Viewpoints – Placecloud

In March 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey about their decision to step down as working members of the British Royal Family as a result of racism in the monarchy and the media. This had taken a toll on both of their mental health and following stepping down, they have settled in California with their children. During this interview, Oprah and millions of viewers were treated to a brief look into their backyard.

There, as reported in Architectural Digest: They invited Winfrey into a sizable chicken coop, adorably named “Archie’s Chick Inn” after their 22-month-old son. “She’s always wanted chickens,” Harry told Winfrey of his wife as the trio knelt down in the coop to feed the flock of hens, which they recently rescued from a factory farm. “I just love rescuing,” Meghan added.

For most viewers, the significance of these chickens as part of the fabric of The Sussexes’ new life was likely largely unnoticed. As a historical geographer with a long-standing interest in chickens, I couldn’t help but compare these (post-)royal birds with a much longer lineage of royal chickens, starting in the mid-19th Century. In this PlaceCloud Essay, I’m taking you to the Royal Aviary in Windsor Park to talk about chickens: a very royal bird.

This place was a beloved walking spot of two nineteenth-century lovers, Edwin Atherstone and Hannah West. Learn about their love affair, and of what kept them apart.

Potters Bar, United Kingdom. Visit the old palace at Hatfield, childhood home to the future Elizabeth I. It was the place where she learned of her accession to the throne, in 1558, while sitting reading under an oak tree in the palace's park.

Headley, United Kingdom. Journey to the site of Henry VIII's most spectacular building project, a palace that was intended to rival to great Chateau de Chambord in France.

London, United Kingdom. Explore the remains of Henry VIII's childhood home, a palace that also served as a Byzantine Emperor's holiday home and housed a medieval king's personal library. You can even take a walk through Henry VIII's sewer system.

London, United Kingdom. Bethlem Royal Hospital, or Bedlam, is probably the most infamous 'madhouse' in England. Many people think of it as a place where the mentally ill were locked up against their will. But for many patients, this was far from the case. Learn about those who wanted to be in this institution.

Cambridge, United Kingdom. In 1849, Clare College (then Clare Hall) was rocked by a great tragedy. One of its student's, Edward Hayman, had taken his own life. Learn of Edward's story, and of his struggles with 'religious melancholy'.

Cambridge, United Kingdom. In 1849, the reverend of Cottenham, and the Cambridgeshire coroner, had a fierce argument about whether a man of the parish could be given a proper Christian burial. Why? Because he had taken his own life. Learn about beliefs surrounding the burial of suicides in Victorian England.

Carlisle, United Kingdom. In 1793, a young woman in this village, Dinah Harryman, asked for help with her suicidal feelings. Her aunt's response indicates how difficult it could be for friends and family to understand the suicidal. Learn about Dinah's story.

Bury, United Kingdom. In 1826, there were large-scale riots at Helmshore. Half-starving handloom weavers attacked the machines which threatened their livelihoods. Mary Hindle, a local woman, got caught up in this rioting. Learn about her story, and about what eventually drove her to suicide.