Queen Archives - Page 14 of 19 - History of Royal Women

Beatrice of Luxembourg – The short-lived Queen of Hungary

Friday, 5 February 2016, 13:00 Moniek Bloks 1

Beatrice of Luxembourg was born circa 1305 as the youngest child of Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife, Margaret of Brabant. Not much is known of her youth, but she was betrothed several times. The first betrothal was to Charles, Duke of Calabria, who was the son and heir of King Robert of Naples. [read more]

Queens Regnant – Catherine Cornaro of Cyprus

Monday, 18 January 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 1

Catherine Cornaro was most definitely not born to be a Queen, let alone a Queen regnant. She was born on 25 November 1454 as the daughter of Nobile Huomo Marco Cornaro and Fiorenza Crispo. Her father was a great-grandson of Marco Cornaro, Doge of Venice. The title Doge is derived from the Latin Dux. The Doges of [read more]

Anne Boleyn’s surviving letters

Wednesday, 13 January 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 3

There is a lot we do not know about Anne Boleyn but I was glad to learn that several of Anne’s letters have survived to this day. Letters offer a glimpse into her personality, of which we know very little! Letter from Anne Boleyn to her father whilst in the service of Margaret of Austria [read more]

Queens Regnant – Joan III of Navarre

Monday, 11 January 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 1

Joan was born on 16 November 1528 at Saint-Germain-en-Laye as the daughter of King Henry II of Navarre and Marguerite of Angoulême, who was the sister of Francis I of France. He took over her education as soon as she was two and she was raised in the Chateau de Plessis-Lez-Tour in the Loire Valley. [read more]

Queen Mary I’s first surviving Letter

Tuesday, 5 January 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Mary was a well-educated child, and she could read and write Latin by the time she was nine. It is no surprise, then, that her first surviving letter was originally in Latin. The letter itself is directed at Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, also her godfather. Mary was at Ampthill Castle with her parents during an outbreak [read more]

Catherine of Poděbrady – a life cut short

Wednesday, 16 December 2015, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Catherine of Poděbrady and her twin sister Sidonie were born on 11 November 1449 at Poděbrady to King of Bohemia George and his first wife Kunigunde of Šternberk. Kunigunde died giving birth to her and her sister. Wedding negotiations began for her when she was just nine years old. She married Matthias Corvinus on 1 May 1463 at the [read more]