TWELVE TIPS FOR WRITING ABOUT LADY JANE GREY

Penman

This may be one of the funniest blogs I’ve run yet, an interview with my fellow writer, Susan Higginbotham.  Full disclosure—Susan is a Lancastrian at heart (or at least a non-Ricardian) but a nice person for all that!   She is the author of a number of well researched and well written historical novels, including The Queen of Last Hopes, The Stolen Crown, and The Traitor’s Wife.  Her newest is Her Highness the Traitor, about one of history’s more intriguing and tragic figures, Jane Grey, the nine days queen, who would go to the block in her seventeenth year.  I was delighted to learn that Susan was writing about Jane, who definitely deserves some time on center stage.    I asked her to stop by for an interview or guest blog.   She has responded with Twelve Tips for Writing About Lady Jane Grey.  Warning:   Do not read this blog while you are drinking any sort of liquid, for you are likely to half-strangle yourselves when you start to laugh.   When you are done laughing, you will want to buy Her Highness the Traitor, which is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format and I am sure it is available as a Nook, too.    So….here is my guest for the day, Susan Higginbotham.

Twelve Tips for Writing about Lady Jane Grey

Thanks to Sharon for hosting my guest post! Having just published a novel, Her Highness, the Traitor, that includes Jane Grey as a major character, I thought I would share some time-saving tips for other authors who might be writing about this time period. Just follow these 12 handy steps, and you won’t have to do a lick of research!

1. Frances Grey, Jane’s mother, must always be portrayed as grossly obese. The fact that the portrait that this depiction is based upon is not actually of Frances is entirely immaterial. Helpful Hint: Have Frances gnaw on a big turkey leg to underscore your point.

2. Jane Grey must be whipped by her parents at least twice in your novel: once before her wedding day and once before that as a warm-up whipping. The truly dedicated novelist will even allow the Greys to whip their daughter after she becomes queen, just to remind the reader who’s boss. (Be sure to dwell in loving detail on the welts caused by the lashing.)

3. Guildford Dudley can be either effeminate or brutish, depending on your preference. (The experienced novelist can make him both effeminate and brutish, but this isn’t recommended for beginners.) Whether you’ve made him effeminate or brutish, however, Guildford must behave like a sniveling weakling on his way to the scaffold. Bonus: If you ever write about the Wars of the Roses, Guildford’s character can be recycled for use as Edward of Lancaster’s. All you need to do is change the names and costumes.

4. Mary, Jane’s supposedly dwarfish sister, must be hidden away by her parents, who will refer to her at every convenient occasion in the novel as a freak or a monster, preferably to Mary’s face. Ignore the temptation to Google, which will bring you to records showing that Mary Grey accompanied her family on social visits, including one to Princess Mary. Google is your enemy here.

5. Adrian Stokes, Frances Grey’s second husband, must be half Frances’s age. The fact that there is a source showing his precise date of birth, making him only two years younger than Frances, must be studiously ignored. Don’t worry: ignoring the records about Mary Grey will have given you ample practice in doing this. Susan’s Special Tip: Have Frances sleep with Adrian during her marriage to Henry Grey, as well as with the odd stable boy or two. Susan’s Even More Special Tip: Have Henry Grey sleep with Adrian as well, as well as with the odd stable boy or two.

6. Speaking of Frances Grey, it is well known that Frances was the only person in Tudor England, or indeed in England before the twentieth century, to hunt for sport. If Frances isn’t committing Bambi-cide within ten pages of the opening of your novel, while Jane and the local chapter of PETA look on in horror, you need to do a rewrite.

7. While it is important to make Jane’s parents uncaring, brutal, and stupid, the novelist should not go overboard and make them downright evil, because true evilness must be held in reserve for the Duke of Northumberland. If the reader doesn’t come away thinking that “evil Northumberland” is a tautology, you have failed utterly as a writer and need to beg to have your day job back.

8. Edward VI must be sickly from birth; however, he must not die a natural death, but must be poisoned at the hands of Northumberland (who must be, remember, evil). Don’t forget to have Northumberland switch the king’s body with that of a murdered nobody; omitting this detail is the sort of carelessness that can trip up an unwary novelist.

9. Jane must be meek, mild, and terrified of her elders. Ignore the letter written by Jane to Thomas Harding in which she denounces the poor man as the “deformed imp of the devil” and the “stinking and filthy kennel of Satan.” Jane was probably just having a bad day.

10. Jane’s dreadful parents must be bitterly resentful of her scholarship and must attempt to drag her away from her books at every possible juncture. Disregard the fact that Jane’s father was a patron of scholars, and by all means don’t complicate things by making the reader wonder why, if Jane’s parents hated their daughter’s learning so much, they simply didn’t dismiss her tutors and confiscate her books. Historical fiction should not be complicated.

11. Mary I can be allowed some strength of character just long enough to fight the (evil, don’t forget) Northumberland for her throne. Immediately afterward, however, she must turn into a pathetic, lovesick drip, who sends Jane to her death solely to guarantee her marriage to Philip of Spain. (Who can be evil too. But not as evil as Northumberland.)

12. Finally, the “P” words—“puppet” and “pawn”—are vital when writing about Jane Grey. Using just one is the mark of the amateur; the astute novelist will use them both. If you can use them both in the same sentence, why are you reading this list?

Susan, I thank you, my readers thank you, and I am sure that, wherever she is, Jane Grey thanks you, too.

June 12, 2012

114 thoughts on “TWELVE TIPS FOR WRITING ABOUT LADY JANE GREY”

  1. Oh, Susan, this is brilliant! Thank you so much for writing it, and for having an interview with Sharon. I have always loved Jane, and it’s good to see there are authors out there who care to portray her properly.
    Nothing truly of note that is connected to Sharon’s books happened today, but it was the second day of the Battle of Jargeau, which ended with English defeat and the surrender of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk. Joan of Arc led the assault against the town, surviving a stone projectile splitting on her helmet as she climbed a scaling ladder.

  2. Susan, I had no idea it was so simple! Thank you! I think I’ll whip up a Jane Grey story this afternoon, maybe submit it to the HNS contest coming up soon. You’ll certainly be mentioned in the acknowledgments!

  4. Goody, goody, Her Highness, the Traitor will be my cottage reading in Aug–along with the images of Helena Bonham Carter & Cary Elwes. I have no idea how much licence was taken in the film or if it was botched completely—Helena is probably my favorite actor & the main reason I got hooked on the story. But now that I’ve (fairly recently) made my foray into this world through historical novels, am looking forward to the “real mccoy”.

  6. Thanks to both Sharon and Susan, two of my favorite authors. I am looking forward to this book, although I always hate to read about Jane Grey being executed. I have always felt bad about Jane’s execution. I would love a scene where Jane and Elizabeth meet as children, perhaps while living with Katherine Parr. I also love the part about Guildford Dudley being interchangeable with Edward of Lancaster. Edward always comes across badly, probably because someone is writing about Anne Neville and her love for Richard Gloucester. I actually asked Helen Maurer about him during our Skype session with her last week. This is part of our group reading Queen of Lost Hopes and Queen by Right. Looking forward to Skyping with you, Susan. Sharon-If we read one of your books, will you Skype with us.
    PS Re: Frances Grey being obese; she was a first cousin of Henry VIII.

  7. Thanks, all! (And thanks again to Sharon for hosting me.) Ann–Frances was Henry’s niece. There is no evidence that she was obese, as the portrait of a stout lady that used to be identified as one of her is actually a portrait of Mary Neville, Lady Dacre. The effigy on Frances’s tomb–the only certain depiction of her–shows a slender, attractive woman. There’s no written description of her physical appearance that I know of.

  8. What a great blog from Susan! I’ll be sure to read “Her Highness the Traitor” as a true introduction to Jane Grey. I’ve only read about her in one other book and I’m sure I noted at least 1 or 2 of Susan’s steps. 😉

  9. Anne,
    I did Skype last year with my Australian Facebook fan club, but since I didn’t use it after that, my Skype number lapsed. But I will renew it if you select one of my books.

  10. LOVED this. I’m sure you realize however that if you continue to share such brilliant and time-saving tips, you risk a bunch of us quitting our day jobs to encroach into the best-selling historical fiction writers’ club. And I think it is particularly heartwarming to see a Ricardian and Lancastrian have such affection for one another — there is reason for hope in this world. Thank you both.

  11. We’re glad you enjoyed it, Deb.
    Here is today’s Facebook Note.
    My friend John sent me this stunning video of Trifels Castle in Germany. It looks magical, but although it was a royal palace and one of Frederick Barbarossa’s favorite residences, it was also a state prison, where the most dangerous enemies of the empire were confined, so there was a lot of suffering behind those red sandstone walls. Richard passed several very uncomfortable weeks here in April of 1193, where he was, in his own words, “loaded down with so many chains that a horse or mule would have struggled to move.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?

  14. Great post! I loved It!
    Speaking of the Tudors, I was recently in Vienna, where the portrait everyone identifies as a young Catherine of Aragon hangs. Imagine my surprise when I read the museum’s write-up and learned that the consensus is that it is not, in fact, of Catherine at all, but rather of Henry’s sister Mary Tudor. As they say, never let the facts get in the way. . . .
    History is wonderful.

  15. The tips considering Jane- great fun, truly! I think I will read Lady Jane Grey. Nine Days Queen by Alison Plowden at last. The poor thing, utterly forgotten, has been left on my bookshelf since time immemorial. BTW, is this very biography worth reading? I asked Sharon once but she did not read it. Maybe, the Tudorians could help?:-)
    As for the Angevins, on this day, in 1170, Henry II had his son Henry crowned king of England at Westminster, with Roger, Archbishop of York performing the act. I am sure that Sharon is going to mention the consequences of Henry’s decision.

  16. As Kasia mentioned, Hal became Henry the Young King today. In addition. the Battle of Naseby took place, where Charles I was defeated by the Parliamentarian forces under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Olvier Cromwell, rather than retreating as would have been wiser.

  17. Thanks Kasia! In answer to your question, the Plowden biography is pretty dated by now, although it’s better than the biographies by Hester Chapman or Mary Luke, which are heavily fictionalized. I’d try Eric Ives’ Lady Jane Grey or Leanda de Lisle’s The Sisters Who Would Be Queen.

  18. Today’s Facebook Note.
    The political wave known as the Peasants Revolt crested on June 14, 1381. When they approached London, the young king Richard II rode out alone to meet with their leader, Wat Tyler, a chronicler reporting that his knights were afraid to accompany him. While he was meeting with them, some of the rebels got into London and killed the Archbishop of Canterbury. Richard agreed to meet with them again the next day at Smithfield. An altercation broke out and the Lord Mayor of London struck and killed the rebel chief, Tyler. Richard then showed remarkable presence of mind, galloping toward the rebels and crying out, “I am your leader, follow me!” Many did and he led them away from the mayor and Tyler’s body, probably preventing a bloodbath. The London militia arrived to disperse the rebels, and Richard promised them charters of freedom. The promises were not kept, though, and some historians believe that Wat Tyler was lured into a trap. It is hard to assess Richard’s role in this, given his youth. There is no doubt that he displayed considerable courage and coolness under fire, But how sad that the best moment of a man’s life should occur at age fourteen, with it all being downhill from there.
    And on June 14, 1497, Juan Borgia, Duke of Gandia and son of Pope Alexander VI (who will always be Jeremy Irons to those of us who watch The Borgias on Showtime) was murdered. It has often been suggested that the killer was his brother Cesare, who’d been made a cardinal by his doting father even though he was spectacularly unsuited for a career in the Church. Reading about the antics of the Borgias—supposedly both Juan and Cesare were bedding the wife of their younger brother Gioffre—is to conclude that they made the dysfunctional Angevins seem as wholesome as the Waltons.

  19. Today’s Facebook Note
    On June 15, 1215, King John was compelled to sign the Magna Carta. Several of the provisions were inserted at the insistence of our favorite Welsh prince, Llywelyn Fawr. John, of course, disavowed it as soon as he could, as did subsequent kings, but they were struggling against the tide. The Provisions of Oxford, of such importance to Simon de Montfort and his partisans, was another step toward the goal of holding kings accountable for their actions.
    On June 15, 1330, the Black Prince was born. Another interesting What If, of course, is to speculate what sort of king he would have been had he lived.
    And on June 15, 1381, the leader of the Peasants Revolt, Wat Tyler, was slain by the mayor of London. I haven’t researched it, but I think we can safely say that he is the only Lord Major of the city to be guilty of murder.
    Lastly, on June 15, 1519, Henry VIII’s illegitimate son and namesake, the Duke of Richmond, was born. I’ve given up trying to keep the Tudors out of Plantagenet Nation; they just sneak across the border when my back is turned.

  20. Indeed, Sharon. For some reason I could not access your blog until recently, so you have beaten me; but I will add that Philip III ‘the Good’, Duke of Burgundy and father to Charles ‘The Bold’ who married Margaret of York died today, making Charles Duke of Burgundy. And while unconnected, the Battle of Kosovo took place, ending inconclusively, but inflicting terrible losses on both Serbs and Ottomans who also lost their leaders, Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and Sultan Murad I.

  21. Sharon, remember when you once wrote that all three Richard, Geoffrey and even John had their “fun clubs”, and it would be only fair that Hal had someone to speak up for him, too? It was in February, as far as I can recall. I took your words very seriously 🙂 and thought ‘Why not? Why not do something for Hal?’
    I started writing but it was all interrupted by my family problems. Fortunately, I managed to write a lot before I was forced to abandon the whole project. But as the anniversary of Hal’s death was approaching and the things in my private life were slowly returning to normality, I started reconsidering the idea. I was torn since there was not much time left. I would not have decided to do it had it not been Emilie Laforge’s kind words about my research considering Hal ( thanks to you, Emilie, I almost started believing that in this life nothing happens by chance:-)).
    I mustered up enough courage and asked my friend, a computer geek for help.
    I was late for Hal’s death anniversary. Let it be his “coronation” gift, then. Thank you Sharon for letting me post the link. It’s all much more modest than I had initially planned but I am going to work on it:-)
    http://www.henrytheyoungking.com/

  23. Sharon, my comment has been “swallowed”, too. I cannot write at the moment, but I am going to try tomorrow.

  24. Actually, I can see what I have written but the inscription reads: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
    Koby did you encounter the simillar problem while writing or is it just my old computer’s bad mood?

  25. I will zip over now and approve it, Kasia. Don’t take it personally–some of my own comments get held up awaiting moderation, too! Often including a link will trigger it, but otherwise the spam filter follows its own odd internal rhythm.

  26. Kasia, I just approved your comment above; the link likely triggered it. There were no other posts of yours in quarantine; this was the only one, right? None of Koby’s, either.
    I am looking forward to reading your thoughts on the young king, Kasia.

  27. Thank you, Sharon. I just think that maybe a might-have-been poet (it’s me) can do something for the might-have-been king, or at least can try.
    Speaking of poets, on 16 June 1898, a monument of our greatest national poet, Adam Mickiewicz, was unvailed, in the presence of his daughter and son, at the Main Market Square in Kraków (Cracow). I am perfectly aware that it has nothing to do with MA, but Adam Mickiewicz, alongside with Juliusz Słowacki, and Cyprian Kamil Norwid, have been for us, the Polish, as Byron, Shelley and Keats for the English.
    The monument has always been a favourite meeting place at the Market Square, and every time we visit Kraków, our children eat ice-cream and make new friends at the feet of our greatest poet:-)

  28. I’d love to know a little more about Adam Miciewicz when you get a chance, Kasia.
    Today’s Facebook note. Koby, the fact that I beat you again makes me worry that you are still having trouble accessing this page?
    On June 16th, 1487 was fought what some historians call the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. It was a bloody encounter, lasting over three hours, and when it was over, Henry Tudor was victorious and Richard III’s nephew, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, lay dead on the field. Lambert Simnel, who was claiming to be the young Earl of Warwick, was spared and put to work in the royal kitchens. When I wrote Sunne, it was believed that Francis Lovell was never seen alive after the battle and I accepted the view that he likely drowned trying to cross the River Trent. But evidence has surfaced in the three decades since Sunne’s publication to show Francis was able to reach Scotland, although his subsequent fate is not known. This is one of the many reasons why I find history so fascinating. I like to think of it as tidal, sweeping in and out and sometimes leaving new and tantalizing facts exposed on the wet sand.. One of these days I mean to do a blog about information that has come to light since the publication of my earlier novels, some of it quite surprising.
    This next item is not in the least medieval, not even Tudorite. But we recently were discussing Charles II, so it seems appropriate to mention that on June 16, 1644, his beloved sister Henrietta Anne, was born in France; her mother, the queen of Charles I, had taken refuge there after her husband’s reign had gone horribly wrong. She was said to be lovely and very charming, but her life was not a happy one. She was wed to Philippe, the younger brother of Louis XIV, the Sun King, in what proved to be a miserable marriage. Her husband openly took male lovers, but was insanely jealous of Henrietta, who was rumored to have had an affair with his own lover, the handsome bisexual Comte of Guise. Henrietta was not well treated and her health declined. She died in 1670 at only age 26, convinced she had been poisoned. This was a belief widely held at the French court, too, but today historians tend to think her death was due to peritonitis. According to Wikipedia, her two daughters both died at age 26, too, and her elder daughter was also believed to have been poisoned. I think we can add Henrietta’s story to those of so many medieval women of high birth who did not find in their royal marriages the happy ending that Cinderella found in hers.

  29. Sharon, I’ll try to write more about Adam Mickiewicz tomorrow, or on Monday. For the time being, I am so happy to learn that Francis actually survived the Battle. That’s a good news! I’ve become quite attached to him in the course of reading the Sunne. And I cannot agree more, the most fascinating thing about history is that there’s still so much to uncover. My little private research concerning Hal is the most exhilarating thing that has ever happened to me.

  30. No no, Sharon. Everything was fine today (I assume). But I never post in the morning on Saturdays, only in the evening/night; Saturday is our Sabbath, and I take such things quite seriously. I will add that Mary Queen of Scots recognized Philip II of Spain as her heir today, not that it did her much good.

  31. Kasia, I read your link & enjoyed it very much. I noticed that illuminated manuscripts are an interest of yours. Are you also skilled in writing script? I became fascinated with the manuscripts (from documentaries)—their beauty really appeals to me, not to mention their significance & how some are so well preserved. I’ve now taken up calligraphy & intend to pursue medieval script. I’m more “artisan” than “artist” & one of a dying breed who still loves “handwriting” personal letters. My pen is compelled to add flourishes but embarassment stops me, so what am I waiting for? A letter composed in medieval script seems to be the answer—-I mean, who would chide me for that?!? I’m thinking you may have some beautiful books to recommend—not for learning, but for enjoying. And what a great metaphor, Sharon. History as tidal! Any wonder I got hooked immediately on your rich & gorgeous writing!

  32. And today, Edward I ‘Longshanks’, the Hammer of the Scots was born, and the Night Attack of Targoviste took place, where Vlad III ‘The Impaler’, attacked the camp of the far greater army of Sultan Mehmed II in an attempt to kill him, forcing him to retreat from Wallachia.

  33. As for Polish history, two great kings died on this day, namely Bolesław I Chrobry (Bolesław I the Brave) in 1025, the first king of Poland, and in 1696, Jan III Sobieski, called by the Turks “Lion of Lechistan”, whose victory over the forces of the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Viena in saved Europe

  34. Sorry, I missed the date of the Battle of Viena. This decesive victory of European forces under King Jan III Sobieski took place in 1683 and won our ruler the title of the saviour of European Christendom.
    And we cannot forget about Empress Maud, the unhappy bride, who, on this day, in 1128, in Le Mans, was watching her fourteen-year-old bridegroom with superiority and contempt that was to survive their marriage:-)

  35. Joan, thank you for your kind words. I do find illuminated manuscripts the most beautiful works of art. As for the books you’ve asked about. There’s a saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” which, as it happens, I usually tend to do. Beautiful books are something I cannot resist. Sometimes I don’t even read them. I just have to have them with me, at home, which makes me perfectly happy:-)
    Here are my recommendations:
    The Medieval Flower Book by Celia Fisher
    Flowers in Medieval Manuscripts by the same author
    The Hastings Hours by Janet Backhouse
    Courtly love in Medieval Manuscripts by Pamela Porter
    The World of Luttrel Psalter by Michelle P.Brown
    Paint Your Own Illuminated Letters by Stefan Oliver
    You will find much more on the Amazon. Just type in one of the above-mentioned titles, and simillar books should appear, too. And Joan if you are keen to learn more on the subject, this is a must-watch:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wl7gPDAelY
    I wish you all a beautiful Sunday!

  36. Sharon, there’s a post of mine with a link for Joan (and for you all, if you only find it interesting :-)) awaiting moderation. Could you check it? Thank you:-)

  37. Glad to do it, Kasia. A very interesting post; thanks for sharing.
    Today’s Facebook Note.
    On June 17th, the future Edward I was born. (Why do I think I ought to duck after saying this?)
    And this is not medieval, but well worth mentioning. On June 17, 1631, the Mughal empress Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to her fourteenth child—yes, fourteen, only seven of whom survived to adulthood. Her husband, the Mughal emperor Sha Jahan , was devastated by her death and spent the next seventeen years building a mausoleum for her, what we know today as the incomparably beautiful Taj Mahal. Even Llywelyn Fawr’s friary established in Joanna’s memory or Edward I’s Eleanor crosses cannot compete with that.
    Lastly, June 17, 1775 was the battle of Bunker Hill, which was won by the British, but at great cost.

  38. Kasia, thank you for the recommendations—I’m going to look into it. I also love the covers of books & think they’re outstanding today. I’m glad you included the site for everyone to enjoy—I have all 6 of the series bookmarked & they’re all fantastic, esp fun when presented by someone who still gets so excited about her life’s work. Part 2 has a bit on the making of vellum by a parchmenter—lots of fun—with an Anglo-Saxon riddle included! There’s also an amazing BBC docu by Michael Wood (does anyone do it better than Michael?)—“Christina: A Medieval Life” This one gives me goosebumps.

  39. Joan, I absolutely love the making of vellum process and the riddle too. And I do agree that Dr. Ramirez’s attitude and her lively involvement makes the whole series even more enjoyable.
    Sharon, as far as I can recall, the first episode opens with The Life of Julius Cesear comissioned by Edward IV. You simply have to see Dr. Ramirez’s excitement due to the fact that she can hold the same book that the King held in his own hands:-)
    I know Michael Wood (he is wonderful, utterly devoted to his passion) from another BBC series, namely “In Search of Shakespeare” and I think I’ve spotted “Christina” somewhere on YouTube, as well. I will definitely try this one, too. If only I find enough time to do it, of course.
    And Joan, I’m not so keen on calligraphy. I’m rather more interested in illuminations themselves (I’m an amateur painter myself) and in the story involved in the creating of a given book.
    Sharon, thank you again for the good news concerning Francis’s fate after the Battle of Stoke:-)

  40. I’m very fond of Lady Jane Grey, and, in the unlikely event I ever write a novel about her, I shall try to avoid these helpful tips as much as possible!
    Jane Grey certainly was not a woman to mince words. Her snarky comment about Catholic genuflection to the Host (“did not the baker make him?”) alienated Mary Tudor permanently.

  41. Sharon, I have come acroos the information that on this day in 1137, Prince Louis of France (future Louis VII), accompanied by Count Theobald of Champagne, Count Raoul of Vermandois and the man unofficially in charge, Abbot Suger, set off from Paris to marry his young bride, Eleanor at Bordeaux. My source is Eleanor of Aquitaine by Marion Meade, whereas the author’s source was Geoffrey of Vigeois.
    I am most grateful to Prior Geoffrey for his account of Hal’s last days and the aftermath of his passing. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a direct access to his Chronicon, thus I know it only through secondary sources. Is it available in the online version?

  42. Malcolm, how are you? Did you get my e-mail on Saturday? I just want to make sure, bearing in mind all the problems we have encountered in our “correspondency” before.

  43. And today, the French under Joan of Arc defeated the English under Sir John Fastolf and John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury in the Battle of Patay, successfully ending the Loire Campaign and marking the final turning point in the Hundred Years War.

  44. Kasia, to my knowledge, it is not on-line, and I am sure it has never been translated, unfortunately. Can you read medieval Latin? Think carefully before you answer, for if you can, I will be tormenting you night and day with requests to translate a fragment here, a paragraph there! I took a year of Latin at our local college some years ago, but I hated the declensions so much and classical Latin is so different from medieval Latin that I never followed it up.
    Today’s Facebook Note.
    On June 18, 1155, Frederick Barbarossa, father of Richard’s nemesis, Heinrich, was crowned Holy Roman emperor by Pope Adrian IV, who is the only Englishman to occupy the papal throne. Frederick is considered one of the great rulers of the Middle Ages, and it is intriguing to speculate how the Third Crusade may have gone had he not drowned on his way to the Holy Land.
    On June 18, 1429, Joan of Arc led the French in a decisive victory over the English at the battle of Patay, a triumph that helped to turn the tide in the One Hundred Years’ War.
    Lastly, on June 18, 1942, Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool, England. So today is his 70th birthday. Hope it is a good one, Sir Paul.

  45. No such luck, Kasia. I have not received a message from you recently. Perhaps those computer demons are at it again. Sharon, I remember, back in the late ’60s, after “When I’m 64,” thinking about the day Paul would celebrate that birthday. Now he is six years past it. On my 64th birthday, Allys instructed our sons to play Paul’s song for me.

  46. Yes, Malcolm I know. Yesterday, in the evening, I received an e-mail from Deamon Mailer that there’s some problem on the addressee’s side and my message cannot be delivered. I will try again as soon as I find some time (this very e-mail was a longish one:-)).
    For the time being, on this day in 1177, at Paris, Marguerite gave birth to her and Henry the Young King’s only child, William. The boy arrived before he was due and died shortly after. Some sources claim he lived three days, the others that he was stillborn.
    After Hal’s death Marguerite was married to Bela III, king of Hungary. She had no children by him.
    As for little William, there’s a poignant scene in The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick describing his arrival in this world and his quiet passing.

  47. Sharon, unfortunately- or rather fortunately after what you have written- I cannot read medieval Latin:-)
    My Latin adventure ended in the simillar manner as yours, that is very quickly. And, as far as I can recall, the declensions had something to do with my escape as well:-)
    P.S. I have come across an interesting book, entitled The realm of St Stephen: Medieval Hungary. Maybe I will be able to learn more about Marguerite’s second husband and Marguerite herself from it. As you once wrote, that’s utterly unforgivable how neglected Hal’s queen has been by the historians.

  48. And today, Louis IX of France ordered all Jews found in public without an identifying yellow badge to be fined ten livres of silver, Aymer de Valence defeated Robert the Bruce in the Battle of Methven leading to a change in Robert’s tactics, James I of England and VI of Scotland was born, and Eleanor de Montfort, Llewellyn the Last’s wife died in childbirth

  50. Today’s Facebook Note.
    June 19th is not a happy date in medieval history. In 1269, the French king Louis IX ordered that all Jews in France who were caught not wearing a yellow badge to distinguish them from Christians were to be fined ten silver livres. Here is a very depressing story which illustrates all too clearly Louis’s attitude toward the Jews. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/1270-jews-stlouis.asp Louis would later be canonized by the Catholic Church.
    And on June 19, 1312, Piers Gaveston was executed. It has long been supposed that he and Edward II were lovers, but that is no longer accepted without question, and some historians believe that Edward’s attachment to Piers was emotional, not physical. I am not knowledgeable enough about Edward’s reign to venture an opinion either way. But maybe our resident Edwardian expert, Kathryn Warner, may see this and let us know what she thinks.
    But for myself and my readers, June 19, 1282 is the most significant and tragic date, for this is when Eleanor de Montfort, wife of the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, died after giving birth to a baby daughter, Gwenllian. This was one of the most difficult scenes I’ve ever had to write.
    The Reckoning, p. 485
    The chamber was deep in shadows. Llywelyn was alone with his wife, sitting very still in a chair by the bed. He did not look up as they entered, not until Elizabeth said his name. He showed no surprise at sight of Davydd, showed no emotion at all. Davydd stepped forward, still not knowing what he would say. “Llywelyn….” He stopped, started again. “I’m sorry. Christ, but I’m so sorry….How does she?”
    Llywelyn was holding Ellen’s hand in his, staring down at the jeweled wedding band, the ring she’d called her talisman, her luck. Just when Davydd had decided he was not going to answer, he said tonelessly, “She is dead.”

  51. My thoughts have also been with Eleanor, Llywelyn, & Gwenllian today. The scene of her death was also one of the most difficult to read.

  52. Just a quick note as I’ve been absent from my usual haunts of late (nothing serious, just diverted). Loved these tips, Susan. I’m sure you follow your own advise. :P–NOT!

  53. A Francis Lovel aside: my favorite apocryphal legend about what happened to Lovel after Stoke was that he escaped to Minster Lovel and got trapped in an underground storage chamber and starved to death. Not that I would wish starvation on anyone, but this legend is too delicious to let molder, so I won’t. Not to worry, no one starves, but I do use the set-up and the supposed finding of a disintegrated skeleton in said chamber.

  54. Today is the Summer Solstice (or Winter for those in the Southern Hemisphere). The Battle of Chalons took place today, which ended in a stalemate that proved to be a strategic victory for the Romans and Visigoths vs. the Huns.

  55. Today’s non-historial Facebook Note.
    Well, it seems that June 20th was a slow news day in the medieval world. So I will have to make do by telling tales on Tristan. He had an eventful week. First he killed a baby possum in my back yard. I did not see the actual kill, but it must have been very quick, for the little creature did not have time to play the famous dying-possum card. For those of you who’ve never seen a possum “die,” it is very dramatic, as I found out the time my elkhound Kristin proudly brought a dead baby possum into the house to show me. I turned away to get a dust pan to collect the poor little thing, only to see him miraculously resurrected. One minute he was lying motionless on the carpet, the next he was streaking for my couch. Since it weighs about two tons, I knew that if he ever got under there, I’d never get him out. So I dived for him and just as he reached the couch, I caught his tail. He promptly “died” again, with enough artistry to interest Hollywood. My poodle Caitlin, who did not like blood sports, accompanied me across the street into the woods, where we released this budding Brando of the possum world.
    I was not happy about Tristan’s trophy kill, but we cannot blame cats and dogs for acting like…well, like cats and dogs. And he more than redeemed himself a few days later when we had an unsettling encounter with a kamikaze pug. Actually, I am not sure of the dog’s breed, only that he was small, the size of a cat, and had a definite death wish. I was walking Tristan when this yappy little critter came flying across the street right toward us, ignoring his teenage master’s yells to stop. Now it was bad enough that he was running at a dog ten times his size, barking like a fiend. But then he turned into a rabid wolf, and actually tried to attack Tristan. It probably only lasted seconds, though it felt like five years, for at any moment, I was expecting Tristan to take the little monster’s head off. Finally the boy arrived and grabbed him, and I realized that Tristan had displayed the patience of a saint, for the nasty little beast did not have so much as a scratch. I was very impressed with Tristan’s forbearance and very relieved, for although he was the innocent party in this, big dogs always get the blame when things go wrong with little dogs.
    I figured this more than made up for his possum kill. But then tonight he and Holly cornered something by the corner of the house, under a large box. I have no idea what it was, can say only that both dogs were very eager to make its acquaintance. I managed to haul Tristan off before he could do that, injuring my wrist in the process, I am sorry to say. Naturally they then hovered by the door for the next hour, trying to convince me that they really, really needed to go outside. I finally had to let them, hoping that the mystery intruder had the sense to be long gone, and if not, well, that would be Darwin’s survival of the fittest at work. Fortunately, it was not hanging around waiting to be eaten, and I will have to rely upon my writer’s imagination to envision just what their quarry was. Another possum? A nocturnal squirrel? A rat? Raccoon? Jersey Devil? I don’t know and the dogs aren’t telling. See all the fun you non-pet-owners are missing?

  56. We had a cat Bob (he came with the name) who got into terrible trouble—his mom was an inner-city cat who’d passed on all kinds of ailments to her young, Bob being the only offspring who ever survived, which tells you something about this feline of ours with 18 lives! I know cats well & this was the smartest & funniest I’d ever known. I swear he had the wit of a human. After nursing this poor little kitty to robust good health (it took 2 full years), he lived for 14 years. But he loved to bring his prey—birds—into the house, often breaking through a window screen & always when we were out. I would come home to this awful scene of the poor bird trying to escape the house & the worst was that I was terrified of trapped birds so had to call my friend over each time to rescue it. Bells on Bob’s collar didn’t work as a deterrent & we eventually tried to keep Bob inside unless we could supervise him outdoors. I could write a book about his adventures.

  57. Maybe you ought to give that some serious thought, Joan. Books about dogs and cats are hot, hot, hot, in the publishing world these days.

  58. Today, Fulk III ‘Nerra’ of Anjou, Henry’s ancestor (great-great-grandfather thorough his daughter Ermengarde) who is considered the founder of Angevin power died. To quote Erdoes: “Whenever he had the slightest difference with a neighbor he rushed upon his lands, ravaging, pillaging, raping, and killing; nothing could stop him, least of all the commandments of God.”
    Walter de Luci, abbot of Battle Abbey also died today. He is mostly remembered for his dispute with Hilary of Chichester over who held jurisdiction over the Abbey, which was settled in Walter’s (and ultimately, Henry II’s) favor.
    Lastly, while unconnected to the times, the Battle of Lake Trasimene took place today, with Hannibal gaining another decisive victory over Rome.

  59. Today’s Facebook Note. PS Love your post about Fulk Nerra, Koby.
    Some of us refer to Elizabeth I as “the only good Tudor.” Well, Philip von Hohenstaufen was the only good son of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. Okay, slight exaggeration there—his son and namesake who died of illness at Acre in January 1191 might have been an okay guy; I don’t know enough about him to form a judgment. But Heimlich was a nasty piece of work, possibly the most unpleasant historical figure that I’ve ever written about, and you all know I’ve had to write about some tried and true villains. The German chroniclers could find nothing good to say about his younger brother Conrad, Duke of Swabia, and no one seemed surprised when he was killed by the husband of a woman he’d raped. Brother Otto was just as bad; his feuds were legendary and he’d slain several of his adversaries with his own hand. When he was murdered himself, no one appeared to have mourned much.
    But then there was the youngest brother Philip, who must have been a foundling, for he was said to be kind-hearted, brave, handsome, and honorable, none of which could be said of his brothers. He’d been made a bishop at the tender age of 13, but soon forswore a career in the Church. When Heinrich died suddenly in September of 1197, he was named as guardian for Heinrich’s young son, Fredereick. He seems to have truly tried to protect his nephew’s interests, but the German lords were very resistant to the idea of a child king, and Philip eventually accepted his election as King of Germany. He had a rival, though, in Otto of Saxony, the nephew of Richard Lionheart; Richard was only too happy to play king-maker and with the support of his ally, the Archbishop of Cologne, he succeeded in getting Otto elected, too. With two claimants to the German throne, war naturally followed. However, Otto’s chances took a body blow with Richard’s unexpected death at Chalus, and eventually Philippe would prevail.
    But then on June 21, 1208, the young emperor (he was only 31) was assassinated at Bamberg by an unstable vassal, Count Otto VIII of Wittelsbach; there is some confusion about his motives, but he apparently blamed Philip for denying him a profitable marital alliance. It would seem that Philip had no guards, for his assassin was able to stab him in the carotid artery with his sword, instantly killing him. The killer fled, only to be hunted down and beheaded the following year, his head thrown into the Danube.
    Philip’s tragic death cleared the field for Otto of Saxony, and he would be crowned Holy Roman Emperor as Otto IV, although his reign was a brief one, and he lost power after the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. Heinrich’s son Frederick would eventually become emperor and prove himself to be one of the most remarkable rulers of the MA.
    Philip had wed Irene Angelina, daughter of the Byzantine emperor and widow of the eldest son and heir of King Tancred of Sicily; Lionheart readers may remember Roger appeared in one scene at age 14, nursing a crush on Joanna. Tancred’s family suffered terribly once Heinrich seized control of Sicily, but Irene Angelina seems to have found happiness in her brief marriage to Philip. They were only wed for 11 years, and she was perpetually pregnant, giving birth to four daughters and two sons, who died very young. She was pregnant when Philip was murdered, and sadly did not long survive him; two months later, she died in childbirth along with her baby, another daughter. She was only 27, said by a celebrated German minstrel to have been “the rose without a thorn, the dove without guile.”
    Philip and Irene’s eldest daughter Beatrice, briefly became Holy Roman Empress when she wed Otto IV at age 14, but she sickened and died only 19 days into the marriage. Her sisters were more fortunate; one wed the King of Castile, another the King of Bohemia, and one the Duke of Brabant. I think Philip and Irene’s story is truly a tragic one, and for that matter, Richard’s nephew Otto’s history was a sad one, too.
    With so much high drama occurring in Germany, this next event almost seems like an after-thought, but on June 21st, 1377, the English King Edward III died and England was left with a child king, Richard II, whose reign did not end well.

  60. Sharon, I’m becoming increasingly woried about this ‘chap’ Koby’s posts on your blog. Don’t you think you should have him checked out by the authorities? It’s just not possible that this (young?) man could posess such knowledge of the past, not only 12th/13th century Europe/Holy Land which we know a thing or two about, but also of other centuries and other geographical areas.
    If you don’t mind I’ve asked MI5 to have a look at his background. They’ve already come up with a possible
    translation of his pseudonym ‘KOBY’ – King of Before Yesterday.’ I think they may be on to something!

  61. Sharon, a fascinating note! Don’t you think that both Philip’s and Otto’s lives would make wonderful novels? I would write one of them myself- preferably with Otto as the main character- if only my English allowed it.
    I would begin with Otto’s first childhood memory- the long, exhaustive, yet exciting journey to his grandfather’s court- with his exhiled family. The glimpses of his uncles and Henry II himself, his family relations from the child’s perspective. Then his friendship with Richard and their cooperation, then Richard’s unexpected death, and John’s accesion to the throne ( the most difficult and challenging to write about would certainly be Otto’s Italian campaign). The Battle of Bouvines. Otto listening to Gervase of Tilbury reading his Otia Imperialia written fot the Emperor’s recreation. Otto’s tragic end. I can almost see it all. Maybe one day someone will take a closer look at Otto’s “epic” life and just put it into right words, images, settings. I would be the first to read it.
    P.S. I would make Gervase of Tilbury one of the main characters. By doing so I would be able to smuggle Hal into Gervase and Otto’s conversations:-)
    As you can remember Gervase was the Young King’s chaplain and his champion. He wrote about Hal in his Otia Imperialia, so I can envisage Otto listening with a smile and travelling back in his memories to his childhood spent with his mother’s family.

  62. Ken, I absolutely agree with you! Koby is a phenomenon:-)
    BTW, how are you and how is Othon?

  63. Today’s Facebook Note.
    On June 22, 1402, Owain Glyn Dwr scored a decisive victory over the English forces led by Edmund Mortimer, who was taken captive. When Henry IV forbade his brother-in-law, Henry “Hotspu”r Percy of Shakespeare fame, from ransoming him—many felt that Edmund had a better claim to the English throne– Edmund switched sides and married Owain’s daughter Catrin, a marriage that ended tragically. Edmund died during the siege of Harlechin 1408-1409 which is when his wife and young daughters fell into Henry’s hands, as did Owain’s wife Margaret. They were imprisoned in the Tower of London; Catrin and her little girls were dead by 1413. The ill treatment of Owain’s women by Henry IV is rarely mentioned by historians, I am sorry to say.
    And on June 22, 1483, Richard III had his nephews declared illegitimate and therefore barred from the succession, thus clearing the way for his own claim to the crown.
    Lastly, on this date in 1527, Henry VIII broke the news to Katherine that their marriage was invalid, explaining that he could no longer go on living with her when they were sinning against God. He probably didn’t mention that he was also burning to bed Anne Boleyn.

  64. Ken, that is a hysterical post–we all thank you.
    Kasia, I am very sympathetic to Otto, too. Your English is excellent, far better than many native speakers. You could certainly write a novel about him and I’d love to read it! I’d do one on him myelf except that I do not speak or read German, unfortunately, and that would put a real crimp into my researching.

  66. Sharon, that is most kind of you, but I am a realist:-) My English leaves much to be desired, especially when it comes to syntax. To put it simply, I want to write in English but can’t stop thinking in Polish. Trust me, it’s a huge drawback:-) For the time being I’ll stay with Hal and my essays, and in the nearest future focus on my Polish project. I’ve already bought a few books indespensible for my Polish research, and with the summer holidays at hand, I hope to start working.
    Ken, knock, knock! Are you there? I’m very curious about your and Othon’s present whereabouts. Still in France? Sipping excellent wine from Savoy? It’s been a while so I daresay that both of you have already found yourselves in different surroundings, but I may be in the wrong:-)

  67. Today’s Facebook Note.
    On June 23, 1191 there was an eclipse of the sun that was visible through much of Europe. Richard and company missed it, though, being in the Holy land.
    On June 23, 1377, Richard II was proclaimed king; he would be crowned the next month.
    On June 23, 1503, a marriage was arranged between the future Henry VIII and his brother’s widow, Katherine of Aragaon. Poor Katherine—she thought all her dreams were coming true.
    I’ll end with a book alert. There are two new biographies out, one about “our” Eleanor de Montfort (Simon’s Nell) and one about William the Conqueror’s queen. I have not read either one of them, so can’t recommend them, but I wanted to call them to your attention. The titles are Queen of the Conqueror by Tracy Joanne Borman and Eleanor de Montfort by Louise Wilkinson. And on the fiction front, C.W. Gortner has a new novel out about Isabella of Castile, The Queen’s Vow; Christopher will be doing an interview on my blog next week. And for my fellow Jeremy Irons fans, who’ve been watching The Borgias, there is a new novel out which features many of the characters we’ve been watching all season long. The title is A Borgia Daughter Dies by Maryann Philip. I have had to put all my pleasure reading on hold while I struggle with the Ransom deadline, but this looks intriguing. Here is the link to Amazon, which is offering it at a great price. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007WONQV2 Maryann has also been posting on her blog after the Showtime episodes, letting us know where the scriptwriters were historically on target and where they veered off into fantasyland. Here is her link. http://www.maryannphilip.com

  68. Hi Kasia
    I’ve been back in sunny (not) Cornwall for about 10 days. Have not written any more since arriving here, but I have been revising;chopping;editing;correcting errors, etc, of the 8 chapters I managed to get down while sipping both Savoyard and Languedoc wine. Othon has told me he doesn’t like it here and may not come out to play until I take him back to the South of France.
    He’s in a bit of a dilemma as he has sworn to Eleanor of Castile and to the queen that he will serve and protect the Lord Edward – however, Othon is an upright and just man (rather British in a way!) and finds it very difficult to accept aspects of Edward’s behaviour, particularly his cruelty and his constant reneging on his oaths. I am attributing to Othon (it’s my book, so I can!) the term used to describe Edward by his contempories – “The Leopard”, part lion (brave), part leopard (cunning).

  69. Well, I am flattered by the compliments. I should obviously not rest on my laurels, though, as Sharon is demonstrating. In any case, today the Battle of Bannockburn began, where Robert the Bruce defeated a superior army under Edward II using fascinating tactics and strategy.

  70. And today, Henry VIII [IX] and Catherine of Aragon were crowned King and Queen of England. The Battle of Bannockburn ended with a horrendous English defeat, so that no more than a third of the English army is estimated to have survived. Edward III gained a great naval victory over France, destroying the French fleet at the Battle of Sluys. Lucrezia Borgia died from complications after giving birth to her eighth child. And while it is Kasia’s place to speak of this, I will mention that the Battle of Cedynia also took place today.

  71. Thanks, Koby:-) I haven’t forgotten (it has been safely written down in my notebook), but had to postpone the writing due to my maternal duties. No days off, even on Sundays, I’m afraid 🙂
    A very important date in the history of the future Kingdom of Poland. On 24 June, 972, Mieszko I defeated the forces of Odo I of Lusatia at the Battle of Cedynia. The battle was to determine the possession of the area between Mieszko and Odo.
    Mieszko was the first acknowledged ruler of what was to become Poland. You may be surprised to discover that he was the grandfather of one of the English kings. Mieszko’s daughter Świętosława was married to Sven Forkbeard, king of Denmark, and became mother of the future Canute the Great. Our small Polish contribution to the English history:-)
    And on 24 June 1159. Henry the Young King, aged four, clinging to his mother’s gown, bade his father, the king Godspeed. Henry II, at the head of the army- ‘probably the largest he ever mustered’- set off from Poitiers to regain Eleanor’s Toulouse. He was determined to descend on the city with ‘iron, missiles, and machines’ and see it ‘either fall or yield’.
    Departing down the dusty road toward the south Henry II could not have predicted that one day his expedition would be called “an unfinished business”, and that it would continue to haunt him and his sons for the next forty years.
    I wish you all a beautiful Sunday!

  72. Kasia, there is as novelist trapped in you screaming to get out. Any mention of your Hal and it tries to stage a jail break. I say let it loose!
    I am so appreciative for the light that you and Koby cast on medieval events that are not that well known in the US, UK, etc.
    Today’s Facebook Note.
    On June 24, 1314, Robert the Bruce won the battle of Bannockburn, defeating Edward II. Below is a link to an interesting website that discusses this major battle in some detail. And thanks to Koby for letting me know that on this date in 1519, Lucrezia Borgia died of complications after delivering her eighth child. And on a more personal note, I wanted to let everyone know that The Queen’s Man is now available as an e-book, both as a Kindle and a Nook. On Amazon, though, it doesn’t show up in a search for me, has to be sought separately in the Kindle store. (I personally think Justin is worth going to a bit of trouble for, and he modestly agrees. BTW, he has made two appearances so far in Ransom, naturally delivering urgent messages to his lady, the queen mother.) I am delighted that all of my books are now available as e-books in the States, and I have hopes that the situation will improve greatly in the UK and Down Under before Christmas.
    http://historymedren.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=historymedren&cdn=education&tm=58&gps=111_22_984_507&f=22&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.braveheart.co.uk/macbrave/history/bruce/banseq.htm

  73. I agree with Sharon, Kasia, that you would create a super novel on this era. Though I’m a newbie to this world (this blog alone leading me in so many directions), I do appreciate good writing when I see it, & have always found that those who have mastery of more than one language can bring something special to a work in the english language. I’m not even sure how to describe that quality but we know it when we come across it.
    And thank you for your note Sharon, re a book on cats. I actually began something with my 7 yr old granddaughter who did the illustrations. She’s a budding artist with an amazing sense of humor in her art, sometimes so subtle it blows us away.

  75. I just learned that Joan Szechtman will be doing a radio interview tomorrow. Here is what she posted on my Facebook page after I asked her to give us the details.
    .
    Sorry for waiting until the last minute to post this, but I’m going to be interviewed by Tom Chute on WATR 1320 AM (in Waterbury, CT–listen on line here http://www.watr.com/) tomorrow morning at 8 am DST (east coast US) with Emily Mattina, Artistic Director of Shakesperience (http://​www.shakesperienceproductions.o​rg/) to discuss Shakespeare’s Richard III and how this fictional Richard differs from the real man. I will also have a chance to mention my books, which Emily has read). If you are awake at that time, please tune in, either online or on air. [Digits crossed that I don’t step on my tongue.]

  77. And today, Beatrice of England, Henry III’s [IV’s] second daughter was born. Eleanor of Provence, Queen of England, Henry III’s [IV’s] wife died. Simon de Montfort (‘our’ Simon’s father) was blessedly killed, his head crushed by a stone from a mangonel supposedly operated by ‘the ladies and girls and women of Toulouse’, effectively ending the Siege of Toulouse. Here is a depiction of his death: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/DeathMontfort.jpg
    Oh, and Anthony Woodville also died today, executed in Pontefract Castle by the orders of Richard III.

  78. Sharon, I am forced to listen to the novelist’s screams every day, and, with the passage of time, they become louder and louder 🙂 Recently I’ve been trying to “let it loose” on Henry the Young King’s website and I’m going to continue what I’ve begun.
    And, as I’ve mentioned before, I have my plans concerning my own novel on Polish history, so keep your fingers crossed:-)
    Joan, I’m not quite sure whether my novel in English would be a successful one, but thank you for your kind and encouraging words.

  79. Joan, I just discovered that my post last night about your interview has not been posted because it was quarantined, “awaiting moderation.” Insulting when it happens on my own website! But adding a link often triggers this. I’ll go approve it now, even though it is too late to listen to it live.
    Today’s Facebook Note.
    June 25th was a date apparently favored by the Grim Reaper, for the list of well-known historical casualties is a long one for that day. Let’s start in 1218, when Simon de Montfort (the father of “my” Simon in Shadow) died during the siege of Toulouse when he was struck in the head by a stone flung by a trebuchet said to be operated by women of the city. He’d first tried to take Toulouse in 1211, without success. He was able to capture it in 1216, and then called himself the Count of Toulouse. The real Count of Toulouse, Raymond de St Gilles, second husband of Richard I’s sister Joanna, re-captured the city in 1217. Simon then lay siege to it in October of that year. Simon’s death on June 25th demoralized his supporters and the siege was soon lifted. Simon left a reputation for brutality that lingered in the south of France for generations to come. When Shadow was about to be published, my British editor took her sons on a holiday to France and she later told me she was dismayed to see so many plaques in ruined castles that equated Simon de Montfort with the Anti-Christ; she said it was a relief to realize that this was not “my” Simon.
    Next we have the death of a queen, Eleanor of Provence, on June 25, 1291 at Amesbury Priory. She was the daughter of the Count of Provence, and she and her three sisters would all eventually become queens. Although she was devoted to her husband, Henry III, Eleanor was one of the most unpopular medieval queens. I admire her for being such a loving mother and grandmother. She and Henry were said to be devastated by the death of a deaf-mute daughter at age three; a chronicler gives us an unsettling glimpse into the medieval attitude toward the disabled by describing the little girl as “pretty but useless.” Eleanor, who was wed at only thirteen, is said to have tried to convince her son not to wed his daughters at too early an age.
    On June 25, 1483, Anthony Woodville, the brother of Edward IV’s queen. Elizabeth, was beheaded at Pontefract Castle by order of the future Richard III. He was given a trial, but I think we can say the verdict was a foregone conclusion. After his death, he was found to have been wearing a hair shirt.
    And on June 25, 1533, Mary Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, widow of the King of France and wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Sulfolk, died; she was only thirty-seven. It is often said that her marriage to Brandon was a love match. She’d become estranged from her brother Henry because of her hostility toward Anne Boleyn. Less than three months after her death, Brandon married Catherine Willoughby, the thirteen year old betrothed of his own young son. They had two sons of their own, who died tragically within one hour in 1551, stricken with the sweating sickness at the ages of fifteen and fourteen. And no, we still do not know what the sweating sickness was; like Arnaldia, the mystery malady that struck down Richard I at the siege of Acre, the sweating sickness has defied modern diagnosis. It was highly virulent, often killing within hours, first striking England in late August, 1485 and periodically thereafter, the last outbreak in 1551 when the two sons of Charles Brandon and Catherine Willoughby died.

  80. Koby, I’m sorry your post was quarantined; adding a link often triggers the defense system, even for me! Thanks for adding it, though.
    Kasia, we’re all agreed your English is impeccable, more than good enough to write a novel. So if you do write in Polish, you’ll have to get it picked up by an English or American publisher so we can read it, too!

  81. Today’s Facebook Note, a short one for once.
    On June 26, 1483, Richard III claimed the English throne; he would be crowned on July 6th. As we know, the crown brought him neither security nor happiness, but his brief reign did earn him eternal notoriety thanks to a playwright named Shakespeare. And almost five centuries after his death at Bosworth, his story would enable an unhappy lawyer to become a historical novelist. Thank you, Richard.
    So much of the country is suffering from natural disasters. My heart goes out to those in Florida dealing with a savage tropical storm and to all in Colorado and other parts of the far west whose homes and livelihoods are being threatened by fires. I fear it will be another rough summer for so many.

  82. What a treat it has been to read all the fabulous posts I have missed while I was away visiting my father. Kasia, I am touched that a comment I made helped convince you to write and share your research and passion for young Henry. Your tribute page (more than just a fan page) to young Henry has been added to my favorites. 🙂 In addition, please allow me to add my voice to those encouraging you to write. Like you, English is not my first language so I understand how challenging it is to write in one language when your brain is thinking in another language but believe me when I say that your English is excellent! 🙂 Whether in Polish or in English, I’m sure your novel(s) will be excellent. Thank you for your book recommendations on illuminated manuscripts as well as the Youtube link to the program “The Private Lives of Medieval Kings” which I have wanted to watch since it first aired in the UK.
    Joan, I too love calligraphy and would like to take a course to set me on the path to writing a letter composed in medieval script. I have a few “learn how to” books but have yet to really give it a try. If only I didn’t have to work to earn a living. 😉 Thank you for recommending Christina: A medieval Life. I’ve only watched a few minutes and am already hooked.
    I learn so much from this blog and everyone who posts. May Sharon continue to bring us all together to share in our mutual interests for history, great storytelling and all things medieval!

  85. Emilie, I too love Sharon’s blog & am learning so much. It’s very exciting when a new interest progresses as rapidly as this one—-I’m in love with everything medieval & it all began when I unwittingly picked up a copy of Here Be Dragons. I’m even planning university courses on Wales for the fall. I have to add though, as I try to get through the trial of Joan of Arc (thanks for posting it Sharon), it isn’t all fun & games—a very difficult read emotionally & I can’t help but feel like a voyeur as Joan is forced to empty her heart & soul. The only saving grace is that she stood up to that powerful force of learned men, most of them her enemies—-for every trap they set, she had an evasion, for every trick question, a stalling tactic. I sometimes found myself saying, You go girl!!! But the abjuration is coming up & I can’t bear to read that. You’ll be quite awed when you continue with Christina’s life on that video—-another medieval woman with strength & tenacity!! Good luck too with the calligraphy.

  86. Thank you for letting me know this, Joan. It means so much to me that my books have helped to awaken an interest in medieval history in my readers. I agree with you that the account of Joan of Arc’s trial makes painful reading.

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