Kristine Hughes's Blog, page 17

The Ill Fated Marriage of The Duke of Wellington

Originally published in 2011 The marriage of Arthur Wellesley to Catherine Sarah Dorothea Pakenham, third daughter of the Earl of Longford, took place on 10 April, 1896 and may be the strangest marriage I’ve come across in the annals of Georgian, Regency and Victorian alliances. No two people were ever more ill suited to spend … Continue reading "The Ill Fated Marriage of The Duke of Wellington"

Napoleon’s First Abdication

In early April, 1814, Napoleon’s career as l’Empereur, came to its first end.  Spoiler Alert: it didn’t last for long… Following the disaster of his failed invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon’s brilliance as a general seemed to fail him.  After losing thousands of troops in the battles and long trek back to France, his Grand … Continue reading "Napoleon’s First Abdication"

THE 2020 TOWN & COUNTRY HOUSE TOUR

A mix of town and country, this tour includes a blend of residences  from London townhouses to grand stately homes in an array of styles, complete with glorious gardens and each one filled with fabulous furnishings and artwork from various eras and complete with glorious gardens – Visit Kenwood House, Apsley House, the Wallace Collection, … Continue reading "THE 2020 TOWN & COUNTRY HOUSE TOUR"

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY TO US!

  I’m gobsmacked. I truly can’t believe that Number One London has been around for ten years today, or that we’ve now published over 1,650 posts or that we’re still being visited by more than 3,500 readers per month. Who would have thought? Certainly not Vicky and me when we wrote our first blog post … Continue reading "HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY TO US!"

THE PLAY’S THE THING

by Guest Blogger Marilyn Clay   During the Regency period, attending the theatre was a passion shared by nearly everyone from London’s aristocratic upper ten thousand down through the middling classes and the lower orders, i.e. those whose lives consisted mainly of serving their betters. Only a few playhouses in England were approved by the … Continue reading "THE PLAY’S THE THING"

First Transatlantic Telephone Call

It took 50 years from the invention of the telephone to make transatlantic phone calls possible, as there was much more than the mere laying of a cable to achieve the feat, since the voltages involved in telephone calls were too low to be passed though such a long cable and there was no known technology … Continue reading "First Transatlantic Telephone Call"

A TOUR GUIDE IN ENGLAND: WALKING HIGHCLERE

Kristine here – As some of you may recall, before the 2010 Wellington Tour began, I had posted about how much I was looking forward to walking the grounds at Highclere Castle, which was a stop on the Tour. As depicted on Downton Abbey, the grounds always seem interesting, inviting and in need of my … Continue reading "A TOUR GUIDE IN ENGLAND: WALKING HIGHCLERE"

THE TWO LADY JERSEYS

Originally published in 2010 There were two Lady Jerseys during the Regency, Frances, Lady Jersey and her daughter-in-law, Sarah, Lady Jersey, who became one of the Lady Patronesses at Almack’s Assembly Rooms. The elder, and more infamous, Lady Jersey was Frances Twysden, the posthumously born daughter of Rev.Philip Twysden, Bishop of Raphoe (1746–1752) who was allegedly shot … Continue reading "THE TWO LADY JERSEYS"

ON THE SHELF: THE MITFORDS – LETTERS BETWEEN SIX SISTERS

Originally published in June 2016 I had bought this large (800+ pp) volume at Hatchard’s on my trip to London in 2014 and had first tried to read it when it finally arrived in a Royal Mail bag, along with several other books I’d purchased.  I made it through the first chapter before realizing that … Continue reading "ON THE SHELF: THE MITFORDS – LETTERS BETWEEN SIX SISTERS"

THE 2019 SCOTLAND TOUR – THE FOOD

It should be noted that Denise did not taste them all at the same meal.