In 1255, Louis IX of France presented an elephant to Henry III of England to add to the menagerie of exotic animals he kept in the Tower of London. – Karen Maitland
People are willing to do the most appalling things to another person for the sake of imposing a religious belief. – Karen Maitland
The English king’s power was curbed by Parliament, though that wasn’t always a good thing, as politicians often behave no better than monarchs – there are just more of them. – Karen Maitland
I’d love to own Newstead, partly because it belonged to Lord Byron, but also to try to uncover what dark secrets really lie beneath. – Karen Maitland
People sense that our reaction to phenomena such as epidemics or religious war is not that different to how we reacted to plagues or to battles a millennia ago. – Karen Maitland
In the Middle Ages, I think the French kings murdered slightly fewer of their family members than the English kings, though I haven’t actually counted the heads. – Karen Maitland
