The research for theplantagenets.com actually started more than 30 years ago. Our mother has always loved history and encouraged us to read history and biography. But my big sister, Denise, moved beyond history to historical fiction.
Captivated by historical people who we actually know too little about, Denise explored them as people, through fiction, consuming Anya Seton, Josephine Tey and Sharon Kay Penman like modern teenagers consume music.
She still scolds me for not having read Katherine yet.
In my defense, Daughter of Time was the beginning of my fascination with and sympathy for Richard III. Then I read The Sunne in Splendour and I just never got back to the 14th century.
I’ve always loved great stories, even knowing that the story-tellers often (either intentionally or inadvertently) re-frame the facts for their own reasons. I discovered archeology at the ripe old age of 7 and I love how it can help fill in the blanks in the written record, constantly giving us new details and insights into the past.
Both Denise and I have been fascinated by Plantagenet England for years. There are so many tantalizing stories here. Who could resist characters like Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and their warring sons? What really happened to Edward II or Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury?
Theplantagenets.com gave us just the excuse we needed to really dig into the lives of these people, long dead. Thank you. We hope you’ll enjoy this journey as much as we do.
If you have a person or event in Plantagenet England you’d like to know more about, or questions or comments about anything on this blog, just let us know by dropping us a comment. We’ll get right on it. (We’d love to hear from you.)
Melissa & Denise