Medieval princesses had it tough. Rarely did they experience the joy of a loving union—Eleanor of Castile and her Edward is one of the major exceptions to that—often were they sent off to lands unknown, never to return. Yes, they were raised to do this. They were educated and buffed and polished, and many likely […]
Poor little Maria – the sad story of a medieval princess Read More »
I have just finished reading Princesses of the Early Middle Ages by Sharon. Yes, I call her Sharon – I have been interacting with her for well over a decade, ever since I discovered her blog “History-the interesting bits“. By now, Sharon has publised a lot of books, all of them non-fiction, all of them
Princesses and kings – a post inspired by Sharon Bennett Connolly’s latest book Read More »
There are benefits to ushering book babies into the world vs real babies – like it doesn’t hurt quite as much. The labour behind a book baby is, however, in many ways as significant as that behind delivering a child. Hours and hours of research; days, weeks, months writing and honing your text; moments when
Welcoming my 24th book baby – Queen of Shadows is here! Read More »
In 1328, fifteen-year-old Maria of Portugal married Alfonso XI of Castile. He was a couple of years older than her, still a teenager, had been king since he was a baby and had, at the age of fourteen assumed control over his realm. They were first cousins on both sides, which required papal dispensations. (As
I am more than happy to have Charlene Newcomb as my guest today. Not only is she, like me, something of a medieval history gal, she is also an author I admire and respect – even if at present I’m a bit peeved about the fact that she’s planning NOT to write another book. Hello!!!
Rogues and Kings – Char Newcomb’s take on King John’s last days Read More »
In one of my books about Adam de Guirande (Ah! Almost my favourite hero, this knight so torn between his allegiances to the lord who saved him and raised him, Roger Mortimer, and the young boy-king, Edward III . . . Your favourite? Matthew Graham growls. Aye, what about the rest of us? asks Robert
Dangerous ambitions – of a failed coup and its consequences Read More »
Recently, I posted about a book dealing with Inés de Castro, a purportedly very beautiful woman who caught the eye (and heart) of Pedro of Portugal. Now, it would seem the de Castro genes were very good genes, because Inés had a younger half-sister named Juana whose beauty also caught the eye (but not the
Well, dear peeps, today it is my turn to introduce you to a lady from the past, and after some back-and-forth I locked down on Eleanor of Castile. And yes, I have written about her before as she is a central Real Life character in my Castilian saga, but I am a bit of a
Marching through history – doing her duty. Of the woes of a medieval queen Read More »
Last week, Cathie visited with a post about Poppa, forgotten matriarch to the dukes of Normandy. Today, she is back with a post about yet another matriarch, but despite never having been recognised as queen of England, Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is anything but forgotten! From her spring the Plantagenet dynasty that would rule
Marching Matilda – the Empress who should have been queen Read More »
Today’s guest is Sharon Bennett Connolly who has just released Medieval Scottish Queens: From St Margaret to Margaret of Denmark. For those unfamiliar with Sharon’s books, she’s written several non-fiction books, books in which she attempts to breathe life into the women of the past. Extremely well-researched, Sharon’s books offer tantalising insight into a distant
Marching through history – say hello to Gruoch, a.k.a., Lady Macbeth Read More »