The Tudor Queen's Controversial Portrait: Analysis & Facial Reconstructions
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
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0:00 Introduction
0:57 What did Catherine of Aragon Look Like?
5:09 Review of Portraiture
8:29 Re-Creations Revealed
Catherine of Aragon is an iconic figure in English history. Catherine was the daughter of Spain’s famous Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, and the wife of two princes of England, including the infamous King Henry VIII.
But what did Catherine really look like? Movies and TV shows rarely portray Catherine correctly, plus, the most famous portrait of Catherine may not even be her. So, let’s dive in.
Catherine - or Catalina as she was called in her native Spain - was sent to England at just 15 years old to marry their crown prince, Arthur.
Any children the two could have would provide much needed stability for the English monarchy. Upon Catherine’s arrival in England, it was said that King Henry VII was relieved that Catherine was pretty and looked fit for childbearing - it was reported that he “was delighted with what he saw.”
In contrast to how fictional media portrays Catherine, as the typical Spaniard with dark hair and dark eyes, she was very fair, with red-gold hair, fair skin, and large blue eyes. Her hair and beautiful, smooth skin were one her most remarked-upon qualities throughout her life.
Sir Thomas More, who witnessed the marriage of Henry and Catherine in person, said Catherine wore a wide brimmed hat, with her waist-length hair flowing loose behind her. He also remarked that few women could compare with Catherine’s looks in her prime.
And her confessor, Fray Diego, said:
‘Her highness is very healthy and the most beautiful creature in the world, with the greatest gaiety and contentment that ever was.’
Unfortunately, this glorious beginning for Catherine and Henry didn’t last. Over the years, they suffered, with at least five of her six pregnancies ending in tragedy. The couple did have one living, healthy child - a daughter named Mary.
15 years in England, a crumbling marriage, and years of stressful and heartbreaking pregnancies, had understandably taken their toll on Catherine, and her youthful beauty had begun to fade.
By the time Catherine was 30, ambassador's began to describe her as "not handsome but very virtuous" with one even going as far as stating that she was “ugly, and deformed"
In 1520, The French King Francois, would say after meeting the royal couple, that King Henry, was "young and handsome" but cruelly added that his wife Catherine was "old and deformed"
However, it was said that even through these sleights, Catherine always carried herself with dignity. Although she was a small woman, standing at only 5 feet tall, she always commanded respect with her intelligence, and her low, authoritative voice.
She also dressed the part, popularizing a lot of fashion in England during her time as queen, including an embroidery style called blackwork, which was this beautiful, ornate stitching. And the farthingale, a cone shaped underskirt that gives tudor dresses their distinct shape.
So, while we have solid physical descriptions of Catherine to work from, there is more controversy around her portraits than you might expect.
The portraits that are attributed to being a young Catherine don’t really look anything like the portraits of her as an older woman, leading to quite a bit of confusion about what her true face really was.
One of the most famous depictions of a teenaged Catherine, is this one. It’s a beautiful painting, and lives in many of our imaginations when we think of the young Spanish Princess. I’ve based one of my re-creations off of this portrait, but it’s actually quite controversial.
The museum that displays this artwork actually labels her as Mary Rose Tudor - the sister of Henry VIII.
Unfortunately, we still have no verdict - there are arguments both for and against this image being Catherine.
The original identification of this image as Catherine was proposed by Max Friedlander in 1915. The artist for this portrait, Michael Sittow, was a Flemish painter who worked as the court painter for Catherine’s mother, Isabella of Castile.
It would therefore make sense that he would paint a teenaged Catherine before she left for England.
Friedlander assumed that it was the Spanish Infanta because of the K initials seen in her jewelry - Catherine can be spelled interchangeably with a C or a K.
But, in 2005, art historian Paul Matthews proposed the re identification as Mary Tudor. He proposed the painting was made later than originally thought - around 1515.
We do have some confirmed images of Catherine later in her life.
So let’s take a look at some re-creations.
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You may also enjoy the full history video we made of Catherine a while back: czcams.com/video/31QjRM-VQq8/video.html
I never connect her with her parents. You just made me think of the timeline. Of course, that's who her parents were. TY
TY for your analysis. I tend to agree with you
Very sad story. Katherine had everything. Powerful royal parents. She was a devoted wife and loving mother. Yet Henry VIII treated her with such cruelty because he blamed her for not bearing him sons.
She was the product of monsters. I find it hard to pity her or her estrangement from her daughter when her parents ethnically cleansed thousands. Im sure the Jews who lost everything, including their lives, loved their children too, it didn’t save them from the zealotry of Ferdinand and Isabella.
it is indeed sad and very unfair, she had so much potential, she was so intelligent
As a Spanish-American, it has always blown my mind that people think that every Spanish person has dark features. While I do (as do my mother and son and my mother's sisters and father), my abuela has blonde hair and green eyes, not to mention my angel of a daughter looks EXACTLY like your recreation of Catherine -- down to the long red/blonde hair and pale skin. I even sent her this video because so many people get confused when she says that she is Spanish. Thank you for this gem of a video - incredible work as always.
My ancestors (some) were Spanish-from Europe. I have gray eyes and blonde hair. It’s on their side, as for my other ancestry is ‘native’. So you’re right. And yes, Queen Catherine was beautiful ❣️👍
It was Celt Iberia before the Romans conquered. Romans brought the darker complexion.
@@pauladuncanadams1750 The Moors as well.
@@jaengenSorry, but why would you think Moors and Christians would have married each other back in the middle ages, when Christians of different sects wouldn't even marry each other??
@@gf3011 you're kidding, right? Just go read the history of Andalucia and the Spanish word for carrot.
I don't think she's ugly or deformed at all. She's beautiful. I think you nailed it. 🎯
Deformed wasn't meant in the same way it is today (i.e. disfigured). He was referring to her weight. Catherine became overweight in her later years according to some sources.
She was the most beautiful among all the wives of Henry VIII
And you know this how?
@@murph8837by seeing the recreations of all his wives.. duh..
@@rolitiwari0909you are crude dear
She was beautiful. Would you do a reconstruction of her daughter? Queen Mary? Maybe show her between Catherine and Henry ?
Catherine has always been my favorite of Henry’s wives and I loved seeing these portraits brought to life.
I think you are absolutely correct in your assertion. In the 15 year old recreation we can see why Henry VII would have been so pleased for his son to have her as his bride. I love watching the animation you give the recreations, especially the smiles, which always make my heart happy. While we know that so many of the royalty portrayed had tragic lives, it is wonderful to imagine them having a joyful moment. Well done!
It's a little creepy that after his son died, the 47 year old Henry VII wanted to marry her himself. When her father said no, her father in law hardly gave her and her household any support for food and housing.
@@serahloeffelroberts9901I was going to mention the same thing, glad to see you already did.
I SLAPPED THE LIVING HELL OUT OF THE NOTIFICATION AS SOON AS I GOT IT OML-
ME TOO
Same
Same
Omg y'all are so sweet :) I hope you enjoyed it!!
Always, a beautiful presentation
While these portraits could never convey how they actually looked in real life with how much editing was likely done, I always find it fascinating to see these recreations as they give a look into how these figures wanted to be seen as
When i hear the life story of Catherine of Aragon i cant help but feel sad for her. Such a strong woman full of faith and integrity and had to suffer so much humiliation. Im sure she was beautiful when younger. But so much suffering with all the pressure to produce an male heir and feeling unloved. I read the beginning of her marriage to Henry VIII was happy. And then she is rejected like she had no value. No wonder she lost her youthful beauty. But im sure she was a woman that inspired respect and love from the one that really knew her!
I think we have to remember that those were different times and unfortunately such was the fate of women whatever place they had in society. That is they were married off to forge family alliances and for dowries. There were seldom 'love' marriages. Even after her divorce Catherine continued to be loved by the English people and unlike several of Henry's other wives she kept her head! Much of her sadness was in the separation from her daughter Mary, ( Henry forbade them from seeing each other unless they recognised Anne Boleyn as Queen which both refused to do).
@@IsisBarom Very true!!!
Sadly, it may have been her faith that led to her losing so many babies. She fasted constantly, even when pregnant.
@@AliSakurai Yes, I think you might be right. So much wasn't known at the time about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and the impact on the development of the baby.
I love your theory; the older and younger portraits and recreations, to my eye, could absolutely be the same woman. I really enjoyed your deep dive into the art history and portrait mysteries. The Tudor history nerd in me is in heaven! And thanks so much for pointing out the inaccuracies in so many TV and movie portrayals of Catherine; why make her stereotypically "Spanish" with dark hair and eyes, when all the primary sources said she was fair? (Sorry for the rant, lol.)
Thank you!! And I totally agree - how hard is it just to make her hair color accurate? Maybe they thought audiences wouldn’t understand she was Spanish without dark hair?
I think in many cases it's simply a storytelling device, a "short cut" for signalling to the viewers that Catherine was Spanish and/or "foreign". With her actual looks she might look like a Tudor relative - the thing is, she _was_ a Tudor relative. Royal families were often more related to each other across borders than to the respective peoples they ruled, so yes, this practice is silly, and yes, it does annoy me too that she doesn't get her actual looks.
@@monmothma3358 Родственницей Тюдоров по какой линии? Она из династии Трастамара по матери, которая в свою очередь была дальней родственницей Ланкастеров по линии Джона Гонта
@@user-sm8vd1xz4j I'd love to know what you're saying here, but I have no way to :'(
It was Celt Iberia before the Romans conquered. They brought the dark complexion.
My husband and I think this is your best re-creation yet. Something about the older Catherine's face tells of the incredible pain and hurt she suffered due to miscarriages and Henry's push to have a male heir. Thank you for all you do to bring these people in history to life.
Such an admirable Queen. Her tomb is at Peterborough Cathedral. I stopped in the town while traveling from Norwich to Newcastle and regret not making time to see her tomb. Great Video she deserves so much more. "Like"
Your recreation of the older Catherine with the modification is spot on to me, intuitively! I agree she looks like the younger portrait! She could be the same woman for sure. Thank you so much for your beautiful work. 😍
this was great. I've always thought that the Sittow portrait was Catherine as it looks nothing like the actual portraits of Mary Tudor. Thank you for making these!
You are a stellar artist. All your videos, recreations combined with your angelic voice in your narrations are so touching, so heart-warming, so breathtaking.. that I can't even explain how many wonderful emotions I felt watching these master pieces you created & blessed us with. We love you!! 💌
A lot of the representations of them in this era are so wild. So many copies and all of them so bad! I wish we could find the real ones. Drives me mad when they refer to Princess Mary as 'Mary Rose Tudor' when middle names were hardly never used in this era. Mary Rose was a ship. Your re-creations are always so amazing. I think the Sittow portrait is her as it is so similar to the one of her and Juana as young girls. Would love to see what you do with portraits of her mother Isabella!
From the historical descriptions and the similarity to the Juana portrait, I think the portraits you chose are Catherine. She’s beautiful and everything you would expect from a graceful Spanish royal. Almost all royals across Europe had the strawberry blonde hair. Well done!
There is a Spanish tv show called Isabel it covers the life of Catherine’s mother Isabel of Castile.
one of the last episodes shows young Catherine before leaving to England, and the actress that they got to play her Natalia Rodríguez looks so much more like the portraits of her then other Actresses I have seen play her in movies and TV shows and to make it even better she’s actually Spanish
Agreed. I love that Henry/Enrique 8th is the correct age aswell.
With the two portraits you’ve recreated, I still feel she was beautiful even in her “old and deformed” state.
Me too :) if the portraits are accurate then that’s a very mean description.
She was losing popularity in court due to the lack of an heir. It's all politics.
@@RoyaltyNowStudiosyes. But I think she wore her grievances of lost babies heavily in her face. Especially when she did give birth to a living son, who died after a month
Yeah, and that’s a BOLD statement coming from a nose like that 😂
From the way you described her, the most appropriate portrait of Katherine of Aragon, which is also the most beautiful because of the modesty she radiates, is by the painter Michael Sittow!
Katharina, in Greek, means "Queen".
The first portrait, the one at 00:00, 4:00...
Katarina in greek means "pure" from the same root as katharsis. But I am interested in your source where it says it means "queen"
@@suddhadasi You are right, Mrs. Natalia Gurevich, because the image of the Cathar „sect” - those who wanted* to maintain PURE the knowledge - appeared before my eyes as I was looking up the etymology of this word in my German dictionary, where „reine” is translated as „pure”, but, without thinking, I immediately understood it as in French, where it means „queen”, ... which is not quite wrong, because there really is a divine Being, Queen of Purity!**
*They wished, but they also failed to keep PURE the teachings they received, otherwise they could not just "keep", but still perceive NEW revelations from the Heights of Light, always necessary for the further maturation of the human spirit.
No one suffers without making himself guilty by one of his deeds or thoughts, and the stagnation of one element hinders the Movement of the Whole, which is in perpetual evolution. It is a stasis contrary to Divine Will; a sin, as moral decadence is! Otherwise the forces of Darkness would not have succeeded in eliminating them in the end! So not because of some dogma contrary to the „true” faith, but for the MATERIAL wealth, that „gold” they were rumored to have accumulated and which those in power always coveted...
**Which is not the earthly mother of Jesus, as she was intentionally called by the leaders of the human church!
PS: And „Natalia” means „born”... spiritually, not just reincarnated on Earth; more precisely: „reborn” with the recognition of the whole Truth, not censored by human hands, not falsely interpreted by the shrewdness of the intellect born of dust!
@@suddhadasi You are right, Mrs. Natalia Gurevich, because the image of the Cathar „sect” - those who wanted* to maintain PURE the knowledge - appeared before my eyes as I was looking up the etymology of this word in my German dictionary, where „reine” is translated as „pure”, but, without thinking, I immediately understood it as in French, where it means „queen”, ... which is not quite wrong, because there really is a divine Being, Queen of Purity!**
*They wished, but they also failed to keep PURE the teachings they received, otherwise they could not just “keep”, but still perceive NEW revelations from the Heights of Light, always necessary for the further maturation of the human spirit.
No one suffers without making himself guilty by one of his deeds or thoughts, and the stagnation of one element hinders the Movement of the Whole, which is in perpetual evolution. It is a stasis contrary to Divine Will; a sin, as moral decadence is! Otherwise the forces of Darkness would not have succeeded in eliminating them in the end! So not because of some dogma contrary to the „true” faith, but for the MATERIAL wealth, that „gold” they were rumored to have accumulated and which those in power always coveted...
**Which is not the earthly mother of Jesus, as she was intentionally called by the leaders of the human church!
PS: And „Natalia” means „born”... spiritually, not just reincarnated on Earth; more precisely: „reborn” with the recognition of the whole Truth, not censored by human hands, not falsely interpreted by the shrewdness of the intellect born of dust!
❤For your melodious voice!
Uncle Dan.
Yes, totally agree! I’d never seen the Portrait of a Girl but I think the resemblance between it and the Sittow portrait is strong. When you add in the sister, Joanna, the case seems even stronger.
And, wow, you blew me away with the recreation of that miniature! It made me really happy to see that portrait become a real woman. Across the three portraits, the earliest, the Sittow and the miniature, I feel like I’m actually face to face with Catherine.
How have I watched so many of these over the years and yet each reveal still gives me goosebumps? Your artistic gift is so so special.
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
Consider, as she aged and her efforts to birth an heir kept failing she may have become quite depressed and much of her face fullness in younger years may have simply melted away due to stress and loss of interest in things such as meals in a depressive state. The thinner faced portrait may actually be a dramatic change of the true facts in her appearance.
I know it’s not accurate, but I absolutely LOVE Maria Kennedy as Katherine in The Tudors. I feel she portrays her character so well.
I agree, she was a great actress for the role, I wish they would have done something else with her hair. However, Tudors is not known for it's historically accuracy and we still enjoy it anyway!
@@RoyaltyNowStudios The "Wolf Hall" version of both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn are somewhat less than accurate when it comes to physical appearance. Anne is portrayed as having large blue eyes and Catherine is shown as a brunette. However, the costumes are the most accurate I've seen in a tv or movie production.
Could You please do a recreation & brief explanation of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz & King George III?
Your videos are ALWAYS so incredibly fascinating!! 🔥 … I use your videos when homeschooling my children as you provide great history lessons in addition to your recreations. Thank you!!
I feel they said mean things as a matter of politics and they could get away with it because they didn't have the technology we have today.
What you said about her often being depicted as having dark features, and hair reminds me of when I asked my grandmother about her Spanish ancestry and she replied that her ancestors in Spain had red hair and blue eyes because they had not mixed with darker cultures at that point. So I found what you pointed out to be very apt.
Yes, Spain was Celt Iberia before the Romans conquered. They brought the dark complexion with them.
The soothing background music and your beautiful voice make the recreation magical!
Wonderful portrait. Getting married at 15 to someone you didn't or barely knew must have been some kind of experience....Great job and another great video!
Kudos to you Becca and Andre this is such a marvelous video! Catherine of Aragon is my fave among Henry's wives. She is strong, resilient and inspiring. And she is beautiful! I love the recreations! They all look like Catherine and not Mary Tudor, i agree with you.
This was fantastic! My goodness! Thank you for another wonderful recreation of an iconic English beauty. The real life recreation is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much!
English beauty? Sorry? As far I know she was Spanish!!!
Could you do facial reconstructions of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella? Perhaps after we see what they looked like in real life we could get a better impression of Katherine’s looks as well. I loved your recreations btw. Bravo, as always.
the most underrated channel fr , you guys produce the best vids !!!
Do love that Catherine's father declined King Henry VII. It gives me the impression that he did love her and wanted what was best for her rather than just seeing her as a political bargaining chip
I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THIS!
Your videos always come out when im having a really hard day with my anxiety. They really help calm me down. Thank you ❤
One of my favorite CZcams channels!!! Rewatched so many recreations again❤.
I am always so impressed by your impressions of each portrait you do. I feel this impression of Catherine is a lot more accurate.
Thank you for your beautiful portraits. I enjoy each of your episodes
Becca! Andre! 🎉 Another home run! I love your scripts and narration. Of course I admire how much research and artistic talent goes into these presentations. The music selections are superb! Absolutely captivating... the simple and dramatic melodies really help to capture and set the mood and tone. Very well done! --- My husband and I love these and we wish you continued success in your endeavors! ~ Cheers!🍷🍷
Thank you so much!! We are so glad you’re enjoying them, thank you for watching ❤️❤️
By far my favorite videos on YT. Your talents are amazing. Love the music too.
I absolutely love your Channel & the recreations actually feel right. History has always been a passion of mine. I truly cannot thank you enough for bringing this historic past to life for us, not to mention the time and your remarkable talent you share.
It’s the smile! The smile gets me every time. So moving! ❤
I always felt so terrible for Catherine. Her first husband died, she suffered dozens of miscarriages, only for her second husband to throw her over for a mistress
I have been watching old and new movies about the Tudor court and I’m shocked at the way most of them portray her. Beautiful vid, as always - thank you and much love from New Orleans ♥️⚜️♥️⚜️♥️⚜️♥️
I think you have done an amazing analysis and excellent recreations. ❤❤❤
Okay I've binged your videos all morning and no matter what the recreation, I swear people always look 10x more attractive when they smile.
It feels like a mix of The Spanish Princess version of Catherine and the Tudors Catherine would be the perfect combination in terms of accuracy. Also, that Surf Shark placement was perfection lol.
I am blown away. Every single time. I believe you are correct. She is stunning. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.
idk why but I always tear up a little seeing your recreations for the first time
she's just lovely and i really like your interpretation. love your channel!
I enjoyed this very much as I enjoy all your videos. Her end was tragic. Great work and I have to say, I love your voice. Thank you 🙏
Becca, I definitely feel that the second recreation of her older portrait is definitely her! I'm a descendant of the queen of Castile, but through Joanna's line, not Catherine's and I can't believe how much the older recreation looks like me! Genetics is such a crazy thing!! I wish you would do one of Joanna too! ♥️ Would be nice to have her next to Philip the handsome.
You’re so incredibly talented!
Love your videos, thank you for the amazing effort you put into your videos 🥰💕✨
Thank you, we hope you enjoyed it!
Your work is incredible, thank you.
beautiful! both your work and presentation!
Totally agree with your re creation. You’ve really shown her personality as we understand it. Love love this . Thank you
Your work is fascinating!
Your work is totally fascinating and incredibly well executed.True talent.
Thank you ❤️❤️
I so look forward to your videos. They are all amazing! ❤
Really fantastic work! I know it takes a lot of effort prior to the reveal!
I agree that those are of Catherine. Beautiful work, as always!
I am stunned by her nature beauty and I agree it is her. Thank you for sharing with us
I love watching your recreations. In this instance I keep on focusing on the nose. The young portrait from the painter Sedow has a beautiful upturned nose. Other older paintings I see the nose as totally different. So interesting!
Agree with your analysis, RN team. I think the features that seem to confirm your conclusion is the shape of the face and the nose. As always, so enjoy your videos.
Your creations are so lovely. Another great video.
I love how Cardinal Wosely describes her as a young girl in the show “Wold Hall” how her red hair slipped over her shoulder as she danced and every man in the room stopped breathing.
Very nicely done! Thanks!
Your images always render me spell bound ❤
Catalina!
I'm just fascinated by your work, it's an amazing talent. Thank you!
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your gifts with us.
Well done!
Yeah, I think you're on to something. I'll raise my hand in support of your conclusion. I'm always amazed at your dedicated work. Bravo!
You're spot on with your recreations (beautiful!) and your assessment of the portraits. The Lambeth isn't a good representation, so I'm glad you nixed that one and used the Hornebout miniature. It was a better and likely much more accurate likeness of her. As for Francois I and his cruel opinion of Katherine, that might have been a bit of projection. His poor wife Claude was known to walk with a limp and had a hip deformity. I think he was just being petty and wanted to take a dig at Henry any way he could.
Outstanding work!
I finally feel like someone gave justice to Catherine. Not all strong women need to be shown as austere and taciturn. Not all of them need to be "ugly" or somehow more masculine than it should. And most importantly, it needs to be said, there is a need to look at her relatives before taking conclusions on what she did look like. People sometimes forget she had a sister and a mother that looks nothing like some people portray her appearance. Okay, sometimes siblings look nothing like each other (me and my sister are living proof of this even having the same parents I look like my father and she looks like my mother) but still, there is always something there (like our smiles).
Its not surprising Katherine was fair. She and Henry VIII were both descendants of John of Gaunt, 4th son of King Edward III, thus distant cousins. Queen Isabella, her mother, had beautiful red hair.
Your comparison analysis is astute.
How about a similar analysis of Catherine's older sister Juana?
This was an amazing video. Thanks a lot!
Love this....and I too jumped right on when this showed up here!
Great job as always! I agree that they could be the same person. Thank you for all that you do!
Amazing! She is very beautiful!!
WELL DONE. Spectacular! Yes, I think you nailed it.
You did great i cant wait to see your other video's.
She was a wonderful queen. Smart and badass.
Thank you for your great work,she is beautiful
I could have a hundred things on my to-do list, but when I watch your videos, I lose myself in the subjects, and forget about everything else.
I definitely agree with you on your conclusion, especially when you compared Catherine's portrait with her sister's. I find it interesting that Henry VIII was red-headed, also.
Aw this is so nice. Thank you.
Your amazing! Love your videos and your voice ❤❤❤
another lovely video!
You nailed it!
Loved the video
Omg I LOVE Katherine of Aragon! I always look forward to your videos, but this one will be my favorite!
Thank you so much!
Hey, i am a big fan of your videos, you bring life to these characters, can you please make video about Catherine of Aragon's daughter Mary 1????
Fascinating analysis.
The Odds are more than very good that King Francois I and others who spoke ill of Catherine's looks were merely lying to serve some purpose either nefarious or simply political to gain favor of the British Crown or to gain adversarial powers against it.
The other thing is that even then, and possibly even MORE back then, racial disparities were in play as well.
As for her true appearance, her coloring etc., I am of Spanish ancestry and of a unusually large family line and most all were either blue eyed or green eyed and of very fair complexion and red or blonde haired. Few look the typical ideal of dark hair, skinned and eyed. I would guess of my family's last three generations about 5% look of the darker modern ideal, myself included in eye color and facial features though very fair skinned as well.
Spain was Celt Iberia before the Romans conquered. They brought the dark complexion.
I was so sure you were going to conclude that the Sittow portrait we thought was young Catherine, had to be Mary Rose Tudor, but then it took a different direction😅
I suppose the Sittow portrait could be the same woman as the miniature, and then the one of the 11-year-old girl could be Catherine as well. Catherine and Juana clearly looked similar to each other.
However, if so, I don't get why the museum in actual posession of the Sittow portrait thinks it is Mary Rose Tudor.
Gosh darn it, couldn't they have invented photography a few centuries earlier??
Just adore your work and share your passion for royalty past. Your stunning interpretation of Louis XIV will be with me as I attend the summer equestrian games at the place of
Versailles. Many people seem unhappy but I know he would have been thrilled at something, a life long passion of his both the equine and the transformation of his gardens being used in such a way!
Le Roi