John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee in Glamis Castle

John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee (c. 21 July 1648 – 27 July 1689), known as the 7th Laird of Claverhouse until raised to the viscountcy in 1688, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, a Tory and an Episcopalian. Claverhouse was responsible for policing south-west Scotland during and after the religious unrest and rebellion of the 1670s/80s.

After his death, Presbyterian historians dubbed him "Bluidy Clavers". Contemporary evidence for the fairness of this soubriquet in the Covenanting tradition is mixed. Tales of the Covenanters and Covenanter monuments hold Claverhouse directly responsible for the deaths of adherents of that movement. However, Claverhouse's own letters frequently recommended lenient treatment of Covenanters,^[1] and in 1684 he married into a prominent Covenanter family.

Later, as a general in the Scottish army, Claverhouse remained loyal to King James VII of Scotland after the Revolution of 1688. He rallied those Highland clans loyal to the Jacobite cause and, although he lost his life in the battle, led them to victory at Killiecrankie. This first Jacobite rising was unsuccessful, but Claverhouse became a Jacobite hero, acquiring his second soubriquet "Bonnie Dundee".

 

Holker Hall

The Hall in Holker Hall

Queen Mary's Bedroom  in Holker Hall

Please the website of  Holker Hall 

Henrietta Maria of France

Born 25 November 1609

Palais du Louvre, Paris, France

Died 10 September 1669 (aged 59)

Château de Colombes, Colombes, France

Burial 13 September 1669

Royal Basilica of Saint Denis

Georgiana Cavendish

Born on 7 June 1757

Althorp, Northamptonshire

Died on 30 March 1806 (aged 48)

London

Queen Morther

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the last queen consort of Ireland and empress consort of India.
Born into a family of Scottish nobility as The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, she became Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon when her father inherited the Earldom of Strathmore and Kinghorne in 1904. She came to prominence in 1923 when she married Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. As Duchess of York, she – along with her husband and their two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret – embodied traditional ideas of family and public service. She undertook a variety of public engagements, and became known as the "Smiling Duchess" because of her consistent public expression.
In 1936, her husband unexpectedly became King when his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in order to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson. Queen Elizabeth accompanied her husband on diplomatic tours to France and North America before the start of World War II. During the war, her seemingly indomitable spirit provided moral support to the British public. In recognition of her role as an asset to British morale, Adolf Hitler described her as "the most dangerous woman in Europe"After the war, her husband's health deteriorated and she was widowed at the age of 51.
On the death of her mother-in-law Queen Mary in 1953, with her brother-in-law living abroad and her elder daughter aged 25, Elizabeth became the senior member of the British Royal Family and assumed a position as family matriarch. In her later years, she was a consistently popular member of the family, when other members were suffering from low levels of public approval. She continued an active public life until just a few months before her death at the age of 101, seven weeks after the death of her younger daughter, Princess Margaret.

Titanic

Some Titanic Facts

The RMS Titanic in full glory

The world's interest in the fascinating history of Titanic has endured for almost 100 years. April 15, 2005 will mark the 93rd anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic ship and although it has been nearly a century since the infamous luxury liner sank in the Atlantic Ocean, there continues to be a thirst for information regarding Titanic facts, myths and legends.

No other ship in the history of ocean travel has demanded as much interest as the Titanic. Volumes of books and reels of film have been produced regarding the most infamous shipwreck in history. We have attempted to provide here a brief introduction to some of the more fascinating facts, legends and myths regarding the sinking of the ship that was labeled 'unsinkable' before her disastrous maiden voyage in April of 1912.

History of the Titanic - The history of Titanic has endured for nearly a century. Find out more about the most fascinating ship and shipwreck in the world and how the tragedy of the ship continues to affect us today.

April 15, 1912, The Sinking of the Titanic - When the Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage the world was filled with hope and awe. In just a few short days those emotions turned to horror and grief. Find out what really happened that day in 1912: the sinking of the Titanic.

Passengers on the Titanic- One of the most fascinating aspects about the tragic history of the Titanic, is the eclectic mix of passengers onboard the ill fated luxury liner. When the ship sank, the lives of both the famous and the unknown were lost as well. Spend a few moments learning about the famous and not so famous passengers on the Titanic. Look here for a Titanic passenger list with the names of first, second and third
class passengers and survivors.

Titanic Ship - While the Titanic ship initially earned fame as the largest luxury liner on the open seas, she would obtain enduring distinction for the tragedy that took the ship to her watery grave. Return to the Titanic and discover the surprising facts that led to the ship's destruction from the moment she set sail.

Titanic Facts - It has been almost 100 years since the Titanic sank. During that time a number of myths and legends have grown up around the sinking of the now infamous ship. Take a few moments to read about some of the more interesting and trueTitanic facts.

Titanic Movie -The 1997 release of 'Titanic' renewed the world's interest in a bygone era and the fate of the Titanic's maiden voyage. Find out more about the Titanic movie that captured the world's interest and won a ton of Academy Awards.

Titanic Pictures - For years the world pondered what the 'ship of dreams' might have really looked like and wondered if any part of the ship still remained to be seen somewhere below the icy depths of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1985 the first pictures of the wreck were taken. Immerse yourself in pictures of the Titanic's grave and find out what role those pictures have made in discovering the truth about the ship's tragic end.

Titanic Construction - The White Star Line billed the Titanic as 'unsinkable' months before the ship ever embarked on her maiden voyage. Her construction was reputed to have been the best of the best. So, why did she sink and did the ship's construction have anything to do with the tragedy?

Titanic Manifest - The manifest of the maiden, and only, voyage of the Titanic provides a fascinating look into life aboard the famous luxury liner during her brief few days at sea. Find out why the Titanic was called 'the ship of dreams'.

Titanic Wreck - Following the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, various groups and individuals searched for the Titanic wreck for decades. Many had started to believe the ship's grave would never be found. Become immersed in the search for the Titanic wreck.

Titanic Artifacts - The artifacts recovered from the Titanic wreck are a sad reminder of what happened that April morning of 1912.
Menus, clothes, jewelry, bottles of wine, letters from passengers on the Titanic, etc. were salvaged from the depths of the ocean and put on display in museums and exhibits or auctioned.

Questions and Answers About the Titanic - Questions and answers regarding the ship that was labeled 'unsinkable.'

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

The Queen was born on 21 April 1926 in Mayfair, London.

Christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, she was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Albert and Elizabeth, who would later become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth was born third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York – it was not expected that she would one day become Queen.

In 1930, Princess Elizabeth’s sister was born, Princess Margaret Rose.  The two sisters were educated at home under the supervision of their mother, and enjoyed a relatively peaceful and happy childhood.

Whilst Elizabeth was still a young girl, she unexpectedly became first in line to the throne … the ‘heiress presumptive’ … and public interest in her life began to grow.

Main Image: Princess Elizabeth, aged exactly one year. The picture was made as the baby princess was taken for a ride in the grounds of Windsor Castle, she is seen with her cousin, the honourable Gerald Lascelles (son of Princess Royal). (AP-Photo) April 1927.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Join in the festivities in London in 2012 as Her Majesty the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as Britain's monarch.

Read about The Queen's Diamond Jubilee events in London

Four-Day Jubilee Weekend

To mark the Diamond Jubilee, the UK government is planning a four-day Jubilee weekend.

This will include moving the last May bank holiday to 4 June and adding an additional bank holiday on 5 June.

So you've got even more time to celebrate!

Diamond Jubilee: 60 Years as Queen

The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 but her official Coronation didn't take place until 2 June 1953.

The Diamond Jubilee marks 60 years of the Queen's reign. The Queen is the only British Monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, other than Queen Victoria in 1897.

The Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002.

Former prime minister Sir John Major will chair the grant-making body, which will focus on areas such as fighting curable diseases and the promotion of education and culture.

The Queen is known to be supportive of the Trust and its ambitions and pleased that it will have a broad Commonwealth focus.

Like the previous Silver Jubilee Trust, it will be independently run with charitable status.

The Trust will receive money from Commonwealth governments, but people will also be able to make private donations to the cause, as will businesses and other organisations.

Sir John said the Trust would provide a "lasting legacy" in the Queen's name.