The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Kensington Palace is in Kensington.
John Evelyn's Diary. 25th February 1690. I went to Kensington, which King William (age 39) had bought of Lord Nottingham (age 42), and altered, but was yet a patched building, but with the garden, however, it is a very sweet villa, having to it the park and a straight new way through this park.
John Evelyn's Diary. 8th November 1691 to 30th November 1691. An extraordinary dry and warm season, without frost, and like a new spring; such as had not been known for many years. Part of the King's house at Kensington was burned.
On 28th December 1694 Mary Stewart II Queen England Scotland and Ireland (age 32) died of smallpox shortly after midnight at Kensington Palace. Her body lay in state at the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace [Map].
On 5th March 1695 she was buried in Westminster Abbey [Map]. Archbishop Thomas Tenison (age 58) preached the sermon.
She had reigned for five years. Her husband King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 44) continued to reign for a further eight years.
John Evelyn's Diary. 23rd April 1696. I went to Eton [Map], and dined with Dr. Godolphin, the provost. The schoolmaster assured me there had not been for twenty years a more pregnant youth in that place than my grandson (age 14). I went to see the King's House at Kensington. It is very noble, though not great. The gallery furnished with the best pictures [from] all the houses, of Titian, Raphael, Correggio, Holbein, Julio Romano, Bassan, Vandyke, Tintoretto, and others; a great collection of porcelain; and a pretty private library. The gardens about it very delicious.
On 8th March 1702 King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 51) died of Pneumonia at Kensington Palace. His demise was the direct result of a fall from his horse, named Sorrel, which stumbled on a molehill causing King William to fall and break his collarbone. For many years afterwards, Jacobites would raise their glasses and toast "the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat". His first cousin Anne (age 37) succeeded I Queen England Scotland and Ireland. She, Anne, being the sister of his wife Mary Stewart II Queen England Scotland and Ireland.
On 1st August 1714 Queen Anne of England Scotland and Ireland (age 49) died at Kensington Palace. Her second cousin George (age 54) succeeded I King Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1759 Matthew Blakiston 1st Baronet (age 57) was knighted at Kensington Palace.
On 25th October 1760 King George II of Great Britain and Ireland (age 76) died at Kensington Palace. His grandson George (age 22) succeeded III King Great Britain and Ireland. Duke Cambridge merged with the Crown.
On 9th January 1769 William Robert Spencer was born to Charles Spencer (age 28) and Mary Beauclerk (age 25) at Kensington Palace. He a great x 2 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. He married 1791 Susan Jenison and had issue.
On 18th February 1828 Ernst Christian Carl Hohenlohe Langenburg I Prince (age 33) and Anna Feodora Auguste Charlotte Wilhelmine Leiningen Princess were married at Kensington Palace. She by marriage Princess of Hohenlohe Langenburg.
On 20th June 1837 King William IV of the United Kingdom (age 71) died at Windsor Castle [Map]. His niece Victoria (age 18) succeeded I Queen Great Britain and Ireland. His brother Ernest (age 66) succeeded King Hanover. Frederica Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort Hanover (age 59) by marriage Queen Consort Hanover.
At 5am Francis Nathaniel Conyngham 2nd Marquess Conyngham (age 40) and Archbishop William Howley (age 71) went to Kensington Palace to inform the Princess she was now Queen. Francis Nathaniel Conyngham 2nd Marquess Conyngham was the first to address her as 'Your Majesty'.
On 21st April 1843 Prince Augustus Frederick Hanover 1st Duke Sussex (age 70) died at Kensington Palace. He was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery [Map]. Duke Sussex extinct.
On 13th August 1868 Adolphus Cambridge Duke Teck was born to Francis Teck (age 30) and Princess Mary Adelaide Hanover (age 34) at Kensington Palace. He a great grandson of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland. He married 1894 Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor Duchess Teck, daughter of Hugh Lupus Grosvenor 1st Duke Westminster and Constance Leveson-Gower Duchess Westminster, and had issue.
In 1874 Alexander Teck 1st Earl Athlone was born to Francis Teck (age 36) and Princess Mary Adelaide Hanover (age 40) at Kensington Palace. He a great grandson of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland. He married 10th February 1904 his second cousin once removed Princess Alice Countess Athlone, daughter of Leopold Saxe Coburg Gotha 1st Duke Albany and Helena Waldeck Duchess Albany, and had issue.
In 1957 Alexander Teck 1st Earl Athlone (age 83) died at Kensington Palace.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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On 27th August 1968 Princess Marina Glücksburg Duchess Kent (age 61) died at Kensington Palace.
On 24th June 1819 Victoria, the future Queen, was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton (age 64) in the Cupola Room, Kensington Palace.