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A sonar image of the H.M.S. Erebus shows where it came to rest on the sea floor.

How the Discovery of Two Lost Ships Solved an Arctic Mystery

The Franklin expedition and all its crew disappeared in 1848.

In 1848, the Franklin expedition’s two ships, H.M.S. Erebus and H.M.S. Terror , disappeared with all their crew while searching for the Northwest Passage . Their fate is one of the enduring mysteries of the age of exploration. Numerous expeditions were sent out to find them, numerous theories proposed to explain what happened. Dark rumors of cannibalism only made the mystery more compelling. It wasn’t until 2014 that a Canadian mission, equipped with all the latest marine archaeological equipment, located Erebus . Terror was discovered two years later.

Paul Watson , author of Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition , was on board the lead Canadian vessel when Erebus was found. Speaking from Vancouver, Watson explains why the hunt for lost historic ships was a geopolitical move against Russia, how Lady Jane Franklin combined politics and spiritualism to find her missing husband, and why the Inuit want Sir John Franklin ’s body located and sent back to England.

Franklin disappeared in 1848 while searching for the Northwest Passage. Set the scene for us.

In 1845, Franklin was about to turn 60. He had had a terrible time as governor of what was then called Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania, where he was politically stabbed in the back and recalled to England by the colonial office, his reputation in tatters. His wife, Lady Jane Franklin, an extraordinary woman, was determined to help him rehabilitate his image and his career. How do you do that? You go back to where you became a hero, and that is the Arctic.

This was his fourth Arctic expedition, his third as commander. He had almost starved to death on an overland expedition, and became known in the press as “ the man who ate his boots ” because he ate his shoe leather to get out of the Arctic alive. He was an extraordinarily heroic figure but tarnished by politics. So his wife Jane lobbied and begged for him to be sent on one last expedition.

The last time the expedition was seen was as they’re entering Lancaster Sound, which is the eastern entrance of what we now know as the Northwest Passage. His instructions were to sail north. But they ran into ice so came south again. On his way south, he ran into an ice trap—and was never heard of again.

Back in London, Franklin’s intrepid wife Jane begins a campaign for what you call “the longest, broadest and most expensive search for two lost ships in maritime history.” Tell us about this extraordinary woman—and how she mobilized public opinion.

The descriptions of her as a girl are that she was extremely shy. But when she has to deal with Sir John’s disappearance, she’s far from shy. She takes the Admiralty and various other institutions in her way and simply bowls over them. She even took an apartment near the Admiralty building in London so she could watch the comings and goings. She would also hold meetings in that apartment, which was known as “the fortress,” where former explorers and experts would roll out maps of the Arctic.

The Admiralty kept saying, “They have enough food for three years. So we don’t need to worry until at least 1848.” She kept insisting that they search and even began to fund her own expeditions. She even wrote to Zachary Taylor, the president of the United States. It’s an extraordinary letter coming from a woman who has broken protocol by writing as a citizen from London, not through diplomatic channels. Through all of this extraordinary effort and the help of others, including Charles Dickens , she forces the Admiralty to send out search expeditions.

Franklin’s disappearance became what we today call a media circus. It also took a weird detour into the paranormal, didn’t it?

That’s where I got hooked. Among Lady Jane’s nearly two hundred journals and two thousand letters are some that describe her dabbling in the paranormal, going to seers and clairvoyants, to connect to her husband. She was eventually contacted by a Captain William Coppin, a wealthy shipbuilder from Londonderry, Ireland. His daughter Louisa, who was known as “ Little Weesy, ” died in the summer of 1849. While he was away on business for three months, his children said Weesy was always around. Their description was not like a ghost we would imagine from films but a hovering blue light. Weesy’s brother would see it and run and smash his face against the wall, causing his face to bleed. The children were convinced they were communicating with the ghost of Weesy. One day, Weesy’s aunt said to her daughter, “Why don’t you ask Weesy if she knows where Sir John Franklin is?”

One of the key figures in the modern hunt for Franklin is an Inuit named Louie Kamookak . Talk us through the Inuit stories about Franklin and Louie’s contribution to the final discovery.

As a child, Louie Kamookak heard a story from a woman named Humahuk, who describes going as a girl with her father and discovering some items. One was a knife, which Kamookak thinks from her description was probably a butter knife. She also finds what appeared to be rabbit droppings but was likely the shot for Royal Navy rifles.

That story stayed in Louie’s mind and he became determined to try and figure out where that place was. Eventually, he came to understand that the story was connected to the Franklin expedition. As an adult, he did research into Inuit oral history . As he went around talking to people, he realized he could perhaps also answer some of the mysteries about the Franklin expedition.

This is a key turning point in the modern search because in these converging lines of fate, while he’s doing his research, experts in archaeology and history are also doing theirs. Eventually, the two meet and that is when the pace starts to pick up. If you take Inuit oral history and combine it with modern science, that’s when the breakthrough comes.

Let’s fast forward to 2014 and the Canadian government’s Victoria Strait Expedition . There was a political dimension, wasn’t there?

A lot of the story in Ice Ghosts harks back to the 19th century. Geopolitics is a central part of it. At that time, the Royal Navy was supreme. They believed if they didn’t find the Northwest Passage someone else would, and they meant the Russians. Flash forward to the 21st century, and the Arctic is still about competition between Russia and the West. In 2007, the Russians took a titanium flag and, using a remotely operated sub, planted it on the seabed near the North Pole, in a part of the high Arctic where there are competing claims.

This sent a shiver through the Canadian political establishment. So in 2008 Stephen Harper , the Conservative prime minister, decided to launch a new search for the lost Franklin ships. It was a crafty way of packaging a political agenda with the shiny wrapping of an adventure that speaks to the heart of Canadian nationalism.

The H.M.S. Erebus was discovered in relatively shallow water south of King William Island in northern Canada. This photograph was taken from a helicopter.

Harper demanded strict control over all federal science. So when the 2014 expedition found H.M.S Erebus , it was the best-kept secret in Canada. No one was allowed to tell even the captain of the Coast Guard icebreaker, the lead vessel on the expedition, until they had gone through a step-by-step protocol notifying federal officials up the line, all the way to the prime minister. It was several days after the discovery that I found out, even though I was living aboard the Coast Guard vessel and was a cabin mate with the head of the Parks Canada marine archaeology team, the first people to set eyes on the wreck.

H.M.S Erebus was discovered in relatively shallow water and almost perfectly preserved, except for the stern, which had been bitten away, probably by ice. The stern is important because that’s where Franklin’s cabin was. Inuit stories dating back to the period shortly after the ships were abandoned speak of Inuit boarding one of the vessels and finding a large man seated in a dark room, obviously dead, with a huge grin on his face. Experts suspect this was the rictus grin you see on a corpse as the lips and gums recede. Because so much else of what they describe of the location and the ship itself has turned out to be correct, the possibility that there actually was a dead man in the cabin of H.M.S. Erebus is an intriguing possibility.

We know that Franklin died on board because a note was found saying he died before the ships were abandoned. Whether it was Franklin that was described as dead, sitting in a dark room, nobody knows. But it is certainly a possibility.

A diver removes kelp from the upper deck of the Erebus .

A final “mystery within a mystery,” as Louie Kamookak calls it, remains: the location of Franklin’s grave. What do we know about it—and why is it so important to Louie to find it?

It’s anyone’s guess whether Franklin is, in fact, buried up there. But Louie certainly believes he is. He told me that he was never just interested in finding the ships. What he wanted to find was Franklin’s grave.

There are stories about a cairn-like structure with a big, flat top. Inuit also described a kind of liquid rock, which sounds like a rudimentary cement. With someone of Franklin’s stature, you would want to build a tomb to preserve him, so that you could come back later and take him home to bury at Westminster Abbey, or something. There are also descriptions of what sounds like a rifle salute, which you would expect for the funeral of a high-ranking person like Sir John. The wonderful thing, if they do in fact find a grave, is that there might be some documents in there, which may answer more questions about what happened.

There is also a spiritual dimension. Louie and other Inuit believe that King William Island has been cursed ever since Franklin’s expedition ran into trouble and everyone aboard died. What Louie told me is that he seeks peace for himself, for his people, and for the land. If he can find Franklin, and send him home, that peace will come. The disturbed spirits, which have caused so much trouble for his people, will be silent.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Simon Worrall curates Book Talk . Follow him on Twitter or at simonworrallauthor.com .

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Explorers retrace 1845 Arctic expedition that ended in death and cannibalism

Filmmakers retraced the deadly journey of two British exploration ships that set off in 1845 and never came back, in a quest to find their captain's tomb.

Explorers have retraced the path of a doomed 19th-century expedition to the Arctic in search of its legendary captain's tomb.

National Geographic's "Explorer: Lost in the Arctic," which premiered Thursday (Aug. 24), chronicles a four-month quest to find the grave of Sir John Franklin, whose ships vanished in the Canadian Arctic in 1846.

"I set the whole trip up so that I could try to feel what it was like for Franklin and his guys: sail in the same water, anchor in the same bays, weather the same storms, connect with their spirits," Mark Synnott , a National Geographic explorer, rock climber and author who led the new expedition, told TV Insider .

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Franklin set off from England with two ships and 129 men in 1845 with the aim of being the first expedition to navigate the Northwest Passage — a route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic. But in September 1846, the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus became trapped in the ice, according to a note discovered in 1859 , and vanished. Several ships went in search of possible survivors in the decades following the disaster, but to no avail.

Modern-day searches have shed some light on what happened to Franklin's ill-fated expedition. In 2014, a Canadian search team found one of the lost ships , the HMS Terror, in Victoria Strait. Two years later, a tip from a local Inuit fisher led to the discovery of the HMS Erebus off the coast of King William Island.

Research also revealed that some of the crew died on the ice-locked ships, but 105 men survived on supplies they'd brought with them and abandoned the wrecks in April 1848 . But in the end "we know they all died," Synnott said.

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The crew may have succumbed to a combination of starvation, scurvy — a disease caused by a serious vitamin C deficiency — and lead poisoning from eating poorly canned foods, some experts have posited. Others think the sailors died of tuberculosis, respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease , based on records that were kept in "sick books" on ships that were sent in search of survivors. 

The sailors who abandoned their ships may have resorted to cannibalism to survive in the frigid expanse. Cracked bones discovered at Booth Point and Erebus Bay indicate crew members likely sucked out the marrow from their dead comrades' bones to extract every last bit of nutrition they could.

Synnott and a team of explorers and filmmakers followed the expedition's route through the Canadian Arctic, sailing through fog and storms until they reached King William Island. According to Inuit accounts, Franklin's tomb is located there, while a note found on the island indicates he died aboard HMS Erebus on June 11, 1847.

There, the explorers discovered various artifacts, including a tent peg, that suggested they were getting close. But after more than a week of scouring the landscape for signs of Franklin's tomb, the crew were forced to abandon their search.

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Finding the tomb could reveal documents, such as logbooks and letters, that could help identify members of the original crew and piece together the tragic incident. "We'd be able to fill in the blanks and have stories told in their own words," Synnott said.

The explorers are hopeful the day will come when Franklin's tomb is found. "Once we find one thing, we'll have it all and it's just a matter of time," Tom Gross, a historian and explorer who has spent the last 28 years searching for the captain's resting place, said in the documentary.

National Geographic's "Explorer: Lost in the Arctic" is now available to stream on Disney+.

Sascha is a U.K.-based trainee staff writer at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems.

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Prince William and Kate travel to Anglesey in Wales, where they had their 1st family home

Kensington Palace says William and Kate have a "deep affection for Wales."

Prince William and Kate traveled to Wales on Tuesday for the first time as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The couple met with different communities across the nation to learn about the work of key charitable organizations. They first traveled to Anglesey to meet with crew and volunteers at the RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station, one of the oldest lifeboat stations on the Welsh coast, then visited St. Thomas Church in Swansea, a redeveloped church supporting locals and serving as a hub in the community.

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Their visit to Wales was the first to the nation since King Charles III announced earlier this month that their new titles would be the Prince and Princess of Wales, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

They are the first couple to use the titles since they were used by Charles and the late Princess Diana, who divorced in 1996.

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William and Kate have a "deep affection for Wales," according to Kensington Palace. The couple made their first family home in Anglesey, where they spent their first months as parents, making Wales the first home of Prince George. Wales was also where William undertook his first engagement as a young boy.

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William graduated from the Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley in Anglesey when he was training to become a helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force.

The couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, have also taken on the last name , Wales.

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This Day In History : September 28

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William the Conqueror invades England

Claiming his right to the English throne, William, duke of Normandy , invades England at Pevensey on Britain’s southeast coast. His subsequent defeat of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of a new era in British history.

William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy, by his concubine Arlette, a tanner’s daughter from the town of Falaise. The duke, who had no other sons, designated William his heir, and with his death in 1035 William became duke of Normandy at age seven. Rebellions were epidemic during the early years of his reign, and on several occasions the young duke narrowly escaped death. Many of his advisers did not. By the time he was 20, William had become an able ruler and was backed by King Henry I of France. Henry later turned against him, but William survived the opposition and in 1063 expanded the borders of his duchy into the region of Maine.

In 1051, William is believed to have visited England and met with his cousin Edward the Confessor, the childless English king. According to Norman historians, Edward promised to make William his heir. On his deathbed, however, Edward granted the kingdom to Harold Godwinson, head of the leading noble family in England and more powerful than the king himself.

In January 1066, King Edward died, and Harold Godwinson was proclaimed King Harold II. William immediately disputed his claim. In addition, King Harald III Hardraade of Norway had designs on England, as did Tostig, brother of Harold. King Harold rallied his forces for an expected invasion by William, but Tostig launched a series of raids instead, forcing the king to leave the English Channel unprotected. In September, Tostig joined forces with King Harald III and invaded England from Scotland. On September 25, Harold met them at Stamford Bridge and defeated and killed them both. Three days later, William landed in England at Pevensey.

With approximately 7,000 troops and cavalry, William seized Pevensey and marched to Hastings, where he paused to organize his forces. On October 13, Harold arrived near Hastings with his army, and the next day William led his forces out to give battle. At the end of a bloody, all-day battle, King Harold II was killed—shot in the eye with an arrow, according to legend—and his forces were defeated.

William then marched on London and received the city’s submission. On Christmas Day, 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned the first Norman king of England, in Westminster Abbey, and the Anglo-Saxon phase of English history came to an end. French became the language of the king’s court and gradually blended with the Anglo-Saxon tongue to give birth to modern English. William I proved an effective king of England, and the “Domesday Book,” a great census of the lands and people of England, was among his notable achievements. Upon the death of William I in 1087, his son, William Rufus, became William II, the second Norman king of England.

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Ted Williams becomes last MLB player to hit .400

Ted williams hits home run in last major league at‑bat, spanish explorer sails into san diego bay, tv host ed sullivan born, philadelphia parade exposes thousands to spanish flu, a cult leader kills one of his followers, battle of yorktown begins, british soldier allegedly spares the life of an injured adolf hitler.

Prince George May Have to Follow Royal Travel Protocol After His 12th Birthday

Prince William and King Charles had to follow this rule as well

Prince George may soon not be able to accompany his family on flights due to royal protocol.

When the young prince turns 12 in 2025, he will likely be required to follow a royal travel rule that has been in place for decades, according to The Mirror . The custom secures the future of the monarchy by restricting who can travel together on the same plane—and once an heir to the throne turns 12, he or she must fly separately from all the other heirs. Prince William , as well as his father King Charles III , had to adhere to the same protocol.

Former royal pilot Graham Laurie spoke to A Right Royal Podcast about the change once Prince William turned 12 in 1994. “Interestingly, we flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William and Prince Harry, up until Prince William was 12 years old. After that, he had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together when they were young with the written permission of Her Majesty,” he explained. “When William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt and we would fly the 146 out with the other three on.”

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The rule preserves the royal family’s future in the event of an accident, but can be eschewed with the current monarch’s permission. And while neither William nor Kate have shared whether or not they’ll follow the protocol with George, it’s unclear if it’ll be the young prince who flies solo. There’s a chance he could continue to travel with his mother and siblings while William flies on a different aircraft.

This isn’t the only morbid rule royals have to follow: They’re also required to travel with a black outfit in case someone in the family were to pass away while they’re abroad. That exact scenario played out in 1952, when Queen Elizabeth’s father King George died while she was in Kenya on a royal tour. Upon returning to the U.K., a black dress was brought onboard to her for a quick change before she disembarked the plane.

Maya Ernest is an editor who covers everything from the latest fashion news to features that investigate personal style, social media trends, and thoughtful consumption. 

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A rare royal double act from King Charles and Prince William as rift with Prince Harry drags on

Monarch hands military role over to prince of wales during joint engagement.

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When King Charles handed over a senior military title to Prince William the other day, it was more than a symbolic passing on of a role.

As the Prince of Wales became colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, it was also a personal moment rife with symbolism for the monarch and his heir, and hinted at the family dynamics at play right now in the House of Windsor.

Such transitions are routine from one generation to the next, although there is a sense that for Charles and William, they are unfolding at a faster pace. 

"We're seeing some of the kinds of transitional activities that we associate with the last decade of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II … happening quite quickly during the reign of Charles III," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said in an interview. 

For Charles, Harris suggested, there is a sense his reign is a period of transition between the long reign of his mother and the next one of his son.

"Especially with King Charles III's health, his cancer diagnosis, even though [he] has been determined to remain in the public eye as much as possible, there has been a lot of looking to the future," said Harris.

Seeing Charles and William together as they were at the Army Aviation Centre in Hampshire, southwest of London, was unusual.

"It's relatively rare to have joint engagements with members of the Royal Family," said Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London, in an interview.

"It is even rarer to have the King and the Prince of Wales together, because normally they fan out and do their own engagements."

There is also a feeling that the engagement reflected a closeness between the two that perhaps has grown in recent years.

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"It shows the strength of their relationship and that this was something they genuinely wanted to do together," said Prescott. "It also shows perhaps a bit of common interest between the two."

It's something of a change from headlines of a few years ago, when attention focused, among other things, on how much time William seemed to be spending with his in-laws, and that they saw more of their grandchildren than Charles did.

As much as Charles and William may have grown closer, there is no public sense the rift with Prince Harry has lessened in any way. 

"It seems that Harry is very much out on his own," said Prescott.

The rift was brought into further media relief in recent days when headlines focused on how father and son did not meet while Harry was in London May 8 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games , the sporting event he founded for wounded and sick service members and veterans. A spokesman for Harry said it was because of Charles's "full program," and that he hopes to see him soon.

Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from official duties four years ago and are living in California with their two children.

"Harry's withdrawal from his role as a senior member of the Royal Family not only seems to have brought Charles and William closer together, but it's contributed to the public perception that Charles and William are closer together, as Harry is constantly talking about them as though they are a unit and he is on the outside," said Harris.

Harris sees "a lot of moving parts" at play behind the fact that Harry and Charles did not meet, including that royal schedules are set months in advance, and Charles has always placed a high priority on keeping to his official diary. 

Harry's life is not scheduled months in advance, Harris said, and it's clear he would like to have the kind of relationship where he could just drop in on his father.

"We see two very different approaches before we even address the question of what their relationship is like at this time. Are they particularly interested in seeing each other or prefer to keep a distance? Is each one hoping the other one will make the overture in order to reconcile?"

After Harry's time in London, he and Meghan spent three days in Nigeria, taking part in events connected to the Invictus Games.

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"For those who just casually follow the monarchy, this is something that might look like a royal tour, though very clearly it isn't," said Harris.

"For those who follow the Royal Family more closely, looking at this tour might perhaps bring up memories of past years."

Could, for example, the change in role for Harry and Meghan within the Royal Family have been handled differently? 

"I think the [trip to Nigeria] does raise questions of roads that were not taken five years ago that perhaps would have made things easier for the monarchy today. We don't know whether choosing a different road would have simply delayed the rift or whether a full rift could have been averted entirely."

Something to talk about

To say the reviews are mixed is an understatement.

The first official portrait of King Charles to be unveiled since his coronation drew praise and pique after the red-hued work by British artist Jonathan Yeo was revealed at Buckingham Palace this week.

Some reviews were scathing. "A formulaic bit of facile flattery," read the headline on the one-star review in The Guardian . The reviewer in the San Francisco Chronicle was more welcoming of the painting, which features Charles in the red uniform of the Welsh Guards with a butterfly hovering over his right shoulder. The portrait "is slightly terrifying, and I love it," the headline read.

Art is subjective and can carry a multitude of messages — both from the artist, and in the case of portraiture, from the subject of the work. Interpretations of those messages can be as varied as those who view the works. 

Royal portraiture has its own history and purpose, dating back centuries. 

"In the past, if a portrait painter was commissioned to paint a Royal Family member, it was to keep their likeness in memory, to archive their likeness and to present their likeness to the public … painting them in their riches, with their wealth around them, this kind of thing that was kind of like a propaganda tool," said Ilene Sova, an associate professor of drawing and painting at OCAD University in Toronto, in an interview.

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Then came a change in how an image could be captured.

"After the camera was invented, portrait painters really had to be different or better than the camera, be more human than the camera," Sova said.

"So when you're commissioning a portrait in 2024, you want the artist's ideas, the artist's concepts, the artist's feelings about a person."

As Sova sees it, Yeo's portrait of Charles is "trying to bring concepts and ideas into the composition in a way that the camera can't."

"Having this frenetic brush stroke, having these deep, passionate reds and pinks, putting this butterfly on the shoulder, having him kind of emerge from this background — they're all strategies of contemporary portraiture to make you feel, to make you think, to make you have a emotional response that you wouldn't get from a photograph."

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Sova thinks that through his painting, Yeo is trying to say something about someone emerging from a history and trying to create his own legacy, but that the legacy is not yet clear. That's why, she said, the edges are blurry.

"I read one quote from Jonathan Yeo that he saw the King himself as a butterfly, that he's emerging from a cocoon, that he's becoming what he has been trained to become since he was a young boy. And this is kind of his moment in history."

Judith Rowbotham, a social and cultural scholar and visiting research professor at the University of Plymouth in southwestern England, doesn't think the portrait readily fits within traditional royal iconography. 

"And possibly, reading between the lines of Yeo's comments, this was intentional — as part of an enterprise to make the monarchy seem more modern," she said via email.

"It also started as a portrait of the heir to the throne and ended as the portrait of the King. So the direction was set several years ago."

During Elizabeth's reign, Rowbotham said, a number of non-traditional portraits were painted of her and other royals.

"This is recognizably the King and facially it's actually rather good as well, with the depiction of the face having depth and complexity. In that sense you could argue that this is in line with a more modern tradition of royal portraits and is even rather better than most."

The mixed reactions to the painting are "pretty predictable," Rowbotham said, and the portrait is doing its intended job: "making the King and the monarchy a topic for discussion."

"What could be worse for the individual monarch and the institution than not to be noticed or talked about?" 

Striking a royal rapport

The nerves were jangling as Pippa Blake sat on her horse, waiting with other riders to show Princess Anne their equestrian skills.

They were welcoming Anne, an avid equestrian herself, to the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association during her recent three-day working visit to British Columbia.

Therapeutic riding has been a strong support to Blake, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. 

When Anne approached Blake, 73, after the riders went through their demonstration, any nervousness in anticipation of meeting King Charles's sister quickly evaporated.

"She … gave everybody lots of time. And then she got to me and … you know what? It was just normal and natural and very nice indeed," Blake said in an interview.

"She asked a little bit about my riding history. She said to me … 'How's your balance when you're not in your wheelchair?' And I said my balance is actually really shaky, dodgy, not good. 

"And she said the good thing about sitting on a horse is it's a great equalizer. And I thought, that is so good. It's so thoughtful and it's so true."

Blake cherishes the moments she had chatting with Anne, and also sees significance in her visit for the association.

"It's a memory I will treasure … forever….  And it was huge for our therapeutic riding group."

Liz Gagel, acting executive director of the association, said the visit went really well.

"I'm still pinching myself. I can't believe it happened."

Gagel's favourite moment came at the end of the visit, when Anne stopped to speak to a participant who has a visual impairment.

"She was leaving, and she knew that this young man hadn't gotten the experience everybody else had gotten because he didn't get to individually meet her. He was only watching, but because he was visually impaired, he couldn't see her. So she introduced herself to him, and it was just so touching."

Gagel also welcomes the impact the visit could have on the organization, through international media coverage and the potential to bolster donations.

Princess Anne | Adrienne Arsenault Reports

"We're hoping to capture this and keep the ball rolling and to try to really push some things out and get some more media and social media and just reach as far as we can to help as many people as we can connect to our programs."

The visit to the therapeutic riding association came at the end of a jam-packed visit for Anne that included a commissioning ceremony in Vancouver for HMCS Max Bernays in her role as commodore-in-chief for Canadian Fleet Pacific.

While on Vancouver Island, she also visited a military family resource centre, an urban agriculture project, and the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, which was founded with an initial donation from her late father, Prince Philip.

At the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in Oak Bay, Anne met honourary life members, delved into club history and awarded prizes to young sailors.

Dale Gann, the club's vice-commodore, was particularly struck by the rapport Anne, an avid sailor, had with the young sailors.

"She was very, very connected to them," Gann said in an interview. "She made them feel comfortable and they had a good conversation that I think is going to be a memory for them for a very long time and a motivation for them for a very long time."

Royally quotable

"The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed."

—  King Charles, speaking as he handed over the role of colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps to Prince William.  Charles, whose treatment for cancer is ongoing, also spoke to a veteran at the event who had undergone chemotherapy for cancer, and they appeared to discuss losing the sense of taste.

Royal reads 

New $20 bills featuring the face of King Charles won't be in circulation for another few years , the Bank of Canada says. [CBC]

Judges on a freedom of information tribunal in the United Kingdom have ruled that the cost of protecting members of the Royal Family cannot be revealed to the public . [The Guardian]

A nine-year-old boy who has been re-invited to Buckingham Palace after missing a garden party due to traffic said he "just wants to see if the King is OK." [BBC]

An animal rights group has welcomed a commitment from Queen Camilla that she will buy no new fur products . [BBC]

Prince Harry and Meghan visited a secondary school in Lagos on the last full day of their Nigeria tour . Harry heard about the work of a charity that organizes basketball camps for children in Africa, and played a game with students. [BBC]

Previously unseen photographs of the Royal Family — including a picture marking the birth of four royal babies in 1964 — are on display in a new exhibition. The curator has defended the practice of retouching images despite controversy over a Mother's Day photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her three children. [Daily Mail]

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Inside Prince William and Prince Harry's tense reunion - what really happened on secret visit

Prince William and Prince Harry both came together with other family members for the funeral of their uncle in Norfolk yesterday - and onlookers have described exactly what happened

• 10:37, 30 Aug 2024
• Updated 12:01, 30 Aug 2024

Estranged brothers Princes William and Harry came together yesterday in a momentous meet, once again united in grief.

The pair, who have been embroiled in a bitter feud, both attended the funeral of their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes , who sadly died last month at the age of 82. Harry secretly flew from the US to join William at the service at St Mary's Church in Snettisham where they paid their respects with their Spencer relatives.

It is the first time they have attended the same event since their father King Charles' Coronation last May - although on that day, they did not sit together and weren't spotted speaking. Previous reports say the pair have barely spoken since the funeral of the late Queen almost two years ago, with their relationship at such a low ebb, that sources said William would not want Harry at his Coronation when the time comes.

But despite seemingly managing to put their differences aside for yesterday's service, there were signs of them still keeping their distance from one another. According to The Sun , both brothers 'discreetly' attended the service, slipping in and out quietly. And during the service, they tragically sat apart at the back of the church.

One source told the paper how they only saw the brothers at the end of the service adding: "I didn't know they were there. They arrived very discreetly." While another noted they did not speak to each other, saying: "William and Harry were both there but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance."

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the Mirror : "Harry is close to Robert Fellowes' widow Jane. She and sister Sarah come to all of Harry's UK events and were at Archie's christening. The thought of having to see his estranged brother would not have worried Harry as much as the other way around. I am certain they were civil to each other. A funeral is not the time to settle scores. Or indeed a time to make up as Harry is well aware."

The last time William and Harry were seen pictured next to each other was during a walkabout in Windsor with their wives in the days after their late grandmother death in September 2022. Since then, Harry has railed against his royal relatives, especially William, in his bombshell Netflix series and in his explosive memoir, Spare, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan.

Earlier this month, The Sunday Times reported that William is unlikely to forgive his younger brother any time soon for his digs against wife Kate in Spare. One friend told the paper: "They are estranged, which is dreadfully sad", while another added that Harry rarely comes up in conversation with William and explained: "This year his focus has very much been on his wife, his children and his father."

Meanwhile, Harry's trip to the UK comes just days before the 27th anniversary of the death of his and William's late mother Princess Diana . It was on August 31, 1997 that she died at the age of 36 following a fatal car crash in Paris, meaning tomorrow is the sad anniversary of her death.

In many of his recent public appearances, Harry has referenced Diana and her legacy, including last month when he controversially received the Pat Tillman award at the ESPYs for his work setting up his successful Invictus Games for injured servicemen and women.

William and Harry's uncle Lord Fellowes, who was laid to rest yesterday, was married Diana's older sister, Jane for over 45 years. They had three children – Laura, Alexander and Eleanor – who are all cousins of William and Harry. Laura is also godmother to William and wife Kate's only daughter, Princess Charlotte.

Lord Fellowes was also private secretary to the late Queen in the 1990 s, including when Charles and Diana's marriage broke down. He also advised the late monarch when Fergie and Prince Andrew's marriage ended and Windsor Castle went up in flames, destroying 115 rooms in 1992. He was still in the role when his sister-in-law, Diana, tragically died in a Paris car crash at the age of 36.

His role as a palace courtier meant he often had a strained relationship with his sister-in-law, but when she died suddenly, he said: "I was deeply fond of her. She was a very good person. She found it difficult in life to find happiness, and I'm sad for people who have that situation." Kensington Palace declined to comment.

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Prince William Kicks Off First Overnight Work Trip Since Kate Middleton’s Cancer Diagnosis

"William is staying positive for Kate and the children," a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince William embarked on a two-day visit to the southwest of England on Thursday, May 9, stepping out in Newquay to visit the site of the Duchy of Cornwall’s innovative housing project aimed at addressing homelessness. 

This marks the Prince of Wales' first overnight trip since his wife Kate Middleton , 42, received her cancer diagnosis and began chemotherapy, prompting William, 41, to adjust his schedule to support her and their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

The Princess of Wales remains out of the public eye while receiving treatment, but a close source tells PEOPLE there’s a palpable sense of "positive vibes" and an "optimistic mood."

The prince has been steadfastly there for his wife since she announced the diagnosis on March 22. "William is staying positive for Kate and the children," a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's cover story. 

Inheriting the $1 billion Duchy of Cornwall estate and the title of Duke of Cornwall following Queen Elizabeth's death in September 2022, William continues the historical tradition of the Duchy providing income (estimated at $30 million) to support the heir to the British throne and his family. 

The Duchy of Cornwall is a large estate owned by the Prince of Wales, which includes land, farms, houses, and other assets. It generates income that supports the Prince of Wales, his family, and his charitable activities.

William's innovative housing project , announced earlier this year, will offer 24 homes with comprehensive support for locals experiencing homelessness, a collaborative effort between the Duchy and Cornish charity St Petrocs.

“Since the project was announced in February, work on the Innovative Housing Project in Nansledan has been progressing at pace," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said Thursday. "Designs are being finalized and construction is set to start on site in September, with completion by autumn 2025.

“Today, marks the first time that The Prince will see the site of the new homes. He is looking forward to hearing from the Duchy team about how the work is progressing and from St. Petrocs about the impact the project will have on people experiencing homelessness locally.

“Both His Royal Highness and the Duchy hope that this project will serve as an inspiration to others.” 

Inspired by Homewards, a program led by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, the homes in Nansledan, Newquay, designed by local architects to Passivhaus standards, will provide temporary accommodations with pathways to permanent housing and community integration.

During his visit, Prince William will meet with Duchy representatives overseeing the project's development, interact with St Petrocs CEO Henry Meacock, and engage with a resident benefiting from the program's support. 

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?  Sign up for our free Royals newsletter  to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Homewards will evaluate the project's impact and share insights with similar initiatives nationwide, highlighting Prince William's commitment to innovative solutions and community welfare. 

Additionally, William will spend time at Fistral Beach, learning from local organizations working to maintain beach safety for all visitors.

On Friday, the prince will head to the Isles of Scilly.

Related Articles

King William’s War — the First French and Indian War

King William’s War (1688–1697) was the first conflict in North America between England, France, and their respective Native American Indian allies. There was no clear victor in the war, which was an extension of the Nine Years’ War. However, it set the stage for future conflicts in North America between the European powers as they fought for control of the Fur Trade and dominance of the continent.

King William’s War is named for William of Orange, who was crowned King William III during the Glorious Revolution in England. This painting by Godfrey Kneller depicts William. Image Source: Wikipedia.

King William’s War Summary

King William’s War was the First Intercolonial War fought in North America between the English Colonies and New France. It is also referred to as the First French and Indian War, as it involved the Iroquois Confederacy and the Wabanaki Confederacy.

The war was an extension of the Nine Years’ War, which was fought in Europe for control of the English Crown and to limit French expansion. For the first time, European powers involved their North American colonies, which is why King William’s War is also considered by some to be the first true world war.

King William’s War lasted for nearly a decade and was the beginning of a series of wars fought for control of the eastern half of North America and the Fur Trade. When peace was agreed to, territories and borders were restored to what they were before the war.

A temporary peace was achieved between the French, English, and Indian confederacies, which also helped bring an end to the Beaver Wars in 1701.

However, the battle for control of the East Coast, Canada, and the Louisiana Territory between France, England, and the Indians quickly resumed with Queen Anne’s War in 1702. 

King William’s War Facts — 10 Things to Know

1. King William’s War lasted from 1688 to 1697 and was the first of the intercolonial wars between New England and New France in North America.

2. King William’s War is considered the First French and Indian War and the Second Indian War, following King Philip’s War.

3. The war was caused by territorial disputes, religious differences, and European power struggles, particularly between England and France.

4. The Dominion of New England, formed in 1686, faced internal disarray, contributing to tensions and hostilities between New England and New France.

5. The Iroquois Confederacy, allied with New England, interfered with the Fur Trade between New France and western tribes, contributing to the escalation of the war.

6. The Wabanaki Confederacy, a union of five Acadian tribes, was formed to consolidate New France’s claim on Maine and stop English expansion into Acadia.

7. Major Benjamin Church played a prominent role in the war, leading several expeditions into Acadia to retaliate against the Wabanaki Confederacy’s attacks.

8. The war saw numerous raids and attacks on both English and French settlements, resulting in casualties, massacres, and captured settlers.

9. Several offensives, including the Quebec and Port Royal expeditions, were undertaken by New England forces.

10. Peace was achieved in 1697 through the Treaty of Ryswick, temporarily ending hostilities between France and England, but conflicts continued in subsequent colonial wars until France’s ultimate defeat in North America in 1763.

King William’s War — New England and New France

European conquest of the americas — god, gold, and glory.

Along the East Coast of North America, from Newfoundland in the north to Florida in the south, England, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and others worked to establish trading posts and settlements in hopes of finding natural resources that would give them an advantage over their European rivals.

In all cases, efforts at Colonialism were driven by the economic theory known as Mercantilism .

The Spanish moved from South America into Florida and up the Mississippi River. 

The French settled in present-day Canada and moved south into the Ohio Country and down the Mississippi River. 

The English, Dutch, and others settled along the east coast. Over time, the English started moving westward, over the Appalachian Mountains. 

With each movement, Europeans claimed the land as their own, despite the presence of the Indians they encountered. Europeans justified their conquest of the Americas by spreading Christianity to the Indians. Although many Indians converted — known as “Praying Indians” — they were often forced to conform.

The European Conquest of the Americans revolved around three main concepts:

• Spreading Christianity
• Finding Gold
• Achieving Glory

This is often referred to as “God, Gold, and Glory.”

Establishment of New France

France was the first to gain a foothold in the Northeast, establishing Port Royal in 1604 under the leadership of Samuel de Champlain — the “Father of New France.” Port Royal was the first permanent European settlement north of Florida. In 1608, Champlain established another settlement called Quebec.

The government of New France was under the direct control of the French monarchy and did not have representative assemblies elected by the people. The colony’s main resource was beaver pelts and French hunters and trappers successfully built relationships with the Indians. 

However, the French also sent Catholic missionaries, notably the Jesuits, into the region to convert the Indians to Christianity. The Jesuits established missions — small villages — throughout New France in order to educate the Indians about Catholicism.

These missions and the spread of Catholicism were naturally a concern for the English living in New England. 

New England, Catholics, and Indian Confederacies

New England was largely a haven for Puritans who fled Europe in search of religious freedom and to escape the ongoing conflict between Catholics and Protestants, which often fueled wars. 

As far as the English colonists living in New England were concerned, the presence of the French Catholics, and their efforts to convert the Indians, were a threat to the Puritans and other Protestant denominations.

By the time of King William’s War, New Englanders had already fought two destructive wars with Indian confederacies. The first was the Pequot War (1634–1638) and the second was King Philip’s War (1675–1678) . Both conflicts resulted in death and destruction throughout New England and led to the expansion of English settlements further inland.

The Wabanaki Confederacy

After King Philip’s War, a group of tribes joined together as the Wabanaki Confederacy. The tribes were: Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki. All of them lived in the Acadia Region of New France.

Growth of New France and New England

Over time, the presence of the English and French grew in the Northeast. The English eventually took control of New Netherland and New Sweden and the 13 Original Colonies started to take shape. 

Both New England and New France started to transition from collections of settlements and outposts to established colonies with large port cities surrounded by towns. 

However, the growth was faster and more organized in New England and throughout the English Colonies.

New France Territorial Possessions at the Time of King William’s War

At the onset of King William’s War, the territorial possessions of New France were vast — much larger than English possessions. New France consisted of four colonies:

• Canada — It consisted of the territory along the St. Lawrence River, including Quebec, Montreal, and Trois-Rivieres (Three Rivers).
• Acadia — Located to the east of Canada, Acadia ran along the East Coast of the continent, and extended into present-day Maine, where it bordered New England. Although Acadia had been under Scottish control at one time, and was an English territory from 1654–1670, it was French territory in 1689.
• Placentia — It was on the Avalon Peninsula in what is the southeast of present-day Newfoundland.
• Louisiana — Located to the west and south of Canada, Louisiana was a massive territory that stretched from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico.

English Territorial Possessions at the Time of King William’s War

By the time of King William’s War, the English Colonies in North America had been established, except for Georgia.

England also had a colony on Newfoundland, which it shared with the French. The English colony was north of Placentia.

Northwest of Canada was another English territory around Hudson Bay. It was under the control of the Hudson’s Bay Company, a significant player in the Fur Trade. This naturally brought it into conflict with both the Indians and French, who also wanted to dominate the business.

Following King Philip’s War, the New England Colonies were unified by the Crown into the Dominion of New England . Sir Edmund Andros was the Governor at the start of King William’s War. Andros was controversial because he enforced the taxes and rules associated with the Navigation Acts and also promoted the Church of England.

What happened during King William’s War? A History of the First French and Indian War

Causes of the nine years’ war in europe.

In 1688, Parliament agreed to replace King James II, a Catholic, with William of Orange, a Protestant. James fled to France and allied with King Louis XIV. Together, they planned to restore James to the English throne, reinstate Catholic rule, and expand French borders.

The Nine Years’ War Begins

The war started when France invaded the Rhineland — present-day Netherlands and Germany. Protestant leaders, including William of Orange, responded by forming a “grand alliance,” known as the League of Augsburg to oppose the French. 

War was declared between England and France in 1689. Commonly known as the Nine Years’ War, it is also known as the War of the Grand Alliance and the War of the League of Augsburg. The Nine Years’ War is also referred to as the first true world war because it spread to Ireland (Willamite War) and to North America — King William’s War.

New England, New France, and Indian Confederacies

After the English defeated the Wampanoag and Narragansett in King Philip’s War, the western frontier of the New England Colonies opened to expansion. As more immigrants arrived in New England, the colonies expanded inland, pushing into the territory of various Indian tribes. 

In response, the Wabanaki Confederacy formed, uniting five Indian tribes together to resist English expansion into Acadia. By then, New France was established and also posed a threat to the English Colonies in New England. 

A major source of contention between the English and the French was a lack of a well-defined border between Acadia and New England. As a result, both the French and English laid claim to some of the same territory.

During the war, the French allied with the Wabanaki Confederacy and the English allied with the Iroquois Confederacy. 

The Iroquois were also battling with the French for control of the Fur Trade, which was part of the ongoing Beaver Wars , a conflict that crossed over with the events of King William’s War.

Additional Events Contributing to King William’s War

1672 — Count Louis de Frontenac is named Governor General of New France. Frontenac builds the French Fur Trade, competing with the Iroquois. The French also battled with the Iroquois as part of the Beaver Wars.

1685 — James II became King of England and attempted to convert the nation to Catholicism, leading to unrest among the predominantly Protestant population.

1686 — The French started the Hudson Bay Expedition and attacked trading posts run by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The French captured the trading posts, including Fort Albany in New York.

1686 — First Battle of Fort Albany. French forces battled with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The English surrendered and the French captured their ships.

1687 — William Phips, a native of Pemaquid, led an expedition that discovered a sunken Spanish galleon near the Bahamas. He recovered roughly £300,000 in gold, silver, and jewels. He returned to England where he was knighted — the first American to receive the honor.

1687 — Attack on Seneca. Marquis de Denonville, the Governor of New France, attacked the Seneca in Western New York and burned the towns of Ganondagan and Totiakton. This attack was part of the Beaver Wars but played a role in the actions of King William’s War.

King William’s War in 1688

Hostilities in North America started in 1688 when the Governor General of New France, Count Louis de Frontenac encouraged the Wabanaki to carry out raids on English settlements. The raids, which were usually surprise attacks, took place along the border of Acadia and New England.

Raid on St. Castin’s Trading House

In April 1688, Sir Edmund Andros, the unpopular Governor of the Dominion of New England, retaliated to the border raids by leading an attack on St. Castin’s Trading House at present-day Castine, Maine.

Castine was an Abenaki village the home of Baron Jean-Vincent de Saint-Castin, a French officer who lived with the Abenaki.

Castin and his Indian allies responded with more raids on English settlements along the border of Acadia and New England. 

They attacked present-day Newcastle, Maine on August 13, 1688. A few days later, they clashed with English settlers at Yarmouth and then attacked Kennebunk.

Andros organized another expedition and went into Acadia. However, he was unable to find the Wabanaki who carried out the raids and returned to Boston.

Raid on Chedabucto

Four months after the raid at Castin, New England forces raided a fishing village, Chedabucto, at present-day Guysborough, Nova Scotia. 

Events in 1688 Affecting the War

1688 — The Glorious Revolution took place. James II was overthrown, leading to the accession of William and Mary as joint sovereigns of England.

1688 — France invaded the Rhineland, initiating the Nine Years’ War.

King William’s War in 1689

The glorious revolution and the boston revolt of 1689.

On February 13, 1689, the Glorious Revolution culminated in the crowning of William of Orange as King William III . His wife was crowned Queen Mary II and joined him as the new sovereigns of England.

When news of the Glorious Revolution arrived in Boston in April, the citizens arrested Andros and restored the colony’s original charter. This event, known as the “Boston Revolt of 1689,” led to the dissolution of the Dominion of New England. 

Samuel Bradstreet, who had been the Governor of Massachusetts before the Dominion of New England was created, was reinstated by the people of Massachusetts. With the restoration of the colony’s charter, New Hampshire fell under the control of the Massachusetts government. It would remain that way until 1741.

England Declares War on France

Despite the overthrow of Andros, King William’s War continued. On May 17, 1689, England declared war on France, which escalated the conflict, and hostilities spread south from Maine into New Hampshire. Dover, one of the oldest settlements in New Hampshire, was targeted by the Wabanaki.

Raid on Dover — June 27

In 1689, there were around 50 fortified homes in the area around Dover. Each home was large, so it could be used as a shelter for more than one family and was surrounded by a high wall. 

At night, the neighboring families would go to the fortified house to sleep, knowing they would be safe. At Cocheco, there were five fortified homes, including one owned by Richard Waldron, who was also recognized as the leader of the settlement.

In the aftermath of King Philip’s War, some members of the Pennacook Tribe and other tribes were sold into slavery. By June 1689, some of them had returned to the area and they blamed Waldron for what had happened to them, as they believed he had betrayed them in 1676.

The Indians living near Dover formed an alliance, led by a Pennacook warrior, Chief Kancamagus, and devised a plan to attack the fortified homes at Cocheco.

Although some people in Dover suspected the Indians were planning something, Waldron insisted there was nothing to fear. He was also confident that if there was an uprising, he would be able to gather the militia and easily defend Dover. 

What Waldron was unaware of was the plan for an attack on Cocheco was circulating throughout parts of Massachusetts. At that time, King Wiliam’s War had not spread into New Hampshire, so Waldron considered the English there to be at peace with the Indians.

On the evening of June 27, 1689, two Indian women went to each of the fortified homes at Cocheco and asked for refuge. It was a common practice during peacetime, and four of the five homeowners let them in — including Waldron. 

Early the next morning, the women opened the gates and let in the Indian warriors. Waldron and 22 others were brutally killed and 29 were taken captive and carried off. The Indians burned eight houses and the gristmill and sawmill at Cocheco Falls.

On June 28, in the aftermath of the “Cocheco Massacre,” a letter from Chelmsford, Massachusetts arrived in Dover. 

It included details of the plan to carry out the attack on Waldron and the other fortified homes at Cocheco. Had it arrived a day or two earlier, the settlers living in Dover may have been able to prevent the attack.

First Siege of Pemaquid — August 2–3

In Acadia, Baron Saint-Castin decided to retaliate on his own for the attack on his trading house. Along with Father Louis-Pierre Thury, and an Abenaki chief named Moxus, Saint-Castin led a force of roughly 200 Abenaki warriors to the village of Pemaquid, which is present-day Bristol, Maine.

Saint-Castin’s forces surrounded the trading post, Fort Charles and attacked settlers who approached the fort. Although the garrison was allowed to retreat to Boston, many of the settlers were killed or captured. 

Saint-Castin burned the fort and took the prisoners to Fort Meductic, a fortified Maliseet village near present-day Meductic, New Brunswick. 

One of the captives was John Gyles, who was only nine years old. Gyles survived and later wrote about his experience, publishing an autobiography in 1736 called Memoirs of Odd Adventures, Strange Deliverances, Etc. in the Captivity of John Gyles .

Lachine Massacre — August 5

As part of the Beaver Wars, Mohawk warriors attacked the settlement of Lachine in New France, southwest of Montreal. It was in response to the French attack against the Seneca in 1687, along with French expansion into Mohawk territory. New England settlers encouraged the Mohawks to carry out the attack, which led to the destruction of Lachine and the deaths of roughly 240 French settlers.

Massachusetts Sends Swaine Into New Hampshire

Massachusetts responded to the Siege of Pemaquid by assembling a military expedition of 600 men to secure the border between Acadia and New Hampshire. Major Jeremiah Swaine led the force into New Hampshire in August.

Despite the presence of Swaine and his men, a party of Abenaki warriors attacked the village of Oyster River — present-day Durham, New Hampshire. Approximately 20 settlers were killed, including children. Most of the others were captured.

When Swaine was alerted, he sent a scouting party to find the Abenaki, but they failed.

Raid on New Dartmouth — August 13

French and Indian forces led by Saint-Castin conducted raids along the frontier, starting at present-day Newcastle.

Benjamin Church and His Rangers

Governor Bradstreet of Massachusetts was furious with Swaine’s failure. He recalled him and sent Benjamin Church, who was recognized as a hero of King Philip’s War, to deal with the Indians.

As a veteran Indian fighter, Church understood traditional European tactics did not work in New England. He trained a group of his own men to use the same tactics as the Indians, generally referred to as “guerrilla warfare.” Church’s men are viewed as the first light infantrymen in U.S. history and eventually became the U.S. Army Rangers.

Battle of Bracket’s Wood — September 21

Church and his men moved toward Acadia and traveled to Falmouth, which is present-day Portland, Maine. When Church arrived, he found the town under attack by Wabanaki warriors. He and his men quickly joined the battle.

However, Church and his men found out that the musket balls that were issued to them were too big for the barrels of their guns. They were forced to spend time reshaping the balls by hammering on them. This turned the balls into flatter, cylindrical slugs, but they were usable.

The Wabakai were eventually driven off. Church chased after them but was unable to find them in the forest. Soon after, Church and his men returned to Boston.

Events in 1689 Affecting the War

1689 — The League of Augsburg is formed.

King William’s War in 1690

During the winter of 1689–1690, Count Frontenac developed a plan for an offensive against English settlements in Maine and New Hampshire. 

Joseph-Francois Hertel and his son, Jean-Baptiste, were given command of the expedition, which included around 25 French Canadian soldiers and a party of Abenaki, Mi’kmaq, and Maliseet warriors.

Schenectady Massacre — February 8

A French contingent led by Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville attacked the New York settlement of Schenectady in retaliation for the Lachine Massacre. The French were joined by Mohawk and Algonquin warriors, who were aligned with the French, instead of the Iroquois Confederacy and the English.

Schenectady was destroyed, and most of the settlers were killed or captured, including a number of enslaved blacks living in the village. Survivors, including a handful of slaves, were taken to a Mohawk village near Montreal where they were assimilated into the tribe.

 The attack is also related to the ongoing Beaver Wars.

Raid on Salmon Falls — March 27

On March 27, 1690, the French force led by the Hertels surrounded the settlement of Salmon Falls at present-day Berwick, Maine. They burned the village and killed or captured most of the settlers. Portsmouth sent its militia to engage the French and a brief skirmish ensued, but the French drove them off. It is estimated that more than 50 women and children were taken to Acadia as prisoners.

Battle of Port Royal — May 16

Port Royal, one of the oldest French settlements in Acadia, was located on the Acadian Peninsula, on the Bay of Fundy. It was located on the site of present-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

Determined to protect its borders against the French and Indian attacks, Massachusetts organized an expedition that included 7 ships and around 700 soldiers. The expedition, led by Sir William Phips, sailed to Port Royal and attacked on May 16.

The French defenses were weak, disorganized, and easily defeated by Phips and his men. The Governor of Acadia, Louis-Alexandre des Friches de Meneval, was taken prisoner, as were most of his soldiers.

Before leaving for Boston, the English plundered the town and forced the French to swear to an Oath of Loyalty to both the English Crown and Massachusetts. However, when Phips left, he failed to leave a garrison to maintain English control of Port Royal.

However, with Port Royal in ruins, the capital of Acadia was moved to Fort Nashwaak, near present-day Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Battle of Fort Loyal at Falmouth — May 16–20

Following the Raid on Salmon Falls, the Hertels were reinforced by Saint-Castin, leading a force of 200-300 Abenaki warriors. Together, they advanced on Falmouth (Portland, ME), and attacked on May 16.

The settlers took shelter in Fort Loyal, under the command of Captain Sylvanus Davis, and held out for four days. The French forces took shelter in a gully that protected them and then dug a trench toward the fort in a zig-zag fashion. Eventually, they were close enough to the fort that they were able to throw grenades over the walls.

The settlers surrendered on May 20, after the French promised they would be safe from the Indians. However, as soon as the settlers came out of the fort the Wabanakis attacked them and killed most of them. Captain Davis was one of the few survivors, and he, like the others, was taken to Quebec.

With Fort Loyal eliminated, the Wabanaki were free to travel throughout the region and attack settlements along the border of Acadia and New Hampshire at will.

Battle of Chedabucto at Fort St. Louis — June 3

Following Port Royal, Phips sent Captain Cyrian Southack to attack Fort St. Louis, which was in the fishing village of Chedabucto (Guysborough, Nova Scotia).

Southack led nearly 90 men in an attack on the fort, which was garrisoned by about a dozen French soldiers. Despite being outnumbered, the French held out for six hours, before surrendering.

Southack allowed the French to leave Chedabucto and then destroyed a valuable amount of cod that had been harvested by the Company of Acadia, the village’s fishing operation.

Phips Returns to Boston

Phips returned to Boston and received a hero’s welcome. It was soon determined to send another naval expedition to capture Quebec. Meanwhile, New York organized an overland expedition to capture Montreal.

Benjamin Church’s Second Expedition — September 1690

In September, Church led a second expedition into Acadia. This time, he took 300 men, including his rangers, volunteers, and Indians, and went to Falmouth (Portland, ME). When he arrived, he and his men buried the dead who had been killed during the attack in May. Many of the dead were the same settlers he had saved at the Battle of Bracket’s Wood.

After burying the dead, Church went in search of the Wabanaki who were responsible for the deaths. He led the expedition to Pejepscot, which is present-day Brunswick, Maine, arriving on September 11.

Capture of Pejepscot

His goal was to recapture Fort Pejepscot, which had been taken by the Wabanaki. When he arrived, he found the fort in ruins, and the Wabanaki in the town fled north. Church occupied Pejepscot and found some Abanaki wigwams. 

In them were elderly Abanaki, including women and children, along with English settlers who were being held captive. Church freed the settlers and then had some of the Abanaki brutally killed. The others were taken as prisoners.

Two elderly women were spared so they could deliver a message to the Abanaki warriors when they returned to Pejepscot.

The message was the Abanaki should meet him in two weeks at Salmon Falls (Berwick, ME), with all of the English settlers who had been taken as prisoners. If they failed to meet him, he threatened to execute his Abanaki prisoners.

Fight at Cape Elizabeth

Church only had three boats for his expedition. Between his troops and the settlers he had rescued, they were crowded. He sailed roughly 35 miles south and stopped at Purpooduck Point — present-day Cape Elizabeth, Maine — where they set up a camp for the night.

Unknown to Church, the Abanaki warriors were following him and surrounded the camp during the night. The Abanaki attacked in the morning, but their muskets were ineffective due to wet gunpowder.

The Englishmen in the camp retreated to the shore, where they were joined by their counterparts who spent the night on the boats. Together, they were able to repel the Abanaki attack.

The Wabanaki retaliated within a few days and attacked Church at Cape Elizabeth, roughly 35 miles south of Salmon Falls. Church also attacked a nearby settlement called Purpooduck.

A Truce and Prisoner Exchanges

In October, the Abenaki representatives went to the town of Wells, Maine, carrying a white flag of truce. They agreed to a prisoner exchange, which was set for November.

When it came time for the prisoner exchange, the Abanaki only brought 10 settlers with them — significantly less than had been taken away up to that point.

After six days of negotiations, the Abanaki agreed to a truce and to bring more prisoners to another exchange, which would take place in May 1691.

Failure to Capture Quebec and Montreal

While Church was dealing with the Indians along the coast of Maine, the Massachusetts Colony and the New York Colony planned to launch separate attacks on Quebec and Montreal. 

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Mayland, and Plymouth provided militia forces for these expeditions. The Iroquois also provided men. Unfortunately, no party was able to provide as many men as they promised. The lack of men, resources, and bad weather led to the failure of both expeditions.

While New York and Connecticut paid for the Montreal expedition, Massachusetts paid for the full amount of the Quebec expedition, which was led by Sir William Phips.

Battle of Quebec — October 16–20

The Massachusetts expedition left Boston in August, arriving at Quebec in October. On the 16th, the attack started — the first time in the long history of the French and Indian Wars that English forces attacked the fortress city. However, the attack was poorly coordinated and the French were able to withstand the attack. Phips was forced to withdraw and return to Boston.

King William’s War in 1691

Battle of la prarie — august 11.

As part of the expedition against Montreal, Major Peter Schuyler led a force of English soldiers and Indian warriors into Canada. He intended to target French settlements along the Richelieu River, south of Montreal.

Louis-Hector de Callière, the French Governor in the region, responded by assembling a force that included nearly 800 French marines, militia, and Indians at La Prarie, which is on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River.

On August 11, Schuyler launched a surprise attack on La Prarie. Schuyler was forced to retreat when French reinforcements arrived, trapping Schuyler’s men, and forcing them into hand-to-hand combat. After roughly an hour, the English forces were able to push through and escape.

Schuyler decided to abandon further attacks in the region and returned to Albany, New York.

Naval Battle at St. John — September 22

Following the Battle of Port Royal, England believed Acadia was under its control and Edward Tyng was appointed Governor. 

On September 22, an English sailboat carrying Tyng was attacked by a French ship under the command of Joseph Robineau de Villebon, the French Governor of Acadia. The battle takes place in the Bay of Fundy near present-day Saint John, New Brunswick. Both Tyng and the captain of the sailboat, John Nelson, were captured and taken as prisoners.

At the time, Captain John Alden — the son of the Pilgrims John Alden and Priscilla Alden — was himself a prisoner of the French. 

The French decided to offer a prisoner exchange to Massachusetts officials. Alden was sent to Boston to negotiate the exchange. The French offered to return Tyng if the New Englanders released 60 soldiers who had been captured by Phips during the Battle of Port Royal.

While Alden was in Boston, the French held one of his sons, likely John Alden IV, and Tyng at Port Royal. Nelson was also held captive, but he was sent to Quebec.

While he was in prison, Nelson gathered intelligence on the French forces. He was caught and sent to France, where he was held in the Bastille. He returned to his home on Long Island in 1701 and received a hero’s welcome.

Unfortunately, Massachusetts only gave Alden six prisoners to exchange. The French responded by sending his son and Tyng to France. Tyng died there, at La Rochelle. The fate of Alden’s son is unclear.

King William’s War in 1692

The candlemas massacre — january 24.

On January 24, 1692, French forces carried out a raid on York, Maine. It is estimated that 300 settlers were killed or taken as prisoners. This event, known as the “Candlemas Massacre,” was soon followed by an outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Massachusetts, which spread throughout New England.

Mohawk Valley Raid — February

A combined force of French and Indians under the command of Nicolas d’Ailleboust de Manthet attacked three Mohawk villages. These attacks were also part of the Beaver Wars.

All three villages — also known as “castles” — were destroyed, along with their food stores. Survivors of the attacks were taken as prisoners and sent to the “Christian Indian” villages near Montreal.

Major Peter Schuyler assembled a combined force of militia and Iroquois and pursued the French and Indian party. Schuyler caught up to them and a skirmish ensued. Most of the prisoners were released and de Manthet’s party returned to Montreal.

The consequences of the raids on the Mohawk tribe were significant. Not only did they lose their homes and food, but their standing within the Iroquois Confederacy was weakened. The weakness contributed to the 1701 agreement known as the Great Peace, which ended the Beaver Wars.

Economic Hardship in Massachusetts

The failure of the expeditions to capture Quebec took a severe financial toll on Massachusetts. The colony was around £40,000-50,000 in debt and was forced to issue paper money and raise taxes, leading to an economic depression. 

The Salem Witch Trials Begin

Small towns on the frontier suffered. Some towns were abandoned, while others struggled. In some of them, people turned to blaming the Devil for their troubles. This is considered to be one of the causes of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 , which led to the deaths of 20 people who were accused of practicing witchcraft .

Governor William Phips

William Phips was named Governor of Massachusetts in 1692 and arrived in Boston on May 14. Phips carried with him the new Massachusetts Charter of 1689, which made Massachusetts a Royal Colony.

Phips was informed of the situation in Salem and he ordered a special court to be set up to hear the cases. William Stoughton, the Lieutenant Governor, was appointed to oversee the court. Phips then returned to the business of dealing with the French and focused on building Fort William Henry at present-day Bristol, Maine.

Phips returned to Massachusetts on September 29 and found a total of 20 people had been executed due to the trials. Phips replaced the Court of Oyer and Terniner with a new court and cleared eight people of the accusations.

Stoughton Replaces Phips

The moves damaged Phips’ reputation. He was also accused of misconduct by his political enemies. He was recalled to England by the Lords of Trade on July 4, 1694. However, Phips spent most of the summer in Maine, brokering peace with Indians and overseeing the construction of the fort.

As Phips prepared to leave for England in November, he pardoned everyone that had been accused of witchcraft. William Stoughton replaced him as Governor of Massachusetts.

Raid on Wells — June 10–13

French forces attack Wells, but Captain James Converse leads the defense of the town, driving the attackers away.

Battle of Placentia — September 16–21, 1692

English forces attack Fort St. Louis. The battle lasts for five days and the French are able to repel the attack. The English withdraw on the 21st.

Benjamin Church’s Third Expedition into Acadia

Benjamin Church led his third expedition into Acadia, attacking the settlements of the Penobscot Tribe and the Taconock Tribe.

King William’s War in 1693

French attacks on mohawk villages — february 6.

In January, a French expedition departed from Chambly, intending to attack Mohawk villages on the north bank of the Mohawk River, near present-day Amsterdam, New York. The French forces moved into position on February 5 and launched the first attack on February 6. Word was sent to Peter Schuyler in Albany, who called up the militia. He moved out on February 13 and was joined by nearly 300 Mohawks who survived the attacks.

Battle of Wilton — February 17

Schuyler caught up to the French near present-day Wilton, New York. The French took refuge in a nearby fort and Schuyler built his own fort. The French attacked the English fort three times but failed to capture it or force the English to evacuate. 

After several days, both sides were running low on supplies and food. The French abandoned their fort and headed toward Montreal. 

Schuyler pursued them. When he caught up, the French threatened to kill their prisoners if he attacked. The French released around 50 of their prisoners and then climbed onto sheets of ice, which they used to float across Lake George to safety.

Events in 1693 Affecting the War

1693 — New England raided Port Royal again, causing destruction to residences and food stores.

1693 — English forces recaptured Fort Albany, winning the Second Battle of Fort Albany.

King William’s War in 1694

Raid on oyster river — july 18.

For a second time, French forces attacked the English settlement at present-day Durham, New Hampshire, along the Oyster River. The village was destroyed while at least 100 settlers were killed and nearly 30 were taken as prisoners.

Raid on Groton — July 27

After the attack at Oyster River, the French attacked the town of Groton. It is estimated that 20 settlers were killed and around 15 were taken as prisoners.

Capture of York Factory — October 14

Count Frontenac sent Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville to capture York Factory, which surrendered on October 14. The fort was renamed Fort Bourbon but was recaptured by the English roughly 10 months later.

King William’s War in 1695

By all accounts, the war continued in 1695 but was likely nothing more than raids and skirmishes along the frontier of New France and New England. No major battles or incidents appear to have taken place.

King William’s War in 1696

New france fails to capture boston — july.

In July 1696, the French attacked Fort William Henry. The English garrison surrendered without a fight. With the fort under French control, Frontenac assembled an expedition to attack Boston. 15 French ships sailed for Boston but struggled due to storms and bad weather. Most of the ships ran low on provisions and returned to France. A single ship returned to Quebec to inform Frontenac of the failed expedition.

Second Naval Battle off St. John — July 14

In July, a small fleet of English ships was dispatched to the Bay of Fundy, near present-day Saint John, New Brunswick, to intercept a French supply fleet. The French ships were returning from France to Fort Nashwaak.

On July 5, a Wabanaki party, consisting of Mi’kmaq and Maliseet warriors, attacked the English ships. The attack was coordinated by a Jesuit missionary, Father Florentine. Despite suffering casualties, the English ships were able to continue to the Bay of Fundy.

Nine days later, on the 14th, the French fleet sailed into the bay, under heavy fog. When the two fleets finally saw each other, the battle ensued. The French outgunned the English and won the battle. One English ship was captured and another escaped.

Following the battle, the French ships sailed to Penobscot (Castine, ME), gathered reinforcements, and then sailed to Pemaquid (Bristol, ME) to attack the English garrison at Fort William Henry.

Second Siege of Pemaquid — August 14–15, 1696

The French fleet arrived at Pemaquid and laid siege to the English garrison at Fort William Henry. Wabanaki warriors surrounded the fort, trapping the English inside, allowing the French to move cannons from their ships onto land and place them around the fort.

The English surrendered and the commander of the fort, Captain Pasco Chubb, arranged for his garrison to be escorted to Boston and exchanged for French and Indians who were being held there.

Raid on Chigneto — September 20–29

Responding to the Siege of Pemaquid, Benjamin Church led his fourth expedition into Acadia and attacked Chignecto. His forces laid siege to the town of Beaubassin for 9 days.

Siege of Fort Nashwaak — October 18–20

After the Raid on Chigneto, Church sailed to the French capital of Acadia at present-day Fredericton, New Brunswick. He attacked Fort Nashwaak, but French reinforcements arrived, forcing him to end the siege.

Avalon Peninsula Campaign — November 10, 1696–April 19

Following the destruction of Fort William Henry in August, the French fleet carried out attacks along the coast of Newfoundland, known as the Avalon Peninsula Campaign.

King William’s War in 1697

Raid on haverhill — march 15.

French forces attacked Haverhill, Massachusetts. 27 settlers were killed and 13 were taken as prisoners, including Hannah Duston, Mary Neff, and Samuel Lenorson. They escape one night after killing 10 of their captors. Hannah Duston scalped the victims and the three returned to Haverhill. Duston was awarded £50 for each scalp she carried.

Battle of Hudson Bay — September 5

Also known as the Battle of York Factory. English ships from the Hudson’s Bay Company fought with a small French fleet. The French won and recaptured York Factory.

Battle of Damariscotta — September 9

In the last significant battle of King William’s War, English forces led by Captain John March engaged Wabanaki warriors and defeated them.

The Treaty of Ryswick Ends the Nine Years’ War

Peace was achieved between England and France on September 20, 1697. The two nations agreed to the Treaty of Ryswick, which was just one of a series of treaties that ended the war in Europe.

The provisions of the treaty restored the borders of New France and New England to what they were before the war. Unfortunately, it did not address the border issues between Acadia and New England that contributed to King William’s War.

Although the Nine Years’ War was over, and hostilities ended between the English and French, King William’s War continued. Both the English and French continued to have conflicts with the Wabanaki and the Iroquois.

King William’s War in 1698

Raid on andover — march 4.

Wabanaki forces attacked Andover, Massachusetts. Pasco Chubb, who survived the Siege of Pemaquid in 1696, was living in Andover. The Indians tracked him down and killed him, along with his family.

Raid on Hatfield — July 15

Four Indians attacked a group of men and boys working in fields, killing several of them.

King William’s War Ends in 1699

King William’s War continued until January 7, 1699. On that day, Massachusetts and the Wabanaki agreed to restore peace.

The Iroquois continued to fight the French until 1701, when the Great Peace of Montreal was achieved, ending the Beaver Wars. The treaty was signed by representatives of New France, the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, and 35 additional Indian tribes.

The Next French and Indian War

A year later, the English throne passed to Anne, the younger sister of Mary, when King William III died. 

King Louis XIV, declared the son of James I, who was known as “James the Pretender.” to be the rightful King of England. Louis followed by placing his son, Philip of Anjon, on the throne of Spain. This increased the influence of France in Europe, which was opposed by England.

Europe was once again engulfed in war — the War of Spanish Succession — in 1702. As with King William’s War, the fighting spread to North America and is known as Queen Anne’s War.

King William’s War Significance

King William’s War is important to United States history because it was the first war between England and France for control of North America. It involved the Iroquois Confederacy and the Wabanaki Confederacy. It also crossed over with the Beaver Wars, which were fought to control the Fur Trade in North America. Although the outcome of the war was essentially a stalemate, it set the stage for half a century of wars that would be fought between the English, French, and Indians for control of New England, Canada, and the Ohio Country.

Common Questions About King William’s War

King William’s War was a conflict that took place from 1688 to 1698 in North America. It was fought between New England and New France, along with their respective Native American Indian allies. The war had its roots in the struggle for control over the English throne and religious differences between Catholic New France and predominantly Protestant New England, along with a desire to control the Fur Trade in North America.

King William’s War is the North American theater of the larger conflict known as the Nine Years’ War or the War of the League of Augsburg. While the Nine Years’ War encompassed several European countries, King William’s War specifically refers to the battles and hostilities that occurred between New England and New France, along with their Native American allies. The conflicts were interconnected, with King William’s War being an extension of the war in Europe.

King William’s War is considered to be the First French and Indian War. It involved the French and their Native American allies, the Wabanaki Confederacy, fighting against the English colonists and their Native American allies, the Iroquois Confederacy. The French and Indian Wars were a series of extensive conflicts fought between the English, French, and Indians for control of the eastern portion of North America.

King William’s War APUSH Notes and Study Guide

Use the following links and videos to study the Colonial Era and the 13 Original Colonies for the AP US History Exam. Also, be sure to look at our Guide to the AP US History Exam .

King William’s War APUSH Definition

King William’s War was a conflict that took place primarily from 1689 to 1697, between the English colonies in North America and the French colonies, with involvement from Native American Indian Tribes. It was part of the larger struggle between England and France for dominance in the New World. The war was triggered by King William III’s ascension to the English throne and his alignment with the League of Augsburg against France. The conflict witnessed brutal raids, sieges, and territorial disputes, impacting the trajectory of North America. Despite several attempts to negotiate peace, the war concluded with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, reinstating the territorial status quo ante bellum. However, underlying tensions persisted, setting the stage for future conflicts like Queen Anne’s War.

King William’s War Video for APUSH Notes

This video provides an overview of King William’s War.

• Written by Randal Rust