The Royal Romantic
Isabelle is back with a a fresh new scandal!
Hello Royal Romantics,
I hope you all had a glorious Christmas and New Year and are ready to be plunged back into the riveting world of royal romances.
I am kicking off 2025 with a tryst of the early modern variety, and no I'm not talking about the man who managed to score six wonderful wives. Instead, my eyes are fixed on his sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, whose own heart-racing romance is also worthy of a West End production.
It will come as no surprise that 16th-century marriages were nothing more than a way to establish political alliances, but Mary had other ideas.
As you will discover, like headstrong Henry, she did not mess about when it came to finding a love match, even if she did have to agree to a strategic marriage to further his aims. But did it all end happily ever after for Mary? Read on to find out and, as ever, do please leave your thoughts in the comments…
The French Queen
Despite only being married to the French King Louis XII of France for three months, Princess Mary Tudor of England was known as "The French Queen," but her marriage to Louis was a mere drop in the ocean of scandal that surrounded her affairs of the heart.
Prior to her marriage to Louis, Mary was completely besotted with her brother's best friend, Charles Brandon.
Charles and Henry were thick as thieves, growing up together after Charles' father died defending Henry’s father at the Battle of Bosworth. Under such fraternal circumstances, I am sure you can only imagine the chaos that ensued when Henry learnt of Charles’ deep affections for his very own sister – especially given Charles’ licentious reputation…