King of Spain Philip Habsburg II
Note:
Source: Pages 160ff, Britain's Royal Families, by Alison Weir.From Encarta Encyclopedia:
Philip II (of Spain) (1527-98), Habsburg king of Spain (1556-98), whoruled the country at the height of its power and influence and used thatpower in the service of the Roman Catholic church and the CounterReformation. During his reign the Philippine Islands (named for him) wereconquered and colonies were established in what is now the southernUnited States.
Philip was born in Valladolid on May 21, 1527, the son of Holy RomanEmperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal and was educated by RomanCatholic clergymen, whose influence shaped his policies as king. In 1543he married his cousin Maria of Portugal; she bore him a son, Don Carlos,who later conspired against him. Philip married again in 1554, this timeto Mary I of England, in whose religiously zealous reign he was anunmistakable influence.
Before succeeding to the throne of Spain upon his father's abdication in1556, Philip had already received the duchy of Milan (1540), the kingdomsof Naples and Sicily (1554), and the Netherlands (1555) from his father.With the throne of Spain he also inherited extensive regions of the NewWorld. Shortly after Philip's accession, the Spanish forces werevictorious over the French at the battles of Saint-Quentin (1557) andGravelines (1558), and the 60-year war with France was concluded by theTreaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559), which was highly favorable to Spain(see Cateau-Cambrésis, Treaty of). An outgrowth of the peace was Philip'sthird marriage to Princess Elizabeth of France, who had been betrothed tohis son, Don Carlos. He married for the fourth time in 1570.
In the Netherlands Philip banned Protestantism and severely restrictedthe rights of the people. He used the Inquisition as a method of control,and thousands of Protestants were killed or exiled. In 1567 theProtestants revolted, and Philip sent an army to suppress them, thusbeginning 80 years of war by which the northern provinces (now theNetherlands) won their independence.
In Spain Philip's oppression of the Moriscos (Christianized Muslims)provoked them to rebel in 1568; after suppressing the revolt in 1571,Philip exiled almost the entire group, to the great detriment of thecountry. In 1571 Philip sent his half brother John of Austria on a navalexpedition that destroyed the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto (seeLepanto, Battle of). Asserting his claim to the throne of Portugal Philipconquered that country in 1580.
His desire to return the English to Catholicism, as well as to checktheir rival maritime power, led Philip to the decision to invade England,and to that end he ordered the construction of a great fleet (see Armada,Spanish). In 1588 he dispatched the Armada to the British Isles, where itwas destroyed by bad weather and the English. From 1590 to 1598 Philipwas again at war with France, aiding the Catholic forces of the HolyLeague in its war against the Huguenot Henry IV.
In 1563 Philip began the construction of El Escorial, a somber monasticpalace outside Madrid, which ranks among Europe's finest architecturalmonuments. Completed in 1584, it became his second residence and he diedthere on September 13, 1598. [end of biography].
King of England Henry VIII Tudor King of England
Created Ninth Prince of Wales in 1504; Crowned King of England on April
22, 1509 in Westminster; Ruled from 1509-1547. Married six
times--divorced firstwife, executed four others, survived by last wife.
The Man Who Shouldn't HaveBeen King
Henry VIII was never meant to be king. His older brother, Arthur (called
the Rosebush of England, which was a compliment, believe it or not!) was
destined to rule over England as his legendary namesake had centuries
before. But that wasn't to be. When Henry was twelve, Arthur died.
Henry's fatherimmediately betrothed Henry to Catherine. When his father
died in April, 1509, Henry became King of England. One of his first
decisions as king was to marry Catherine of Aragon, his dead brother's
wife (Plowden 28.) The wedding took place on 11 June. Almost immediately
Catherine was taken to the Tower of London to prepare for her corontation
(Plowden 30). Catherine was twenty-threeand Henry not yet eighteen.
(Plowden 30).
The Happy Years With Catherine
Early in 1513, Henry VIII went to war with France. Before crossing the
Channel, he made his wife Governor of the Realm and Captain-General of
the armed forces that did not leave with Henry. Almost as soon as Henry's
ships were outof sight, the King of Scots prepared to invade England,
conveniently forgetting that he was married to Henry's younger sister.
(Plowden 31) Left in charge, Catherine rose to the challenge and soundly
lead her troops to the defeatof the Scottish troops at Flodden (Plowden
31).
Henry's court was known throughout the world for its pageants and
tournaments. He filled his presence with scholars and artists and was
truly a man of the Renaissance.
Trouble Begins
But all was not happy in Henry and Catherine's marriage. Out of nine
pregnancies, only one child, Mary, lived. Believing that God was showing
his divine displeasure at their marriage, he asked the Pope for an
annulment of hismarriage to Catherine. The Pope refused. In 1532, Henry
VII took matters intohis own hands by declaring the church in England
seperate from the church inRome, effectively taking power away from
Vatican. Free of Rome, Henry had his own clergy renounce his marriage to
Catherine. He and Anne were married in1533, with Anne already pregnant
with Henry's longed for heir.
They Call Him the Wanderer...
Henry had already decided before the child was born that the baby would
be named either Henry or Edward. However, the baby turned out tobe a
daughter. Henry was greatly disappointed, as was Anne. Anne had at least
one more child, a male who was born dead on the same day Anne's nemesis,
Catherine of Aragon, was buried. The termination of that pregnancy
resulted in her death.
Henry wanted Anne out of the way, and he wanted her out of the way
quickly and permanently. In May of 1563, Anne was arrested with five men,
one of whom was her brother, George, and taken to the Tower of London.
Shewas charged with adultery, incest, 'despising her mariage' and
'entertainingmalice against the king' (Plowden 74). She and the other
men, accused as herlovers, were also charged with plotting the king's
muder. There is no proof whatsoever than any of these charges were true.
Anne herself denied all charges, but it didn't matter. She was convicted
and sentenced to burning or beheading 'at the king's pleasure.' Henry was
enough of a big fuzzy teddy bear to allow the woman he had pursued
relentlessly for years the decency of a beheading by sword, which was
considered much more quicl and accurate than the sometimes clumsy axe.
The five men charged with her were executed on 17 May, and two days later
Anne herself was executed.
Henry was planning his next wedding by the time Anne's body was buried.
Yeah, He's the Wanderer...
Henry wasengaged to be married to Jane Seymour, a former lady in waiting
to Anne Boleyn (just as Anne had been a lady in waiting to Cat
Note:
From "Notable Women Ancestors" athttp://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/9194/h8/katmain.html:last child of Ferdinand of Aragon, king of Spain & Isabella, queen ofCastle (together known as the 'Catholic Kings')
born 15 December 1485 at Alcala de Henares, Madrid
married to Arthur, prince of Wales, on 14 November 1501 at St. Paul'sCathedral, London
widowed 2 April 1502 at Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
married to Henry VIII, king of England, on 11 June 1509 at Grey FriarsChurch, Greenwich
six children:
daughter, born 31 January 1510
Henry (1), duke of Cornwall, born 1 January 1511
Henry (2), duke of Cornwall, born November 1513
son, born December 1514
Mary I, Queen of England, born 18 February 1516
daughter, born 10 November 1518
marriage annulled 1533
died 7 January 1536 at Kimbolton Castle
buried at Peterborough CathedralFor two (2) accounts of her life see:http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/9194/h8/one.html
Alias:<ALIA> of /Florence/
The First Ladies' High-Heeled Shoe
Author Unknown
For three centuries, the Medici family was among the most powerful in the
world. They were the supreme rulers of Florence, and later of Tuscany.
They patronized the arts and produced three popes and enough royal
marriages throughout Europe to ensure their lasting influence.
Catherine de Medici was a childof the early 16th century. As a teenager,
she was small and thin, not quite 5feet in height. She was painfully
plain, with indelicate features and eyes too large for her face.
Catherine had nothing to say about her betrothal to the Duke of Orleans
-- par for the royal matchmaking course. On the other hand,the Duke was
to be come the next King of France, Henry II. Catherine would be his
Queen. The thought itself was almost too thrilling to contemplate.
The young Catherine began feeling insecure.
The French court was, perhaps, themost splendid on the earth. Those who
populated it were so elegant, so glamorous. How could tiny, plain
Catherine possibly charm the inventors of such a world? How could she
make a dramatic and imperious impression on the fabulousFrench Court?
In desperation, young Catherine de Medici sought the aid of aningenious
Florentine artisan. For hundreds of years, scholars have tried in vain to
discover his name. All we know is that he had a brilliant reputation,and
he was there when Catherine needed him.
Not unlike the fabled Cinderella, Catherine confided in this clever,
fairy godfather -- at best, she would be ignored, at worst she would be
ridiculed -- unless she dazzled all at her first French Ball.
And the artisan smiled. He would produce a creation that would cast a
spell over the entire French nation.
On September 1, 1533, Catherine de Medici bade her homeland farewell and
embarked on her journey to Paris. The wedding was even more jubilant and
spectacular than she had imagined it, and an aristocratic multitude
clamored to meet her. Their first opportunity would be at the Royal Ball.
Catherine's appearance created a sensation. Themen, it is said, were
staggered by this sensuous Florentine Queen. The womenwere breathless
with envy. There was, all agreed, something indefinably alluring in her
walk, a subtle undulation, a gently seductive sway, the like of which the
French had never seen.
What sorcery had this enchanting young woman brought to their court? Of
course, we know that the source of the magic wasa gifted artisan back
home in Florence -- a man whose name was long ago forgotten -- the fairy
godfather of Catherine de Medici -- her cobbler.
For Catherine, he had concocted that which would later be called the
world's most potent aphrodisiac -- a device which not only endowed her
with serpentine grace, but gave her the physical stature she could not
otherwise posses.
So don't let it be forgotten that once upon a time the sophisticated
French looked up to a girl of 14 -- Catherine de Medici, their future
queen and the mother of the modern high-heeled shoe.
SOURCE: http://www.aristotle.net/~domiller/1st_high_heels.html
Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519 - January 5, 1589), (French:
Catherine de Médicis), queen of France, wife of one Valois king and
mother of three, was born April 13, 1519, at Florence, Italy. She was a
daughter of Lorenzo II de Medici and a French princess, Madeleine de la
Tour d'Auvergne. Having lost both her parents at an early age, Catherine
was sent to a convent to be educated; she was only fourteen when she was
married (1533), at Marseilles, the duke of Orléans, afterwards King Henry
II of France.
It washer uncle, Pope Clement VII, who arranged that marriage with
Henry's father Francis I of France. Francis, still engaged in his
lifelong struggle against Charles V, was only too glad of the opportunity
to strengthen his influence inthe Italian peninsula, while Clement, ever
nee
King of England Henry VII Tudor
Note:
He reigned 1485-1509. Burke says he was born 26 Jul 1455 and died 1 Apr1509
Alias:<ALIA> of /York/
Note: Divorced
Note:
From "Notable Women Ancestors" athttp://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/9194/h8/katmain.html:last child of Ferdinand of Aragon, king of Spain & Isabella, queen ofCastle (together known as the 'Catholic Kings')
born 15 December 1485 at Alcala de Henares, Madrid
married to Arthur, prince of Wales, on 14 November 1501 at St. Paul'sCathedral, London
widowed 2 April 1502 at Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
married to Henry VIII, king of England, on 11 June 1509 at Grey FriarsChurch, Greenwich
six children:
daughter, born 31 January 1510
Henry (1), duke of Cornwall, born 1 January 1511
Henry (2), duke of Cornwall, born November 1513
son, born December 1514
Mary I, Queen of England, born 18 February 1516
daughter, born 10 November 1518
marriage annulled 1533
died 7 January 1536 at Kimbolton Castle
buried at Peterborough CathedralFor two (2) accounts of her life see:http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/9194/h8/one.html