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Welcome to another week of This

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Week in Royal History, where we

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explore the personal stories, triumphs, and

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tragedies of the royal figures who

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have shaped the course of history,

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delving into their fascinating lives and

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the legacies they left behind. Hey

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right, to lead things off this

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week, let's spice things up a

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bit. Today I have a juicy

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story about Margaret of Scotland, the

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OG drama queen of medieval times.

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Margaret was born on a

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chilly February day in 1261

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to Alexander III of Scotland

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and Margaret of England. Now

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her uncle was none other

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than Edward I. You

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can imagine the family drama. But

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things got even more complicated when

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Margaret became betrothed to Erik II

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of Norway at just 20 years

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old. You see, tensions

1:37

between Scotland and Norway were high at

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the time. And what

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better way to ease the tension than

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to marry off a princess? But

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the real kicker was the treaty that came

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with the marriage. If Alexander

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III or any of

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his sons died without legitimate children,

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Margaret and her offspring would

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succeed to the Scottish throne.

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How's that for a power move? Fast

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forward to the fall of 1281 and

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Margaret and Eric finally tied the

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knot. There was just

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one tiny little problem. Eric

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was only 13 and Margaret was 20. Regardless

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of the age difference, Margaret

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became pregnant and in the spring

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of 1283 she gave

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birth to a daughter. Sadly

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Margaret did not survive childbirth and passed

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away on the 9th of April 1283

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at the age of 23. But

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wait, there's more. Margaret's

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daughter, known as the Maid of

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Norway, went on to become Queen

2:44

of Scotland in 1286 when she was 3 years old.

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Let's just say her reign was anything

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but smooth sailing but that's a

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story for another day. Speaking

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of strong-willed women named Margaret, did

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you know that another Margaret made

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her mark on history as well?

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Of course you did, but are you

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familiar with Margaret of Flanders? She

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was born on the 13th of

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April 1350 and was no stranger

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to the ups and downs of

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medieval politics. Born

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to Louis II, Count of Flanders

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and Margaret of Brabant, Margaret

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was their only surviving child making

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her quite the precious gem.

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In 1355 she married

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Philip I Duke of

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Burgundy, but their story

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was cut short when Philip died tragically

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in a riding accident just

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6 years later. But

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that wasn't the end of Margaret's story. The

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Decci of Burgundy was claimed by John

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II of France and granted to his

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son Philip the Bold in 1364. Margaret

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went on to marry Philip the Bold in 1369 and they

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had 9 children. together,

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although of course not all of

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them made it to adulthood. When

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her father passed away in 1384, Margaret

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and Philip inherited the county of

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Flanders, and let's just say they

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were not ones to shy away from power. But

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as we know, all good things must

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come to an end, and both

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Philip and Margaret passed away in quick

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succession, leaving the county of

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Flanders to their son John the Fearless,

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Duke of Burgundy. The

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county of Flanders later landed in

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control of the Habsburgs. Margaret

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may have lived in a different time,

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but her story is still one of

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strength, resilience, and a fierce

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desire for power. Here's

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to the Margaret's of the world. May

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we all be as unstoppable as they were.

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From the unstoppable Margaret's to the

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mighty Edward's, it seems like medieval

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England was a breeding ground for

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power struggles and epic battles. And

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speaking of epic battles, let's talk

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about Edward IV, the king

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who fought tooth and nail to secure his

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place on the throne. Edward

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was born to Richard, 3rd Duke

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of York, in Cessley-Nevil in Normandy

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back in 1442. Both

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of his parents were direct descendants from

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Edward III, with claims to

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the English throne. Talk about

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some serious royal bloodlines. After

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his father's execution, or murder,

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in 1460, Edward took up

5:38

his claim and continued to battle

5:40

against the Lancaster armies of Henry

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VI of England. But

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with the support of his cousin Richard Neville,

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Earl of Warwick, or

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aka the kingmaker, he

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finally defeated Henry's forces at the Battle

5:54

of Touton in 1461 and was proclaimed

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Edward IV. of England. But

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of course, no king is complete without

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his queen, and Edward

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secretly married Elizabeth Woodville in

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1464. Unfortunately,

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this created some major tension

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between him and the kingmaker,

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who wanted Edward to make a political marriage

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with a foreign princess. But

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Edward and Elizabeth didn't let that stop

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them. They went on to have ten

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children together. But

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Edward's reign wasn't all sunshine and

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rainbows. In 1470, a Lancastrian

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army invaded

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England, led by Margaret

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of Anjou, Henry VI's wife, Anne

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Warwick, alongside Edward's own

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brother, George, Duke of Clarence. The

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Lancastrians were victorious, and

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Henry VI took back the

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throne until March 1471, when

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Edward and his brother Richard, Duke

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of Gloucester, returned to England. The

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York forces defeated the Lancastrian army

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at the Battle of Tewksbury in

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May, and Henry VI later

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died in the Tower of London.

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After that, things calmed down for Edward,

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and he was able to enjoy some

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peace and security on the throne. But

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sadly, he died unexpectedly on the

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9th of April, 1483, at the age of

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forty. His young son, Edward

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V, succeeded him, but was

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declared illegitimate by his uncle,

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Richard, who claimed the throne

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for himself as Richard III.

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Edward's two young surviving sons would

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later become known as the Princes

7:39

in the Tower. But on

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a happier note, did you know that Edward's

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eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, married Henry VII

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of England to bring an end to

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the Wars of the Roses and

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united the Houses of York

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and Lancaster? Talk

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about a fairy tale ending to a tumultuous

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time in England. history. Well

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maybe not so much a

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fairy tale but a tale nonetheless. From

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the powerful Edwards to the

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influential Margaret's it's clear

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that medieval Europe was home to

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some truly fascinating figures. And

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speaking of fascinating let's dive into

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the life of Marguerite of Navarre,

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a woman who played a pivotal

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role in the French Renaissance and

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Reformation. Marguerite was

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born on April 11th

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1492 to Charles Count

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of Angouillem and Louise of Savoy.

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As the eldest child Marguerite was

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no stranger to the spotlight especially

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since her father was a descendant of Charles

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the fifth of France and

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a possible successor to the throne. She

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had one younger brother who would later

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become Francis the first of France but

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her mother made sure that Marguerite

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received a classical education that included

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Latin. In 1509 Marguerite

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was married off to

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Charles the fourth Duke of Elnson

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in a political match brokered by Louis

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the 12th of France. Unfortunately

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the marriage remained childless and

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Charles passed away in 1525. A year

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later she married Henry the second

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of Navarre. Together

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they had two children although

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only their eldest daughter

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survived to adulthood.

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So Marguerite was more than just

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a wife and mother she

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was an important participant in the

9:36

French Renaissance and Reformation. In

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fact it's even possible that Anne Boleyn

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during her time as lady and waiting

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to Queen Claude may have

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crossed paths with Marguerite and become

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influenced by her views on Christianity.

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Marguerite was a vocal advocate for

9:52

reform within the Catholic Church although

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she wasn't a Calvinist herself and

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she did her best to protect reformers. Sadly

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Marguerite passed away on the 21st of December 1549

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at the age of 57. But

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her legacy lived on through her grandson

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who became Henry IV of France

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and began the Bourbon dynasty.

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It's truly incredible to think about the

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impact that Marguerite of Navarre had on

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both French history and the

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wider world. It

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was to trailblazers like Marguerite who paved

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the way for progress and change. From

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Marguerite of Navarre to Catherine de' Medici,

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it's clear that women played a crucial

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role in shaping the course of history.

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And speaking of history makers, let's

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talk about Catherine de' Medici, a

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woman who was born in the tragedy

10:50

but went on to become one of

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the most powerful women in French history.

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Catherine was born on the 13th of April 1519, but sadly

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both of her parents died within a

11:02

month of her birth, leaving her

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to be raised by her aunt Clarisse de'

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Medici and her cousins. At

11:10

the age of 14 Catherine married

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Henry, Duke of Orleans, who was

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the second son of Francis I of

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France. Unfortunately, Henry

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began an affair with Diane

11:20

de Portier only a year

11:22

into their marriage. Despite

11:25

this, Catherine and Henry went on to

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have nine children, with seven

11:29

surviving into adulthood. But

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Catherine's life wasn't all sunshine and

11:35

rainbows either. She had no

11:37

political influence during Henry's reign and

11:39

after his death in 1559 their eldest son

11:43

became Francis II but

11:45

died less than a year later. Catherine

11:48

then became regent for her younger son Charles

11:50

IX, who was only 10 years old at

11:53

the time. She dominated

11:56

Charles during his reign and was regent

11:58

during the French wars of religion. between

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the Huguenots and the Catholics. Catherine

12:04

tried to reconcile the two sides by

12:06

having her daughter Margaret marry Henry

12:08

III of Navarre, a Protestant. Unfortunately

12:12

their wedding celebration in Paris

12:14

became known as the Saint

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Bartholomew's Day Massacre in which

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hundreds of Huguenots were murdered. Catherine

12:22

was implicated as being involved in

12:25

the massacre which stained her reputation.

12:29

Despite this, Catherine continued to be

12:31

politically involved during the reign of

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her other son Henry III, still

12:35

attempting to reconcile the two sides

12:37

during the Civil War. Catherine

12:41

died on the 5th of January 1589 at the age of

12:43

69 and was buried at the Basilica

12:48

of St. Denis next

12:50

to her husband. Henry

12:52

III died only eight months later

12:55

without any heirs. But

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did you know that Catherine's daughter

13:00

Margaret became Queen Consort of France when

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her husband succeeded as Henry IV

13:05

of France? It's

13:08

amazing to think about how the lives

13:10

of these powerful women intersected and influenced

13:12

the course of history. From

13:17

Catherine de' Medici to Juana of

13:20

Castile, it's clear that

13:22

women in history faced many challenges

13:24

including being confined by their male

13:27

relatives. And speaking

13:29

of confinement, let's talk about Juana

13:31

of Castile, a woman

13:33

who was born into a powerful

13:35

royal family that ultimately spent much

13:37

of her life in prison. Juana

13:41

was born on the 6th of November 1479 to Ferdinand

13:43

II of Aragon and Isabella

13:47

I of Castile. From

13:50

a young age it was clear that Juana

13:52

would make a significant marriage and

13:54

she was educated in academics and royal

13:57

or domestic etiquette. In

14:00

1996 she married Philippa Flanders, son

14:03

of Maximilian, the first Holy Roman

14:05

Emperor and married Duchess of

14:07

Burgundy. The marriage was

14:10

arranged to strengthen the Austrian Habsburg

14:12

and Spanish Trastamoras against the

14:15

French and Juana and Philipp

14:17

went on to have six children, all

14:19

of whom grew up to be Emperors

14:21

and Queens. But

14:24

despite her royal lineage and powerful marriage,

14:27

Juana's life took a turn when she was

14:29

recognized as the heir to Castile after the

14:32

death of her brother, elder sister

14:34

and nephew. When

14:37

her mother died in 1504 she became

14:39

one of the first of Castile, but

14:42

her husband and father saw her as

14:44

unfit to rule and signed over Castile

14:46

to Philipp. When

14:48

Philipp died in 1506, Juana

14:51

quickly lost control of Castile, which

14:53

was turned over to her father in 1507. She

14:57

was queen in name only and her

14:59

father had her confined to a castle.

15:04

Reports began circling that Juana was

15:06

going mad and by 1509

15:08

her father had her locked up. When

15:12

Fernet died in 1516, the Kingdom

15:14

of Aragon transferred to Juana and

15:16

her son Charles V and

15:19

he ruled as co-monarch with

15:21

Juana and Castile, Leon and

15:23

Aragon. However,

15:25

Charles also had his mother

15:27

confined to confirm his rule

15:30

and she would spend the rest of

15:32

her life locked away where her mental

15:34

condition continued to deteriorate. Juana

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died on the 12th of April 1555 at the age of 75. It's

15:45

heartbreaking to think about the confinement

15:47

and mistreatment that Juana endured throughout

15:50

her life, but she was

15:52

ultimately laid to rest at the Royal Chapel

15:54

of Granada with her parents and

15:56

her husband. Despite

15:59

the tragedy, that befell her,

16:01

Wanna's royal lineage and the impact

16:03

of her children ensured that

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her legacy would live on in

16:07

European history. From

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Wanna of Castile who spent much of

16:14

her life confined and mistreated to

16:17

Joanna of Austria, who tragically

16:19

died at a young age, the

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struggles of women in history are all

16:24

too apparent. Wanna

16:27

of Austria, born into a powerful

16:29

royal family, faced her own

16:31

set of challenges during her short life.

16:35

Joanna was born on the 24th of January 1547

16:37

in Prague to Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, and

16:43

Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. She

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was the youngest of 15 children and

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her paternal grandparents were Philip I

16:52

and Joanna of Castile. In

16:55

December 1565, Joanna

16:57

married Francesco de' Medici heir to

16:59

the grandecci of Tuscany and

17:02

they went on to have eight children. Unfortunately

17:05

only two of their daughters would

17:07

survive to adulthood and

17:09

the marriage itself was unhappy. Joanna

17:13

longed for her home in Austria

17:16

and struggled with the difficulties of adjusting

17:18

to life in Italy. In

17:21

1578, while pregnant with her

17:24

eighth child, she fell down the stairs

17:26

at the palace and went into labor.

17:30

The infant died upon birth and Joanna

17:32

passed away the next day. It

17:35

was later revealed that she suffered

17:37

from scoliosis which would

17:39

have made childbirth painful and difficult for

17:41

her. Despite

17:44

the challenges she faced in life, Joanna's

17:46

legacy lived on through her children.

17:50

Interestingly her daughter Marie would go on to

17:52

marry Henry IV of France in 1600, making

17:57

Joanna an anthestress to the Bourbon Kings

17:59

of France. It's

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amazing to think about how the lives

18:04

of historical figures like Joanna of Austria

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can have far-reaching impacts on the world,

18:09

even centuries after their deaths. Well,

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that concludes this episode of This Week

18:16

in Royal History. Thank you

18:18

so much for listening. I'm Rebecca Larson. Until

18:21

next time. Thanks

18:24

for listening to this episode of the

18:26

Tudors Dynasty Podcast. You

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can follow and support the

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Tudors Dynasty Podcast on Facebook,

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Tudors Dynasty.