Cook Richard Roose was caught trying to poison a bishop, and was boiled alive as punishment. But who employed him to do so?

King Henry VIII of England.

This is absolutely nuts.

Andrew Graham-Dixon on how full-length portraits have been used in history to boost the status of nobles, kings and statesmen

Today's post is just another of many random things I don't know. The hair color we call red is not truly red; most shades we call red are actually orange, of one kind or another. But ginger? Where does that come from? Ginger roots are a light brown, like so: And ginger flowers could be any of a number of colors: The British have an ugly and well-documented prejudice against red-haired people, which I assume dates back to the days of the Viking raids. The Celts were small and dark, and…

Wikipedia article about Henry VIII

Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario presents: Art of the Day! Look at a new awesome piece of artwork from our collections and exhibitions every day. Founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens as the Art Museum of Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, with a physical facility of 583,000 square feet. The AGO expanded its facility in 2008 with an innovative architectural design by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. All images reproduced on…

Portrait of King Henry VIII (1491-1547), three-quarter-length, in an ermine-lined brocaded cloak, doublet and hose holding a pair of gloves in his right hand, his left hand resting on the hilt of a dagger

Known as “Anne of the Thousand Days,” Anne Boleyn was Queen of England for only three years but still managed to turn the world upside-down. Through her charm, intelligence, and stubborn willpower,…