Cat's Historical Doodles

Theodora (Greek: Θεοδώρα ) was born circa 500, in Cyprus. Her father, Acacius, was a bear trainer of the hippodrome's Green faction in Constantinople; her mother, whose name is not recorded, was a dancer and an actress. Procopius relates that, from an early age, Theodora followed her sister Komito's example and worked in a Constantinople brothel; she later performed on stage. Lynda Garland notes that there seems to be little reason to believe she worked out of a brothel. Employment as an actress would include both indecent exhibitions on stage as well as providing sexual services off stage. So, Theodora earned her living by a combination of her theatrical and sexual skills. During this time, she met the future wife of General Belisarius, Antonina, with whom she would remain lifelong friends. At the age of 16, Theodora travelled to North Africa as the companion of a Syrian official, Hecebolus, when he went to the Libyan Pentapolis as governor. She stayed for almost ...

Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska was born on 23 June 1703, in Trzebnica; she was the second daughter of Stanislaw I Leszczy ń ski and his wife, Catherine Opali ń ska. She had an older sister, Anna, who died in 1717. She was born the year before her father was made King of Poland by Charles XII of Sweden, who had invaded the country in 1704. In 1709, her father was deposed, and the family was granted refuge by the King of Sweden in the city of Kristianstad. In Sweden, they were welcomed by the dowager queen Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, and became popular members of society life. During this period of her life, Maria began speaking Swedish and later, as Queen of France, she was known to welcome Swedish ambassadors with the phrase Welcome, dearest heart! in Swedish. In 1714, the King of Sweden gave them permission to live in his fiefdom of Zweibrücken, where they were supported by the income of the fiefdom. They lived there until Charles XII died in 1718 and Z...

Marie was born on 22 November 1515, at Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine; she was the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, and his wife, Antoinette de Bourbon. When Marie was 5, she joined her grandmother Philippa of Guelders in the convent of the Poor Clares at Pont-à-Mousson. Her uncle Antoine, Duke of Lorraine, and her aunt Renée of Bourbon visited when Marie was about 14 years old. Impressed by her qualities and stature, they took her away and prepared her for life at the French court. In 1531, Marie made her first appearance there, at the marriage between Francis I of France and Eleanor of Austria. She established a friendship with the King's daughters, Madeleine and Margaret. On 4 August 1534, Marie became Duchess of Longueville when she married Louis II d'Orléans; she was 18 years old. Their union was happy but, unfortunately, brief. On 30 October 1535, Marie gave birth to her first son, Francis. On 9 June 1537, sadly, Louis died and left Marie a widow at ...

Alix Viktoria Helene Luise Beatrix was born on 6 June 1872 in Darmstadt; she was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his first wife, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. As an infant, she was very pretty, with delicate features and long dark lashes. Her mother gave her the nickname of Sunny , due to her cheerful disposition, a practice later picked up by her husband. Out of her siblings, she was closest to Princess Marie ( May ), who was 2 years younger. Both of them enjoyed a happy childhood and were doted on by their elder siblings and mother, who adored her two younger daughters. In November 1878, diphtheria swept through the Grand Ducal House of Hesse. Alix, her three sisters, her brother Ernst ( Ernie ) and her father fell ill. Alix's mother Alice tended to the children herself, rather than abandon them to the doctors. Alice herself soon fell ill and died on 14th December 1878. Alix, Victoria, Irene and Ernst survived th...