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A MOST UNDERRATED QUEEN

Friday, September 29, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we celebrate the savvy royal who trained Queen Elizabeth I, investigate why a useless cold product was allowed to be sold for so long ... and discover a fox-dog mix.

An employee inspects medications produced at STADA Azneimittel AG in Bad Vilbel, Germany. STADA specializes in the production of generic and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.

PHOTOGRAPH BY IAN DAGNALL COMPUTING, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

A gifted scholar. A capable queen.

Catherine Parr was so much more than a wife who “survived” England’s murderous Henry VIII. A new movie starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law may raise the stature of Henry’s least-known (and last) wife.

Parr (pictured above), who was twice widowed before Henry, “sacrificed her heart for the sake of duty,” one historian says.

HERE’S WHAT SHE DID

The doomed queens:
—Who were the real queens of ‘Six’?
—How Anne Boleyn won—and lost—the heart of Henry VIII
—Revealed: The centuries-old secrets revealed inside Boleyn’s Book of Hours

Unlock this article with Nat Geo Premium! Get access now to exclusive stories, plus a century of archives, photos, and videos. See subscription options starting at just $19/yr.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Mexico's last giant panda, Xin Xin, lounges in her habitat at the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City.

IMAGE BY NG STAFF

’Creator’ issues: Why you might find AI so creepy
Related: Is this photo (above) AI or real?

A humpback whale swam halfway around the world. His name is Frodo.

This asteroid is heading dangerously close to Earth

After decades, we just found out this common decongestant is useless. How could they sell it for so long?

Dogs will eat almost anything—cats, not so much. Here’s why.

Get ready for Fat Bear Week! Wait, what?

Women are more likely to be sleep deprived. Here’s why that’s so bad.

How César Chávez changed the labor movement—and became an icon

Looking for home remedies? These 6 herbs might be able to help

Sequoyah, the U.S. state that almost existed

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

In exchange for using his magic to help lustful King Uther to seduce a nobleman’s wife, Merlin asks the monarch to give him their son, Arthur, at birth. He holds him while on top of a horse in this oil painting by Emil Johann Lauffer.

FINE ART/ALBUM

Great and powerful: From Dumbledore to Gandalf, pop culture is full of bearded men wielding magical powers. But there’s one wizard—Merlin—who is the inspiration for them all.

When Merlin first appears in medieval tales, he's just a bard, but his character evolves over many centuries, transforming from a musician to the powerful sorcerer seen in the oil painting (above) by Emil Johann Lauffer. Merlin is presenting the once and future king Arthur who he guides to the throne of Britain. Learn more about the legendary Merlin.

THE MIGHTY WIZARD

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Deysi Tacuri Lopéz, 28, wants to help popularize skateboarding and create more opportunities for young Bolivians to learn about their roots and celebrate their ancestry. “The polleras are very valuable to me,” she says. “I wear them with pride.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUISA DÖRR

Indigenous pride: A group of women skateboarders in Bolivia has been using Indigenous attire (as seen above) to help battle discrimination.

The clothing worn by Indigenous Aymara and Quechua women, commonly known as cholitas, can inspire cultural pride. But the attire also serves as a reminder of rural oppression.

Photographer Luisa Dörr spent weeks documenting members of the ImillaSkate team and their sense of pride and empowerment in a country where almost half the population has Indigenous roots.

SKATING PAST DISCRIMINATION

LAST GLIMPSE

In 2021, Dogxim was found struck by a car and taken to veterinarians for treatment. But her caregivers, who initially thought she was a dog, soon noticed her behavior seemed more like a fox. Genetic testing later confirmed Dogxim was a hybrid of both species.

PHOTOGRAPH BY FLÁVIA FERRARI

Genetic oddity: When this little canine (above) was first found in 2021 after being struck by a car, veterinarians noticed unusual behavior. The animal looked and barked like a dog but it also climbed bushes, a behavior more typical of the local Pampas fox. And it refused common dog food, preferring to eat rats.

Genetic testing later confirmed Dogxim was a hybrid of both species, the world's first known dog-fox hybrid.

Today’s soundtrack: Nobody, Mitski

Happy Friday! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. We’d love to hear from you: [email protected].

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