Author:

Keith Coleman has a MA degree in Celto-Roman Studies from the University of Wales, Newport. His book Aedán of the Gaels: King of Scots (Pen & Sword Books, 2022) was his latest long-term study of the legends and history of the Scottish kings. He is also the author of The Afterlife of Kings James IV, Otherworld Legends of A Scottish King (Chronos Books, 2019) and maintain several blogs about the legends and history of Scotland and its kings. He is currently working on a book on latter day Jacobites to be published by Pen & Sword.

(author photo courtesy of Amazon)

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(author bio courtesy of Pen & Sword)

My Top Ten Books for Christmas 2022

Well, it's exactly one month until Christmas Day and I thought it time that I shared with you the top ten Christmas books which have me excited. So, in no particular order, here they are.

Driving Home for Christmas by Joanna Bolouri

THREE CHRISTMASES. TWO BROKEN HEARTS. ONE HELL OF A JOURNEY.

Driving home marks the start of the holidays for Kate and Ed, who have made this journey every Christmas of their ten-year long relationship. Normally the seasonal hits blare from the car stereo, and they are guaranteed to be wearing ridiculous jumpers in anticipation, but this year a frosty silence fills the car...

A massive argument leads to the immediate collapse of their relationship. But the show must go on, so they decide to brave their families together one last time.

With three Christmases to celebrate, an old flame waiting under the mistletoe and a shed load of expectation around their future together, this most wonderful time of year is anything but. There will be turkey, tiffs and tantrums galore, but it's sure to be a Christmas they'll never forget.

A Christmas Celebration by Heidi Swain

When Paige turns up unannounced at Wynthorpe Hall, she discovers the place she knew when she was growing up has changed beyond all recognition. She’s only planning to stay for a short time, but is quickly pulled into local life.

 One night while driving home after delivering library books and shopping to residents she stumbles across an isolated cottage and meets Albert, its elderly and rather grumpy owner. She quickly realises there’s more to Albert than meets the eye and the same can be said for the other man she can’t seem to help running into, handsome but brooding Brodie.

 All three of them have a secret and a desire to hide away from the world, but with Christmas on the horizon, is that really the best way to celebrate the season?

Christmas at the Borrow a Bookshop by Kiley Dunbar

'Tis the season for finding love… and the perfect book

With just two weeks until Christmas, everything in Clove Lore should be perfect. But the latest holidaymaker to the Borrow a Bookshop is feeling far from festive…

Icelandic ex-bookseller Magnús Sturluson might be surrounded by love stories in the Bookshop, but he’s nursing a sadness that not even fiction can fix.

When Alexandra Robinson finds herself stranded in Clove Lore, she finds a safe place to hide from heartbreak. After all, all that’s waiting for her at home is a cheater boyfriend and the memories of her parents. As Alex finds herself embraced by the quirky village community, she finds her tough exterior thawing – and as she grows closer to Magnús, she finds an equally soft heart under his gruff shell.

It seems that Clove Lore is working its magic once again – until a great flood on Christmas Eve brings devastation in its wake. It’s up to Magnús and Alex to batten down the hatches and help bring the village back together again, while also introducing the locals to the Icelandic tradition of the jólabókaflóð – Yule book flood – where families and friends gather on Christmas Eve to exchange books and read together.

But can Magnús and Alex truly rescue the ruins of the village, and salvage their Christmas spirit? Or is there another complication lurking even closer than they thought?

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

Eighteen passengers. Seven stops. One killer.

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train to the Highlands is derailed, along with the festive plans of its travellers. With the train stuck in snow in the middle of nowhere, a killer stalks its carriages, picking off passengers one by one. Those who sleep on the sleeper train may never wake again.

Can former Met detective Roz Parker find the killer before they kill again?

All aboard for . . . Murder on the Christmas Express.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber

Will they find their happy-ever-after this Christmas?

Peter and Hank are lifelong friends, but when it comes to their jobs they couldn't be more different. Peter is a small-town pastor and is devoted to helping the community, while Hank runs the local pub and is never too far from a party. But this Christmas, everything is about to change . . .

Having never settled down, Peter and Hank believe their demanding jobs are keeping them from finding love. Convinced that the other has it easier, they hatch a plan to swap places the week before Christmas to put their theories to the test and find time for themselves.

But as Hank quickly becomes overwhelmed by nativity plans, and Peter struggles to control the rowdy festive pub-goers, they each begin to worry they're in over their heads. Luckily, church assistant Grace is on hand to help Hank navigate a church/life balance, and a young woman seeking shelter at the pub might be exactly what Peter needs to realise there's more than one way to help his community . . .

This Christmas, will Peter and Hank's stunt fall flat, or will it open their eyes to the possibility of love at last?

A Royal Christmas by Jeremy Archer

A Royal Christmas is a Christmas pudding of a book, full of silver threepenny pieces.

Organised thematically, it covers such topics as Christmas and conflict in the 20th century, Christmas pastimes, festive feasts, Christmas and the Commonwealth, and many more, to reveal the many ways in which the Royal Family have celebrated the festive season through the ages.

Jeremy Archer has delved into the Royal Archives to uncover the personal thoughts of many members of the Royal Family during the Christmas period. What comes over most strongly from Queen Victoria’s journals is the importance of family: the joys they shared, the trials they endured, and the carefully-selected gifts they exchanged. Although there is much happiness, tragedy is a common bed-fellow, particularly in earlier times. And conflict is seldom very far away.

But this is a celebration – both of an enduring festive season and an extraordinary family.

A White Christmas on Winter St. by Sue Moorcroft

When Sky Terran returns to the village of Middledip after losing the job she loves, she anticipates a quiet Christmas getting used to her new life. However, the annual street decoration competition is coming up and this year, the residents of Winter Street are determined to win.

As she is pulled into the preparations, Sky quickly grows to love the quirky, tight-knit community she is now part of. Including the extremely handsome Daz, who soon becomes more than just a friendly neighbour.

But when Daz’s ex turns up determined to win him back and it seems he might not be the man Sky thought he was, she remembers how much allowing people into her life – and heart – can hurt. As the snow falls, will she and Daz find a way through – and help win a Christmas victory for Winter Street?

Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

She’s snowed in with the family. The only problem? They’re not her family.

A family gathering

This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal – to avoid their family’s well-meaning questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.

An uninvited guest

Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone, and the prospect of losing her job – unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller. She’ll deliver her proposal to his family home in the Scottish Highlands and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller’s perfect family Christmas.

A Christmas to remember

When Lucy appears on the Miller’s snow-covered doorstep, she is mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. But by the time the confusion is cleared up, a storm has hit and Lucy is stuck. As everyone settles in for a snowed-in Christmas, tensions bubble to the surface and suddenly Lucy finds herself facing a big family fallout with a family that isn’t hers…

Christmas Feasts and Treats by Donna Hay

In this re-issue, Donna Hay takes the stress out of Christmas cooking and entertaining with this must-have collection of over 170 stunning yet simple festive recipes. Featuring all the nostalgic favourites and some fun twists on the classics, this is the only cookbook you need for the festive season.

From easy starters to show-stopping mains - including a cheat's glazed ham that doesn't need studding or basting - to dazzling desserts that are sure to impress, and some special edible gifts, these recipes are peppered with Donna's best-ever tricks and shortcuts to make it the most relaxing Christmas yet. You'll also find plenty of beautiful styling tips to add some extra sparkle to the festivities.

Also included are step-by-step images to walk you through it all, whether you're attempting a glossy ham, succulent bird, fruity pudding or a shimmering trifle. Or perhaps you want to try your hand at a roast pork with the perfect crackle, a gingerbread wreath or a rocking rocky road?

No matter what's on the menu, Christmas Feasts and Treats will give you the confidence to have a very delicious and stress-free Christmas.

All I Want for Christmas is Yarn by Lindsey Newns

Crochet yourself into the Christmas spirit with these 30 gorgeous patterns for decorations, festive outerwear and personal gifts..

Deck the halls with boughs made of yarn! Just grab your hook and this book and get cracking. With 30 patterns from Lindsey Newns (@lottieandalbert), you’ll have Christmas decorations and gifts sorted for many years to come, with crochet crafts including:

A super chunky wreath

Tasselled baubles

Garlands

Reusable crackers

Festive amigurumi

Candy cane present toppers

And many, many more…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Crochetmas!

(header photo courtesy of Andrea Radu / Unsplash)

Tea at the Palace: 50 Delicious Recipes for Afternoon Tea by Carolyn Robb - #BookReview

 

During my thirteen years as a royal chef, I was very privileged to call some of Britain's most splendid royal palaces and castles my 'place of work'. It was immensely inspiring to cook for such incredible people in such impressive surroundings. Each royal residence has its own distinctive character, traditions and ambience, dictated by its whereabouts and its history, which in many cases, dates back hundreds of years. I have created this collection of special recipes in celebration of a unique aspect of each of the twelve superb locations.

***

Set against a backdrop of twelve of Britain’s most stunning palaces and residences, the recipes are a mix of traditional, contemporary and whimsical; each one with its own unique twist.

 

Every chapter tells a tale, with inspiration drawn from sources as diverse as a 200-year-old royal banquet menu, an intriguing 17th-century chocolate kitchen commissioned by William III and Queen Victoria’s highland retreat.

Gingerbread soldiers in sentry boxes, striking raspberry swirl meringues, miniaturised cream scones, cacao nib nuggets and warm salmon tartlets are just a few of the teatime temptations.

 

Written by the Former Personal Chef to TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales.  

***

I don't often review cookery books, but when I do I always like to have a go at one of the recipes before I write it, and this is no exception. I needed to make a cake as the centre piece for my WI's Jubilee Celebration so this book was perfect to find a recipe for this occasion (more about my efforts later.)

There are some truly sumptuous looking cakes and bakes in this book, all of which have all been beautifully photographed by John Kernick, making it a visual delight. I could have happily baked my way through most of the recipes. 

However, not only are the photographs of the bakes gorgeous but there are also wonderful photos of the royal palaces. The recipes are divided up by royal residence with appropriate bakes attributed to each venue. They are: 

Buckingham Palace

Sandringham House

Kensington Palace

Hampton Court Palace

Brighton Pavilion

Highgrove House

Blenheim Palace

Balmoral Castle

The Castle of Mey

Kew Palace

Windsor Castle

Caernarfon Castle

In each section, Ms. Robb writes about her experience at each royal residence, followed up with recipes she has cooked. I did, in fact, use two of the recipes to make one cake as I needed the quantities of cake mixture from the White Chocolate and Mint Cake (Highgrove House) but with the filling of the Strawberry Bunting Cake (Buckingham Palace).

I found the recipe in this timely publication easy to follow and I was very happy with the result.

Anyone who enjoys baking or reading about the Royal Family would enjoy this book, and I can envisage it one that I would come back to on several subsequent occasions.

ISBN: 978 0711279650  

Publisher: White Lion Publishing

Formats: e-book and Hardback

No. of Pages: 160 (hardback)

About the Author:

Born and raised in South Africa, Carolyn Robb’s culinary education began at ‘The Tante Marie School of Cookery’ in Surrey, UK. Her first job was at Kensington Palace cooking for TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester after which she served as the personal chef for TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry for 11 years. Since then she has lived and worked in Dubai, California and the UK, as a culinary consultant, in event management, product development, in the travel sector and as a food critic, judge and author. Tea at the Palace is Carolyn’s second book. 

(author photo courtesy of Speakers Connect 

 bio info courtesy of The Quarto Group

ARC courtesy of NetGalley)