Today in 1514 Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister, married Louis XII of France. She was 18, and he was 52. Mary was born in 1496, and she was reported to have been the most beautiful princess in Christendom. Erasmus said of her that "Nature never formed anything more beautiful."
Before she left for France, she supposedly made her brother promise that for her second marriage, she could choose her own husband. Her marriage to Louis did not last long, with him dying only 3 months after the wedding. The rumor was that he died from all the exertions in the marriage bed, but more likely it was gout. The new French king, Francis, tried to arrange a new marriage for Mary, but she married Charles Brandon before anyone was able to do anything with her. That marriage, of course, led to her being banished from court, and Wolsey having to step in to smooth things over.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Episode Link:
Mary Tudor, the French Queen
https://www.englandcast.com/2018/07/episode-108-mary-tudor-queen-of-france/