‘The White Elephant’: How accurate was ITV’s Victoria episode on the Great Exhibition of 1851?
Everyone loves a period drama and we all know that ITV’s Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes as our beloved Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, is my absolute favourite. But just how accurate is it? Last year I wrote a guest post focusing on the accuracy of one of the episodes in season one …
Ask me a question!
This past weekend saw the one year anniversary of me starting this blog, and what better way to celebrate it than a little get to know me? A couple of weeks ago I put a post on my Instagram account, asking for my followers to give me some questions that they’d love me to answer …
Historical To Be Read
Over the last year and a half, I have found my thesis to be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to reading. It’s a blessing because there isn’t a day where I’m not reading, however it’s a curse because I have to dedicate all my time to books relating to the Great …
On this day: The Wedding of Victoria and Albert
February 10th 1840 marked a monumental day for Victorian England that would change not only the expectations for royal weddings at that time, but would lay the foundations for the ways weddings take place today. After proposing to him in October 1839, Queen Victoria was finally preparing to marry her beloved Prince Albert at St …
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My top five books on The Great Exhibition of 1851
Since I began posting about my thesis, one of the main questions I get asked time and time again both on Twitter and Instagram is what’s the best book on the Great Exhibition? Over the past year, I have read my fair share of books and articles on the Exhibition and I’m still finding new …
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The Christmas Broadcast
Merry Christmas! My favourite day of the year is finally here, and I hope you’re all enjoying it with your family, and most importantly staying safe! One of the best known traditions of Christmas Day is the Christmas Broadcast that will come at 3pm this afternoon. For my final post of Blogmas, which I hope …
Top five Christmas movies
For my Christmas content, I thought I’d break it up a bit and add in a few posts that aren’t history related… You’ll find all of my blogmas content under the Christmas category so it will never mess up my focus on history! So, for todays posts I thought I’d look at my five favourite …
The history of Santa Claus
You simply cannot have Christmas without its ‘figurehead’ Santa Claus. The idea of this wonderful figure leaving presents for you during Christmas Eve night is one of the most magical things in the world when you’re younger, and it helps keep the Christmas spirit alive as you get older – especially if you have young …
Christmas Trees but make it history!
As I mentioned in a previous post, Christmas really starts once I put my tree up! I did it a bit earlier than usual this year but I think given the circumstances, that’s more than okay! My tree is a bit of an odd one, whilst I have the typical Christmas colours of red and …
Christmas 2019: My favourite historical gifts
Today’s post is a short one, but I thought following on from my post on decorations yesterday, what better way to follow it than showing the history gifts I received for Christmas last year? I was spoiled last year, and I was very lucky that my friends and family got me some incredible history related …
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The story behind A Christmas Carol
It is impossible to go through the festive season without a reference in one way or another to Charles Dickens’ famous A Christmas Carol. Nowadays there are so many adaptations of this incredibly popular novel, so even if you haven’t read it, you’re more than likely well aware of its story through film. I wanted …
Origin of the Christmas Cracker
For me, I never have a Christmas without crackers. We always have them ready at the table when we’re about to have our Christmas dinner, but for the past couple of years my lovely friend Rodney has been sending me Harry Potter ones that he makes and so I always find myself putting these in …
A History of Christmas Cards
One of my weekend pastimes during lockdown when I was taking a break from my thesis consisted of me writing many many Christmas cards. For me, one of my favourite things to receive in December is a Christmas card from friends or family. But… where did they come from? As part of my Christmas content …
The History of Christmas Trees
For me, Christmas officially starts when my tree is up. It is impossible for me to imagine any Christmas without one, and I know this is the case for a lot of people… the two go hand in hand. But where did this start? Today I thought I’d look at the history of Christmas trees, …
30 Stocking Fillers Under £15: Historic Royal Palaces
With just over a month until my favourite day of the year, Christmas Day, my mind is constantly focused on what presents I’d like to buy for people but it is also full of friends and family asking me what they could buy me. This year I’ve found myself sending various links to friends and …
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Gaia: Gloucester Cathedral
It has been the longest time since I uploaded a blog post. With my final Osborne House post at the end of July I decided that I should have a break from the blog as I had a lot to get on with in terms of work and on my thesis… But I’m finally back, …
Osborne House: Second Half of the House
For those that have been following my blog, you’ll know that over the past couple of months I have been posting a tour of one of my favourite places in the world Osborne House. As time has been escaping me lately, and I haven’t been able to dedicate enough to my blog like I’ve wanted, …
My advice on studying history at degree level
The jump between A-Levels and university and the move to bigger independence with your work is a big one. When I started, I didn’t really know anyone else who had studied history, so I had no one to ask what I should be aware of… So, I thought I’d give some tips that I find …
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Why I chose a Masters by Research
As I was finishing year 12, about to start year 13, I was adamant that university was not for me. I was still as passionate as ever for history, but I wasn’t sure that further education was the right path for me… Though I had absolutely no idea what I’d do instead! I’m very much …
Osborne House: Staircase & Pages Alcove
Once you leave the nursery, there are two areas before you get to the specific areas used frequently by Victoria and Albert. The staircase and the pages’ alcove are what you come across just before you get to the rooms of Prince Albert. Staircase This grand staircase was modelled on the one at Claremont House, …
Osborne House: Nursery Sitting Room & Nursery Bedroom
This week sees part four of my Osborne House tour go live, and this week I’m focusing on the nursery sitting room and bedroom! The nursery suite at Osborne House helps provide an insight into Victoria and Albert’s relationship with their children. The suite was placed immediately above Victoria and Albert’s private apartments which helped …
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Ten history blogs and podcasts I’m loving at the moment!
Hello and happy Saturday! I thought I’d do something a little different for today’s posts… It’s almost five months since I created Shauna does History, and I have really begun to embrace it in the last couple of months. Lockdown has had a real impact on introducing me to history bloggers and podcasts that I …
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Osborne House: Drawing Room & Billiard Room
Part three of my tour of Osborne House looks at another two incredible rooms – the drawing room and the billiard room. The drawing room is another personal favourite of mine in the house, with some of my favourite statues! Drawing Room “Extremely handsome, with its yellow damask satin curtains and furniture to match” Queen …
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Hampton Court Palace: My top five areas!
In January, me and my best friend returned to Hampton Court Palace for a second time – and to make it even better, we managed to get our tickets at 50% off! HCP is one of my absolute favourite palace’s, and I’ll never get enough of going there – so I thought I’d share my …
Osborne House: Audience Room & Dining Room
Last week I published the first of nine posts on a tour of Osborne House looking at the Grand Corridor and the Council Room… This week I’m looking at the Audience Room and Dining Room, as well as a quick look at the continued grand corridor and table-deckers room in-between the two! It is after …
Osborne House: Grand Corridor & Council Room
Last month I published two posts on Osborne House: The first on celebration at Osborne House (find here), and the second being a tour of the gardens, beach and Swiss Cottage (find here) So I thought it was time to carry on, and do a tour of Osborne House itself! This will be a little …
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On this day: The Great Exhibition 1851
The Victorian period is known for many different events, inventions and key figures. One of the most ground-breaking events of the nineteenth was held on this day exactly 169 years ago. The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations opened its doors to the public on May 1st and remained open until …
REVIEW: Prince Albert: The Man who Saved the Monarchy by A.N Wilson
A.N Wilson is an English biographer, novelist and journalist. Over his lifetime he has released over 40 works in both fiction and non-fiction whilst also appearing as an occasional columnist for Daily Mail, Telegraph, London Evening Standard and The Observer to name just a few. I discovered Wilson’s work in the past year, as both …
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Carisbrooke Castle: Picture Diary
On my visit to the Isle of Wight with my best friend last year, the first place we visited (quite literally – we got off the ferry and headed straight there) was Carisbrooke Castle. As Rebekah has a lifetime membership with English Heritage, it was (luckily for me) free access for her but also free …
Osborne House: Terrace Garden, Beach and Swiss Cottage
Osborne House remains my favourite historical place that I’ve visited, and I was super lucky that when I went I had beautiful weather on both days. As you can see with the image below, Osborne estate is HUGE – at the time of its creation, it covered an astonishing 2000 acres. Now-a-days, it covers just …
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The lost dress of Elizabeth I
As one of our most famous monarchs throughout history, Elizabeth I has and always will be a huge figure of interest. As a woman who had several portraits throughout her lifetime, a large part of this interest to historians is often what she’s seen wearing in these portraits and what they depict. Unfortunately, not a …
Celebration at Osborne House
2019 marked the bicentenary of the births of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and also the year that I finally got to visit Osborne House, the holiday home of the famous couple on the Isle of Wight. To mark the bicentenary of the pair, English Heritage hosted a ‘celebration‘ event which put eighteen items …
The face behind Shauna does History
A little over a month ago, I set up a new Instagram page, shaunadoeshistory and I figured the best thing to do was introduce myself properly to those who don’t know me. I’m Shauna, I’m 22 years old living in the UK and for a few years now I have been running a Harry Potter …
