Blanche of Castile served as regent of France on two occasions and held great power in the country even when she wasn’t ruling.
Blanche of Castile: France’s Indomitable Regent

Blanche of Castile served as regent of France on two occasions and held great power in the country even when she wasn’t ruling.
Catherine Gonsalvus was married off to a "freak" as a joke, but probably had a happy marriage, despite European royalty treating her family like animals.
Betsy Patterson married Jerome Bonaparte, and when he dumped her on the orders of his brother, Betsy spent the rest of her life travelling Europe like she didn't care.
Marie de Bourbon became Duchess of Montpensier when she was just two years old, and the French royals really, really wanted and needed the girl's money.
Very few women in history have betrayed their sisters to become the king's mistress. Maybe that's why Marie Anne de Mailly, arguably history's worst sister, is so intriguing.
Marie Antoinette of Austria was the Queen of France who had the bad luck of being consort during the French Revolution. Here is her last letter.
Jeanne de Clisson was a noblewoman who ended up as a pirate after her husband's execution. The Lioness of Brittany always left one survivor to tell her tale, which they always did.
Henrietta of England, known as Minette, fled England at the age of only three, then became a very unhappy duchess, followed by her very mysterious early death.
Hortense Mancini was quite an interesting lady. She had a husband who knocked out female servants’ front teeth, she ran away from him, and became a royal mistress.
The mother of Mary, Queen of Scots probably lived a normal life. She was probably just a French princess who married the King of Scotland, right? Well, her life was the exact opposite.