Marie de France

For six years, from March 1181 to May 1187, Marie exercised the comital office as regent for her son Henry (II). She did so vigorously and alone, without restriction by a regency council. In the great hall of her palace in Troyes, which served as the political and administrative center of the county, as well as in her other castle towns, Marie sat with a small council of barons and administrative officers to discharge all the routine business of medieval rulers: receiving petitioners, arbitrating and settling disputes, making benefactions to churches, confirming private transactions, receiving homages, confiscating fiefs and granting new ones. Since her acts continued to be drawn up by the same chancery officials who had served her husband, they remained the same in form and content. With the notable exception of appointing a new marshal, Geoffroy of Villehardouin, in 1185, she made no discernible changes in her husband's officers or policies. Although feudal tenure by women apparently increased precisely during her rule, we cannot say whether she fostered that practice. Her court, however, was perceived as being receptive to women, several of whom sought her confirmations at critical junctures in their lives.

In 1181 Marie found herself widowed with four young children — Henry II was fifteen, Marie seven, Scholastique five or six, and Thibaut III only two. She considered marrying the recently widowed Philip, count of Flanders (1168-91), the son of her husband's old friend and crusade companion count Thierry. Philip and Marie were about the same age and well acquainted: a decade earlier he had sponsored the betrothal of her two oldest children, Henry II and young Marie, to the children of his sister Margaret, countess of Hainaut. Philip went so far as to seek a papal dispensation for his marriage to Marie, since they were indirectly related, but then, for unknown reasons, broke off negotiations. Marie, at thirty-nine, seems not to have sought another marriage. Thereafter she was preoccupied with completing the marriages between her children and the children of Margaret and count Baldwin V, who had renewed, broken, revised, then delayed carrying out the marriage contract between his only son and Marie's daughter. Countess Marie called on her in-laws to force the elusive count to deliver the groom; Gislebert of Mons describes the scene at Sens where the countess, the archbishop of Reims, the counts of Blois and Sancerre, and the duke of Burgundy cornered Baldwin, perhaps threatening him, if he did not follow through with the marriage, which finally did take place (January 1186). Marie then trumped Baldwin at his own game by ignoring the second part of the contract and arranging her own son's marriage to the infant heiress of Namur instead of to Baldwin's daughter.

When Henry II (1187-90) assumed the countship, Marie retired to Meaux, probably with her youngest son Thibaut, then eight. The forty-twoyear-old countess could not have imagined that she would ever rule again. But the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin on October 2, 1187 electrified France, and young Henry II was swept up by the wave of enthusiasm for a new crusade to recover the holy city. In May 1190 the unmarried count departed with a large contingent of barons and knights on the Third Crusade, leaving his mother as regent once again. Marie ruled in his absence (he died overseas in September 1197), then continued to rule until her death in March 1198 at fifty-three. In all, she had ruled the county over fifteen years — in her husband's absence, as guardian for her oldest son and then in his absence, and finally in the last months of her life as guardian for her second son, Thibaut.

Although she was countess of Champagne for over thirty years, half of them as ruler, we know little about Marie's life and personality beyond her official acts. She seems to have been close to her half-brothers Geoffroy Plantagenet, for whom she dedicated an altar in Paris, and Richard the Lionheart, with whom she shared Adam of Perseigne as confessor, as well as with her half-sister Margaret, who spent Christmas 1184 with Marie and queen mother Adèle. Perhaps Marie saw her sister, countess Alix of Blois, and her mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, after her parents were divorced in 1152, but there is no firm evidence of any meeting. For her husband Henry she ordered a sumptuous tomb placed in the center of the church of Saint-Etienne of Troyes next to the comital palace, but she herself chose to be buried at Meaux.

Marie's role as literary patron now seems secure. She could read vernacular French and probably Latin as well, given her education at Avenay, and she had a personal library, although its contents are not known. Chrétien de Troyes and Gace Brulé state that they wrote at her request, and she seems also to have patronized Conon de Béthune and Huon d'Oisy. The collegiate chapter of Notre-Dame-du-Val, which Marie founded in Provins with thirty-eight prebends, seems to have supported not only Chrétien but also his continuator Godfrey of Lagny, as well as the earliest known copyist of Chrétien's romances, Guiot of Provins. Perhaps Marie'sinterest in lyric poetry and romances dates from her married years, for the works she is know to have commissioned as a widow in the 1180s are all translations of religious texts: Psalms (Eructavit), Genesis, and possibly a collection of sermons by Bernard of Clairvaux.

Theodore Evergates - Aristocratic Women in Medieval France

Some Dieudonnés

Putting these 2 illustrations next to each other, since I liked the style I used for this! Finally got better at drawing veils and patterns which is nice

Et quia solum Guilielmum Capuanorum Principem habebat superstitem, veritus ne eumdem conditione humanae fragilitatis amitteret, Sibiliam sororem Ducis Burgundiae duxit uxorem, quae non multo post Salerni mortua est, et apud Caveam est sepulta. Tertio Beatricem filiam Comitis de Reteste in uxoris accepit, de qua filiam habuit, quem Constantiam appellavit.

Chronicon Romualdi II, archiepiscopi Salernitani, p. 16

Beatrice was born around 1135 in the county of Rethel (northern France) from Gunther (also know as Ithier) de Vitry, earl of Rethel, and Beatrice of Namur.

On her mother’s side, Beatrice descended from Charlemagne (through his son, Louis the Pious), while on the paternal side she was a grandniece of Baldwin II King of Jerusalem (her paternal grandmother Matilda, titular Countess of Rethel, was the King’s younger sister). The Counts of Rethel were also vassals of the powerful House of Champagne, known for its successful marriage politics (Count Theobald IV of Blois-Champagne’s daughter, Isabelle, would marry in 1143 Duke Roger III of Apulia, eldest son of King Roger II of Sicily).

In 1151, Beatrice married this same Roger. The King of Sicily was at his third marriage at this point. His first wife had been Elvira, daughter of King Alfonso VI the Brave of León and Castile and of Galicia, who bore him six children (five sons and one daughter). However, when four of his sons (Roger, Tancred, Alphonse and the youngest, Henry) died before him, leaving only William as his heir, Roger II must have feared for his succession. In 1149, the King then married Sibylla, daughter of Duke Hugh II of Burgundy. She bore him a son, Henry (named after his late older brother), and two years later died of childbirth complications giving birth to a stillborn son. As this second Henry died young too, Roger thought about marrying for a third (and hopefully last) time.

It is possible that Roger’s choice of his third wife had been influenced by the future bride’s family ties with the Crusader royalties as Beatrice was related with both Queen Melisende of Jerusalem and the Queen’s niece Constance of Hauteville, ruling Princess of Antioch. Constance was also a first cousin once removed of Roger, who had (unsuccessfully) tried to snatch the Antiochian principality from her when her father Bohemond II was killed in battle 1130, leaving his two years old daughter as heir.

Beatrice bore Roger only a daughter, Constance, who was born in Palermo on November 2nd 1154. This baby girl (who would one day become Queen of Sicily) never knew her father as he died on February 26th.

Nothing certain is known about her widowed life, although we can suppose she took care of her only daughter. Beatrice died in Palermo on March 30th 1185, living enough to see  Constance being betrothed to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa’s son, Henry.

The body of the Dowager Queen was laid to rest in the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, together with her predecessor, Elvira, and her step-children, Henry, Tancred, Alphonse and Roger. Through her daughter, Beatrice would become Emperor Frederick II’s grandmother.

Sources

Cronica di Romualdo Guarna, arcivescovo Salernitano Chronicon Romualdi II, archiepiscopi Salernitani Versione di G. del Re, con note e dilucidazione dello stesso

Garofalo Luigi, Tabularium regiae ac imperialis capellae collegiatae divi Petri in regio panormitano palatio Ferdinandi 2. regni Utriusque Siciliae regis

Hayes Dawn Marie, Roger II of Sicily. Family, Faith, and Empire in the Medieval Mediterranean World

Houben Hubert, Roger II Of Sicily: A Ruler Between East And West

SICILY/NAPLES: COUNTS & KINGS

Walter Ingeborg, BEATRICE di Rethel, regina di Sicilia, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 7

Ages of French Princesses at First Marriage

I have only included women whose birth dates and dates of marriage are known within at least 1-2 years, therefore, this is not a comprehensive list.

This list is composed of princesses of France until the end of the House of Bourbon; it does not include Bourbon claimants or descendants after 1792.

The average age at first marriage among these women was 15.

Judith of Flanders, daughter of Charles the Bald: age 12 when she married Æthelwulf, King of Wessex in 856 CE

Rothilde, daughter of Charles the Bald: age 19 when she married Roger, Count of Maine in 890 CE

Emma of France, daughter of Robert I: age 27 when she married Rudolph of France in 921 CE

Matilda of France, daughter of Louis IV: age 21 when she married Conrad I of Burgundy in 964 CE

Hedwig of France, daughter of Hugh Capet: age 26 when she married Reginar IV of Hainault in 996 CE

Gisela of France, daughter of Hugh Capet: age 26 when she married Hugh of Ponthieu in 994 CE

Hedwig of France, daughter of Robert II: age 13 when she married Renauld I, Count of Nevers in 1016 CE

Adela of France, daughter of Robert II: age 18 when she married Richard III of Normandy in 1027 CE

Constance of France, daughter of Philip I: age 16 when she married Hugh I, Count of Troyes in 1094 CE

Cecile of France, daughter of Philip I: age 9 when she married Tancred, Prince of Galilee in 1106 CE

Constance of France, daughter of Louis VI: age 14 when she married Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne in 1140 CE

Marie of France, daughter of Louis VII: age 14 when she married Henry I, Count of Champagne, in 1159 CE

Alice of France, daughter of Louis VII: age 14 when she married Theobald V, Count of Blois in 1164 CE

Margaret of France, daughter of Louis VII: age 14 when she married Henry the Young King in 1172 CE

Alys of France, daughter of Louis VII: age 35 when she married William IV of Ponthieu in 1195 CE

Agnes of France, daughter of Louis VII: age 8 when she married Alexios II Komnenos in 1180 CE

Marie of France, daughter of Philip II: age 13 when she married Philip I of Namur in 1211 CE

Isabella of France, daughter of Louis IX: age 14 when she married Theobald II of Navarre in 1255 CE

Blanche of France. daughter of Louis IX: age 16 when she married Ferdinand de la Cerda in 1269 CE

Margaret of France, daughter of Louis IX: age 16 when she married John I, Duke of Brabant in 1270 CE

Agnes of France, daughter of Louis IX: age 19 when she married Robert II, Duke of Burgundy in 1279 CE

Blanche of France, daughter of Philip III: age 22 when she married Rudolf III of Austria in 1300 CE

Margaret of France, daughter of Philip III: age 20 when she married Edward I of England in 1299 CE

Isabella of France, daughter of Philip IV: age 13 when she married Edward II of England in 1308 CE

Joan II of Navarre, daughter of Louis X: age 6 when she married Philip III of Navarre in 1318 CE

Joan III, daughter of Philip V: age 10 when she married Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy in 1318 CE

Margaret I, daughter of Philip V: age 10 when she married Louis I of Flanders in 1320 CE

Isabella of France, daughter of Philip V: age 11 when she married Guigues VIII of Viennois in 1323 CE

Blanche of France, daughter of Charles IV: age 17 when she married Philip, Duke of Orleans in 1345 CE

Joan of Valois, daughter of John II: age 9 when she married Charles II of Navarre in 1352 CE

Marie of France, daughter of John II: age 20 when she married Robert I, Duke of Bar in 1364 CE

Isabella, daughter of John II: age 12 when she married Gian Geleazzo Visconti in 1360 CE

Catherine of France, daughter of Charles V: age 8 when she married John of Berry, Count of Montpensier in 1386 CE

Isabella of Valois, daughter of Charles VI: age 6 when she married Richard II of England in 1396 CE

Joan of France, daughter of Charles VI: age 5 when she married John V, Duke of Brittany in 1396 CE

Michelle of Valois, daughter of Charles VI: age 14 when she married Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1409 CE

Catherine of Valois, daughter of Charles VI: age 19 when she married Henry V of England in 1420 CE

Catherine of France, daughter of Charles VII: age 12 when she married Charles I, Duke of Burgundy in 1440 CE

Joan of France, daughter of Charles VII: age 12 when she married John II , Duke of Bourbon in 1447 CE

Yolande of Valois, daughter of Charles VII: age 18 when she married Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy in 1452 CE

Magdalena of Valois, daughter of Charles VII: age 18 when she married Gaston, Prince of Viana in 1461 CE

Anne of France, daughter of Louis XI: age 12 when she married Peter of Bourbon in 1473 CE

Joan of France, daughter of Louis XI: age 12 when she married Louis XII in 1476 CE

Claude of France, daughter of Louis XII: age 15 when she married Francis I in 1514 CE

Renée of France, daughter of Louis XII: age 18 when she married Ercole II d'Este in 1528 CE

Madeleine of Valois, daughter of Francis I: age 17 when she married James V of Scotland in 1537 CE

Margaret of Valois, daughter of Francis I: age 36 when she married Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy in 1559 CE

Elisabeth of Valois, daughter of Henry II: age 13 when she married Philip II of Spain in 1559 CE

Claude of Valois, daughter of Henry II: age 12 when she married Charles III, Duke of Lorraine in 1559 CE

Margaret of Valois, daughter of Henry II: age 19 when she married Henry IV in 1572 CE

Elisabeth of France, daughter of Henry IV: age 13 when she married Philip IV of Spain in 1615 CE

Christine of France, daughter of Henry IV: age 13 when she married Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy in 1619 CE

Henrietta Maria of France, daughter of Henry IV: age 16 when she married Charles I of England in 1625 CE

Louise Élisabeth of France, daughter of Louis XV: age 12 when she married Philip, Duke of Parma in 1739 CE

Marie-Thérèse, daughter of Louis XVI: age 21 when she married Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême in 1799 CE

QUEER MTL : quoi faire en avril 2024 // QUEER MTL THINGS TO DO: April 2024

They say April showers bring the subsequent flowers, but queer Montréal is already fully abloom! This month, Montréal is stuffed to the brim with events, parties and unique experiences painted in all the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. From drag to community, circuit to underground, here’s some of our picks for the best LGBTQ+ things to do in the city. For further announcements, including those not announced at time of publication, follow QueerMTL on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr! Got an event coming up? DM it our way!

LEGEND

🎥 Cinema 👑 Drag 🥳 Parties 🎶 Concert ✊ Activism 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans 🏳️‍🌈 Community 😆 Comedy 🎭 Performance 💪 Sports and Dance 👯‍♀️ Dance 🎤 Karaoke 🎨 Arts 📚 Literary / Educational 👠 Ballroom / Vogue

Lundi 1 avril / Monday, April 1

🎥 75shots presents Under the Radar—Queer BIPOC Cinema, with free online screenings 👑 Voulez Vous Productions presents Discovering Your Drag Alter Ego with RV Métal, Centre Saint-Pierre

Mardi 2 avril / Tuesday, April 2

👠 BRING IT! #22, a continuing series of ballroom evenings with DJ Robocat KFC and Commentator Mags Old Navy, Club Sagacité 👑 Full Gisèle : Télé-Réalité with Gisèle Lullaby, Jessie Precieuse, Lady Guidoune and Victoire de Rockwell, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 3 avril / Wednesday, April 3

🎶 Mariah the Scientist with Chxrry22 Beanfield Theatre 🎨 Drink & Draw by @Hommehomo, Bar Le Cocktail 🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 Quick Characters—A Comedy Revue with Alo Azimov, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles

Jeudi 4 avril / Thursday, April 4

🎭 ThemFatale : Femme Power, a tribute to queer femininity with Bianca Boom Boom, Kaya Koko, Tristan Ginger, Sasha Désir, Lizzy Strange, Xénia, Kopy Cat, Ezra Honey and Rosie Bourgeoisie, The Wiggle Room 👑 The Gutters Talk Show Episode 1: Music Genres, hosted by Kleopatra Perfection, Kitty Catcher, Coco Charlemagne Champagne, Lux N’ Such, Donna Nozama, Skyler Rey, Late Bloomer and Safira Stevens, Bar Champs 🏳️‍🌈 Centre de solidarité lesbienne (CSL) hosts Lesbi ami.e.s : une soirée de connexions sociales et d’élargissement de sa communauté Queer, Centre St-Pierre 😆 Trivia at Pigeon Club Café Pointe-Claire with Quiz Master Brian, Pigeon Café 👑 Derek Wood presents Drama King : Ode à l'anti-virilité with Derek Wood, Johnny Jones, Mister Boogie, Ben A Drill, Akicoquin and Jay Show, Cabaret Mado 👑 Concours MX Cocktail, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 5 avril / Friday, April 5

👠 Ballroom4Community and Project10 presents the Monthly Youth Kiki Lounge for age groups 14-17, Project10 🎭 Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal presents Queer Reading Series 2024 with new works by Tyson Fraleigh and Corbeau Sandoval, Centaur Theatre Company 👑 Carni’Cule LipSync Smackdown with Alastair S!N, Amy Thyst, Asmatix, Diva on a Dime, Late Bloomer, Psyberia, Spiked Corona and Timothy Toxic, hosted by Muz’Emma and Moh Dafok, Taboo Danseur Nu 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Carmen Sutra, Velma Jones and Celes, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 🤠 Club Bolo—Danse Country Montréal meet on Fridays at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud

Samedi 6 avril / Saturday, April 6

🎨 Project 10 presents Queering the Arts art expo, Studio 414 🎭 Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal presents Queer Reading Series 2024 with new works by Tyson Fraleigh and Corbeau Sandoval, Centaur Theatre Company 💪 Montreal Roller Derby presents BLUE vs GREEN—Home Team Showdown, Aréna Saint-Louis 🎤 Bareoke: Strip Karaoke, Café Cléopatra 🥳 Super Taste and Homopop present Beyoncé Dance Party // Act ii Launch with Kiara, Cabaret Berlin 🥳 Rabaterapia Presents Baile da Raba #MOULINROUGE with DJ Tati Garrafa and DJ Onlysans, Bain Mathieu 👑 House of Gahd presents Rage Against the Binary—Rock & Metal Drag Show with Selma Gahd, Anaconda LaSabrosa, Charli DeVille, Rosa Golde, Lisa Santana and Démone LaStrange, Bar Le Cocktail 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Lady Gaga, Cabaret Mado 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Carmen Sutra, Velma Jones and Celes, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail 👯 Tango/Salsa Queer holds lessons every Saturday, visit queertangomtl.com for information or contact [email protected] or call +1 (514) 709-4678 for prices and signup information, Espaces des Arts

Dimanche 7 avril / Sunday, April 7

🎭 Ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado 👑 Kwizinn x Circa’s Spicy Drag Brunch with DJ Jerico, Aizysse Baga, Misty Waterfalls and Kiara, Kwizinn 👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and Special Guests, Cabaret Mado 👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 8 avril / Monday, April 8

👑 Voulez Vous Productions presents Discovering Your Drag Alter Ego with RV Métal, Centre Saint-Pierre

Mardi 9 avril / Tuesday, April 9

😆 Bad Brain Trivia, featuring questions on drag queens and other “gay shit” (lovingly), Bar Hémisphère Gauche 👑 Full Gisèle : Marie-Mai with Foxy Lexxi Brown, Prudence, Kiara and Lady Boom Boom, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 10 avril / Wednesday, April 10

🎶 PinkPantheress: Capable of Love Tour with Bktherula, Beanfield Theatre 🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 👑 Bière et Métal with Charli Deville and Woody Fungi, Cabaret Mado 😆 An Hour of Stand Up Comedy by Yumi and Carmina with Mariam Khan, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles

Jeudi 11 avril / Thursday, April 11

👑 Sashalicious : Everything About Dolls with Sasha Baga, Démone LaStrange, Lulu Shade and Ruby Doll, Cabaret Mado 👑 Concours MX Cocktail, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 12 avril / Friday, April 12

🥳 Cerise Noire goth night with Shillelagh Jones and Elizabeth Leslie, Bar NDQ 🥳 Psychedelic Babylon presents Cosmic Traveler with Ace Ventura (Israel/Switzerland) and Asgard (Israel), Le Sainte-Catherine Hall  👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Rainbow, Tracy Trash and Crystal Starz, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 🤠 Club Bolo—Danse Country Montréal meet on Fridays at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud

Samedi 13 avril / Saturday, April 13

📚 The Violet Hour Book Club reads Anuja Varghese’s Chrysalis, Archives gaies du Québec 🏳️‍🌈 Mini Q—Queer Gathering, featuring two workshops and a performance, Studio 303 🏳️‍⚧️ Clinique de transition légale, Comité Queer Pointe-Saint-Charles 🏳️‍🌈 Coalition des familles LGBT+ hosts Journée intensive d’ateliers : fonder votre famille 2SLGBTQ+, Centre Saint-Pierre 🥳 Queen & Queer: 100% Arabic Music with DJ Sam and Maya Tayara, Sala Rossa 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Rainbow, Tracy Trash and Crystal Starz, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Taylor Swift, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail 👯 Tango/Salsa Queer holds lessons every Saturday, visit queertangomtl.com for information or contact [email protected] or call +1 (514) 709-4678 for prices and signup information, Espaces des Arts

Dimanche 14 avril / Sunday, April 14

🎭 Ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado 👑 Afternoon Drag Cafe with Itsh and Timothy Toxic, L’Orbite 👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 15 avril / Monday, April 15

👑 Rawxy et cie with Misty Waterfalls, Lady Boom Boom and Crystal Starz, Cabaret Mado

Mardi 16 avril / Tuesday, April 16

🎶 Bobby Dove, L’Escogriffe Bar 👑 Full Gisèle : Queb with Gisèle Lullaby, Esirena, Rawxy and Aleera, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 17 avril / Wednesday, April 17

🎶 Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2 World Tour with Monica, Bell Centre 🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 Raquel Maestre and Sandy with Binya Kóatz, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles

Jeudi 18 avril / Thursday, April 18

🎭 Les Folies Draglesques with Miami Minx, Roxy Torpedo, Jolie Lolita, Ophelia Rass, Maria Topcatt, Minx Arcana and Yikes Macaroni, Cabaret Mado 👑 Burger Queen: Souper & Spectacle with Moist and Miss Mira Belle, Notre-Boeuf-de-Grâce Village 👑 Concours MX Cocktail, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 19 avril / Friday, April 19

🎶 TALK: The Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees Tour with Sofia Duhaime, Beanfield Theatre 🥳  Discoño with BRAVA (Spain), NGL FLOUNCE, MCHERRY and WHORITO, Newspeak 🥳 Dark Area with Special K, Infiltr, Claudel and OWNX, The Sanctuary 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Gisèle Lullaby, Marla Deer and Franky Dee, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 🤠 Club Bolo—Danse Country Montréal meet on Fridays at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud

Samedi 20 avril / Saturday, April 20

🥳 MPU and Balls Deep Disco present Boogiemania with Balls Deep Disco (Toronto), Barbada and Carmen Sutra, Le Belmont 🎤 Bareoke: Strip Karaoke, Café Cléopatra 🥳 Glimmering Dolls presents Spring Witches Dance Party, Turbo Haüs 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Gisèle Lullaby, Marla Deer and Franky Dee, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Celine Dion, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail 👯 Tango/Salsa Queer holds lessons every Saturday, visit queertangomtl.com for information or contact [email protected] or call +1 (514) 709-4678 for prices and signup information, Espaces des Arts

Dimanche 21 avril / Sunday, April 21

👑 Atelier Intro Drag Workshop with Ander Wayne, Studio Mange Mes Pieds 🎭 Ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado 👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and Special Guests, Cabaret Mado 👑 Spécial Mireille Mathieu, Bar Le Cocktail 😆 The Gay AF Comedy Tour with Andrew Khoury, Dylan Mahaney, Robert Watson and Al Val, The Wiggle Room

Lundi 22 avril / Monday, April 22

🎶 TALK: The Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees Tour with Sofia Duhaime, Beanfield Theatre 👑 Voulez Vous Productions presents Discovering Your Drag Alter Ego with RV Métal, Centre Saint-Pierre

Mardi 23 avril / Tuesday, April 23

🏳️‍🌈 Le comité Queer de Pointe-Saint-Charles presents Club de lecture queer with a discussion on Pauline Delabroy-Allard’s Ça raconte Sarah, Bibliothèque Saint-Charles 👑 Full Gisèle : Charlotte Cardin with Gisèle Lullaby, Lady Boom Boom, Adriana the Bombshell and Lana Dalida, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 24 avril / Wednesday, April 24

👠 Ballroom4Community and Project10 presents the Monthly Youth Kiki Lounge for age groups 18-25, Project10 🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 The "Hypothetical" Hypothetical Show with Tony McIntyre, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 👑 La Petite Drag with Marla Deer, Gisèle Lullaby, Tracy Trash, Pétula Claque, Bobépine, Kelly Torrieli, Velma Jones and Clay Thorris, Cabaret Mado

Jeudi 25 avril / Thursday, April 25

👑 Canada's Drag Race: Bring Back My Girls with Sisi Superstar, Adriana the Bombshell, Gisèle Lullaby, Océane Aqua-Black, Kiara and Lady Boom Boom, Cabaret Mado 👑 Concours MX Cocktail, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 26 avril / Friday, April 26

🎶 Bright Light Bright Light with Mint Simon (of Caveboy) and Big Sissy, Theatre Fairmount 📚Blue Metropolis and Violet Hour present Sky Gilbert: 2024 Blue Metropolis Violet Prize featuring Sky Gilbert in conversation with Matthew Hays, Hôtel 10—Espace Godin 📚Blue Metropolis and Violet Hour present Lectures Violet Hour featuring Sky Gilbert, Anton Hur, Mathieu Leroux, Anuja Varghese, Matthew Walsh and Christopher DiRaddo, Hôtel 10—Espace Godin 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Bobépine, Sasha Baga and Kitana, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 🤠 Club Bolo—Danse Country Montréal meet on Fridays at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud

Samedi 27 avril / Saturday, April 27

📚Blue Metropolis and Violet Hour present Truth Be Told: Looking at Lies in Literature with Gina L. Woolsey, Anuja Varghese, Christopher DiRaddo and Sky Gilbert, Hôtel 10—Espace Godin 🥳 FRKY || Primavera with Mari Rossi (Brazil), Moka, Raw Soul and Paolo Askia, La Sotterenea 👑 Under Kingstruction presents Twilight: The alt drag open stage with Lizzy Strange, Bar Le Cocktail 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Bobépine, Sasha Baga and Kitana, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore présente MADONNA: The Celebration Tour, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail 👯 Tango/Salsa Queer holds lessons every Saturday, visit queertangomtl.com for information or contact [email protected] or call +1 (514) 709-4678 for prices and signup information, Espaces des Arts

Dimanche 28 avril / Sunday, April 28 

🎶 Belle & Sebastian with The Weather Station, MTelus 📚Blue Metropolis presents Couleurs, Racisme et Homophobie with Léonora Miano, Rodney Saint-Éloi, Éric Chacour and Mélikah Abdelmoumen, Hôtel 10—Espace Godin 🎭 Ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado 👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and Special Guests, Cabaret Mado  👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 29 avril / Monday, April 29

👑 Voulez Vous Productions presents Discovering Your Drag Alter Ego with RV Métal, Centre Saint-Pierre 👑 Shade Like Winters with Sarah Winters, Lulu Shade, Moh Dafok, Mike Oxlong and Natachatt, Cabaret Mado

Mardi 30 avril / Tuesday, April 30

👑 Full Gisèle : Sin City with Marla Deer, Tracy Trash and Sasha Baga, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

OTHERS / LES AUTRES

🏐 Les Ratons-Chasseurs (Montréal’s LGBTA dodgeball group) holds regular events. Keep an eye on their Facebook for upcoming opportunities to join in and play. 

🕹Montréal Gaymers hosts regular gatherings including board game nights and gaming gatherings. Check their Facebook for what’s next!

🏃🏾Join the Out-Run run and workout club for people relating to the queer / sapphic experience. Details on their Instagram!

🐦 Bird lovers should keep their eye on Queer Birders' regularly scheduled birdwatching events and excursions. Join the Facebook group and get those binoculars at the ready.

👠 Twice a month on every second Tuesday, Bring It! hosts an OTA night of ballroom and vogue with commentator and DJ. Follow their Instagram for dates and details.

Favorite History Books || Marie of France: Countess of Champagne, 1145–1198 by Theodore Evergates ★★★★☆

Countess Marie of Champagne is known today primarily as a literary patron, notably of Chrétien de Troyes, who famously announced in his prologue to Lancelot, that since she “wished” him to tell the tale, he complied with her “command.” From that and several other mentions by contemporary writers, Marie has been cast as the animator of a “court of Champagne.” It is indeed ironic that, with few explicit references to her patronage, Marie is now cited more frequently than her husband, Count Henri the Liberal (1152−81), a commanding figure in his time who made the county of Champagne one of the premier principalities of northern France and whose intellectual interests are amply attested. Marie in fact was more than a cultural patron. She was ruling countess of Champagne for almost two decades in the 1180s and 1190s, initially during Count Henry’s absence overseas, then as regent for her son Henri II and as co-lord with him during the Third Crusade and his subsequent residence in Acre. From the age of thirty-four until her death at fifty-three she ruled almost continuously, presiding at the High Court of Champagne and attending to the many practical matters arising in a vibrant principality of the late twelfth century. She acted with the advice of her court officers but without limitation by either the king or a regency council. If Henri the Liberal’s crowning achievement was to create the county of Champagne as a dynamic, prosperous state, Marie’s was to preserve it in the face of several existential threats.

Historians of Capetian France have yet to appreciate the frequency and significance of wives acting in the absence of their husbands and during the minority of inheriting sons. That was a common family practice; only in a wife’s absence was a guardian or regency council appointed. During Countess Marie’s lifetime two royal regencies were necessitated by the absence of a resident queen while the king traveled overseas: when her mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, accompanied Louis VII on the Second Crusade, and when Queen Isabelle died in childbirth shortly before Philippe II left on the Third Crusade. In each case the king designated regents as guardians of the realm. Louis appointed Abbot Suger of St-Denis and the seneschal Raoul of Vermandois “for the custody of the realm” (de regni custodia), said Eudes of Deuil, while Philippe enacted an ordinance (ordinationem) granting his uncle Guillaume, archbishop of Reims, and his mother, Adèle, the dowager queen, limited authority during his absence.³ Countess Marie, however, like most wives of princes, barons, and knights, was not burdened by a regency council. Her decisions at court and her letters patent carried the same authority as those of her husband and son, without mention of any provisional standing. Although she often associated her underage son with her in letters patent, she alone exercised the full plenitude of the comital office, even during Count Henri II’s extended stay in Palestine, and she sealed in her own name as countess of Troyes (her only title).

Marie’s life beyond her role as literary patron and ruling countess encompassed an extensive network of family relationships, for she was connected by birth and marriage to two of the most prominent royal families of twelfth-century Europe. As the daughter of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Marie acquired through their second marriages numerous royal half-siblings whom she regarded as brothers and sisters: Louis’s children Marguerite of France and King Philippe II, and Eleanor’s sons Henry, Geoffroy, and Richard. Even more directly important in providing a nexus of personal support for her rule in Champagne were Henry the Liberal’s well-placed siblings: the royal seneschal Count Thibaut V of Blois (1152–91), Archbishop Guillaume of Sens and Reims (1168–1202), and Queen Adèle (1160–79, d. 1206). Marie’s seal inscribed her dual identity: “Daughter of the King of the Franks, Countess of Troyes.”

KTAW: Day 4—Origins/France

So the reason my entries for KTAW are coming in late is 100% the fault of the French lineage I created for Joëlle, which took days upon days upon DAYS of research. As such it involves a lot of real historical elements; however, if the first instance of the character’s name is bolded and does not have a link, they’ve been invented by me (Choices characters excluded). I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor!

Tagging @kiaratheronappreciationweek and the gracious hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes!

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On her mother’s side, Kiara is descended from Syphax and my ACoR MC Tamara, who after the events of the series traveled back to Gaul to rebuild their tribe

Tamara was from the Vidubagaud, the name I invented—which loosely translated means “wood fighters”—for the fourth pagi of the Helvetii, who in my HC later formed in part the bagaudae from which the House of Blois descends

Touraine—the traditional name of the French region from which Joëlle hails—first passed from their house in 1044 CE when Count Theobald III was forced to exchange the county for his freedom, but he did later gain Champagne

The House of Blois ended when Queen Joan I of Navarre married the king of France, and Champagne was absorbed into the royal domain

In 1326 CE as a result of her affair in France with Roger Mortimer, Joan’s daughter and English queen Isabella of France gave birth to a bastard son named Cyril just before returning to England

Cyril was left to be raised by his uncle the French king Charles IV, who came to consider the boy his own son, legitimizing him as a prince du sang (“prince of the blood”) and giving him the surname “du Blois”

The two-year-old became helpful in securing his cousin King Phillip VI’s claim to throne after Charles IV’s passing, as he was the latter’s nearest male blood relative next to King Edward III of England

Though Cyril stayed unacknowledged as a legitimate heir to the English throne, he was still a threat to his older half-brother’s reign, and thus their mother Isabella was not permitted to visit him

While he was kept out of courtly life to discourage any desire for the throne and for his own safety, Cyril was educated alongside Phillip VI’s heirs as the king’s ward

When Cyril reached 14, the War of the Breton Succession began, and he was sent to attend the University of Paris, where he studied at the College of Navarre which his grandmother had founded

Upon his graduation with a Master of Arts, Cyril came back to court and was granted the County of Champagne as an appanage (Touraine having become a royal dukedom)

Centuries later in 1533 CE, while attending the wedding of his half-sister Catherine de Medici to Prince Henry II, Alessandro de' Medici fell in love with Sabrina du Blois and eloped with her back to Florence

Their marriage was a direct violation of Alessandro’s engagement contract to the Holy Roman Emperor’s daughter, a contract which had been signed by his uncle Pope Clement VII

Seeking the support of the Papal States in his war for Italy against Spain, King Francis I annulled the marriage, only for the Pope to shortly die afterwards

Sabrina initially refused to return to France until she learned that her former husband had already had a child with his favorite mistress; unfortunately, she herself was already pregnant, and she died giving birth to their son Thibault in 1534 CE

Her father the Count Champagne sought the king’s approval to have his grandson legitimized, arguing he was conceived while their marriage was still valid, but the scorned Francis I refused

The count didn’t give up there and instead tried to ingratiate Thibault with other members of the royal family, specifically his aunt and the new queen Catherine under the guise of needing a mother’s guidance

However, though she came to adore her little nephew and took him in once his grandfather passed, it is her husband’s mistress who held sway rather than her, and thus Champagne became absorbed into the royal domain once more

Seeking to regain his title and his family’s honor, Thibault joined the navy and became a maritime captain, but he set his sights on the east rather than the west

At the age of 19, he was put in charge of the raid of the tidal island south of Pontios (the island on which Cordonia is located) in 1553 CE by his request, which was only granted as the Ottoman-French forces believed the island was uninhabited

This was an incorrect assumption, as after the Mali Empire’s capital was invaded in 1546 CE, members of the Keita Imperial Dynasty had fled to Pontios along with a good portion of their people and settled on its southern tidal island, where they built the hidden city Tawunta (“protected with a charm”)

Upon finding Tawunta, Thibault fell for both the beauty of the primeval temperate rainforest and the beauty of the mansa’s daughter Fatoumata

With Cordonia in the midst of a civil war in which Ottoman is involved, Tawunta’s mansa accepted Thibault’s proposal for Fatoumata’s hand, and thus the island became the French colony Cormery Isle

This success lead Thibault to be legitimized and made the governor of the new colony, and he was later invited to the French court along with his family by Catherine in 1563 CE, who as the Queen Mother to King Charles IX now had great authority

Her invitation was part of her attempt to revive loyalty to the crown, and Thibault impressed the court with the riches of Cormery Isle along with his beautiful wife, who is dubbed la princesse noire (“the black princess”)

Catherine was finally able to grant the County of Champagne to her nephew and former ward, and his son Ebrima (known in French as Abraham) later went to Paris to be educated

In order to help further establish the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Lord Abraham is sent to Navarre’s royal court as a suitor for Catherine de Bourbon; she showed no interest in him, so he wound up becoming good friends with her brother Henry III instead

In the wake of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Abraham helped to ferry many Protestant Frenchmen to Cormery Isle and eventually assisted his friend in escaping the French court in 1576 CE

When this was discovered, Thibault’s countship and governorship were both revoked, as he stood accused of aiding and abetting his son’s crime

However, 13 years later when Henry nominally became King Henry IV of France, he granted Abraham the Duchy of Touraine for his steadfast friendship, recognizing both him and his father as princes du sang (the highest rank in court after the immediate family of the king)

Both Henry and Abraham had to battle to claim their lands, but Paris could not be taken; it was Abraham who eventually convinced Henry to convert to Catholicism with the famous phrase, “Paris vaut bien une messe,” or “Paris is well worth a Mass.”

With the new influx of French settlers along with Cormery Isle now being overseen by the older/larger French colony Auvernal, Fatoumata led most of her people to accept her son’s offer to settle in his new duchy, and thus Touraine became home to the first predominantly Black settlement in France

Though they had the king’s favor, the court did not look too fondly upon House du Blois, mostly due to jealously-fueled racism; their admiration of Fatou turned to scorn now that she was their equal/better, and her new nickname became an insult: la princesse grenouille (“the frog princess”)¹

The family continued to have the favor of the crown even after the passing of Henry IV, as Thibault’s youngest granddaughter Joëlle (the namesake of Kiara’s mother) was a favourite and beneficiary of Marie de’ Medici, the regent of France

Unfortunately, they lost much of their influence when she was unseated in 1617 CE and exiled to Loire by her son King Louis XIII, whose principal minister Cardinal Richelieu ordered all fortified castles razed in the same year slavery was made legal, thus weakening the French nobility’s ability to fight back

Working with the Duke of Brittany, the next Duke of Touraine managed to help Marie escape her exile and joined her in the second war against her son; thought they lost, they were forgiven by the king

House du Blois protested greatly against France’s expansion of their slave trade; in response to the Code Noir, they took up the fleur-de-lis² as their charge and regularly bought slaves from the colonies to be freed once they set foot on French soil

By the French Revolution, the Duchy of Touraine had been passed down to a cadet branch, the House Condé, who in pursuit of their goal to abolish slavery managed to keep their title (and their heads) by joining the Third Estate’s National Assembly

Unlike other nobles, their family did not seek out advantageous matches but rather matches within their community, and as such remained visibly Black into modern day (with Kiara’s maternal grandfather Aaron Condé being the current duke)

Notes

This nickname—coupled with how Fatou was heavily involved in rebuilding Tours following the French Wars of Religion—is why in my HC, she serves as one of the inspirations for the Disney Princess Tiana’s character.

The Code Noir stated that runaway slaves would be branded with the fleur-de-lis; it was chosen by House du Blois to openly declare their stance against slavery and because it would be considered an affront to the monarchy, as the fleur-de-lis has been historically used by French royalty.

Linceul ou robe prétexte ?

Jean-Christian Petitfils a encore frappé. Il nous avait déjà abasourdi avec son Jésus (2011, 888 pages), puis avec son Dictionnaire amoureux de Jésus (2017, 624 pages). Grâce auxquels on savait « de source sûre » que Jésus n’était pas ce « gringalet aux épaules tombantes de Pasolini » mais le bel athlète, dont témoigne le linceul de Turin. On connaissait son groupe sanguin, sa taille, son poids, la longueur de son nez, de ses cheveux, toutes informations désormais confirmées par un troisième tome intitulé Le Saint Suaire de Turin (2022, 464 pages) et présenté par l’éditeur comme « l’enquête définitive ». Où l’on apprend (mais on s’en doutait un peu) que la « précieuse relique » est authentique, puisque c’est bien ce linge qui a enveloppé le corps de Jésus dans le tombeau. P. conclut même que « les derniers acquis incontestables de la science évacuent aujourd’hui le moindre doute ». 

Il parvient à cette conclusion hardie en faisant appel à trois disciplines : l’Histoire, la Science et l’Exégèse. Pour l’Histoire, on peut avoir ses apaisements, puisque P. suit les Évangiles, qui situent la mort de Jésus à Jérusalem « sous Ponce Pilate ». En bon historien chrétien il est même plus précis : ça s’est passé « en l’an 33, le 3 avril, vers 3 heures de l’après-midi (…) et son agonie avait duré trois heures. » Suit alors la mise au tombeau avec le fameux linceul, dont P. tient le procès verbal de son témoin oculaire Joseph d’Arimathie. Entre ce moment « historique » et l’arrivée de la « précieuse relique » en France, il se passe quelques siècles agrémentés de légendes (comme celle d’Abgar d’Édesse, avec la lettre autographe de Jésus !), de transferts et d’ostensions, de Mandylion et Palladium, d’un codex de Budapest, sans oublier les confusions entre suaires, voiles et linceuls ou entre originaux et copies. P. ne nie pas des trous historiques abyssaux, comme celui entre la disparition du linge en 1204 dans le sac de Constantinople et sa réapparition à Lirey en Champagne en 1348. Mais cela n’ébranle nullement sa foi : malgré ce gouffre de quelque 150 ans, c’est le même linge qui resurgit. A l’époque il y eut bien des sceptiques, comme l’évêque Henri de Poitiers, qui cria à l’imposture, mais l’homme était mu par l’envie et la cupidité. Il y eut même le pape Clément VIII, qui le décrèta faux, mais peut-on faire confiance à un antipape d’Avignon ? D’ailleurs de vrais papes de Rome, tels Paul VI et Jean-Paul II, ne l’ont-ils pas promu « relique authentique » ?

Côté Science, P. rappelle les expériences multiples et variées qui confirment l’authenticité du « précieux linge », et dont la plupart figuraient déjà dans son Jésus : des tests de radiométrie infrarouge, de microscopie optique, de spectrographie, de microchimie, de fluorescence ultraviolette, « toutes constatations scientifiques qui vont dans le même sens ». En 1988 cependant, le linge subit un test au C14, qui donne une datation médiévale, entre 1260 et 1390 ? Qu’à cela ne tienne ! Consciemment ou non, ces « messieurs du radiocarbone », parmi lesquels « des adversaires de l’authenticité », se sont simplement fourvoyés. P. leur préfère des savants de bonne foi qui datent le « vénéré linge » de l’époque de Jésus en y décelant des pollens de la même époque, des traces de sang du groupe AB (le même que celui d’Argenteuil et d’Oviedo), des ressemblances avec un tissu de Massada, des inscriptions en filigrane qui suggèrent le nom du Nazaréen, d’autres et des plus déconcertants. Il va sans dire qu’avec un tel argumentaire, la réponse de l’Exégèse ne peut que couler de source. Si dans son Jésus de 2011, le linge sacré, appelé « notre Linceul » (avec majuscule) était déjà une « source précieuse », en 2022 le Saint Suaire de Turin est sans doute possible le « témoin de la Passion et de la Résurrection de Jésus-Christ ». C’est même devenu le sous-titre de l’ouvrage.

Que retenir de cette enquête laborieuse, où des croyances fragiles sont étayées par une cascade de preuves de haute technicité ? Souvenons-nous d’abord du principe de « réfutabilité » de Karl Popper (1902-1994). Ce philosophe des sciences estimait que pour assurer la validité d’une thèse, la bonne méthode n’est pas d’accumuler les preuves en sa faveur, mais de déterminer par quel contre-exemple elle pourra être réfutée. Or P. prend l’exact contrepied de ce principe. Il accumule tout ce qui milite en faveur de son préjugé et traite avec légèreté, sinon avec dédain, tout ce qui s’y oppose. Ensuite, rappelons qu’en science, il n’existe pas d’enquête « définitive ». P. le sait si bien qu’il reproche (p.268) aux « radiocarbonistes » (ceux qui ont daté le linceul comme médiéval), d’avoir proclamé leurs résultats comme définitifs, « ce que la prudence scientifique commande de ne jamais avancer ». Que n’a-t-il eu ne fût-ce qu'une once de cette prudence ! 

Concluons par un dernier ad hominem. Visant une pieuse légende antique, P. assure (p.36) qu’aucun « historien sérieux » ne lui accorde la moindre authenticité. Vu ses propres approximations, conjectures osées et thèses invérifiables, n'aura-t-on pas quelque scrupule à le compter parmi les historiens de cette qualité ?

LES LUMIÈRES DE VERSAILLES #leslumièresdeversailles En 1758, les Français sont défaits à la bataille de Krefeld. Le comte de Clermont qui commande l’armée française s’enfuit jusqu'à Neuss. En entrant dans la ville, il demande à l'officier de garde : - Est-il arrivé beaucoup de fuyards ? - Non, monseigneur, vous êtes le premier. 1- UNE IDÉE DE PEINTURE Le peintre François-Hubert Drouais (1727-1775) a représenté Louis de Bourbon, comte de Clermont. Ce peintre devient successivement l'élève de son père, Hubert Drouais, de Donat Nonnotte, de Carle Van Loo, de Charles-Joseph Natoire, et de François Boucher. Reçu membre de l’Académie royale, le 25 novembre 1758, sur présentation d'un portrait de Coustou et d'un portrait de Bouchardon (aujourd'hui au Louvre) comme morceau de réception, il est rapidement appelé à Versailles. 2- UN PEU D'HISTOIRE Bien qu'entré dans les ordres, le comte de Clermont (1709-1771) obtient du pape Clément XII, en 1733, l'autorisation de porter les armes. Lieutenant général en 1735, il participe aux campagnes des Pays-Bas. Chargé du commandement de l'armée de Bohême, il est vaincu à la bataille de Krefeld (1758). Il commande l'armée du Rhin en 1758. Après les déboires rencontrés par la France face à Frédéric II de Prusse lors de la guerre de Sept Ans, il élabore des plans de remise en ordre de l'armée. Il est aussi nommé gouverneur de la Champagne le 19 septembre 1751 en remplacement de Charles de Rohan-Soubise et porte le titre jusqu'en 1769 lorsqu'il la charge à son neveu Louis VI Henri de Bourbon-Condé. 3- NE MUSIQUE D'UN BONHEUR CONTAGIEUX Regardez "François Couperin - L'Apothéose de Lully (1725)" https://youtu.be/BwO-nO9dvk4 L'apothéose de Lully (titre complet : Concert instrumental sous le titre d'Apothéose composé à la mémoire Immortelle de l'incomparable Monsieur de Lully) est une sonate en trio de François Couperin parue en 1725. La sonade, selon le terme que Couperin tentera en vain d'imposer est destinée à deux dessus de viole, basse d'archet et basse continue ou deux clavecins. François Couperin, né le 10 novembre 1668 à Paris et mort le 11 septembre 1733 à Paris, est un important compositeur, organiste et claveciniste fra https://www.instagram.com/p/CiHqxmZMoK5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Louis VII and his great vassals

Philip Augustus owed a considerable debt to his father, not least for extending royal authority into the principalities. Louis forged links which brought the great vassals closer to a monarchy which was becoming more than one among equals, establishing the suzerainty of the Capetians. Previously the magnates had rarely attended court, only doing homage, if at all, on their borders, and providing small contingents for military service, if any. Even in the Plantagenet lands, Louis advanced the royal position. Henry Plantagenet came to Paris to give homage in return for recognition in Normandy, something previous dukes had avoided. He went again as king in 1158, acknowledging that for his French lands: "I am his man." The Plantagenet sons made frequent visits to Paris to give homage. They offered Louis lands in return for recognition, weakening their grasp on vital border territories.

Even the practice of magnates having significant functions in the palace went into decline, but now a new sort of link began to be forged. The role of the magnates was altered by the emergence of large assemblies, sometimes local, sometimes broader. The assemblies at Vézelay and Etampes, in preparation for the Second Crusade, were an important step in the significance of something akin to national assemblies.

Louis's resistance to Frederick Barbarossa also paid dividends: in Flanders, Champagne and Burgundy. Barbarossa saw Louis as a 'kinglet', and coveted the lands between their respective realms, threatening and cajoling his French neighbours. Hostile relations developed between the kings, especially during the papal schism. Again Louis's Church policy gave him advantages. His favoured candidate for the papacy, Alexander III, carried the day, and Churches in the danger area turned to him as protector, as did some of the lesser nobility. The lord of Bresse offered himself as a vassal: 'come into this region where your presence is necessary to the churches as well as to me.'

Nor was Louis easy to push against his will. Even the count of Champagne experienced the king's wrath: 'you have presumed too far, to act for me without consulting me'. Louis's third marriage, to Adela in 1160, cemented his improving relations with the house of Champagne. He had transformed French policy to ally with the natural enemies of Anjou. Adela's brothers, Theobald V count of Blois, Henry the Liberal count of Champagne, Stephen count of Sancerre, and William who would be archbishop of Reims, became vital supporters of the crown; Theobald and Henry also married Louis's two daughters by Eleanor. The crown therefore did not have to face Henry II alone. When in 1173 Louis encouraged the rebellion by Young Henry, he could call to his support the counts of Flanders, Boulogne, Troyes, Blois, Dreux and Sancerre.

In the south Louis attempted to improve his position through marriage agreements. His marriage to Eleanor gave him an interest in Aquitaine, which was not completely abandoned after the divorce. He married his sister Constance to Raymond V count of Toulouse in 1154. In 1162 Raymond declared: 'I am your man, and all that is ours is yours.' It is true that Raymond' s marriage failed, his wife complaining 'he does not even give me enough to eat', and that Raymond flirted with a Plantagenet alliance, but only to join Richard against his father. By 1176 he had returned to the Capetian fold.

Louis used marriage as a prospect to cement relations with Flanders. Louis had brought Flanders into the coalition against Henry II, and now agreement was made for his son Philip to marry Isabella of Hainault, the count of Flanders' niece. The dukes of the other great eastern principality, Burgundy, were a branch of the royal family. As Fawtier has said, it was 'the only great fief over which royal suzerainty was never contested' - at least until the time of Philip Augustus. At Louis VI's coronation, three princes of the realm had refused to give homage. By the accession of Philip Augustus, liege homage of the great vassals to the crown had become the expected practice.

Vassals of the princes sometimes turned directly to the king for aid rather than to their own lords. Many in the south sought Louis's protection, including the viscountess of Narbonne, who declared: 'I am a vassal especially devoted to your crown'. Roger Trencavel received the castle of Minerve from Louis and did homage for it, though he was a vassal of the count of Toulouse, and the castle was not even the king's to give. William of Ypres, though a vassal of the count of Flanders, asked Louis to enfief his son Robert. Under Louis, not only were the great vassals brought closer, but Capetian influence was filtering through to a lower stratum of vassals.

Jim Bradbury - Philip Augustus, King of France, 1180-1223

Every Queen of France Ever

Other posts in this series: Every Queen of England ever, Every English Princess ever

Richilde of Provence - Queen consort of West Francia from 870 to 877 (wife of Charles the Bald)

Adelaide of Paris - Queen consort of West Francia from October 6th 877 to April 10th 879 (wife of Louis the Stammerer)

Richardis of Swabia - Queen consort of West Francis from 884 to 887 (wife of Charles the Fat)

Richardis of Swabia - Queen consort of West Francis from 884 to 887 (wife of Charles the Fat)

Théodrate of Troyes - Queen consort of West Francia from 888 to 898 (wife of Odo of France)

Frederuna - Queen consort of West Francia from 907 to 917 (wife of Charles the Simple)

Eadgifu of Wessex - Queen consort of West Francia from 919 to 922 (wife of Charles the Simple)

Beatrice of Vermandois - Queen consort of West Francia from 922 to 923 (wife of Robert I)

Emma of France - Queen consort of West Francia from 923 to 935 (wife of Rudolph of France)

Gerberga of Saxony - Queen consort of West Francia from 939 to 954 (wife of Louis IV)

Emma of Italy - Queen consort of West Francia from 965 to 986 (wife of Lothair of France)

Adelaide of Aquitaine - Queen consort of the Franks from 987 to 996 (wife of Hugh Capet)

Rozala of Italy - Queen consort of the Franks from 996 to 996 (wife of Robert II)

Bertha of Burgundy - Queen consort of the Franks from 996 to 1000 (wife of Robert II)

Constance of Arles - Queen consort of the Franks from 1001 to 1031 (wife of Robert II)

Matilda of Frisia - Queen consort of the Franks from 1034 to 1044 (wife of Henry I)

Anne of Kiev - Queen consort of the Franks from May 19th 1051 to August 4th 1060 (wife of Henry I)

Bertha of Holland - Queen consort of the Franks from 1072 to 1092 (wife of Philip I)

Bertrade de Montfort - Queen consort of the Franks from May 15th 1092 to July 29th 1108 (wife of Philip I)

Adelaide of Maurienne - Queen consort of the Franks from 1115 to August 1st 1137 (wife of Louis VI)

Eleanor of Aquitaine - Queen consort of the Franks from August 1st 1137 to March 21st 1152 (wife of Louis VII)

Constance of Castile - Queen consort of the Franks from 1154 to October 4th 1160 (wife of Louis VII)

Adela of Champagne - Queen consort of the Franks from November 13th 1160 to September 18th 1180 (wife of Louis VII)

Isabella of Hainault - Queen consort of France from April 28th 1180 to March 15th 1190 (wife of Philip II)

Ingeborg of Denmark - Queen consort of France from August 15th 1193 to November 5th 1193 (wife of Philip II

Agnes of Merania - Queen consort of France from 1196 to 1200 (wife of Philip II)

Ingeborg of Denmark - Queen consort of France from 1200 to July 14th 1223 (wife of Philip II)

Blanche of Castile - Queen consort of France from July 14th 1223 to November 1226 (wife of Louis VIII)

Margaret of Provence - Queen consort of France from May 27th 1234 to August 25th 1270 (wife of Louis IX)

Isabella of Aragon - Queen consort of France from August 25th 1270 to January 28th 1271 (wife of Philip III)

Marie of Brabant - Queen consort of France from August 21st 1274 to October 5th 1285 (wife of Philip III)

Joan I of Navarre - Queen consort of France from October 5th 1285 to April 2nd 1305 (wife of Philip IV)

Margaret of Burgundy - Queen consort of France from 1314 to 1315 (wife of Louis X)

Clementia of Hungary - Queen consort of France from August 19th 1315 to June 5th 1316 (wife of Louis X)

Joan II of Burgundy - Queen consort of France from 1316 to 1322 (wife of Philip V)

Blanche of Burgundy - Queen consort of France from January 3rd 1322 to May 19th 1322 (wife of Charles IV)

Marie of Luxembourg - Queen consort of France from September 21st 1322 to March 26th 1324 (wife of Charles IV)

Joan of Évreux - Queen consort of France from July 5th 1324 to February 1st 1328 (wife of Charles IV)

Joan of Burgundy - Queen consort of France from April 1st 1328 to December 12th 1349 (wife of Philip VI)

Blanche of Navarre - Queen consort of France from January 29th 1350 to August 22nd 1350 (wife of Philip VI)

Joan I of Auvergne - Queen consort of France from 1350 to 1360 (wife of John II)

Joanna of Bourbon - Queen consort of France from April 8th 1364 to February 6th 1378 (wife of Charles V)

Isabeau of Bavaria - Queen consort of France from July 17th 1385 to October 21st 1422 (wife of Charles VI)

Marie of Anjou - Queen consort of France from December 18th 1422 to July 14th 1461 (wife of Charles VII)

Charlotte of Savoy - Queen consort of France from July 22nd 1461 to August 30th 1483 (wife of Louis XI)

Anne of Brittany - Queen consort of France from December 6th 1491 to April 7th 1498 (wife of Charles VIII)

Joan of France - Queen consort of France from April 1498 to December 15th 1498 (wife of Louis XII)

Anne of Brittany - Queen consort of France from January 8th 1499 to January 9th 1515 (wife of Louis XII)

Mary Tudor - Queen consort of France from October 9th 1514 to January 1st 1515 (wife of Louis XII)

Claude of France - Queen consort of France from January 1st 1515 to July 20th 1524 (wife of Francis I)

Eleanor of Austria - Queen consort of France from July 4th 1530 to March 31st 1547 (wife of Francis I)

Catherine de' Medici - Queen consort of France from March 31st 1547 to July 10th 1559 (wife of Henry II)

Mary Stuart - Queen consort of France from July 10th 1559 to December 5th 1560 (wife of Francis II)

Elisabeth of Austria - Queen consort of France from November 26th 1570 um May 30th 1574 (wife of Charles IX)

Louise of Lorraine - Queen consort of France from February 15th 1575 to August 2nd 1589 (wife of Henry III)

Margaret of Valois - Queen consort of France from August 2nd 1589 to 1599 (wife of Henry IV)

Marie de' Medici - Queen consort of France from December 17th 1600 to May 14th 1610 (wife of Henry IV)

Anne of Austria - Queen consort of France from November 24th 1615 to May 14th 1643 (wife of Louis XIII)

Maria Theresa of Spain - Queen consort of France from June 9th 1660 to July 30th 1683 (wife of Louis XIV)

Marie Leszczyńska - Queen consort of France from September 4th 1725 to June 24th 1768 (wife of Louis XV)

Marie Antoinette - Queen consort of France from May 10th 1774 to September 21st 1792 (wife of Louis XVI)

Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily - Queen consort of the French from August 9th 1830 to February 24th 1848 (wife of Louis Philippe I)

A new Concise Intro to Trent Et Quarante, France

Trent Et Quarante is one regarding the most renowned wines in Italy. It comes from the particular Loire Valley, in the South of France. Loire Valley, in it's widest may be of which the area of which includes Champagne. The name Loire is some sort of contraction of the term? Loir para la Loire?, hence the gorgeous hill get away. Custom has that Etiquette Queen Jessica Antoinette introduced your current wine into France. There is not any clear facts, yet , in obedience with a number of accounts, it had been brought by the woman to France by simply her partner, Louis IV. The tradition continues now, likewise now there are usually three official resource places of jelqing Quarante. They can easily be Loire Lake, Loire Valley together with Languedoc-Roussillon. These possess their own fashions and even therefore are acknowledged internationally for their own quality. Typically the history of Social manners Quarante could possibly be tracked back into typically the 12th century. A few sources say the origins can be traced straight back again to the occasions of King Henry II, others say that it was developed during the good time of king Steve of French. All through those days, the country was broken up straight into it's very very first two cantons. A single of that has been renowned as Meuse. This specific section of area is more normally thought to be old London. To day, it really is one of the optimal/optimally vacation destinations as well as the town holds quite the few attractions for the traveller. When you decide to spend a visit to that excellent city, be sure you carry alongside your camera. 먹튀재판소 Several of the previous graphics are incredibly delightful indeed. After visiting the different attractions, take some time out stop and even shoot pictures. This particular will allow one to enjoy them in the foreseeable future in the event that you actually choose to get back again. Etiquette Queen Marie Antoinette was created in Meuse. The girl became a mode symbol, that will become evident with typically the sum of jewellery which she wore. She is thought to possess introduced quinceanera dresses, of which are still well-known now. Quinceanera usually takes place about a number of months before a girl's marriage. Most of the absolute most well-liked fascination in Ainsi que Quarante is regarding course Saint Simply de bourse. Really actually a Catholic Church, steeped in history, that attracts thousands of tourists annually. When here, you could also need to shell out a go for the Little Shop involving Angels, that features antiques, embroidered garments, and wonderful paintings. The Other Popular will be the Picasso Museum. This tradition consists of an huge display of artworks developed by Picasso. This involves his famous Nos Demoiselles d'Avignon art work. Other works Include The First Accord, the girl using a new Ball, and Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Additionally, you will will need to take a look at the Avignon rail observe, which operates throughout the town. This could be the key destination of the town. This beautiful put provides extensive of offer you visitors of all tastes. Trent Ain Quarante produces an excellent holiday location. If you're planning a vacation to France, this location has much to supply. It is a popular with tourists from around The european union. There are two major industrial villages in this area. Most these are Le Havre and Cherbourg. Tourists appreciate arriving to enjoy typically the searching cart. Clothing is particularly enormous throughout the summer a few months, when people purchase shoes, sandals, and swimsuits for the particular shore. It may well also be an exceptionally pleasant method to devote per day relaxing in the neighborhood bistros and enjoying the particular scenery. The rival facet of city is also pretty quiet. There will be not excessively several restaurants or stores, and there will be not that several folks walking rounded. It's a little the serene setting. It is similar to be able to coming back to a good occasion when day to day life was not simple. You may well follow the historical past of this city by way of its individual history novels. Inside the seventeenth millennium, it turned away to be an essential interface for iron and other nutritional supplements. You may observe an intriguing portion of community history in the type of the Roman fortress. That can be actually on the site on this original town of Trent Ou Quarante.

A new Concise Intro to be able to Trent Et Quarante, France

Trent Et Quarante is one regarding the most renowned wines in Italy. It is about from the Loire Valley, from the South regarding France. Loire Pit, in it's greatest may be that the area that will includes Champagne. Title Loire is a new contraction of the term? Loir de la Loire?, hence the gorgeous hill escape. Custom has this Etiquette Queen Jessica Antoinette introduced your own wine into France. You cannot find any clear proof, yet , in compliance with a number of accounts, it seemed to be brought by the girl to France by her partner, Adam IV. The tradition continues now, also now there usually are three official origin places of penile Quarante. They can easily be Loire Riv, Loire Valley together with Languedoc-Roussillon. These include their own fashions plus therefore are acknowledged internationally for their own quality. The particular history of Manners Quarante can be monitored back into the particular 12th century. Some sources say the origins can end up being traced straight again to the occasions of King Henry II, others declare it was created throughout the good time of king John of French. Through those days, area was broken up into it's very very first two cantons. One particular of that was renowned as Meuse. This kind of section of city is more generally regarded as old Paris. To day, this really is one of the optimal/optimally getaway destinations as well as the city holds quite a few attractions with regard to the traveller. In the event you decide to pay out a visit to that excellent area, be sure you carry along your camera. A lot of of the past graphics are extremely delightful indeed. Right after visiting the different destinations, take some time to stop plus shoot pictures. This kind of will allow that you enjoy them on the foreseeable future in case you actually make a decision to get backside. Etiquette Queen Jessica Antoinette was created in Meuse. Your woman became a method image, that will always be evident with typically the sum of jewelry which she dressed in. She is believed to possess launched quinceanera dresses, that are still popular now. Quinceanera often takes place about a number of months before the girl's marriage. Most of the absolute most well-liked fascination in Ou Quarante is of course Saint Only de bourse. It's actually a Catholic Church, steeped of all time, that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. Whilst here, you could also need to pay a go towards the Little Shop associated with Angels, that features antiques, embroidered apparel, and lovely paintings. The particular Other Popular is the Picasso Art gallery. This tradition consists of an huge screen of artworks created by Picasso. This contains his famous Des Demoiselles d'Avignon art work. Other works Combine The First Communion, the Lady using a new Ball, and Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Additionally, you will want to take some sort of look at typically the Avignon rail observe, which operates throughout the town. This may be the main interest of the town. This beautiful place provides extensive of offer visitors of almost all tastes. Trent Ainsi que Quarante makes a great holiday location. If you're planning a vacation in France, this place has much to supply. 먹튀검증 It is a popular with tourists from around The european union. There are only two major industrial towns within this area. Almost all these are The Havre and Cherbourg. Tourists appreciate arriving to enjoy the searching cart. Clothes is very enormous in the summer months, when people buy shoes, sandals, and even swimsuits for the particular shore. It may similarly be an exceptionally pleasant method to spend per day relaxing in the area zinc and enjoying the particular scenery. The opposing facet of city is also really quiet. There are not excessively numerous restaurants or retailers, and there usually are not that several folks walking circular. It's a bit of a new serene setting. This is similar to finding its way back to an occasion when daily life was not simple. You may well follow the heritage of this city by using its own history novels. Within the seventeenth centuries, it turned out to be an important interface for iron and other nutritional supplements. You may see an intriguing portion of community historical past in the sort of the Roman fortress. Which can be actually on the site with this original city of Trent Et Quarante.

Quiz: Which Desmond Hall Character Are You?

SPOILER WARNING FOR DESMOND HALL ARCS I AND II

Last week, I was going to work on finishing my next review, but then my muse pulled me aside and ordered me to write a Desmond Hall personality quiz while threatening me with a conjure doll and silver pin. Not every Desmond Hall character is in this quiz, only the ones that I thought would be the funniest to write. Enjoy!

1. You have just arrived at an ancient manor house enveloped in darkness that rests atop a sinister network of haunted caves. When you learn this, how do you react? A. Lie in bed for several days while writhing in agony. B. Accept it and keep myself busy while pining for my voodoo island home. C. Act insufferably smug, because soon the house will belong to me. D. Go search for creatures in the caves to alleviate my boredom and satisfy my compulsion to do random disturbing things. E. Barely react at all because the writers have forgotten that I have a personality. F. Swan around while talking to myself about how the manor looks like something out of a storybook. G. Wish that I could live there again, because I've been trapped in a trippy magical closet for months.

2. The daily newspaper arrives and the headline reads, "GIRL BRUTALLY MURDERED.” What is your response? A. Retreat to my bedchamber and panic loudly about how I hope no one discovers that I’m the murderer. B. Get the body buried and all evidence concealed. C. Observe a moment of silence for my former doxy, then promptly forget she ever existed. D. Cut out the photo of the victim's face, suspend it from a papier-mâché gallows tree, and display it prominently in the foyer. E. Feel moderately concerned for my safety, but not too much. My ghost boyfriend will protect me...maybe. F. Scheme to blackmail the killer into marrying me. G. Wonder, "Was that my brother again?"

3. Your hobbies include: A. Moping around the manor house in fancy suits and contorting my face as though trying unsuccessfully to relieve myself. B. Reciting dramatic monologues with bits of scenery caught between my teeth! C. Plotting murder, robbery, and the corruption of young maidens while sipping sherry. D. I wander. I visit. I'm here and there. I'm a kind of ghost of Desmond Hall. E. I used to enjoy rebelling, flouncing, and bickering, but I've lost my taste for those. Now I prefer hanging out with old people in a cottage that smells of strange spices. F. Talking to and stroking my sweet little snake. (By which I mean "reptile with no legs and a forked tongue." Get your mind out of the gutter.) G. Necromancy.

4. Your favorite foods include: A. Bubbly eggs cooked in champagne. Definitely not kippers. B. The cuisine of my native island, before the evil of THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES made all the plants poisonous and killed all the animals! C. My spouse's hors d'oeuvres--but only when I don't have to eat them off the floor. D. Sugar, strawberries and cream, and the very best...*checks Teleprompter*...butter. E. Muffins laced with magical herbs. F. The delicious misery of the man who tried to strangle me and of all the other women who want him. G. I don't eat anymore. I'm a ghost. Food passes right through me--literally.

5. What turns you on? A. A lover who is unpredictable but not murderously crazy, and who likes to wear lacy nighties. B. I would not know! I have not felt those urges in three hundred years! C. Money. D. Anyone from my preferred gender who actually wants to spend time with me. E. A ghost who behaves like Edward Cullen. F. Jean Paul Desmond! He is the sexiest male character in the history of television. G. Submission and unquestioning devotion. Also, lesbians.

6. What is your signature look? A. Highly flattering mod suits combined with an unflattering combover. B. A long black Victorian dress. C. A stodgy gray/green suit, which is probably in desperate need of Febreze after being worn three days in a row. D. Turtlenecks. E. Bleached blonde hair and faddish early ‘70s fashions. F. Long pointed fingernails, false eyelashes, and a creepy grin. G. I once hung from the ceiling with my shirt torn open. Does that count?

7. Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. What is yours? A. Although I want to reach out and help the beautiful young women who come to me, instead my hands reach out to kill! B. I single-handedly cursed my employer's family by signing his grandfather’s (misspelled) name on a pledge to the Dark Lord. C. I am a black widower. D. I used to participate in necromancy rituals with my dear cousin. E. I stole a piece of my mother's jewelry and sold it at a pawn shop. F. I am a priestess of the Serpent God. G. Funny you should mention skeletons. My closet has a literal one hanging in it.

8. If you had to guess, which of these personages were you most likely in a past life? A. A freebooter possessed by the Devil. B. Myself. C. Henry Seewald--who looks exactly like a toddler version of me--transported back in time via the 49th hexagram. D. Someone named Claude. E. A young girl sacrificed by a priestess who looked like my mother. F. Ophelia, if she were real. G. My great-uncle with the same first name as me, who was allegedly disowned for being a poet.

9. Your favorite Dark Shadows character is: A. Barnabas Collins. B. Magda Rakosi. C. Nicholas Blair. D. David Collins. E. Carolyn Stoddard. F. Angelique Bouchard. G. Quentin Collins.

10. What from 1970 Dark Shadows do you believe was most likely inspired by Strange Paradise? A. The character of Judah Zachery, who is highly reminiscent of THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES. B. The use of a retcon to completely change Angelique's backstory. C. The name Desmond Collins. D. The implied reincarnation in the Summer of '70 arc that (sadly) never got explored as much as it should have been. E. The subplot about Quentin falling in love with Daphne's ghost. F. The Leviathan cult's use of snake iconography. G. The carousel in Tad and Carrie's playroom.

If you answered mostly A, you are Jean Paul Desmond, richest man in the world and master of Desmond Hall. Tall, dark, and incredibly handsome in spite of his receding hairline, Jean Paul is the victim of two self-imposed curses, one of which causes him to strangle people when the Mark of Death appears on his hand (which is totally not a reflection of some repressed or hidden part of his personality, having formerly displayed megalomania and control freak tendencies on his island). When not under the effects of this curse, he is the living embodiment of charm and sweetness and attracts would-be partners like moths to a flame. Logically, the same must be true about you, because online personality quizzes are never wrong. ;)

If you answered mostly B, you are Raxl, daughter of the Priestess of the Serpent and winner of the Canadian 1969 and 1970 scenery-chewing contests. Far older than she looks, the Desmond family’s housekeeper may not be as loyal as she appears, depending on the whims of whomever wrote the plot outline for the final arc. She is an expert on all things occult and supernatural, from tarot cards to the Egyptian Key. Even after her retcon, she is awesome.

If you answered mostly C, you are Laslo Thaxton, husband of Ada (Desmond) Thaxton and master of Desmond Hall in the absence of Jean Paul and Philip. I would say that you are an unscrupulous, greedy Devil-worshiper like Laslo, but I’ve always hated those personality quizzes that make moral judgments about people just because they share some traits in common with the villain. Therefore, I’m just going to assume that you are most likely a decent person who only got Laslo because you happen to love money and Nicholas Blair.

If you answered mostly D, you are Cort Desmond, twenty-something cousin of Jean Paul and Philip. Eccentric and erratic but oh-so-adorable, Cort is a polarizing character loved by some fans for his good looks and (often unintentionally) funny lines, but hated by others for being somewhat of a spoiled brat. Like Hamlet whom he idolizes, he seeks justice for the death of his father, along with the inheritance his Dear Stepfather Laslo wants to steal from him.

If you answered mostly E, you are Holly Marshall--or, rather, what Holly has become since her creator Ian Martin left the show. Formerly a spitfire with a high IQ, a low boiling point, and a love for outdated slang, Holly has become a shell of her former self under the new writers. She spends more time unconscious and hypnotized than not; when she is conscious, she wastes her time pining after an unsuitable love interest who treats her like Edward treats Bella in Twilight. I hope this doesn’t describe you, because, if it does, you should seek help. Don’t be like Desmond Hall-era Holly!

If you answered mostly F, you are Agatha Pruitt, a young seamstress obsessed with Jean Paul. While the master of Desmond Hall has attracted many suitors, none are as strange or disturbing as Agatha, who blackmails him into letting her live at Desmond Hall after his failed murder attempt and proceeds to wreak havoc there along with the Serpent God (who may or may not be Raxl’s Great Serpent) whom she worships.

Finally, if you answered mostly G, you are Jean Paul’s brother, Philip Desmond (not to be confused with his cousin Philip Desmond, or either of the two Philippes des Mondes). A secretive figure largely mysterious even to his own brother, the handsome Philip dabbles in the dark arts and other mysteries, which ultimately leads to his disappearance into the caves beneath Desmondton and reappearance as a ghost. His character alignment is unclear--he may be evil, or just chaotic neutral--but one thing is clear: whoever messes with Philip has the Devil to pay.

Women of the Crusader States || The Reign of Baudouin IV and the Third Crusade

Agnès de Courtenay ( c. 1136 – c. 1184) Daughter of Josselin II de Courtenay, comte d’Édesse and Béatrice de Saône. Sister of Josselin II de Courtenay. Wife of Renaud de Marash; Amaury de Jérusalem; Hugues d’Ibelin; and Renaud Granier, comte de Sidon. Mother of Baudouin IV and Sibylle de Jérusalem.

Maria Komnene (c. 1154 – 1208/1217) Daughter of Iōannēs Doukas Komnenos and Maria Taronitissa. Wife of Amaury de Jérusalem and Balian d’Ibelin. Mother of Isabelle Ire de Jérusalem; Helvis d’Ibelin, dame consorte de Sidon; Jehan d’Ibelin, seigneur de Beyrouth; Marguerite d’Ibelin, princesse consorte de Tibériade; and Philippe d’Ibelin. 

Sibylle de Jérusalem (c. 1160 – 1190) Daughter of Amaury de Jérusalem and Agnès de Courtenay. Wife of Guglielmo Lungaspada degli Aleramici di Monferrato and Guy de Lusignan. Mother of Baudouin V de Jérusalem.

Isabelle Ire de Jérusalem (1172 – 1205) Daughter of Amaury de Jérusalem and Maria Komnene. Wife of Onfroy IV de Toron, Corrado degli Aleramici di Monferrato, Henri II de Champagne; and Aimery de Lusignan. Mother of Marie de Montferrat, Alix de Champagne, reine de Chypre; Philippa de Champagne; Sibylle de Lusignan, Lady of Armenian Cilica; and Mélisende de Lusignan, princess d’Antioche. Grandmother of Isabelle II de Jérusalem and Zabel I of Armenia.

Étiennette de Milly (c. 1145/1155 – 1197) Daughter of Philippe de Milly, seigneur de Naplouse and Isabelle, dame d’Outre-Jourdain. Wife of Onfroy III de Toron, Miles de Plancy, and Renaud de Châtillon. Mother of Onfroy IV de Toron and Isabelle de Toron.

Echive de Bures (c. 1132 – 1187) Parentage uncertain. Wife of Gautier de Saint-Omer and Raymond III, comte de Tripoli. Mother of Hugues II de Saint-Omer, Guillaume de Saint-Omer, Raoul de Saint-Omer, and Odon de Saint-Omer.

Echive d’Ibelin (1160 – 1196) Daughter of Baudouin d’Ibelin and Richilde de Bethsan. Wife of Aimery de Lusignan. Mother of Bourgogne de Lusignan; Hugues I of Cyprus; and Helvis de Lusignan, princess d’Antioche.

Helvis d’Ibelin (after 1178 – before 1216) Daughter of Balian d’Ibelin and Maria Komnene. Wife of Renaud Granier, comte de Sidon and Guy de Montfort, seigneur de Castres. Mother of Balian Granier, comte de Sidon; Agnès Granier, dame de Galilée; Euphémie Granier; Philippe de Montfort, seigneur de Castres; Pernelle de Montfort; and Florence de Montfort.

Glee «The stupid invitation» Part II

Diciembre de 2018

-Maldición… —dijo Kurt sintiendo que vibraba su teléfono por una llamada entrante— es Lily… —agregó mirando la pantalla— tengo que contestarle… ¿me esperas un par de segundos? -Te espero lo que sea… —contestó su esposo sonriendo— pero oye… —añadió tomándolo del sweater— ¿no dijiste que me trajiste algo? -Así es… pero todo a su tiempo Señor Anderson-Hummel… todo a su tiempo… —terminó por decir Kurt levantándose para hablar con su amiga y colega en Broadway, Blaine se le quedo viendo un instante y luego sonrió soltando un suspiro enamorado, volvió los ojos  a su hijo que lo observaba a él como pidiendo una explicación por el silencio que había en el salón. -¿Quieres que sigamos tocando?... —pregunto Blaine haciendo sonar el piano, Henry agito sus brazos y piernas como diciendo «¡claro que quiero!»— ok… mira, como ya tenemos completo el comercial, ¿que tal si le creamos una melodía al Papa?... —dijo poniéndose el lápiz detrás de la oreja, puso ambas manos sobre las teclas y dejó fluir una melodía que, según él, era la que identificaba a su esposo, lenta  en un principio pero que comenzaba a subir de tono y ritmo después— ¿cierto?... —agregó mirando a Henry, este se abrazo mas de su oso de felpa y comenzó a comérselo partiendo por una de las orejas— tomare eso como un si… —dijo haciéndole un pequeño cariño en la cara. -Perdón por la interrupción… —dijo Kurt volviendo hasta donde estaban todos, se guardo el teléfono en el bolsillo y volvió a sentarse junto a su esposo frente al piano— ¿eso que tocabas era del comercial? -No… era tú melodía…

-¿Cómo? -Tú melodía… —-repitió Blaine volviendo a tocar los mismo de hace segundos atrás, Kurt escucho con atención y sonrió sintiendo que se elevaba unos centímetros del piso— ¿te gusta?— preguntó su esposo mientras ejecutaba la parte más armoniosa y fresca de la pieza recién creada. -Es muy bonita… ¿en serio es para mi? -Lo es si la quieres, puedo llamarla «noviembre»… que fue cuando te conocí…  o «mi esposo»… que es una de las tantas cosas que eres para mi…  o simplemente... «Kurt»… —dijo pronunciando el nombre de su esposo como solo él sabia hacerlo. -Me gustan todos… —contesto como derretido. -Ok… —agrego Blaine sonriendo— luego le escogimos un nombre…¿todo bien? -¿Quien? -Que si todo esta bien… la llamada que recibiste de Lily… —dijo Blaine señalando el teléfono que su esposo acababa de guardar. -¡Ah!… ¡claro!… Lily… adivina… -¿Que? -Para que me llamo… -¿Sobre la fiesta? -Obvio… me acaba de decir que llegó la gente de «Broadaway.com» a repartir invitaciones para todos, que guardó la nuestra, y que la traerá el sábado… —explicó volviendo a sacar el teléfono— ¿ves?.. —añadió enseñando la captura de pantalla de una de las invitaciones. -Vaya… y con sello de seguridad y todo… —dijo Blaine mirando el código  «QR» en una de las esquinas. -Así es, pero no te entusiasmes… no creo y asistamos… —sentencio dejando el aparato sobre el piano. -¿Por qué no? -Porque como dije antes, tardaron siglos en enviarme la estúpida invitación y eso es algo que no me agrada de ninguna de las maneras… además, prefiero pasar la víspera del 2019 aquí, con Henry en mis brazos y yo en los tuyos… sentados en la azotea mirando esos fuegos de artificio que tanto te gustan… una botella de champagne, dos copas… una sola manta… —dijo Kurt alzando uno de sus hombros como si estar bajo una misma cobija con Blaine Anderson fuera algo de lo que se podía presumir. -Eso sí que es un plan…  —respondió Blaine inclinándose para besarlo. -A no ser que tu quieras ir… —dijo Kurt apartándose de pronto— porque si tu quieres ir vamos… -No quiero ir Kurt… bien sabes que todo lo «Broadway»… —respondió su esposo arrugando un poco la nariz. -Claro… —añadió  Kurt haciendo ademán de besarlo él esta vez, Blaine sonrió y se volvió a acercarse— pero si cambias de opinión… —dijo volviendo a  apartarse— puedes decirme… porque Lily dijo que no pedirán «RSVP» así es que… -Kurt… -¿Si? -¿Tú quieres ir?... -¡No!, ya expliqué mis razones… yo quiero quedarme aquí con todo lo que dije antes y agregar un par de sinfonías con mi nombre… —dijo tocando cuatro teclas en escala descendente -Me parece bien… pero eso último, será solo hasta el domingo porque Mister Rodríguez me dijo que ese día vendrán a llevárselo… —explicó Blaine tocado la superficie del piano con ternura. -¿Que?, ¿de qué estás hablando?, creí que se lo llevarían la segunda quincena de enero… -Lo mismo creía yo, pero eso fue lo que me dijeron, por ello también me apresure en terminar las melodías… —dijo soltando un suspiro, esta vez cargado de nostalgia. -Lo siento… —añadió Kurt acariciándole la espalda. -Esta bien…me da un poco de pena, pero me auto consuelo pensando que cuando seamos ricos y famosos… tendremos un «Bechstien» en medio de nuestra sala… -Un en cada habitación si quieres… -Con uno me conformo...—dijo Blaine dando un pequeño beso— ahora, ¿quieres escuchar el resto de lo que compuse para el comercial? -Por supuesto, pero lo primero es lo primero...—dijo levantándose, caminó el par de pasos que lo separaban de la entrada y tomó la bolsa de regalo, le acomodó el moño y miró un segundo por la abertura, casi asegurándose  que lo que quería estaba dentro, la ocultó tras su espalda y se acercó a su esposo dando pequeños pasos como un duende travieso lo haría— ¿recuerdas que te dije que te había traído algo?,  ¿verdad? -Lo recuerdo… -Pues bien… esto es...—dijo entregado la bolsa. -¿Un regalo?, ¿para mi?... -Por supuesto, eres el único ser humano aquí...—Blaine hizo un gesto con la mirada indicando a Henry— el único ser humano capaz de apreciar el contenido de esta bolsa y controlar los músculos de su cuello… ábrelo… —dijo sentándose junto a él. -Lo haré… pero primero… ¿por qué? -Por que… ¿que?... —pregunto de vuelta Kurt tomando una galleta. -Este regalo… —contesto acomodando la cinta roja brillante— la navidad fue hace casi una semana. -Lo fue… pero… esto es algo que necesitas, que quiero regalarte y que por cierto lo encontré en una oferta irrepetible… ábrelo… ¿que?... —dijo al ver que su esposo lo miraba de medio lado y con suspicacia. -Nada… es decir… gracias.. pero no quiero que lo hagas porque te sientes culpable por lo de la situación del personaje ese… eso ya paso... —añadió Blaine poniendo mala cara cuando se refería a Connor y lo llamaba el «personaje ese», -No me siento culpable… bueno un poco, pera ya te pedí disculpas, ya hablamos de la situación y tú actuaste como el maravilloso hombre que eres… —Blaine sonrió y le dio otro beso— ahora ábrelo por favor… si dentro de esa caja hubiera  un perro o un gato, ya estaría muerto… -¿Es un perro o un gato?... —pregunto Blaine riendo al tiempo que abría el envoltorio. -No… es algo más sutil. -¡¿Que?!... —exclamó cuando por fin vio lo que era un regalo— ¿es un teclado?...—agregó mirando la descripción de la caja. -No, es piano portátil y enrollable, no es un «Bechstien». pero el vendedor me aseguro que suena igual como los mejores, que es flexible y que tiene un montón de cositas que permiten que se conecte al computador y con el software, que viene incluido por cierto, las teclas que toques se transcribiran de inmediato en una partitura digital… -¿En serio? -Si… ¿te gusto? -¡Me encanto!... gracias… —añadió besándolo de nuevo esta vez con pasión y propiedad. -Vaya… —dijo Kurt suspirando como si hubiera estado sin aire un par de horas— no estoy seguro que me harás el día que te regale ese «Bechstien» que quieres… —añadió tragando saliva. -Tendrás que esperar que ese día llegue para saber… -Muy justo… ahora… ¿tocaría algo para mi Señor Anderson-Hummel? -Encantado… pero creo y debemos subir, esto necesita un enchufe y el único que hay aquí tiene un cartel de «fuera de servicio»… —dijo Blaine mirando el tomacorriente descompuesto, acto seguido se levantó y empezó a ordenar sus cosas. -Estúpido edificio… —murmuró poniéndose de pie. -No maldigas...estamos a 7 minutos del Central Park… ¿recuerdas? -¿Me roba mis líneas acaso? -Es una excelente linea… ¿me ayudas con esto?... ¿o prefieres encargarte de nuestro hijo —preguntó con su regalo en una mano y el computador portátil en la otra. -Nuestro hijo... —contesto poniendo ambas manos sobre la manija.