***MY POWERFUL DUKEDOM***
I was born in Nantes, Bretagne (Brittany for English speakers)on January 27 1476. My father was duke Francois II of Bretagne.Here is the coat of arms of the Dukes of Bretagne:
He was a brave and elegant gentleman, always securing our independence.You see, the Dukes of Bretagne were vassals of the king of France for generations but the Spider King Louis XI wanted to conquer our duchy and turn it into a French province.He did the same with Burgundy and other former powerful dukedoms.
***LITTLE HEIRESS***
From a very young age, I learned to speak and write in French and Breton (Old regional celtic tongue). I also learned a bit of Latin(the most spoken language during that time believe it or not), music, painting and poetry.My mother, Marguerite de Foix, was a princess of the Kingdom of Navarre located near the cold Pyrenees mountains.
Here I am on the left with one of my maids of honor:
I was raised by Francoise of Dinan, lady of Laval, the proper way a young princess of the time was brought up. However, my childhood was not sheltered: My mother died unable to produce a male heir in 1486 which made me the sole heiress to the Bretagne dukedom.By that time many spies were at Court so I was taught never to express my real sentiments to anyone since very little people were to be trusted.
***THE MOST DESIRABLE BRIDE IN EUROPE***
Bretagne was a very rich and powerful duchy which made many noble men ask for my hand in marriage including:Edward IV of England's son, prince Edward(butchered in the tower of London by his uncle Richard III), Henry Tudor(the future Henry VII of England), Juan of Aragon(brother of Catherine of Aragon and Joan the Mad), Maximilian of Austria, King of the Romans(future Austrian Emperor), and Louis of Orleans, rival of Louis XI and future Louis XII. Louis XI hated his nephew of Orleans so baldy that he married him to his deformed daughter Jeanne, making our marriage virtually impossible.In order to gain military support I was eventually married to Maximilian of Austria by "procuration".That means I never actually met my first husband. Nevertheless, I still received the title of Archduchess of Austria.
***THE END OF FREEDOM***
This enraged the French whom, even after The Spider King's death, still wanted Bretagne to belong to them.It was during this time that my beloved father died and I became Duchess of Bretagne when I was only an 11 year old little girl.Three years later, in early 1491, French troops defeated our troops after numerous battles and many shameful acts of treachery from Breton nobles. Louis XI's children, the new French king Charles VIII and his older sister the regent Anne de France, besieged and conquered our city of Rennes. They forced me to "deny" my marriage to Maximilian, declaring him enemy of the Kingdom of France.I was a young, stubborn, proud girl they say, since I refused to take any simple French aristocrat as a new husband: I wanted the actual King of France for husband and nothing less.Charles and I married at the chapel of the Castle of Langeais on December 6, 1491 during a gloomy and hasty religious ceremony.This is a modern times wax representation of my second wedding, Charles and I are in the middle front:
This terrible defeat made Bretagne part of the French Crown but not all dignity was lost since I became Queen of France at merely 14 years of age.My first marriage to Maximilian was annulled.
***UNHAPPY LONELY QUEEN***
Here I am praying with Saint Anne:
My life as wife of Charles VIII was a rather sad one. Anne de France,lady of Beaujeu, his older sister and the real power behind the French throne, was very severe and suspicious of me. Charles himself stripped me of all powers concerning the administration of my duchy of Bretagne, making him its sole sovereign.He never loved me: he took me as some sort of baby making machine.My sole purpose in life was to produce a male heir for the French throne.I produced 6 children for Charles but most of them died quite soon, including my beloved baby boy Charles Orland who died in Amboise victim of the measles.The king decided to conquer the kingdom of Naples (which he successfully did) making me queen of Sicily and Jerusalem. Nevertheless, I had no real political power: Anne de France was named regent of the Kingdom of France during my husband's absence which was an affront to my Queenhood since normally it was the queen who was named regent. I decided to swallow my pride and wait. I have always been ambitious but patience was also a virtue I learned to practice during the years of my difficult second marriage.
***THE LITTLE DUCHESS RECOVERS HER DUKEDOM***
Upon his return from Italy, Charles ordered many festivities to honor his military victories. Celebrations lasted for days. One day after a match of Jeu de Paume (Which gave birth to modern Tennis), Charles got a "fever" and died within the next days.
I quickly took over the administration of Bretagne, declaring myself the only sovereign of the duchy.I restored all the political structures that were dismantled by my husband Charles VIII. This time it was me who had all the power since I was also queen dowager of all France.
Since I had failed to produce a male heir, I decided I would marry Louis of Orleans, Charles's cousin and heir to the French throne. Louis, being now also in a position of power, divorced the deformed looking Jeanne of France( who ironically was also my sister in law).
This time I decided to concoct a marriage contract in which all administrative powers of the Bretagne dukedom returned to me, making Louis XII merely duke consort.
Surprisingly Louis XII accepted all conditions and we became allies as well as husband and wife.This painting represents our wedding day:
***RETURN TO POWER***
Louis fell in love with me.The Venitian ambassador described me most accurately:"The Queen is 17 years old, thin, fair skinned and very pretty even if she limps on one foot and wears high healed shoes to hide her flaw.Her elegance is remarkable for her age and when she decides something she will do anything to achieve her goals." Indeed I was beautiful under Early Renaissance standards :Blond hair, fair skin, large and wide forehead.Even if the feeling of love was not mutual, I never neglected my duties as Queen of France, receiving ambassadors and playing an important role in public life.As Queen for the second time, my private life also changed.Here are our initials:
***HAVING A TASTE OF POWER***
I developped a passion for collecting jewelry, fur, tapestries, silk gowns, and rare animals such as parrots and monkeys from Africa. I also owned over 45 dogs which I loved dearly and took with me everywhere I traveled. Sometimes I would retire to Rennes or Nantes for months whenever Louis XII and I had a disagreement.That made my husband yield to my wishes. I dominated him but I respected him as well. When he went to conquer Milan (making me duchess of Milan), I was named regent of the Kingdom of France. My political skills were praised by everyone in a time when women were not allowed to exercise power the way men did.
The stoat or ermine, my personal emblem:
***LAST BATTLES***
However, I gave Louis XII many children out of whom only two girls survived.My eldest daughter Claude became heiress to the duchy of Bretagne and to the French throne.This is a painting representing me with Claude on my lap:
Initially I wanted her to marry the future Emperor Charles V, son of Joan the mad and Philip the "beautiful". Nevertheless, in order to keep the Valois name on the French throne, my husband married our daughter to her cousin, the future Francois I.This marriage gave birth to the Valois Angouleme dinasty.I only accepted this marriage on my death bed since I despised Francois's mother, the social climber Louise de Savoie.Claude and my youngest daughter Renee survived my death in 1514 at the Castle of Blois.Consumption did me in.Me in my death bed:
***LEGACY***
As Queen of France and Duchesse de Bretagne, Claude gave Francois I many children, most of whom became kings and queens all over Europe.Renee later became Duchess of Ferrare.She was one of the most important protestant leaders of her time. Even though I never approved of Religious Reformation I admire my daughter's courage and strength .She was a rebel like her mother. My life reshaped the History of Europe Dinastycally, Geographically and Politically.I died at only 37, but lead a fascinating and uncommon existence.:)
This is my statue at my castle of Blois: