Epitaph for Three Women

This had to be the saddest so far of the Plantagenet Saga - even all theearlier story were sad nothing is as sad as Joan of Arc and Katharine ofValois. I did not know that the English was responsible for the death ofJoan of Arc. She was surely a remarkable young woman and very important tothe French people trying to win the war. Her life and death galvanized theFrench people. They couldn't lose after her saintly death. Shame on theEnglish! The second woman was Katharine of Valois who was the widow ofHenry the 5th. When Henry died his son Henry (VI) was only nine months old.Katharine was happy being able to take care of the baby King but of courseone day as it is with all boy Kings they must go and be trained by men. Itmade Katharine sad but she had a good friend, the Squire Owen Tudor, whohelped her get through it. Of course they fall deeply in love and getsecretly married. They are left alone happy for a long time, long enough forthem to have 4 children. When it was found out that Owen and Katharine weremarried, Owen was arrested and the children were taken away and Katharinewas sent to a convent, supposedly for her health. She is so broken heartedthat she eventually dies the same day that Owen breaks out of prison to comeand get her.


Genre: Historical