Links

[redfiona99]

History:

Battle of Medway: The English defeat that's largely forgotten - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-40175458 Frustratingly short article. Fine, say it's still important today, but tell me why.

Miscellaneous:

Will Kenya get value for money from its new railway? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40171095

Is refusing terrorists funerals a deterrent? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40175088

Music:

L7: To Hell and Back - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/l7-to-hell-and-back-120783/

Comments

[lilacsigil]

I don't know why they say it's still important today, as there's a lot of factors that contributed, but basically what happened is:

Dutch crush the Royal Navy at Medway, so Charles II enters into a treaty with France against the Dutch.

Then the Third Anglo-Dutch War happens (France and GB vs the Dutch) and (accurate) rumours start to spread that Charles II is going to become a Catholic as part of this agreement; his younger brother James does assorted things (including marrying a Catholic) that indicate he is himself Catholic and as Charles has no legitimate heirs and James will inherit, this is a big deal.

So Charles II has to take GB out of the war because it's getting restless at home due to all the Catholic rumours; he also makes his niece Mary (daughter of James by his first wife) marry William of Orange, a Protestant Dutch prince, to show that Charles is totally Protestant, no probs.

After Charles II dies without legitimate heirs, this leads directly to the Glorious Revolution when not-very-secret-Catholic James II gets kicked out in favour of said daughter Mary and her husband William. They have no legitimate heirs so it goes to her sister Anne, who also has no legitimate heirs, ending the Stuart dynasty. The throne then goes to the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha line today known as Windsor.

[redfiona99]

They forgot to mention any of that.

I'd sort of heard of it, but more in a "this is how the royal and noble house of Stuart lost the throne" way because my Mother remains a bitter Jacobite, than in a detailed way.

James II, much like Richard III, needed better PR people.