Today we are hosting Conor Byrne, “Tudor Life” magazine regular contributor, historian and author, as part of his book tour for his latest book Queenship in England 1308-1485: Gender and Power in the Late Middle Ages. MadeGlobal Publishing is offering a paperback copy of Conor’s book to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is leave a comment below saying which 14th or 15th-century queen you’d like to know more about and why. Leave your comment before midnight Tuesday 21st February 2017. One commenter will be picked at random and contacted for his/her address.

On 3 January 1437, Katherine of Valois, widow of Henry V, died at the age of thirty-five. The former queen was buried at Westminster Abbey. Five months later, the life of another former queen of England ended. Joan of Navarre, Katherine’s immediate predecessor, died at the age of sixty-six or sixty-seven and was buried at Canterbury Cathedral. The queenships of Joan and Katherine reveal the opportunities for triumph and tribulation that the office brought, as well as showcasing the variety of roles that were associated with it, including mother, intercessor, patron and lord. Their queenships also reveal the strikingly different political and diplomatic contexts, depending on circumstances, in which the occupant could attempt to fulfil her roles, and how these contexts affected her ability to succeed in the role of queen.

As today is Valentine’s Day, I thought I would share this extract from our Feast Days section, as well as looking at some historic Valentine’s letters…

Steve Roud, in The English Year, writes of how the origins of Valentine’s Day are “obscure” and that the romantic traditions associated with it have nothing to do with either of the martyrs believed to have been the St Valentine commemorated on this day.
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in the 14th century of how birds would choose their mates on Valentine’s Day and this theme has been repeated in other pieces of literature. In John Lydgate’s 15th century poem, “A Valentine to her that Excelleth All”, he writes of how it was custom on Valentine’s Day for people to choose their love:

On Thursday, Conor Byrne, “Tudor Life” magazine regular contributor, author and historian, will be visiting us here at the Tudor Society as part of his book tour for his latest book Queenship in England 1308-1485. The tour starts today and there will be an interesting article and book giveaway at each stop, so please do follow Conor on his tour.

Here’s the schedule:

I’ve just received an email from Giles Tremlett about his latest book Isabella of Castile: Europe’s First Great Queen, which I know many of you will be interested in. His book on Catherine of Aragon was excellent.

Here’s what Giles says about his book:

“This week my latest book, a 625-page biography of Isabella of Castile, is published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom. It will be out in the United States on March 7 and will be available in Spanish and Chinese before year’s end. Early reviews from the US specialist book trade magazines are promising: “Magisterial… sublime presentation of facts and interpretation,” (Booklist); “highly readable, engrossing biography” (Library Journal) etc… Reviews will begin to appear in major UK papers next week.