NOTES: Murdered while at prayer in the Tower of London. Henry was the last
of the house of Lancaster. In 1464 Henry was captured an imprisoned in the
Tower of London. He had suffered attacks of insanity all his life and was now
completely incapacitated. Henry founded Eton College and King's College,
University of Cambridge, was venerated by many as a saint because of his piety.
NOTES: Crowned: Westminster Abbey, 30 May 1445; Dau. of Rene, Duke of
Anjou, titular King of Naples and Sicily, and his 1st wife Isabelle, Duchess of
Lorraine.
NOTES: The Black Prince; He distinguished himself as a military leader
during the Hundred Years' War. During his lifetime he was called Edward of
Woodstock; the name Black Prince was given him because of the black armor he
wore. Parts of his armor still hang in Canterbury Cathedral.
NOTES: In 1846 she married her cousin, Don Francisco de Asis. From the time
she was declared of age in 1843, Isabella's reign was troubled by intrigues,
rumors of scandal, civil strife, and great political instability. In 1870
Isabella abdicated in favor of her son, Alfonso, who eventually succeeded to the
throne in 1875 as Alfonso XII.
NOTES: Mary became a prisoner of Queen Elizabeth I and in the ensuing
intrigues to rescue her and place her on the throne of Elizabeth, the most
famous was that of Mary's page, Anthony Babington, who plotted to assassinate
Elizabeth. The conspiracy was discovered, and Mary was brought to trial in
October 1586. She was sentenced to death on October 25, but not until Feb. 1,
1587 did Elizabeth sign the warrant of execution. She was beheaded a week
later.
NOTES: Francis was a mental and physical weakling and was dominated by
François, duke of Guise and Cardinal Charles of Lorraine, the uncles of his
wife. These two men, who in effect were the rulers during Francis's brief reign
(1559-60) tried to repress the growing political power of the Protestants in
France. His death ended the ascendancy of the Guises at court. a.k.a.: Francois
II.
NOTES: Mary's cousin, the Catholic Scottish nobleman Henry Stewart, Laird
Darnley, was married with Roman Catholic rites. Mary had given him the title
of King, but he now demanded that the crown be secured to him for life and that,
if the queen died without children, it should descend to his heirs. Darnley was
discovered strangled close by the scene of an explosion of the house where he lay
sick. The explosion was by gunpowder, and Mary (it is suspected) was not wholly
ignorant of the plot against Darnley.
NOTES: Bothwell was probably responsible for the murder of Mary's 2nd
husband, Darnley. He was brought to a mock trial and acquitted. A short time
afterward he and Mary were married.
NOTES: Queen consort (1538-42) of James V of Scotland and regent of
Scotland (1554-60); also known as Mary of Lorraine. The widowed daughter of
the French soldier Claude de Lorraine, 1st duc de Guise (1496-1550). Mary
married King James in 1538. After his death in 1542, she engaged in a power
struggle with James Hamilton, 3rd earl of Arran (c.1517-75), who had been
appointed regent for his infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1548 she
arranged her daughter's betrothal to the French Dauphin. Mary secured Arran's
resignation and succeeded him as regent in 1554. When she began persecuting the
Scottish Protestants in 1559, they rebelled against her. Both France and England
intervened in the struggle, which ended with Mary's death.
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