Kevin Sharpe

The Art of Diplomacy

Kevin Sharpe revisits an article by C.V. Wedgwood, first published in History Today in 1960, that looks at the diplomatic mission made by the artist Peter Paul Rubens to the court of Charles I. Read the original article here.

Faction at the Early Stuart Court

In the third of our series of articles on faction, Kevin Sharpe shows how, in the early 17th century, the monopoly of patronage by a court favourite distorted the pattern of politics in council, court and parliament.

Archbishop Laud

William Laud recorded in his diary, for August 4th, 1633: 'Sunday, News came to Court: of The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury's death and the King resolved presently to give it me. Which he did, Aug 6.' This month, 350 years later, Kevin Sharpe, urges the need for a re-evaluation of Laud's career