[HPforGrownups] Re: The House of Gaunt/The orphanage

[MadameSSnape at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 134466

 
In a message dated 7/23/2005 2:21:56 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
wsherratt3338 at rogers.com writes:

Their  last name is certainly an indication of their physical
circumstances, but  maybe there's an overtone there of Shakespeare's
John of Gaunt - not so  much the actual character, but the sense that
this is an old, old family,  with deep roots in England.


==========
Sherrie here:
 
John of Gaunt is not the exclusive property of Master Will - he was a real  
person, third son of Edward III (after Edward the Black Prince and  Lionel).  
He was the founder of the House of Lancaster, had three wives,  the last of 
whom, Katherine de Roet Swynford, had been his mistress for AGES  before he 
married her (his daughter by his second wife was actually named for  his mistress). 
 His son by his first wife, Blanche, eventually became Henry  IV.  (I think - 
except for VIII, I get confused on the Henries  sometimes...)
 
When I first saw that chapter title, I thought, "Whoa - JKR is tying  British 
royalty into the wizarding world???"  
 
Sherrie


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