Tudor Times is the online repository for all things Tudor and Stewart (1485–1625)

On 22nd July 1515, the first Congress of Vienna was held. Two of the grandchildren of the Emperor Maximilian, Ferdinand and Mary, were married to another pair of siblings, Anna and Louis Jagiellon, children of the King of Hungary. The alliance was created with several aims in view - strengthening European defences against the incursions of the Turkish Muslim invaders; increasing Hapsburg claims to Bohemia and Hungary, and giving Bohemia and Hungary allies against Russia. Louis and Mary were married for only five years, before Louis, by then King of Hungary, was killed at the disastrous Battle of Mohacs in 1526. Mary later became Regent of the Netherlands. Ferdinand and Anna were married for some 24 years and had fifteen children. They succeeded to Bohemia on Louis' death, but control of Hungary eluded them. There is more on monarchs of European countries here

On 21st July 1567 Louis of Nassau was utterly defeated by Duke of Alva at the Battle of Jemmingen. Louis was leader in the revolt of the Netherlands against their feudal overlord, Philip II of Spain. Louis was a committed Calvinist, and, together with other Netherlandish nobles, demanded in 1566 that Philip withdraw the Inquisition from their territories. Eventually, the situation deteriorated into open warfare, with numerous battles and sieges. Louis survived the Battle of Jemmingen to fight again. He was badly wounded at the Battle of Mookerheyde in 1574 and withdrew from the fight, but his body was never found.

On 20th July 1524, Claude of Valois, Queen of France and Duchess of Brittany died. She was just twenty-four years old, and had been queen for ten years. Although Claude was the oldest child of her father, Louis XII, she was unable to inherit the French throne as female inheritance to the Crown was not permitted. Instead, she was married to her second cousin, François d’Angouleme, who succeeded as François I.