It has been another busy year for the History of Parliament, and our blog site is no exception to this. Throughout 2022 we have marked anniversaries like the 1872 Ballot Act, focused on the role of the Speaker across our time periods, and even launched a new blog series, Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments. But which blogs were our most popular? Find out as Connie Jeffery, History of Parliament Public Engagement Manager, counts down 2022’s Top of the Blogs chart!
*Cue theme music!*
5. The Love Life of Oliver Cromwell (Dr Patrick Little)
We’re straight into this year’s chart at no.5, with this blog from Dr Patrick Little!
Back in January Dr Little took at look into Oliver Cromwell’s personal life. Whilst this viewpoint is not often focused on by the History of Parliament, Cromwell’s romantic entanglements were the stuff of legend in the later 17th century. However, despite rumours being rife, real evidence of his love life is harder to find…
Read the blog here.
Did you know that our House of Lords 1640-1660 project launched in 2022? Find more blogs from Dr Little and colleagues in our Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments series, and look out for the publication of House of Commons 1640-1660 in the new year!
4. Queen Victoria and parliamentary ceremony (Dr Kathryn Rix)
Coming in at number 4 in our Top of the Blogs chart is Dr Kathryn Rix’s look at Queen Victoria’s interactions with Parliament. In June we, along with much of the nation and the Commonwealth, marked the platinum jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II. But did you know that prior to Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the title of longest-serving monarch was held by Queen Victoria? Crucially, this meant that she was involved in many Parliamentary ceremonies…
Read about them in the blog, here.
3. Comings and goings: the other houses of Downing Street (Dr Robin Eagles)
Taking the no.3 spot is this blog from Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790 project. In 2021 we marked the anniversary of Sir Robert Walpole becoming Prime Minister and taking residence at no.10 Downing Street. But this year we asked, who else lived on this famous street? Read about the parliamentarians, literary figures and even a Venetian aristocrat who called the street home in the blog.
2. Did they marry? Lady Katherine Grey and Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford (Dr Ben Coates)
Just missing out on the top spot, this year’s no.2 in our Top of the Blogs Chart is Dr Ben Coates’s look at the dangerous relationship between Lady Katherine Grey and Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford. A courtier of Elizabeth I and the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s sister Mary, Lady Katherine Grey’s place within the royal court was precarious and her relationship status a matter of royal importance. Therefore, once Elizabeth got wind of a supposed secret marriage, the Queen was not happy…
Find out what happened to the couple, here.
1. The execution of Thomas Howard, 4th duke of Norfolk (Dr Andrew Thrush)
And finally, no.1 and our top blog for 2022 comes from Dr Andrew Thrush, editor of our House of Lords 1558-1603 project, who explored the background to the execution of Thomas Howard, 4th duke of Norfolk. Written to mark the 450th anniversary of Howard’s death, in this blog Dr Thrush asked what led Queen Elizabeth I to execute one of her most trusted servants and leading member of the Privy Council. Find out what happened, including the debates made against Norfolk within Parliament…
Click here to read this year’s top blog!
All of the blogs in our 2022 chart were published this year, but we can’t miss the opportunity to celebrate our overall number 1 and most read blog from our complete archive…
Congratulations to Dr Paul Hunneyball’s 2019 blog James I and the duke of Buckingham: love, power and betrayal, our most read blog for 2022! In fact, this blog has now topped our overall chart for the past three years- will any of 2023’s offerings be able to knock it from the top spot? Make sure to subscribe to the History of Parliament’s wordpress site to avoid missing any of our new blogs. Thank you to all our authors, readers and subscribers for another great year of History of Parliament blogs; stay tuned for more in the New Year!
CJ
Are there any topics that you would like us to explore during 2023? Comment below or send us an email to website@histparl.ac.uk.
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