My new article in the Canadian Encyclopedia is about Sylvia Stark (1839-1944), a notable pioneer in the history of British Columbia. Born into enslavement, Sylvia Stark was one of more than 600 Black Americans who emigrated to British Columbia in 1858 at the invitation of Governor James Douglas. She was one of the original settlers on Salt Spring Island.
Click here to read my article about Sylvia Stark in the Canadian Encyclopedia
The recent news that Barbados intends to transition from a Commonwealth realm to a republic, removing the Queen as Head of State, has prompted debate concerning the future of the monarchy in other Commonwealth realms including Canada. In today’s TV interview with Lindsey Deluce on CTV’s Your Morning, I discussed the monarchy in Canada and the wider Commonwealth as well as royal finances.
Click here to watch “Is it time for Canada to remove the Queen as Head of State”
Click here to read “Could Canada follow Barbados and drop the Queen as Head of State”
I discussed the recent announcement that Barbados, one of sixteen Commonwealth realms where Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State, intends to transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic in 2021, with Maija Kappler from the Huffington Post. We also discussed the monarchy in Canada and the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth.
Feo Monck’s brother-in-law was governor general Viscount Monck, and her husband, Richard Monck, was military secretary to the governor general from 1864 to 1869. When Lady Monck was absent, she acted as the hostess for viceregal social occasions, including the ball held during the Quebec Conference of 1864. She recorded her experiences in the book, My Canadian Leaves: An Account of a Visit to Canada in 1864–1865.
Click here to my read my article about Feo Monck in the Canadian Encyclopedia
I discussed Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal, Camilla’s charity work and the history of royal philanthropy with Janet Davison at CBC News for this week’s Royal Fascinator newsletter.
Click here to read “Why Harry and Meghan have a ‘long road ahead’ with Netflix” at CBC News
My new article in the Historica Canadian Canadian Encyclopedia is about Anna Leonowens, an educator, author and lecturer who became famous as the British governess to the wives and children of King Mongkut (Rama IV) of Siam (now Thailand) in the 1860s. After leaving Siam, she emigrated to Canada, where she advocated for women’s suffrage, taught at McGill University and helped found what is now the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She was the inspiration for Margaret Landon’s historical novel, Anna and the King of Siam (1944), and the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I (1951).
Click here to read my article about Anna Leonowens in the Canadian Encyclopedia
My latest article in the Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia is about Catherine Schubert. One of the Overlanders of 1862, Catherine Schubert was the first European woman to travel overland from Fort Garry (now Winnipeg, Manitoba) to Kamloops, British Columbia.
A memorial unveiled on 1 July 1926 in Armstrong, British Columbia is inscribed with the words, “In honour of Catherine Schubert who in company with her husband and three small children was a member of the hazardous overland expedition of 1862 across the Canadian Rockies from Fort Garry to Kamloops. A Brave and Notable Pioneer.”
Click here to read my article about Catherine Schubert in the Canadian Encyclopedia
I will be teaching my course about The Romanovs and the Russian Revolution online at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies in October-November 2020. Click here for more information and to register.
The consequences of the Russian Revolution continue to influence Russia’s politics and society, and indeed the whole world’s. In 2017, Russia quietly marked the 100th anniversary of the turning points: the abdication of Czar Nicholas II and Lenin’s seizure of power for the Bolshevik party. Follow the quick succession of crises: the collapse of the Romanov dynasty, the end of Russia’s participation in the First World War, the emergence of the Provisional Government, and the fateful rise of Lenin and the Soviet Union.
I discussed Queen Elizabeth II and the history of the monarchy during times of plague and pandemic with Carly Ledbetter at the Huffington Post.
Click here to read When Will We See Queen Elizabeth Again? in the Huffington Post
Links to all of my recent royal interviews are available here
My new article in the Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia is about Lady Elizabeth Monck, viceregal consort of British North America (1861-1867) then the Dominion of Canada (1867-1868). Lady Monck was the first viceregal consort of the Dominion of Canada and the first to live at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
Click here to read my article about Lady Monck
Click here to read my article about Governor General Viscount Monck