Status Updates From Heroines of the Tudor World

“The first day of January I lost my husband and the first day of January my son became King of France. The day of the Conversion of Saint Paul my son faced the very great danger of death. And on the same day he was crowned and anointed in the Cathedral Reims. For this am I greatly obliged to the divine mercy.” - Louise of Savoy, Le Journal, HEROINES OF THE TUDOR WORLD

“In the autumn of 1504, Isabella of Castile fell ill … Becoming unable to cope with state papers and tormented by sleeplessness and thirst, on 12 October Isabella signed her will, a long document in which she begged for the saints to intercede for her at the judgment, that her soul might ‘be placed in that glory for which it was created.’” — Sharon Bennett Connolly, HEROINES OF THE TUDOR WORLD

“Every era of history has its stories of women held captive, by their family, by brigands or the state, alongside many legends. The Tudors, however, appear to have made an art of it. The problem with writing about Captive Heroines is not finding enough women to include but in choosing which unfortunate women to leave out.” — Sharon Bennett Connolly, “Captive Heroines,” HEROINES OF THE TUDOR WORLD