The National Archives recently opened a new Valentine’s Day online exhibit, showcasing historical love letters through the ages.
The brand-new online exhibit hosts over 500 years of letters that allows readers to explore exciting historical tales.
On the exhibit page, the National Archives writes: “Letters of love, loss and longing - the National Archives latest exhibition. From a queen’s treasonous love letter to the forlorn poetry of a prime minister. Secret stories of heartbreak, passion and disappointment.”
“Convention suggests a love letter should be handwritten, sent from one absent lover to another, a physical token that brings to mind the absent writer’s voice, their touch, their scent.
“But love letters can take different forms. Wills, other state records and letters written to government officials can all be read as expressions of different types of love – including love that has been criminalised, unconsummated or cut short.
“The National Archives holds an untold number of love letters, scattered throughout its collection, in these many different forms. It is impossible to know how many other letters have disappeared, but the letters that have survived offer readers brief glimpses into the hidden worlds and loves of their writers over the past 500 years.”
For those interested in viewing the exhibit, please click here.
