by Helen Kain | Jul 2, 2026 | Act II - Building, Fascinating People, FP Act II — Building The Kingdon, Medieval (1066–1485)
Few rulers have attracted a worse reputation than King John. Medieval chroniclers described him as cruel, suspicious, and untrustworthy. Later generations turned him into the villain of Robin Hood stories. Even today, “King John” is rarely spoken with...
by Helen Kain | Jul 2, 2026 | Act II - Building, Fascinating People, FP Act II — Building The Kingdon, Medieval (1066–1485)
Few English kings enjoy a more romantic reputation than Richard I: Richard the Lionheart. Crusader. Warrior. Hero. The image is deeply embedded in popular culture. Richard appears in stories of Robin Hood, stands alongside Saladin in accounts of the Third Crusade, and...
by Helen Kain | Jul 2, 2026 | Act II - Building, Fascinating People, FP Act II — Building The Kingdon, Medieval (1066–1485)
To challenge a king, he needed a vision. To rule like one, he needed ambition. Let’s talk about Simon de Montfort—because he’s one of those historical characters who refuses to fit neatly into the box marked “hero” or “villain.” He was a French noble who married into...
by Helen Kain | Jul 2, 2026 | Act II - Building, Fascinating People, FP Act II — Building The Kingdon, Medieval (1066–1485)
History often presents civil wars as contests between ambitious individuals. The Anarchy was something more complicated. At its heart stood two claimants: Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda. Both possessed plausible claims to the English throne and attracted...
by Helen Kain | Jul 2, 2026 | Act II - Building, Fascinating People, FP Act II — Building The Kingdon, Medieval (1066–1485)
He wore the mitre like a crown—and took his martyrdom like a coronation. Let’s talk about Thomas à Becket, one of medieval England’s most controversial saints—and arguably one of its least humble. On paper, he’s a martyr: murdered in a cathedral for standing up to a...
by Helen Kain | Jul 2, 2026 | Act II - Building, Fascinating People, FP Act II — Building The Kingdon, Medieval (1066–1485)
History tends to remember kings. William Marshal was never king. Yet there were moments when the fate of England rested more securely in his hands than in those of the monarchs he served, and that alone makes him worth knowing. His life reads like something from a...
