Joanna of Castile

The Year of Isabella I of Castile – Joanna of Castile, Under Lock and Key (Part three)

Read part two here. Joanna’s husband and father conspired to keep her from public view, and Philip planned to rule over Joanna’s Kingdom of Castile himself. People were led to believe that Joanna was mentally ill and could not govern. Things took a shocking turn when Philip died suddenly, leaving Joanna pregnant and widowed but [read more]

Eugénie de Montijo

Empress Eugenie’s Pearl Tiara

Empress Eugenie’s Pearl Tiara was a gift to Empress Eugenie from her future husband, Emperor Napoleon III. It was made by Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier with stones that used to belong to Empress Marie Louise, the wife of Emperor Napoleon I, and Marie Thérèse, Duchess of Angoulême, the only surviving child of King Louis XVI and Queen [read more]