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    Renaissance Queens
    Renaissance Queens
    Renaissance Queens
    Ebook206 pages2 hours

    Renaissance Queens

    By Laurel A. Rockefeller

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    About this ebook

    Now at last three Legendary Women of World History biographies in a single boxed set volume. Begin your journey through time with Catherine de Valois, the French princess whose courage in the face of her father's mental illness and Henry V's war with France changed history forever. Then follow two of Catherine’s direct descendants, Queen Mary Stuart and Queen Elizabeth Tudor, as they struggle against powerful forces determined to take their lives and their thrones.

    Politics, religion, and romance are on a collision course in these powerful biographies of three of the most legendary women of the Renaissance.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLaurel A. Rockefeller
    Release dateNov 13, 2015
    ISBN9781310143267
    Renaissance Queens
    Author

    Laurel A. Rockefeller

    Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller’s passion for animals comes through in everything she writes. First self-published in 2012 as social science fiction author (the Peers of Beinan series), Laurel has expanded her work into the animal care/guide, history, historical fiction, and biography genres.Find Laurel’s books in digital, paperback, and hardcover in your choice of up to ten languages, including Welsh, Chinese, and Dutch. Audio editions are published in all four available languages for audible: English, French, Spanish, and German.Besides advocating for animals and related environmental causes, Laurel A. Rockefeller is a passionate educator dedicated to improving history literacy worldwide, especially as it relates to women’s accomplishments. In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels, travelling to historic places, and watching classic motion pictures and classic television series.

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      Book preview

      Renaissance Queens - Laurel A. Rockefeller

      Renaissance Queens

      The Legendary Women of World History Series

      By Laurel A. Rockefeller

      SMASHWORDS EDITION

      ©2015 by Laurel A. Rockefeller

      All Rights Reserved.

      Renaissance Queens is a work of narrative history based on events in the lives of Princess Catherine de Valois, Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland, and Queen Elizabeth Tudor constructed using primary and secondary historical sources, commentary, and research.

      Consulted sources appear at the end of this e-book. Interpretation of source material is at the author’s discretion and utilized within the scope of the author’s imagination, including names, events, and historical details.

      Share the love of this book and the Legendary Women of World History Series by kindly reviewing this book on your blog, website, and on major retailer websites. Your review not only offers this author your feedback for improvement of this book series, but helps other people find this book so they can enjoy it as well. Only a few sentences and a few minutes of your time is all it takes to share the love with those who want to enjoy it too.

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Catherine de Valois

      Prologue

      Chapter One: Paris

      Chapter Two: Queen of England

      Chapter Three: True Love

      Epilogue

      Timeline

      Suggested Reading

      Mary Queen of the Scots

      Of Scotland Forgotten

      Chapter One: Paris

      Chapter Two: Return to Scotland

      Chapter Three: Queen Mary Must Remarry

      Chapter Four: Murder in Holyrood

      Chapter Five: Loss of the Throne

      Timeline

      Prayers in Latin and Their Translations

      Suggested Reading

      Queen Elizabeth Tudor: Journey to Gloriana

      Prologue

      Chapter One: Lady Elizabeth

      Chapter Two: Second Person

      Chapter Three: Long Live the Queen

      Chapter Four: Imperilled Queen

      Epilogue

      Timeline

      Songs and Song Lyrics

      Suggested Reading

      About This Series

      Introduction

      I Margaret take thee Edmund to be my lawfully wedded husband, opens the prologue to Catherine de Valois. Margaret Beaufort’s brief marriage to Edmund Tudor, the first born son of Dowager Queen Catherine (de Valois) and her second husband Owain Ap Tudor was truly historic. Before his death in 1456 Edmund gave Margaret a son, Henry Tudor, a boy who like his uncle King Henry VI from Catherine’s first marriage to King Henry V, never met his father.

      In this first Renaissance Queens volume you will meet Queen Catherine and two of her most celebrated descendants: Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland and Queen Elizabeth Tudor of England. Joined more than just by blood, each of these three women are each legends in her own right, daring to live and love as their hearts chose and making decisions that still affect our lives today. As you read each of these biographies, take a moment to consider how different the world would be today if each of these women had lived content to remain the legal property of the powerful men around them. If not for Catherine’s defiant courage in marrying Owain Ap Tudor despite the 1427 act of Parliament forbidding her from remarrying until her son King Henry VI reached the age of majority there would have been no Edmund Tudor to sire King Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. If there had been no Henry VII there would have been no King Henry VIII, no Queen Mary I or Queen Elizabeth I, nor would there have been Queen Mary Stuart. The entire history of Britain would have gone differently, perhaps not achieving union at all.

      And what about the choices of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary Stuart? Had either of them loved differently, would we still be talking about them today?

      Together these three women shaped the world we live in today. They are not alone of course for inside each of us is the potential to do no differently. Yet in a world where too often the lessons of society teach us to hate others or to use others for some sort of personal gain we find inspiration in the stories of these legendary women of world history, lives so courageous that the world truly is a better place because they dared to do what others would not.

      Catherine de Valois

      PROLOGUE

      I Margaret take thee Edmund to be my lawfully wedded husband, vowed Margaret Beaufort in front of the door to the small chapel in Bletsoe Castle in Bedfordshire where she was born and raised as the daughter of the duke of Somerset, John Beaufort and his wife, Margaret Beauchamp .  At just twelve years old, Margaret’s tiny frame complimented that of her Welsh bridegroom, the twenty-three year old Edmund Tudor whose bloodline as a descendent of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Rhys radiated in his dark hair and blue eyes.  The wedding vows taken, their priest opened the big red door into the chapel for the wedding mass.

      As mass finished and as the priest said his final words of blessing, Edmund’s older half-brother, King Henry The Sixth hugged Margaret warmly, Congratulations, Cousin!"

      Margaret bowed deeply, lowering her eyes respectfully, Thank you Your Majesty!

      Henry turned to Edmund, When do you leave for Wales?

      Soon – a week if it pleases Your Majesty.

      Henry motioned for Edmund and Margaret to follow him down a corridor filled with portraits of Margaret’s ancestors, With your permission, I would like to stay here in Bletsoe with you both until you depart.

      Edmund smiled at Margaret, What do you think?

      Still young and somewhat timid in the company of her king and bridegroom, Margaret struggled for a few seconds before answering, It would be an honor, Your Majesty. Fidgeting a little, she raised her eyes to both of them, Is it true you are brothers?

      It is, affirmed the king. After my father died, our mother married Edmund’s father, bearing him three sons before retiring to Bermondsey Abbey.

      You never knew your father, did you, Your Majesty? asked a slightly more confident and emboldened Margaret.

      No, no – he died in France when I was a baby. Strange that after my father won the concession from my grandfather, King Charles VI for me to be crowned king of France that he would continue to war with France.

      Your father was a great man, Your Majesty.

      Henry smiled wistfully, Some say so. Certainly here in England most people believe that he was. He was an able ruler. He established English as the language of government for the first time since King William of Normandy. But my father had a fatal flaw: he loved war and loved killing. What Englishman dares remember his cruelty towards our Welsh cousins? Or remembers how he showed no mercy towards the women and children of Rouen? No doubt his early death was God’s judgment against him – as was our mother’s choice of a Welshman for a husband – against the will of Parliament, I must say.

      Memories flooded Edmund’s mind, Yes – she was quite a woman, our mother.

      Will you tell me the story? asked Margaret.

      King Henry nodded, It has been a while since I last spoke of our mother to anyone. Perhaps it is time, on this happiest of days, to remember her and honor her once more!

      CHAPTER ONE: PARIS

      Catherine knelt in prayer in the chapel royal at the palace of Hôtel Saint Pol, her hand playfully distracting her elder sister, the sixteen year old Isabella praying beside her in front of its grand altar.

      Virgo Dei Génitrix, María, deprecáre Iesum pro me, finished Isabella. Rising she scolded the five year old Catherine, Catherine, you know better than to distract me like that. How can my soul be readied to marry the duke of Orléans if you do not let me pray?

      Must you go?

      The wedding is in only two weeks, Catherine. Of course I must. Besides, I look forward to moving to Orléans. Surely it must be more peaceful than here in Paris.

      I wish I could say you are wrong – but father is worse all the time and mother. Catherine stopped suddenly, unwilling to admit to her sister that she knew about their mother’s love affairs.

      Yes – mother’s reputation for being with men other than father continues to worsen, especially when father is sick.

      Do you think it’s true what they say, Isabella? Do you think demons are behind what he says and does when he gets violent? Are demons why he cannot remember things after he regains control?

      I do not know, Catherine. But I know that we are all afraid to be anywhere near him when he gets like that; mother even gave him a mistress who looks like her for the times when he does not recognize her.

      Catherine pouted, I wish there was something we could do for father.

      Well, I am doing what I can – I’m getting married and leaving Paris, asserted Isabella.

      But you will be leaving me alone! Please do not leave me alone with him! pleaded Catherine.

      With Joan, Michelle, Louis, John, and Charles around, I hardly think you will be alone! reasoned Isabella with a laugh.

      But it’s not the same, begged Catherine.

      Isabella’s gaze softened, I know – but it needs to be. I will be happy with the duke, I promise. And who knows? Maybe the king will grant permission for a nice long visit!

      Catherine fell into her sister’s arms, I hope so!

      Veni veni, Emmanuel captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, nascetur pro te Israel! sang Catherine happily through the halls of Hôtel Saint Pol, much to the delight of her mother as she studied reports on the civil war between the Armagnacs representing house Valois and the Burgundians led by their duke, John the Fearless for control of France. Playfully the eight year old Catherine stuck her head into her mother’s suite, Joyeux Noël, Mama!

      Isabeau held her arms wide invitingly, Joyeux Noël, ma petite! Do you like your new dresses and your books?

      Catherine hugged her mother warmly, I more than like my presents! Merci beaucoup, Mama!

      Queen Isabeau kissed Catherine tenderly, You are very welcome!

      What are you doing, Mama? It’s Christmas!

      Do you know how the Burgundians killed your uncle Louis two years ago?

      Yes. Is it true you used to go to bed with uncle Louis sometimes?

      That’s not a proper question for a princess, Catherine. Why do you ask?

      Because everyone says you did and because I want it to not be true!

      Maybe someday we can talk about that, but I think you are a little young to understand. All I can tell you right now is that I loved your uncle and that your father scares me sometimes when he is sick – just like he scares you!

      Oui, Mama, accepted Catherine. Please tell me we can go celebrate now! What is so important anyway?

      War, ma petite. Our family, the Valois, we are at war with the Duchy of Burgundy off to the east.

      Why?

      Well, sometimes people fight when they disagree. En France we love to grow things and make wine. But in Burgundy, they are more like the English in how they live. Even though it does not make sense, sometimes that is the only reason people need to go to war.

      "So why are you here instead of celebrating, Mama? Isabella would have

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