Chapter 833: The Prince's Palace
In the second week of March, Isabel Walton spent three days at her Durham home on Strand Street. At the end of February, the royal fleet under the command of the Duke of Richmond and Viscount Lyle had been defeated in the invasion of the city of Stirling, and had returned to the south in time for Henry VIII's orders.
Although the fleet and its ground forces suffered some losses in the invasion of Stirling, Scotland (most of the 200 cavalry and sergeants of the northern nobles led by the two knights were killed and wounded, 400 Scottish allies rebelled, and nearly 200 mercenaries from the Holy Roman Empire and Spain), the entire royal fleet was unscathed. Not only that, but the royal fleet also returned to the south with a lot of loot. Therefore, the two noble commanders of the royal fleet and the quasi-knight wife Isabel Walton, who witnessed the invasion, were not severely reprimanded by Henry VIII.
During his stay in the City of London, the Duke of Richmond relocated most of the clothing and belongings of the Manor House in Windsor to his residence in Durham on Strand Street, in order to facilitate access to his father's court (Whitehall, Whitehall House). At the same time as the relocation, the Duke of Richmond also persuaded Isabel to go with him to live in London.
Isabel, who is accustomed to the life of an aristocratic estate in the northern countryside, is now extremely uncomfortable with the bustling city life. However, in both public and private, she will listen carefully to the opinions of the big bosses who hire her. Coupled with the fact that her betrothed husband, Sir William Ingle, was killed by the Scots at the foot of Stirling Castle, she had to follow the advice of the big boss and go to the city of London.
To comfort Isabelle, who has lost her engaged husband, the Duke of Richmond regales her with some of the untold history of the famous Strand Street and the historic Durham home. The Durham House on Strand Street was a city residence given to him by Henry VIII before the Duke of Richmond reached the age of six. The aim was nothing more than to be able to summon his beloved son in Whitehall at any time, even though he was the illegitimate son of his unmarried lady-in-waiting with the first queen.
In the Middle Ages, Strand Street became the main thoroughfare for the independent settlement between the City of London (the civil and commercial centre) and the Royal Church of Westminster (the political centre of the country). The name comes from the Old English word for neighborhood, meaning the edge of the river, and is a street built along the north bank of the River Thames. In the 13th century, it was known as the "Danish Quarter" or "Danish Street", referring to the Danish quarters in the area.
The street was popular with the English aristocracy between the 12th and 17th centuries, and the nobles and bishops built many historic residences on the street. These include the Essex House (which was given to Baron Paget by Henry VIII in the early 16th century), the Arundel House, the Somerset House (built in 1547-1549 by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who became the temporary residence of Princess Elizabeth Tudor after the Duke was sentenced to death in 1552), Savoy House, Durham House, and Cecil House.
From the 17th century onwards, all buildings were demolished and rebuilt, with the exception of the reconstructed Somerset House. The city's aristocrats moved to the West End, and the street became famous for its coffee shops, restaurants and pubs. In the 19th century, the street became the heart of London's theatres and concert halls, and several venues are still located on the street. In addition, on the east side of the street there are two historic churches: the Church of Our Lady of the River and the Danish Church of St. Clemente. To the east of the street is King's College, one of the two founding colleges of the University of London.
Several writers, poets, and philosophers of England have lived and lived on this street, including Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Virginia Woolf. The street was commemorated in the song "Let's go down this street" and is now recognised as the quintessential composition of London's Concertgebouw.
The Durham House, which was given to the Duke of Richmond by Henry VIII before 1525, was a lavish town residence built by Bishop Thomas Hatfield around 1345. It has a large chapel and a hall with high ceilings, and the pillars supporting the hall are all made of marble. On the left side of the house there is a very large courtyard, and the entrance to the hall and church faces the River Thames.
After King Henry IV of England (reigned 3 April 1367 ~ 20 March 1413) and his son Prince of Wales (later Henry V) and his attendants stayed in this residence for a few days, the residence became a noble palace suitable for princes.
In fact, the residence has long been the residence of the Bishop and Earl of Durham in the northern county of Durham. During the Reformation, it was dedicated to Henry VIII by Cuthbert Thunstol, Bishop of Durham. Henry VIII also signed an agreement with the bishop to return to the bishop other residences belonging to the bishop in the city of London. However, Henry VIII never fulfilled his promise.
In 1532, Queen Anne Boleyn lived in her home in Durham for some days. In 1533, Henry VIII proposed to Anne in this residence. After the Duke of Richmond died of plague (suspected tuberculosis) in 1536, Henry VIII granted the residence for life to Princess Elizabeth, Queen Anne's daughter. Now, Isabel Walton changed the fate of the Duke of Richmond, and the residence was naturally still owned by Henry VIII's illegitimate son.
During his reign, Edward VI stripped Princess Elizabeth of ownership of the residence after approving a payment to her. When Queen Mary ascended the throne, she again took the residence from Princess Elizabeth and intended to return it to the Bishop of Durham along with the others. However, the Bishop of Durham no longer owned a home in the City of London. It is worth mentioning that Lord Jane Grey (Queen of the Nine Days) married Guildford Dudley (son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland) on 21 or 25 May 1553 in this residence.
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As Isabel and the Duke of Richmond walked slowly through the courtyard of the house, she was amazed by the story of the street and the house. When she heard the story of Henry VIII unmarried to Queen Anne in this residence, she was even more surprised, "Henry, I am not fit to live here. ”