Tag: Benjamin Disraeli

Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Corruption, Elections, Victorian

A ‘new Canterbury Tale’: George Smythe, Frederick Romilly and England’s ‘last political duel’

Drawing on her research into Canterbury for the House of Commons, 1832-1868 project, our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones looks at the 1852 pre-election duel between the city’s MPs, Frederick Romilly and George Smythe, a notorious would-be duellist, believed to be the last political duel fought in England. In the early hours of 20 May 1852, six weeks before polling in that summer’s general election, … Continue reading A ‘new Canterbury Tale’: George Smythe, Frederick Romilly and England’s ‘last political duel’

Naomi Lloyd-JonesLeave a comment
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Queen Victoria, Victorian, Women and Parliament

Queen Victoria and parliamentary ceremony

During her record-breaking 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II has become no stranger to parliamentary traditions like the State Opening of Parliament, and next weekend her milestone as the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated with four days of festivities. But Her Majesty the Queen’s predecessor as a female monarch, Queen Victoria, also witnessed many ceremonies during her own … Continue reading Queen Victoria and parliamentary ceremony

Kathryn Rix2 Comments
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Parliamentary Life, Social history, Victorian

Victorian MPs and holidays

With the summer holiday season well under way, our blog today looks at how nineteenth-century MPs spent their vacations, and the role some of them played in the creation of Victorian seaside resorts. An earlier version of this post from Dr James Owen appeared on the Victorian Commons blog; it has been updated with additional material by the assistant editor of our House of Commons, … Continue reading Victorian MPs and holidays

Kathryn RixLeave a comment