Weird WWII Inventions
the corset The Favourite’s Pulling and purse strings lust for power of Queen Anne
An iceberg aircraft carrier?
Caesar Lives!
A Complete History Of
the united states of europe
What if the Ides Of March plot had failed?
T h e t ru e t u d o r q u e e n
catherine aragon of
From abandoned wife to battlefield conqueror: uncover the real story of England’s Spanish rose
Sex, Drugs & Oils
The tragic life of Vincent Van Gogh in his own words
Issue 075
Madam President
We peek inside the secret presidency of Edith Wilson
PLUS... Rebels of the Ottoman Empire, Incredible texts of the ancients, How the Battle of Tours was won, Inside the stunning topkapi palace
Welcome Often our study of history is within documents and books, so it’s nice to be able to see it living in front of you. Tangible, tactile history you can breathe in. For that and many other reasons it was a pleasure to attend this year’s ‘Katharine Of Aragon’ Festival in Peterborough and get a sense of her legacy as it stands today. Laying now in Peterborough Cathedral she remains something of a tragic figure, but there’s also great strength and resilience in her tale, right up to the end. This issue we asked Dr Nicola Tallis to reassess the tale of Catherine of Aragon and to look not so much at the Great Matter and her divorce from Henry VIII, but at the young Spanish princess who fought for her right to be queen of England after her first husband (Henry’s elder brother Arthur, heir to the throne) died only a few months after their marriage. We wanted to look at how she ruled England as regent in Henry’s absence and
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defended the realm from Scottish forces. There’s so much more to her story than being Henry’s first wife and it was great to dig into that here. And in Peterborough they still honour her loyalty today, not just to her marriage vows, but to her adopted home as well. For all the trials and hardships she was forced to face, she remained devoted to the nation until her death, refusing to give up her title as the true Tudor queen. There’s something admirable about that.
Jonathan Gordon Editor
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Whether Thomas Wolsey was a true enemy of Catherine of Aragon is to be debated, but he certainly put everything he had into pushing through the divorce between her and Henry VIII
Editor’s picks 22
Imperial Legacy
58
Van Gogh
70
The Favourite
We find out what echoes of the Ottoman Empire exist today as we speak with writer and journalist Alev Scott about her fascinating new book Learn all about the life and hardships of Vincent van Gogh direct from his own letters in this fascinating analysis of his meandering life The excellent Andrea Zuvich takes a closer look at the life of Sarah Churchill and the real story of her relationship with Queen Anne
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@AboutHistoryMag
3
CONTENTS catherine aragon of
28 From Spanish princess to betrayed queen, we look at the
triumphs and tragedies of Henry VIII’s first wife
the Ottoman Emipre
28
14 Timeline
The rise and fall of one of history’s greatest powers
16 I nside Story
The makeup of the Topkapi Palace
18 Anatomy
Traditional dress of a Janissary
20 Hall of Fame
38
Rebels against the Ottomans
24 P laces to Explore
Stunning Ottoman mosques
26 H istorical Treasures
A look at the Topkapi dagger
features
38 C atherine’s Final Resting Place
58 V an Gogh In His Own Words
The last days of Catherine explored
44 A United States Of Europe?
What do the great artist’s letters reveal about his life?
64 W WII’s Weirdest Inventions
We look at the many attempts to unite the continent
50 E dith Wilson’s
Secret Presidency
Was she the first female president?
Iceberg aircraft carriers and carpet laying tanks are just the start
70 S arah Churchill
4 Be part of history
The truth of Queen Anne’s favourite
www.historyanswers.co.uk
AllAboutHistory
AboutHistoryMag
Every issue
50
06 History in pictures
Photos with amazing stories
76 Greatest battles
How the Battle of Tours secured the future Frankish Kingdom
86 Through history
44
Wonderful ancient texts and what they teach us about language
91 Recipe
Could Catherine of Aragon have brought paella to England?
70
92 R eviews
Our verdict on the latest historical books and home movie releases
97 History vs Hollywood
82 What if
Professor Catherine Steel ponders the possibility of Julius Caesar surviving the Ides of March plot
Just how badly did Mary Queen Of Scots get it wrong?
64
58 Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter for more stories, visit www.bit.ly/aahistnewsletter
6
Defining Moments Rectory Reform
A growing movement within the Anglican church for the ordination of women finally won over in the Church of England in March 1994 as, 76 years after the suffrage movement won the vote for women, they were being made priests. The move was not without its critics in conservative circles, leading to breakaway groups, but it was part of a trend that gained new momentum after Barbara Harris was made a bishop in 1989.
Š Getty Images
1994
7
8
Defining Moments Slick Shame
Almost nine million gallons of crude oil was spilled into the Prince William Sound off the coast of Alaska after the Exxon Valdez oil tanker struck Bligh Reef in March 1989. The slick it created would go on to cover 1,300 miles of coastline and 11,000 square miles of ocean. The remoteness of the location made it a particularly challenging environmental disaster to remedy. It’s estimated that between 100,000 and 250,000 seabirds were killed.
Š Getty Images
1989
9
Defining Moments A Fast For Freedom
One of the powerful tools in Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s toolbag in his fight for Indian independence and social justice was putting his own life on the line in protest through fasting. Mahatma Gandhi undertook 17 fasts during the freedom movement against British imperial rule. Here he is pictured taking a last meal in Rajkot, before a fast to protest the autocratic nature of the state, to force political reforms.
1939
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© Alamy
9000
“Whoever possesses Constantinople ought to rule the world� Napoleon Bonaparte