Today, 361 years ago, a princess was born in Modena, Italy. Little did she know that she would become one of the most (in)famous Queens of all time; Mary Beatrice d'Este.
Married in 1673 to James, Duke of York she became in 1685 the first and only Italian Queen of England, Scotland & Ireland. Being a Catholic, she wasn't that much loved in Protestant England but accepted mainly due to the fact that she hadn't given James a son yet. But that changed in 1688 when James, Prince of Wales was born and a Catholic heir was a fact. She fled to France in 1688 only to never return to her 'home' again.
Mary Beatrice died in 1705 in Saint-Germain-en-Lay.
This is all for a different blogpost and time because today we celebrate her birthday. I, unfortunately, have one book about her (yet), but this one is quite something. All her letters (the ones that survived everything) are written down here, about her marriage, her struggles in England (and with James), her fears, everything.
"Embrace all the dear Sisters; take leave of them for me before my lying-in, not knowing what may happen." (1692, days before Princess Louisa was born)
Happy Birthday Your Majesty.
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