tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post6643723571326141625..comments2024-03-16T01:00:19.876-05:00Comments on The Mad Monarchist: Monarch Profile: King Henri II of FranceMadMonarchisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-82569210062775234942019-11-23T15:23:03.774-06:002019-11-23T15:23:03.774-06:00This was extremely informative and eye opening. This was extremely informative and eye opening. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963297582571628498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-45440792627555054892018-11-07T10:35:08.549-06:002018-11-07T10:35:08.549-06:00Currently reviewing history to edit a play about &...Currently reviewing history to edit a play about "The Man of the Woods" (i.e.Petrus Gonzalvus brought into the French court), I needed to research the background of Henry II (his strengths and weaknesses)as well as of Catherine Medici (his child bride of a ill-fated, forced marriage arranged by the Medici family's relative Pope Clement VII). This onerous and ineffectual political union made her subject to the whims of family wealth, papal persuasion, and failed wars. These surely turned her youthful humility to mature anger along the way. I suspect that after her husband and their son Francis' death, she practiced her own brand of manipulation over the subsequent young king Charles, a type of twisted power and manipulation she had observed often used over her in childhood and in marriage. She saw the royal selling of rank or daughters not only matched, but likely exceeded the Church's sale of indulgences. After many generic articles on Henry II, I found this one by Mad Monarchist, quite balanced, eye-opening, and informative. Its analysis of the convoluted history of western Europe helped my understanding this difficult time period. Though still baffling, the ins-and-outs of religious conflicts that caused or affected western Europe's choices of leadership, juxtaposed to the odd alliances with presumed natural enemies like Turks or with Protestant vs. Catholic leaning monarchies/powers, now seem slightly clearer. Thank you for your scholarship and especially for your ending conclusion/commentary of personal reasoning. After all, we study to make decisions or else remain adrift in ambiguity.beth@imapurple.nethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08104825885532314833noreply@blogger.com