The Queen is Dead!: Katherine of Aragon dies in 1518

Well...that will certainly make life harder for little Jacquetta but at least she has recovered from the mumps. It’s well that Marie has already promised to dedicate her to God, I imagine it would be hard to find a suitable husband for Jacquetta now that she’s deaf.
 
Mumps is awful. I still remember how it felt when I had it as a child. Fortunately my saintly grandmother took excellent and loving care of me.
 
Poor little Jacquetta... Well hopefully the worst is already behind her and if her hearing troubles are permanents then Henry will fully support the idea of convent for her...
 
Deafness is one of the most serious (if rare) complications of mumps, brought on by the lumps putting pressure on veins to the ear.

It’s not the worst complication when compared to death and when you factor in that she’s a member of the royal family, Mary should be able to find a patient tutor who will sit with just Jacquetta to teach her to read, write and speak even with the disability.

That's an excellent thought. Kat Ashley perhaps?

Oh no, at least it seems Jacquetta will survive though... I can picture 20 or 30 years from now, Lady Jacquetta the deaf Royal nun/abbess who runs a hospital, performs miracles and heals the sick. Excellent chapter!

If she performs miracles, they'll have to have her canonised as St Jacquetta someday!
 
Well...that will certainly make life harder for little Jacquetta but at least she has recovered from the mumps. It’s well that Marie has already promised to dedicate her to God, I imagine it would be hard to find a suitable husband for Jacquetta now that she’s deaf.

Indeed. The next chapter is Henry and Marie's discussion - if you can call it that - of precisely this issue.

Mumps is awful. I still remember how it felt when I had it as a child. Fortunately my saintly grandmother took excellent and loving care of me.

I hope I didn't make light of it. Not having suffered it myself, I was relying on the NHS description of symptoms and complications and such to write those chapters.

Poor little Jacquetta... Well hopefully the worst is already behind her and if her hearing troubles are permanents then Henry will fully support the idea of convent for her...
Well indeed. Syon Abbey might find itself with another royal nun before too long.
 
Well, Jackie's going to have to communicate with her siblings and nurses somehow, so I could see some system of signs developing, yes.
British sign language is attested as early as the 15th century and the first formal descriptions date from 1576 so Jackie might even be part of a larger speech (or rather, language) community at this point.

Perhaps a nurse familiar with sign language could be found?
 
Kat Ashley
Not a bad shout especially with Kat Ashley (or Champernowne as she may not marry John Ashley, OTL Elizabeth's senior gentleman attendant and cousin of Queen Mary) had been well educated for she taught Elizabeth mathematics, geometry, astronomy, geography, history, French, Flemish, Italian and Spanish. Elizabeth herself praised Kat's early devotion to her studies by stating that Kat took "great labour and pain in bringing of me up in learning and honesty".

Other potential candidates are:
- Roger Ascham, a sympathetic teacher who believed that learning should be engaging.
- John Bale (21 November 1495 – November 1563) was an English churchman, historian and Bishop of Ossory.
- John Cheke, an English classical scholar and statesman; who tutored both Edward and Elizabeth.
 
Not a bad shout especially with Kat Ashley (or Champernowne as she may not marry John Ashley, OTL Elizabeth's senior gentleman attendant and cousin of Queen Mary) had been well educated for she taught Elizabeth mathematics, geometry, astronomy, geography, history, French, Flemish, Italian and Spanish. Elizabeth herself praised Kat's early devotion to her studies by stating that Kat took "great labour and pain in bringing of me up in learning and honesty".

Other potential candidates are:
- Roger Ascham, a sympathetic teacher who believed that learning should be engaging.
- John Bale (21 November 1495 – November 1563) was an English churchman, historian and Bishop of Ossory.
- John Cheke, an English classical scholar and statesman; who tutored both Edward and Elizabeth.
Cheke is definitely being mentioned - he's corresponding with Lionel when he's older, I know that much. But I think I'd like to go for Kat. I like the idea of Elizabeth's OTL attendants waiting on an ATL half-Boleyn Princess. The Blanche mentioned in an earlier chapter was actually a young Blanche Parry in my head.
 
You really do write child drama so well.
He really does: reading little Maria's reaction to her mother's death back in chapter 2 singlehandedly sold me this story.

Also, I just finished Season 1 of The Tudors, and is it weird to realize this story is more historically accurate than the show?
 
Like, underground low.
Oy...Tell me about it...

Very first episode, Henry VIII convinces his men to go to war with France because the French King had had his uncle murdered.

Wait...

Uncle? :frown:

Henry VII was an only child, so no uncles for Henry VIII there. Henry VIII's mother, Elizabeth of York, did have two brothers, but those were Edward V, and Richard, Duke of York, and I can absolutely guarantee that they weren't murdered at the orders of the French King...
 
Oy...Tell me about it...

Very first episode, Henry VIII convinces his men to go to war with France because the French King had had his uncle murdered.

Wait...

Uncle? :frown:

Henry VII was an only child, so no uncles for Henry VIII there. Henry VIII's mother, Elizabeth of York, did have two brothers, but those were Edward V, and Richard, Duke of York, and I can absolutely guarantee that they weren't murdered at the orders of the French King...
I was hoping to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII instead, but as it only seemed to be available via Britbox (which I don't have), I went with The Tudors instead (which is on Netflix). At least now I fully appreciate how very similar Natalie Dormer's roles in The Tudors and Game of Thrones really were.

My personal favorite inaccuracy was the whole business with the King of Portugal, especially since (as this story made so abundantly clear) Mary was married to the King of France and not Portugal. I didn't even need to use Google to know that bit was complete and utter nonsense.
 
Oy...Tell me about it...

Very first episode, Henry VIII convinces his men to go to war with France because the French King had had his uncle murdered.

Wait...

Uncle? :frown:

Henry VII was an only child, so no uncles for Henry VIII there. Henry VIII's mother, Elizabeth of York, did have two brothers, but those were Edward V, and Richard, Duke of York, and I can absolutely guarantee that they weren't murdered at the orders of the French King...
Well, she also had Thomas and Richard Grey, her half-brothers, don't forget. But Richard Grey was definitely murdered on the orders of Richard III. Not sure about Thomas.
 
I was hoping to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII instead, but as it only seemed to be available via Britbox (which I don't have), I went with The Tudors instead (which is on Netflix). At least now I fully appreciate how very similar Natalie Dormer's roles in The Tudors and Game of Thrones really were.

My personal favorite inaccuracy was the whole business with the King of Portugal, especially since (as this story made so abundantly clear) Mary was married to the King of France and not Portugal. I didn't even need to use Google to know that bit was complete and utter nonsense.

It's she, actually, but anyway. The Tudors is horribly inaccurate, but the casting is incredible. Natalie Dormer has been my mental image of Anne ever since, except when she's raised a Princess, like she is in my Lionesses. Then it's Michelle Dockery. But otherwise, it's Natalie.

In case anyone is wondering, I have mentally cast the Bolger girls as Maria - Emma when she's little, Sarah when she's older- and a 'Bleak House' Carey Mulligan as Marie. I'm thinking Skandar Keynes for George Boleyn, and Nick Dunning for Papa Boleyn. Probably Kristin Scott Thomas for Elizabeth Howard. A young Cate Blanchett for Mary Brandon, and Henry Cavill for Brandon himself. I haven't picked my Henry yet. I loved JRM, but I can't see him as Cate Blanchett's brother!

Hope that gives you some mental images to play with. Anyone else you'd like to see me cast?
 
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