“Even the kept must have their keepers.” So opens Elizabeth St.John’s critically-acclaimed historical fiction novel of her ancestress’s life in the most famous prison in the world—The Tower of London. Orphaned Lucy St.John defies English society by carving her own path through the decadent Stuart court. In 1609, the early days of the rule of James I—time of glittering pageantry and cutthroat ambition, Lucy catches the eye of the Earl of Suffolk, but her envious sister Barbara is determined to ruin her happiness. Exiling herself from the court, Lucy finds her own path, becoming mistress of the Tower of London. Riding the coattails of the king’s favorite, the Duke of Buckingham, the fortunes of the St.Johns rise to dizzying heights. But with great wealth comes betrayal, leaving Lucy to fight for her survival—and her honor—in a world of patronage and deceit.

Elizabeth St.John tells this dramatic true story of love and betrayal through the eyes of her ancestor Lucy and her family’s surviving diaries, letters and court papers.

Raised in England, Elizabeth St.John spends her time between California, England, and the past. A best-selling author, historian and genealogist, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Nottingham Castle, Lydiard Park, and Castle Fonmon to the Tower of London. Although the family sold a few castles and country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them - in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their imprint. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story...

Presented by the English Speaking Union of New York & Historic Royal Palaces

St. George’s Society members receive ESU & HRP Member price — $5 OFF!

For more information, please contact Ed Mohylowski at newyork@esuus.org or 212-818-1200, ext. 218.

William Shakespeare was a son, a husband, a father, an actor, a poet, a dramatist, a collaborator…and a businessman. Darren Freebury-Jones explores Shakespeare’s legacy by charting his life in a largely chronological arrangement, from birth to death in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Darren Freebury-Jones is a lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon. He has taught at the Shakespeare Centre in the TLab program for The English-Speaking Union. His 2016 doctoral thesis examined Thomas Kyd’s influence on Shakespeare’s early work.

Presented by the English Speaking Union of New York

St. George’s Society members receive ESU Member price — $5 OFF!

For more information, please contact Ed Mohylowski at newyork@esuus.org or 212-818-1200, ext. 218.

Dining with Mr. Darcy is an overview of the food world throughout the Georgian period and the Regency. The 18th century witnessed great changes in all forms of social life from the growth of the middle class, the of rise industrialization, to a rapid increase on the consumption of new luxury goods. Middle and upper class Georgian tables groaned with succulent roasts, savory puddings, and luscious desserts. With a special  focus on the writings of Jane Austen and food as presented in her novels, Raymond discusses in detail what was and wasn’t on Georgian tables, how it was cooked, as well as new inventions in the kitchen and garden, and even what Jane and her family cooked and ate themselves. Most of all, this talk will consider what one might have encountered should one have had the coveted opportunity to share a meal with Mr. Darcy, himself.

Carl Raymond, a food historian, writer and museum educator, returns to the ESU following his very well received previous talks, At the Queen’s Table and From Dickens to Downton. Carl has worked at the Merchant's House Museum as well as King Manor Museum but trained at the French Culinary Institute as well as the Institute for Culinary Education. He holds a diploma in Culinary Arts. Carl has taught recreational cooking classes throughout New York City and has lectured on food history at the Merchant's House Museum, the National Arts Club, the Metropolitan Opera Guide and the English Speaking Union.  Recently, he was a contributing writer on SAVORING GOTHAM: A Food Lover's Companion to New York City and is at work on his own book—a culinary history of the Gilded Age.

Presented by the English Speaking Union of New York

St. George’s Society members receive $10 OFF the standard ticket price!

For more information, please contact Ed Mohylowski at newyork@esuus.org or 212-818-1200, ext. 218.

Margaret Thatcher was one of the outstanding leaders of the 20th century: she had a radical vision and implemented it. She changed Britain so much that even her opponents came to adopt her policies, and some of her ideas have been implemented by countries around the world.

In the 1970s, Britain was regarded as the "sick man of Europe," a country whose governments were unable to address the problems of a weak economy and industrial unrest. Under Thatcher’s leadership, Britain's economy, by the end of the 1980s, had become a model for other countries to copy. Once again Britain's influence was felt around the world. Her achievements include cutting income tax rates while also reducing public debt, privatizing state-owned businesses, taming militant trade unions, and contributing to the collapse of Soviet communism.

Noel Sloan describes how Britain's Prime Minister led this transformation. He discusses Margaret Thatcher's vision for her country and her extraordinary leadership. He assesses her achievements and her place in history.

Noel Sloan is an international banker who has worked in London and New York. He lived in Britain throughout Margaret Thatcher's time as Prime Minister, and he brings to this subject both his experience of Britain in the 1980s and his academic training in politics. Noel has a Master's degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Trinity College, Oxford. He was an English-Speaking Union Scholar at The Hotchkiss School and is a National Patron of the English-Speaking Union of the United States. Noel lives in Manhattan and Salisbury, CT.  He has lectured widely about Margaret Thatcher in the US and the UK.

Presented by the English Speaking Union of New York

St. George’s Society members receive $10 OFF the standard ticket price!

For more information, please contact Ed Mohylowski at newyork@esuus.org or 212-818-1200, ext. 218.