Tag: Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

Book Review: “Margaret of Austria: Governor of the Netherlands and Early 16th-Century Europe’s Greatest Diplomat” by Rozsa Gaston

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The 16th century was dominated by powerful women who left their indelible mark on European history. Take, for example, the aunt of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. No, not Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. I am talking about a woman who was the daughter of Emperor Maximilian I, was married three times, had no children, and helped raise her nephew Charles V, was an essential part of the Ladies’ Peace, taught Anne Boleyn how to live at court, and was a patroness of the arts and literature. Of course, I am talking about Margaret of Austria, the Governor of the Netherlands. A formidable woman who saw much change and chose to be part of politics, even though she was a woman. Her remarkable story is told in Rozsa Gaston’s novel, “Margaret of Austria: Governor of the Netherlands and Early 16th-Century Europe’s Greatest Diplomat.”

I would like to thank Rozsa Gaston for sending me a copy of this novel. I am someone who is always looking for a new aspect of the 16th century. I have heard about Margaret of Austria from other books about Anne Boleyn and the 16th century, but I did not know much about this woman. When Gaston asked if I would like to read and review her novel, I jumped at the chance to read it and learn more about her.

Gaston begins her novel with a chart of important figures that would be featured in this story, which was helpful for me as a reader. Then, we get some basic background information about Margaret of Austria, the daughter of Maximilian I of Austria and Mary of Burgundy (known as Mary the Rich). Margaret’s brother was Philip the Handsome, who was expected to inherit their father’s throne. Margaret was destined to be a bride for King Charles VIII of France, so she left her native Netherlands for France at a young age. Our story begins with Charles VIII rejecting poor Margaret because he was already married to Anne of Brittany. Rejected, Margaret goes home, where another marriage is arranged. Her brother Philip would marry Juana of Castile, and Margaret would travel to Spain to marry Juan, Prince of Asturias. This marriage would not last long as Juan would die young.

Her final marriage would be to Philibert of Savoy, which turned into a love match, but Philibert would die a few years into their marriage. Heartbroken, Margaret goes to live with Philip and Juana, which is a mistake because they are constantly at odds. When Philip dies unexpectantly, Juana, no matter how her mental state may be, rules Castile while her eldest son Charles lives with Margaret. Margaret becomes the Governor of the Netherlands for Charles until he is old enough to rule. For the remainder of her life, politics would play a major part in Margaret’s life as she saw issues like the Great Matter, the Sack of Rome, the League of Cambrai, the rise of Martin Luther, and the Ladies’ Peace.

Margaret of Austria was such a powerful woman who would do anything for her family and her beloved Netherlands. To stand toe to toe with some of these major political figures as a woman during the 16th century took guts, but Margaret showed how formidable she was. Gaston does an excellent job telling Margaret’s story, so much so that I want to read more books about her life. Suppose you want to learn more about the life of Margaret of Austria. In that case, I highly recommend you read “Margaret of Austria: Governor of the Netherlands and Early 16th-Century Europe’s Greatest Diplomat” by Rozsa Gaston.

Book Review: “Mary Tudor: Queen of France” by Amy McElroy

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The life of a 16th-century princess is not all that it is cracked up to be. You can have jewels, and glamorous dresses, attend the glittering yet treacherous court, and have numerous homes. You must marry the person the king says you should marry to create strong alliances for the kingdom, so the concept of marrying for love is not in your vocabulary. You had to ensure your opinions were kept in line with the monarch’s views so you didn’t meet a disastrous end. In other words, the closer you are to the throne, the more scrutiny is forced upon you. No one understood this advice better than Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII and the younger sister of Henry VIII. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a queen, a duchess, and a mother. Her remarkable story is told in Amy McElroy’s book, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have read Amy McElroy’s previous books, “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era” and “Educating the Tudors,” and I enjoyed both books. When I heard that she would write her first-ever biography on Mary Tudor, I jumped at the chance to read it because Mary is my favorite of the children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

McElroy begins with a quick overview of the conflict that brought the Tudors to the throne, the Wars of the Roses. The marriage of Mary’s parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York united the kingdom and started the Tudor dynasty. Like any dynasty, it was important to have heirs, spares, and daughters who could be used essentially as pawns in the marriage market to create strong alliances. Mary’s eldest brother Arthur married Katherine of Aragon to form an alliance with Spain and her older sister Margaret married James IV of Scotland for another alliance. From a young age, Mary Tudor was a proposed bride for Charles of Castile, the son of King Philip the Handsome and Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon, who would become Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Unfortunately, this marriage plan fizzled, but another bride groom was waiting in the wing, King Louis XII of France.

Mary’s marriage to King Louis XII of France and her time as Queen of France did not last long because Louis died mere months after their wedding. Now Mary could have returned to England or stayed in France and waited for another royal match to happen, but Mary chose option number three. Mary’s heart belonged to her brother Henry VIII’s best friend Charles Brandon, and the two devised a plan to marry in secret. It was out of the ordinary and it did create quite the scandal, but at the end of the day, it was a love match. Charles and Mary had a family and were involved in court politics including the Great Matter, before Mary died on June 26, 1533.

I think what has impressed me about McElroy’s books, including this one, is her ability to reveal something new to the subject material. While I knew quite a bit about Mary’s life, it was the marriage negotiations and her inner circle that truly fascinated me. If you want a new book about the sister of Henry VIII with new insight into her life and the politics of marriage, I highly suggest you read, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France” by Amy McElroy.

Guest Post: “ Gertrude Courtenay: Forgotten Tudor Woman” by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

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banner-blogtour1Today, I am pleased to welcome Sylvia Barbara Soberton back to discuss another forgotten Tudor woman, Gertrude Courtenay, who is the subject of her latest book, “The Forgotten Tudor Women: Gertrude Courtenay. Wife and Mother of the last Plantagenets”.

The biography of Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, is the third volume in my best-selling series Forgotten Tudor Women. As the title of the series suggests, I am writing about the lesser-known women of the Tudor court. When I say “lesser-known”, I don’t mean that little is known about these women. Quite the contrary; they left an extraordinary trail of letters, papers, and documents and made their presence known to various chroniclers and ambassadors.

Why Gertrude, you may ask? Long story short: She was amazing! I wanted to write a biography of Gertrude for a very long time. Why was she so special?

Married to Henry VIII’s first cousin Henry Courtenay, Earl of Devon and then Marquis of Exeter, Gertrude was the wife and mother of the last Plantagenets at the Tudor court. Her husband, after whose noble title the Exeter Conspiracy is known today, was executed in 1538, and their son, Edward, spent fourteen years imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Gertrude was among the key political players of Henry VIII’s court during the infamous annulment, known as the Great Matter, commencing in 1527 and ending in 1533. A Catholic and staunch supporter of the King’s first wife, Katharine of Aragon, and their daughter, Princess Mary, Gertrude took an active part in the most turbulent events of Henry VIII’s political and private life. She was far from a passive observer, though. She exchanged letters with Eustace Chapuys, ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and even visited him in disguise when it was dangerous to become Henry VIII’s enemy. She gave ear to the Nun of Kent’s prophecies (for which the Nun was executed in 1534) and remained Katharine of Aragon’s supporter even after the Queen’s banishment.

Gertrude’s hatred of Anne Boleyn, the King’s second wife, and everything she stood for achieved epic proportions and made Gertrude’s support of Katharine and Mary even more resounding. It was Gertrude who took an active part in the fall of Anne Boleyn and the rise of Jane Seymour in May 1536. Godmother to two Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth I and Edward VI, Gertrude was prominent in court circles until her luck ran out when her husband was executed in December 1538. His crime was having a close friendship with Henry Pole, brother of Cardinal Reginald Pole, with whom he discussed politics. Although Henry Courtenay died on the scaffold and their son was imprisoned for fifteen years, Gertrude was released from the Tower of London and survived under the radar until Henry VIII’s elder daughter, Mary, ascended to the throne in 1553. Gertrude’s lifelong friendship with Mary was tested when the Queen rejected Gertrude’s son as a prospective husband.

Gertrude’s story had to be told, and I am overjoyed that I can introduce her to a wider audience.

book-cover-forgotten-3-kdp-uploadAbout the Book

Gertrude Courtenay led a dangerous life, both personally and politically. Daughter of a prominent courtier, she started her career as maid of honor and then lady-in-waiting to Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.

She sided with the Queen during the Great Matter, as the divorce case between Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon was then often known. A bitter enemy of the King’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, Gertrude, plotted and intrigued with Henry VIII’s enemies, brushing with treason on many occasions.

Wife and mother of the last Plantagenets of the Tudor court, Gertrude was an ambitious and formidable political player. The story of her life is a thrilling tale of love and loss, conspiracies and plots, treason and rebellion.

This is Gertrude’s story.