Born a humble herald's daughter, this woman became the sister-in-law of a great literary figure, the mother of a man who was implicated in a regicide, the direct ancestress of many kings and queens, including Elizabeth II, and the subject of a classic historical novel. Who was she?

gmackematix

That'll be Katherine de Roet, who married John of Gauntand whose sister married Geoffrey Chaucer. http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Katherine%20de%20Roet May 28 05, 9:51 AM

lanfranco

Yay, gmack! However, your site is not working, so I'll add some information. Better known to history as Katherine Swynford, she was Gaunt's longtime mistress and his third wife. Two of the four children, given the surname "Beaufort," produced by the couple went on to become the direct ancestors of the Tudor line and thus of James VI/I of Scotland and England. Katherine's son by her first marriage, Thomas Swynford, stepbrother of Henry IV, was Constable of Pontefract Castle at the time of Richard III's imprisonment and death there. Katherine died in 1403 and was buried in Lincoln Cathedral. Anya Seton's 1954 novel "Katherine" is not entirely factually accurate but is highly regarded as one of the better examples of the historical fiction genre. It was re-released in paperback just last year. May 28 05, 10:55 AM

Baloo55th

Sorry to nitpick, but Richard II met his end in Pontefract. May 28 05, 5:00 PM

lanfranco

And you are right, Baloo. I got carried away on the keyboard. Richard III, of course, died at Bosworth, at the hands of the forces of Katherine Swynford's great-great grandson, Henry VII. (Of course, Richard III was her descendent, too, and his niece, Elizabeth of York, married Henry.) I appreciate your nitpicking. Don't apologize for it. May 28 05, 5:10 PM

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She was a merchant's daughter who nearly married one of the most famous men in history but who ended up as the wife of a civil servant's son who became a king. Subject of a popular 1950's novel and of a film based on it, she was the direct ancestress of a man who today occupies the throne that her husband unexpectedly assumed. Who was she, who played her in the film, and who is her royal descendant? Oh, and who was her first "intended"? This woman was a Maid-of-the-court under Elizabeth I. Soon she had an affair with a favorite of the queen's, leading to banishment and the queen calling her a "she wolf." Her son became another favorite of the queen. She is an ancestor of many notable people, including Winston Churchill. Who is she? Who was considered to be the first woman martyr under Elizabeth I (nasty woman) and where exactly did she reside? Who was the only woman to be the consort of two kings of England?

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