Dear Folk,
On October 3rd, several notable things happened. The first and most important happened in 1983. Branwyn NicBrock, mundanely known as Ash Weaver, came into this world to enhance and enchant my existence. Happiest of birthdays, Ash May you always thirst for knowledge, may you always hunger for the truth, may you refuse the sleep of popular culture, may you walk the razor's edge. I am immensely and inordinately proud of you.
Also on this day in 1568, Isabel (or in English, Elizabeth) de Valois died in childbirth. Isabel born 1546 was the eldest daughter of King Henri II of France and Catherine de' Medici. She was the third wife of Philip II of Spain. A small recap might be in order.
Catherine de'Medici was heir to her Florentine family, the best made marriage arranged by her generation. Her portrait is here http://www.geocities.com/marilee-cody/medici.jpg She had uncles who were popes and cardinals. For nine years after she married Henri II she was barren. Henri made certain he went off and sired children by country gals to prove it wasn't his fault. Catherine tried everything legal and holy, when that did not work she tried other things. Rumor always had that those shall we say "mystical" methods cursed her line. On that ninth year, Catherine conceived Francois II who married Mary Stuart (ruled 1559-1560) to die of a mastoid infection. Thereafter Catherine had a child every year. Isabel was her eldest daughter. Then came Charles IX (ruled 1560-1574) who died of tuberculosis; Henri III who ran away from being king of Poland to pick up the scepter when Charles died; Hercule (later renamed Francois) a dwarfish, weak plotter against his mother and brother Charles, and Margaret de Valois (Queen Margot) who married Henry of Navarre (later Henri IV, first of the Bourbon kings).
When Francois II died, Mary Stuart went back to Scotland. We have already talked about her marriages and her unhappy ending with Elizabeth I's headsman in "Gals, Gunpowder and Golf." Check the archives if you have forgotten.
Isabel was pretty in her own way, I have seen her portrait. You might want to look at it here http://www.geocities.com/marilee-cody/isabel.jpg. Her face somewhat looked like her mother but with a little of the Valois grace added to it. She grew to be taller than her rather close to the ground mom whom Mary Stuart was unkind enough to call "that dumpy Florentine shopkeeper" or words to that effect. She was only thirteen when she was married to Philip by proxy in June 1559 just a few months after his second wife died. Isabel finally met Philip in Guadalajara in February 1560. Incidentally Isabel was originally engaged to Philip's drooling son, Don Carlos.
Philip had already had two wives: Mary of Portugal who had given birth to a demented son Don Carlos and Mary Tudor Queen of England (Bloody Mary). Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's daughter by Catherine of Aragon, did not give Philip any children and then died off in England when Philip came home to Spain. So Isabel (or Elizabeth, however you wish to spell and pronounce it) was Queen of Spain.
Isabel died tragically young in childbirth. She was barely 22 at the time. Philip it appears actually loved her unlike his cold Mary Tudor. After her death, Philip married Anne of Austria who was the daughter of Emperor Maximillian II.
Philip II, who was a Habsburg, loved his Isabel but showed complete disdain for her mother, Catherine. Philip saw his role in life as the eradicator of Protestantism. Catherine was allowing the Huguenots some religious freedom. Not exactly Philip's game plan. You may remember that Philip was the one who launched the Spanish Armada (1588) against his ex-sister-in-law Elizabeth I of England. He also was the guy who made the Spanish Inquisition the tool of righteousness that it became. He involved Spain in so many campaigns that there was little left in the treasury. So, he had some tolerance issues and did not play well with anyone not of his brand of Christianity. Isabel loved him.
You know, not bad for a Florentine shop keeper! Catherine was wife to a king and gave birth to three kings and two queens. Incidentally, Nostradamus predicted every bit of it. He was Catherine's astrologer.
On October 3, 1283, Dafydd (pronounced "Davith") the last actually resident Prince of Wales was executed by Edward I "Longshanks."
Wales had been going through some independence and sovereignty issues. King John had taken much of Wales away. Under the Treaty of Woodstock with King Henry III in 1247, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd ("son of Griffith") had to cede all the lands east of the River Conwy to England. This did not suit Llywelyn's brothers, Owain and Dafydd. They raised armies against Llywelyn and even got the English occasionally to back their plays. It was just what the English wanted: Welsh fighting each other.
In 1255, Llywelyn defeated his brothers at the battle of Byrn Derwin. He was never to trust Owain again. Dafydd remained free. Llywelyn then set out to establish rule over all of Gwynedd (north Wales) and then over the rest of Wales. In 1267, Henry III surprised almost everyone by accepting Llywelyn's homage and position as Prince of Wales in the Treaty of Montgomery.
Things went differently when Henry III's son, Edward, took the throne in 1276. He insulted the Welsh and their leader. Llywelyn was a proud man. He refused to pay the money Wales owed in tribute under the terms of the Treaty of Montgomery. He further tempted fate by arranging to marry Eleanor, daughter of rebel baron Simon de Montfort (see "Father of Democracy"), this cheesed Edward no small amount. And just in case England did not get the message, Llywelyn fortified some old castles, and built a new one overlooking the Severn valley.
Enough was enough, and in 1276-77 Edward had decided that it was clobbering time. Edward came out to lead the troops at Chester in July 1277, and by August he had some 15,600 pug-ugly Brits in his pay. Against these odds, Llywelyn had no choice but to sue for peace. The ensuing Treaty of Aberconwy represented a comprehensive humiliation for the prince of Wales. He was no longer trusted as overlord of Wales. Wales lost all its territorial gains. On the bright side of things, and boy you had to look hard, Edward did allow Llywelyn to finally marry Eleanor de Montfort.
Things and the Welsh stewed for a bit. On March 21 (my birthday BTW), 1282, Llywelyn's brother, Dafydd, attacked Hawarden Castle and sparked off the war of 1282-83. Like Popeye said "I've stood all I can stands and I can't stands no more." This was directed east toward England.
Now what to do? Llywelyn was faced with an almost impossible dilemma. He was torn between his fealty to the king and his loyalty to his brother Dafydd and his people. Llywelyn eventually was to side with his brother and led the Welsh resistance to the inevitable invasion by Edward I. By the end of the year Llywelyn was dead, having been killed on December 11 in a brief engagement with English forces at Irfon Bridge near Builth Wells. Dafydd despite his warlike spirit was not the leader his brother Llywelyn was. He was betrayed by other Welsh and captured by the English. Edward took great pleasure, it is said, in stamping out the last of this line. Dafydd on this day October 3, 1283 was executed. Edward took the title Prince of Wales and gave it to his son, Edward II (see "Eddie and the Cruisers') and we all know how well that turned out.
What have we learned? Edward I and Philip II had a habit of getting their way? Even shopkeepers can succeed with luck, pluck, and some "mystical" help? Philip II did his part to keep the world Catholic by bankrupting Spain? Sometimes you just have to go in and try to bail out your brother even if you know it is a foolish thing to do? How about a daughter is a treasure beyond price? Works for me.
Friends and readers, if you are out there attacking the Huguenots, marrying your son's fiancee, or just plain whomping the Brits, and you wish to forward these missives, grammercy! Only do remember to keep my name and sig. attached.
Loving gray whales and Earl Grey tea,
J. Ellsworth Weaver
SCA – Sir Balthazar of Endor
AS – Polyphemus Theognis