Katharine of Aragon and the Castilian Grain Crisis

by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Katharine of Aragon spent an agonizing seven years in England waiting for her future to find her. Although it was surely a depressing, demoralizing time, going back to Spain might have been more dangerous for Katharine. Things were not safe and secure as the Iberian peninsula, and particularly the Crown of Castile and León, faced crisis after crisis. One … Continue reading Katharine of Aragon and the Castilian Grain Crisis

Katharine of Aragon’s Spanish Legacy in England

by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Katharine of Aragon left an indelible mark on Tudor England that remains to present time. We are still talking about her. Katharine’s life and the struggle she faced impacted her tremendously, and left a huge impression on her daughter Mary. This very evident when looking at who Mary I, England’s first queen regnant, chose as a husband and the … Continue reading Katharine of Aragon’s Spanish Legacy in England

Urraca the Reckless: Katharine of Aragon’s Ancestress

by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Thank you for joining me on the first stop of my blog tour celebrating the release of Katharine of Aragon, Spanish Princess: ‘I am not as Simple as I may Seem’! When thinking of from whom Katharine of Aragon inherited her courage and her moxy, one’s mind instantly goes to Katharine’s mother, Isabella of Castile and Leon. While it … Continue reading Urraca the Reckless: Katharine of Aragon’s Ancestress

Guest Post: Anne Boleyn’s Taste in Music

by Sylvia Barbara Soberton Sylvia is stopping by today in celebration of her new book, The Forgotten Years of Anne Boleyn: The Habsburg and Valois Courts. Enjoy the excerpt below. Click on the book cover image at the bottom of this post to order Sylvia’s book. –Heather Anne Boleyn’s taste in music Anne Boleyn spent her formative years between 1514 and 1521 at the French … Continue reading Guest Post: Anne Boleyn’s Taste in Music

The False Anna of Cleves

by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Anna of Cleves died in July 1557, having reached her forty-second birthday weeks before. Curiously, in 1558, a woman who possessed Anna’s signet ring showed up at the court of Anna’s nephew, John Frederick the Middle. She had an interesting story for the young man, Who was this woman? Was she an illegitimate half-sister of Anna’s, or a cousin? … Continue reading The False Anna of Cleves

Anne of Celje, Second Queen of Wladyslaw II Jagiello of Poland

by Heather R. Darsie, JD Anne of Celje did not have an enjoyable life. True, it was likely better than her lower-class peers, but Anne’s life seemed to be an after thought. She was born in 1386 as the only child of Count William of Celje and Anna of Poland. Anna of Poland’s cousin was Jadwiga of Poland‘s father. Anna was the youngest child of … Continue reading Anne of Celje, Second Queen of Wladyslaw II Jagiello of Poland

Lady Jadwiga of Poland: King and Saint

by Heather R. Darsie, JD Jadwiga was born to King Louis I of Hungary and Poland, known as Louis the Great, and his wife Elizabeth of Bosnia sometime in 1373 or 1374. Elizabeth married King Louis in the Hungarian city of Buda in 1353. Elizabeth was Louis’s second wife. His first wife, Margaret of Bohemia, was a mere seven years old when she married sixteen-year-old … Continue reading Lady Jadwiga of Poland: King and Saint

Elisabeth von Habsburg, Queen Consort of Poland and Grand Duchess Consort of Lithuania

by Heather R. Darsie, J.D. Elisabeth von Habsburg was born between 1436 and 1439 to the Austrian Archduke Albert II of Germany and his wife Elizabeth of Luxembourg. Elisabeth’s early life saw great struggle between her father, who was crowned King of Bohemia and Hungary in 1537, and the Polish prince Casimir IV Jagiellon. The Polish wished for a marriage between one of Albert II’s … Continue reading Elisabeth von Habsburg, Queen Consort of Poland and Grand Duchess Consort of Lithuania