Hi there,
Welcome to The History Edit and the weekend! This week’s newsletter is going to be mostly (and unashamedly) a love letter to the best bit of telly I’ve seen since Bridgerton graced my screen with it’s Duke and giving me interior design envy.
Lockdown here in France eased considerably on the 19th May and, while I haven’t had a chance to get out yet, its been lovely to see the outsides of cafés and restaurants alive with people enjoying what the French do best: food, wine, and socialising. For now I will be bringing you some brilliant pictures my dad sent me from his mini break to Yorkshire (not jealous at all! 😆)
The 19th May marks the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s execution and it feels almost poetic that lockdown eased and both the Tower of London and Anne’s childhood home of Hever Castle re-opened their doors to visitors on the day of her death. Keep reading to find out more about some exciting new Anne Boleyn-related research.
But for now let us get back to my ode to The Pursuit of Love…
He’s a Dandy in the Underworld
Ok, I’ll admit now that I have never read The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, but I am a huge fan of a period drama, so settled down to watch it with anticipation.
The Pursuit of Love follows the life and the quest for love of Linda Radlett through the eyes of her cousin, Fanny. It’s a brilliant satire of the lives of the often eccentric upper classes during the inter-war period and focuses on the Radlett family, headed by Uncle Matthew, based at the family seat of Alconleigh.
Normally I like to read the book before the adaptation but am now almost too scared to go back and read it, in case it takes away from what I have just watched. And what I have just watched is the best television ever. It was sharp, witty and even made me cry! What’s not to love? Nancy Mitford based her characters on many real life people she knew, and her sharp observations of society are probably what made this show so good (yeah I know, need to read the book!). Much in the same way that Jane Austen’s observations made for great reading and are still applicable to society and relationships today.
So apart from the storyline, what else made this show brilliant? The fashion, makeup and locations were stunning! The soundtrack was also amazing and was full of absolute bangers (am I to old to say that? Or not old enough? 🤔), featuring the likes of T Rex, Marianne Faithfull, and Bryan Ferry.
The star cast of Dominic West, Lily James, and Andrew Scott were absolutely brilliant in their roles as Uncle Matthew, Linda and Lord Merlin. I have since found out that Lord Merlin was actually based on a real person…
Will the real Lord Merlin please stand up?
Lord Merlin is a wonderfully bohemian and achingly stylish character played by Andrew Scott to perfection, but he was in fact based on the real life Lord Berners.
The 14th Baron Berners was born Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt in 1883 to naval officer The Honorable Hugh Tyrwhitt and his wife Julia. Lord Berners actually inherited his title and estate in 1918 from an uncle and lived at Faringdon House in Oxfordshire from 1932 onwards.
Lord Berners was a talented musician, artist, writer, and all round amusing bohemian of his day. Just like his fictional mirror, Lord Merlin, Lord Berners had a habit of dying his ornamental doves different colours, such as gold and turquoise, and gave his pet dogs real pearl necklaces to wear. He also had numerous amusing signs dotted around his home. For example, guests might find the words “prepare to meet thy God” inside a wardrobe.
He was a sociable chap and often entertained the cream of society during lavish and eccentric weekends at his stately home. Nancy Mitford, Igor Stravinsky, Salvador Dali, Cecil Beaton, and H. G. Wells could all be counted among his guests. He even once invited Penelope Betjeman’s horse to tea.
Amongst spending his time writing books, painting, and composing avant-garde music scores, operas and ballets, Lord Berners also found the time for a love life and soon installed his lover Robert Herber-Percy, nicknamed Mad Boy, at Faringdon House shortly after moving in. It was strange relationship, not only due to the three-decade age difference but also because Mad Boy rather unexpectedly married a woman, Jennifer Fry, in 1942. A baby arrived nine months later and the three of them rubbed along for a while before Fry left with her daughter in 1944.
However, life wasn’t just one long amusing party, as he also suffered from periods of deep depression. He died in 1950 at the age of 66, leaving Faringdon to his beloved Mad Boy, who carried on his lover’s eccentricity to the end of his days.
The Weekly Edit
Historic Place of Interest
This week my dad and step-mum have headed off up north in England to visit Yorkshire and sent me this brilliant photo of Scarborough Castle. The castle, now part of English Heritage, was began in the 12th Century by the mighty Henry II and is on a site that has had a fortress of some sort for around 3,000 years.
The castle is now open and tickets must be booked in advance. I’d love to visit one day if we ever get back over from France. However, you can book a visit here for what looks to be an excellent day out.
New historical research
This piece in The Times details a new discovery by student Kate McCaffrey. Using UV light and photo-editing software, she deciphered some smudges found inside Anne Boleyn’s Book of Hours. These smudges are actually names of families and connections that the book passed down through and may be evidence that her daughter had access to it.
Hope everyone enjoyed this week’s newsletter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Remember you can contact me on here, or find out more about me and get extra history snippets over on Instagram! Also go watch The Pursuit of Love!
See you Friday!