Matilda’s Top Women In History

Margaret Douglas was a Tudor Princess - Granddaughter of King Henry 7th, niece to Henry 8th, cousin to Elizabeth 1st and mother in law to Mary Queen of Scots. For decades she was at the centre of both English and Scottish affairs - and was locked up in the Tower of London 3 times for her troubles. Her story is a fascinating one; she witnessed some of the most famous events in English history.Sources/Further ReadingWeir, Alison: The Lost Tudor PrincessWeir, Alison: The Life of Elizabeth 1stWilliams, Kate: The Betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots- Elizabeth 1st and her Greatest RivalBibby, Dr Miriam: Margaret Douglas: The Women Who Defied Henry VIII – Twicehttps://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Margaret-Douglas/Flantzer, Susan: Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/lady-margaret-douglas-countess-of-lennox/Tudor Times: Margaret Douglas - Life Story https://tudortimes.co.uk/people/margaret-douglas-life-story

Margaret Douglas was a Tudor Princess - Granddaughter of King Henry 7th, niece to Henry 8th, cousin to Elizabeth 1st and mother in law to Mary Queen of Scots. For decades she was at the centre of both English and Scottish affairs - and was locked up in the Tower of London 3 times for her troubles. Her story is a fascinating one; she witnessed some of the most famous events in English history. Sources/Further ReadingWeir, Alison: The Lost Tudor PrincessWeir, Alison: The Life of Elizabeth 1stWilliams, Kate: The Betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots- Elizabeth 1st and her Greatest RivalBibby, Dr Miriam: Margaret Douglas: The Women Who Defied Henry VIII – Twicehttps://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Margaret-Douglas/Flantzer, Susan: Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/lady-margaret-douglas-countess-of-lennox/Tudor Times: Margaret Douglas - Life Story https://tudortimes.co.uk/people/margaret-douglas-life-story

Sylvia Plath is today remembered as one of the most influential and popular writers of the 20th Century - she was called ‘the most gifted woman poet’ - a term that still manages to capture the sexism she encountered throughout her life. Growing up in the 1950s was a difficult time for women who wanted both a family and a career, and this is something Sylvia would struggle with for her entire life - how to reconcile her wish to be a writer with her desire to conform.Sources/Further ReadingClarke, Heather: Red Comet - The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia PlathWagner-Martin, Linda: Sylvia Plath - A BiographySteinberg, Peter K: They Had to Call and Call - The Search for Sylvia Plath https://sylviaplath.info/documents/Steinberg_2010_Search.pdfSylvia Plath Blogspot https://sylviaplathinfo.blogspot.com/Poetry Foundation - Sylvia Plath https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sylvia-plathWikipedia: Sylvia Plath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Plath

Isabella of France was the daughter, sister, wife and mother to Kings; acutely conscious of her royal bloodline and dignity, she was not going to be pushed around. When her husband and his hated favourite insulted and belittled her, she took matters into her own hands and did something no woman has done before or since - launched an invasion of England.Sources/Further ReadingWarner, Kathryn: Isabella of France, the rebel queen - the story of the queen who deposed her husband Edward IIWeir, Alison: Isabella, She Wolf of France, Queen of EnglandTurner, James: Battle, Betrayal and Baliol - the Struggle for Scotland and the Battle of Annan https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/battle-betrayal-balliol-scotland/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_France#In_retirement,_1330–1358Isabella: She Wolf of France and the death of Edward 2nd https://www.timeref.com/episodes/isabella_shewolf_of_france_and_death_of_edward_ii.htmUsilton, Larry W.: Isabella of France:https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/isabella-france

Isabella of France was the daughter, sister, wife and mother to Kings; acutely conscious of her royal bloodline and dignity, she was not going to be pushed around. When her husband and his hated favourite insulted and belittled her, she took matters into her own hands and did something no woman has done before or since - launched an invasion of England. Sources/Further ReadingWarner, Kathryn: Isabella of France, the rebel queen - the story of the queen who deposed her husband Edward IIWeir, Alison: Isabella, She Wolf of France, Queen of EnglandTurner, James: Battle, Betrayal and Baliol - the Struggle for Scotland and the Battle of Annan https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/battle-betrayal-balliol-scotland/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_France#In_retirement,_1330–1358Isabella: She Wolf of France and the death of Edward 2nd https://www.timeref.com/episodes/isabella_shewolf_of_france_and_death_of_edward_ii.htmUsilton, Larry W.: Isabella of France:https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/isabella-france

Isabella of France became Queen of England when she was only 12 years old, and she found a husband who was was not interested in her - both because of her age and her gender. From her first step on English soil she was consistently ignored by the King, who much preferred to spend time with his court favourites. Isabella grew up to be a strong and formidable character, and soon King Edward 2nd would push her too far.Sources/Further ReadingWarner, Kathryn: Isabella of France, the rebel queen - the story of the queen who deposed her husband Edward IIWeir, Alison: Isabella, She Wolf of France, Queen of EnglandTurner, James: Battle, Betrayal and Baliol - the Struggle for Scotland and the Battle of Annan https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/battle-betrayal-balliol-scotland/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_France#In_retirement,_1330–1358Isabella: She Wolf of France and the death of Edward 2nd https://www.timeref.com/episodes/isabella_shewolf_of_france_and_death_of_edward_ii.htmUsilton, Larry W.: Isabella of France:https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/isabella-france

Isabella of France became Queen of England when she was only 12 years old, and she found a husband who was was not interested in her - both because of her age and her gender. From her first step on English soil she was consistently ignored by the King, who much preferred to spend time with his court favourites. Isabella grew up to be a strong and formidable character, and soon King Edward 2nd would push her too far.Sources/Further ReadingWarner, Kathryn: Isabella of France, the rebel queen - the story of the queen who deposed her husband Edward IIWeir, Alison: Isabella, She Wolf of France, Queen of EnglandTurner, James: Battle, Betrayal and Baliol - the Struggle for Scotland and the Battle of Annan https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/battle-betrayal-balliol-scotland/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_France#In_retirement,_1330–1358Isabella: She Wolf of France and the death of Edward 2nd https://www.timeref.com/episodes/isabella_shewolf_of_france_and_death_of_edward_ii.htmUsilton, Larry W.: Isabella of France:https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/isabella-france

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy is a modern style icon - almost 3 decades after her early death. However she was much more that a fashionable socialite - friends and family all say she was kind, warm and caring. She forged a successful career in a difficult industry, and fell in love with a man who happened to be in the public eye. Her struggle to get used to the frenzy of media attention was ongoing, and she was only just starting to manage it when she boarded a plane in July 1999.Beller, Elizabeth: Once Upon A Time - The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette KennedyConrieri, Stefania: Inside the Super-Secret, Ultra-Intimate Wedding of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessettehttps://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/secret-wedding-of-john-f-kennedy-jr-and-carolyn-bessette?srsltid=AfmBOoq7vIkf7B0Bmgl1BdHA9gMHmpGNy7bLOKPoi3ZUmz9PgP1VGJ8NGerhart, Ann: Who’s That Girl? Quite Possibly the Perfect Match https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-18-ls-54958-story.htmlArmstrong, Neil: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy - The true story behind the mysterious and tragic US iconhttps://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260212-carolyn-bessette-kennedy-the-true-story-behind-the-mysterious-and-tragic-us-iconComiter, Jordana: All About JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's Honeymoon — and the Media Frenzy That Followed When They Returned https://people.com/all-about-jfk-jr-carolyn-bessette-honeymoon-11922444Gaffney, Adrienne: The Last Days of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedyhttps://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a28187331/john-f-kennedy-jr-carolyn-bessette-last-days-plane-crash-true-story/The Life of JFK Jr: Crash and Search Timeline https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/jfkjr/recovery.htmWikipedia: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Bessette_Kennedy