Samantha Drake
@sjvdrake.bsky.social
Writer and editor in Doylestown, Pa.
Royal history dork. Corpse flower groupie. A 21-year-old cat's snack bitch. Em-dashes 4 lyfe!
Published by @nytimes @washingtonpost @mentalfloss @penngazette, among many others. Read my work at samanthadrake.com.
Royal history dork. Corpse flower groupie. A 21-year-old cat's snack bitch. Em-dashes 4 lyfe!
Published by @nytimes @washingtonpost @mentalfloss @penngazette, among many others. Read my work at samanthadrake.com.
Pinned
Samantha Drake
@sjvdrake.bsky.social
· Nov 24
5 European Princesses Who Are Preparing to Reign
The lives of future queens are not all tiaras and good hair days.
www.mentalfloss.com
It's a brand-new day at Bluesky so I'm posting some articles I've written about royalty. Here's one on the five future queens regnant. www.mentalfloss.com/posts/europe... #royal #royalty
Whoa. King Charles III took away Andrew's prince title. I kept reading that only Parliament could do that. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
King Charles III strips Prince Andrew of titles and evicts him from royal residence, palace says
King Charles III is stripping his brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicting him from his royal residence, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. In a statement, the palace said Andrew will...
www.yahoo.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Whoa. King Charles III took away Andrew's prince title. I kept reading that only Parliament could do that. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
I'm going to be that history writer and point out that the AP's story on the heist at the Louvre suprisingly failed to note which Napoleon's crown jewels were stolen.
October 19, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I'm going to be that history writer and point out that the AP's story on the heist at the Louvre suprisingly failed to note which Napoleon's crown jewels were stolen.
Should Japan, the world's oldest monarchy, abandon male-only royal succession? Prince Hisahito could be the last male heir. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Japan's Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. He may be the last
Japan’s Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. Many people in Japan worry he could be the last. The elaborate palace rituals to formally recognize Hisahito as an adu...
www.yahoo.com
September 6, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Should Japan, the world's oldest monarchy, abandon male-only royal succession? Prince Hisahito could be the last male heir. www.yahoo.com/news/article...
I'd love to see a miniseries or movie about the feud between the Queen Mother and Wallis Simpson.
#OnThisDay in 1933 the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) first mentioned Wallis Simpson in a letter.
The Duchess of Windsor - Wallis & Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (Part one) - History of Royal Women
Wallis probably first met her future sister-in-law at a skating party in January 1933. The Duchess of York, as the Queen Mother was then known, had been invited with her husband to join the Prince of ...
www.historyofroyalwomen.com
August 1, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I'd love to see a miniseries or movie about the feud between the Queen Mother and Wallis Simpson.
Did Queen Victoria have a secret love child? And is an American woman a descendant of that child?
EXC - New material has been found concerning Queen Victoria & her servant John Brown
Historian @drfernriddell.bsky.social is confident her research demonstrates their romance & believes the pair wed...
And she's found someone who could be their secret descendant
www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...
Historian @drfernriddell.bsky.social is confident her research demonstrates their romance & believes the pair wed...
And she's found someone who could be their secret descendant
www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...
Queen Victoria, her ‘secret love child’ and me
For Angela Webb-Milinkovich it was a dinner-party story, but a historian believes the carer from Minnesota may descend from Victoria and a beloved servant
www.thetimes.com
July 31, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Did Queen Victoria have a secret love child? And is an American woman a descendant of that child?
Gotta love a good medieval assassination story!
Deadly Medieval Assassinations: Top 10 Historic Murders of the Middle Ages www.medievalists.net/2024/07/dead... #MedievalHistory
Deadly Medieval Assassinations: Top 10 Historic Murders of the Middle Ages - Medievalists.net
Discover ten of the most dramatic and influential medieval assassinations that reshaped the political landscape of Europe and the Near East.
www.medievalists.net
July 8, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Gotta love a good medieval assassination story!
Vive la France! Every country should do this.
July 8, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Vive la France! Every country should do this.
The executioners were pretty busy during Henry VIII's reign, but I didn't think the body count (head count?) was so high.
How many people did Henry VIII execute? Think Henry VIII just killed two wives? Killer Kings on Sky HISTORY reveals the full extent of his shocking body count. www.history.co.uk/article/the-... @historyuk.bsky.social #Tudors
How many people did Henry VIII execute?
During his 36 years of rule, it is estimated Henry VIII executed up to 57,000 people
www.history.co.uk
June 16, 2025 at 5:23 PM
The executioners were pretty busy during Henry VIII's reign, but I didn't think the body count (head count?) was so high.
How great is it that three of Europe's future queens regnant have a group chat? I'd love to know what they talk about, but that bit of privacy must be priceless to them. www.tatler.com/article/insi...
Europe's Princesses: Inside one of the most exclusive royal WhatsApp groups
Meet the royal confidants forging their own digital dynasty
www.tatler.com
June 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
How great is it that three of Europe's future queens regnant have a group chat? I'd love to know what they talk about, but that bit of privacy must be priceless to them. www.tatler.com/article/insi...
Loving this!!!
I need everyone on Normal People internet to know that American Girl Doll Instagram is doing doll protests today. There are tiny t-shirts and signs. AND THEN I realized it's a joint protest with the Barbie ppl, where there are EVEN TINIER SIGNS.
June 15, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Loving this!!!
As someone who loves browsing family trees, this story amazes me.
History www.npr.org/2025/05/29/n...
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of the 10th U.S. president, dies at 96
Harrison Ruffin Tyler was just three generations from the White House, since his father and grandfather both fathered children in their 70s. The chemical engineer helped preserve his family's legacy.
www.npr.org
May 30, 2025 at 1:33 PM
As someone who loves browsing family trees, this story amazes me.
Here's the history of a whole 'lotta popes named Leo.
We are very happy to have this piece from @jacquelinemurray.bsky.social about Popes Leo www.medievalists.net/2025/05/hist... #History #Papacy #PapalHistory
A History of the Popes Named Leo - Medievalists.net
From Leo I to the newly elected Leo XIV, this article explores the long and complex history of popes who chose the name Leo—revealing how each shaped the Catholic Church through reform, conflict, and…
www.medievalists.net
May 25, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Here's the history of a whole 'lotta popes named Leo.
Here's why Catholic queens wore white to the pope's inauguration while everyone else wore black: www.yahoo.com/news/only-ha...
Only a handful of women allowed to wear white to Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration— here’s why everyone else must dress in black
There's a specific reason why these women are allowed to ditch the black attire.
www.yahoo.com
May 19, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Here's why Catholic queens wore white to the pope's inauguration while everyone else wore black: www.yahoo.com/news/only-ha...
Library stamp history - an area of history I didn't know I needed to learn more about!
The moment a librarian with a stamp in Wolfenbüttel heard about the trend of Indoor Flowering Plants, she or he knew what to do...
Welcome back to the #LibraryStampMadness series. #librarysky #booksky #bloomscrolling
Welcome back to the #LibraryStampMadness series. #librarysky #booksky #bloomscrolling
April 17, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Library stamp history - an area of history I didn't know I needed to learn more about!
What an interesting premise for a book.
Not gonna lie: @tealcartoons.bsky.social & I are releasing a kids' book in the USA that is pro-science/pro-vaccine, which is daunting given the political climate. DEAD ENDS is about how failure in medicine often informs success.
Preorders much appreciated. Signed copies here: bit.ly/40wADvo
Preorders much appreciated. Signed copies here: bit.ly/40wADvo
April 16, 2025 at 9:45 PM
What an interesting premise for a book.
Quilters are (good) trouble!
Got into some good trouble yesterday at the #handsoff protest here in St. Paul! And of course I had to make a quilt sign! I’m calling this one “2025 Required Reading”
@indivisible.org @50501movement.bsky.social
#quiltsky
@indivisible.org @50501movement.bsky.social
#quiltsky
April 8, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Quilters are (good) trouble!
This book couldn't be more timely.
Newman’s homage to 1984 through the eyes of Julia, Winston’s lover, adds so much to the original. We see the extra brutality the women experience: the sexual exploitation of young girls; the extraction of women’s reproductive labour; the way the Inner Party wives all seem to disappear after 30.
April 6, 2025 at 12:07 PM
This book couldn't be more timely.
Another book for my reading list ...
📚Beyond excited to present 'Prince Rupert of the Rhine' which is now available for pre-order!
Delving into 2⃣4⃣ archives has unearthed so many treasures, especially about the key women in his life.
👑Pre-order: tinyurl.com/5b6d8axt
Delving into 2⃣4⃣ archives has unearthed so many treasures, especially about the key women in his life.
👑Pre-order: tinyurl.com/5b6d8axt
April 6, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Another book for my reading list ...
Yes! Mexico City has outlawed torturing and killing bulls in bullfighting. Your move, Spain. www.yahoo.com/news/mexico-...
Mexico City introduces ‘bloodless bullfighting’ in win for animal rights activists
Activists celebrate move, but note that ‘a bull event without violence does not mean one without suffering’
www.yahoo.com
March 19, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Yes! Mexico City has outlawed torturing and killing bulls in bullfighting. Your move, Spain. www.yahoo.com/news/mexico-...
Good. I hope more publications follow suit and that people read these articles.
They're called public records for a reason. Starting today, WIRED will *stop paywalling* articles that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, becoming the first publication to partner with @freedom.press to offer this for our new coverage.
Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting. Others should follow
As the administration does its best to hide public records from the public, Wired magazine is stepping up to help stem the secrecy
freedom.press
March 18, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Good. I hope more publications follow suit and that people read these articles.
Here's the first 2025 photo of what may be the Loch Ness monster. nypost.com/2025/03/04/l... Check out my article for The Washington Post about the first photo ever taken of what may or may not be Nessie. I don't think either photo is convincing, do you? www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023...
‘Fantastic’ Loch Ness Monster sighting reported — the first in 2025: ‘Committed to uncovering the truth’
It’s a Nessie business.
nypost.com
March 7, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Here's the first 2025 photo of what may be the Loch Ness monster. nypost.com/2025/03/04/l... Check out my article for The Washington Post about the first photo ever taken of what may or may not be Nessie. I don't think either photo is convincing, do you? www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023...
The no-spending protest is today!
TOMORROW- Friday, February 28th is BLACKOUT FRIDAY!
If you believe we are in danger of losing our Democracy forever, FIGHT BACK!
Let's make our voices heard in numbers too big to ignore.
JOIN US if you've had it with Comrade Krasnov. 🤬 🇷🇺
#24HourEconomicBlackout
If you believe we are in danger of losing our Democracy forever, FIGHT BACK!
Let's make our voices heard in numbers too big to ignore.
JOIN US if you've had it with Comrade Krasnov. 🤬 🇷🇺
#24HourEconomicBlackout
February 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The no-spending protest is today!
Rules are rules, but not always when it comes to British coronations.
Ever wondered what the official difference is between convention, practice and custom?
@royalhistorian.bsky.social and @plagasse.bsky.social explain it all, with reference to the rules of the Coronation, and how it relates to the British constitution.
@royalhistorian.bsky.social and @plagasse.bsky.social explain it all, with reference to the rules of the Coronation, and how it relates to the British constitution.
The Rules of the Coronation: What's the difference between Convention, Practice and Custom?
The coronation is an important constitutional event, with largely uncodified rules.
buff.ly
February 26, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Rules are rules, but not always when it comes to British coronations.
I just hit 1K followers. Thanks, everyone. I'm just happy to be in the mix.
February 20, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I just hit 1K followers. Thanks, everyone. I'm just happy to be in the mix.