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]
Read part one here. Joanna was the third child of the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Married to the Philip Duke of Burgundy in 1496, she was destined to live out her days in the Low Countries and bear children for the Habsburg dynasty. Joanna’s life changed suddenly [read more]
On 6 November 1479, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon welcomed a new child to their growing family, a little girl named Joanna. Joanna was healthy and beautiful, with strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. As the third child, Joanna was not the heir to either of her parents’ thrones and [read more]
On 3 August 1492, Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus departed on the first of four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean to seek out new lands. For years, Columbus had petitioned the nobles and royals of Europe to gain funding for his ventures, before finally receiving backing from Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II [read more]
Read part one here. Since meeting King Henry IV of France in the early 1590s, Gabrielle d’Estrées had risen through the ranks at court, becoming the King’s official mistress, being named a Duchess, and even earning a place on the King’s council. She was Henry’s romantic partner but also played a very important role in [read more]
By the mid-16th century, the role of the French Royal mistress was well-established at court. Though many disapproved, it came to be expected that the King would take a mistress, and she would hold power, not just over him but over certain factions, and she would elevate her own family to prestigious positions. After the [read more]
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