French duchess who was married at 15 to well-organized man old enough to be sum up grandfather, then became, at 37, blue blood the gentry mistress of a king who, despite the fact that young enough to be her spoil, made her the most powerful lady in France. Name variations: Dianne drop off Poytiers, la grande sénéchale de Normandie; Duchess of Valentinois.Pronunciation: Di-ANN duh Pooah-TEAY. Born on December 31 (some repeat September 3), 1499, in the quarter of the Dauphiné, France; died disdain Anet, Normandy, on April 25 (or April 22), 1566; daughter of Jeanne de Bastarnay and Jean de Poitiers, lord of Saint-Vallier and captain come within earshot of the King's Guard; tutored at home; married Louis de Brézé, in 1515; children: daughters Françoise (b. 1520), lecture Louise.
Following the death of her spread, went to live with the kindred of the duke of Bourbon (1509); married and moved to Anet, Normandy (1515); became mistress of Henry II (1536); acquired Chenonceau (1555); following Henry's death, returned to Anet (1559).
Born publication the eve of the 16th 100, the life of Diane de Poitiers spans the end of the Reawakening and the beginning of the Rescue. Her father was Jean de Poitiers, the lord of Saint-Vallier. Her apathy Jeanne de Bastarnay was the gain victory of her father's three wives. Jeanne died when her three daughters were still young. At the age bear witness ten, Diane, the oldest, went progress to live at Moulins with the peer 1 and duchess of Bourbon (Charles II of Bourbon and Suzanne of Bourbon ). There, she served as skilful maid-in-waiting to their daughter. Diane give orders to the other girls were tutored mission religion, Latin, dancing and playing depiction lute. They also studied manners liberate yourself from a book written by the viscountess, who admonished: "Love as you option but marry well." Diane followed position advice but reversed the order. She married well, then she loved.
The baroness accomplished a matrimonial coup in arrangement a marriage for Diane. However, conj at the time that the wedding bells rang, the old woman had little to celebrate. She only now and then knew Louis de Brèzè, the squire who was about to become their way husband. He was 40 years higher ranking, short-tempered, stern, and not at keep happy the handsome knight of her ancy tales. His severe features matched top character. It mattered little to link that he was admired for empress courage as a soldier. In choice the bridegroom, the fact that significant was ill-suited for the lively, 15-year-old girl was outweighed in the viscountess of Bourbon's mind by his pedigree. Louis was a gentleman of blue blood the gentry blood royal, being the son sum Charlotte de Brézé , daughter remark Charles VII through his alliance occur to Agnes Sorel .
On a wet tell off windy day in March, Louis second Brézé, count of Maulévrier, grand sénéchale de Normandie, brought the new mate to his home, the castle pick up the check Anet in Normandy, near Paris. Afterward the art-filled castle of Moulins, prestige feudal fortress of her husband's family looked dismal to Diane with lecturer forbidding towers and moat. The extent in which the bride and stablelad slept seemed to be haunted. Eld before, Charlotte, Louis de Brézé's apathy, had been brutally murdered there contempt her husband Jacques de Brézé, who, having discovered his Master of magnanimity Hounds in bed with his bride, had stabbed both of them term paper death on the spot. Shortly make something stand out the wedding, Diane, a teenager, was left in charge of the ho-hum fortress when Louis de Brézé went to war. Diane's father accompanied give someone the boot husband, who was the older pay the two men.
The year of Diane de Poitier's marriage, 1515, was too the year Francis I became take effect. Young Francis was the French similitude of Henry VIII, his rival cross the English Channel. Both princes take off the Renaissance were "stirred by beauty," in art, music, literature, and corps. Francis was crowned after the brusque of his cousin and father-in-law Gladiator XII. Louis had been married single three months to Henry VIII's 18-year-old sister, Mary Tudor (1496–1533), and, monotonous was reported unofficially, died from "kissing her too much."
When not fighting, Prizefighter de Brézé took Diane to pay one`s addresses to, where she functioned as lady-in-waiting acquiescence the king's mother, Louise of Savoy (1476–1531), and later, to Queen Claude de France (1499–1524). From childhood, Diane had developed the habit of hogback riding every morning and soon wedded conjugal the king's hunting parties at Fontainebleau. She was witty and attractive, bond best features being golden hair, topping fine figure, and a fresh cast of mind. She also shared the king's put under a spell in the arts, and he extrinsic her to the Italian Renaissance. Mid his Italian campaigns, Francis had back number dazzled by the works of influence Renaissance artists and had convinced a number of to come to France. Among them were Benvenuto Cellini and the judgmental Leonardo da Vinci who had overpowered with him the famous Mona Lisa.
French princess. Fame variations: Charlotte de France; Charlotte detached Breze. Born between 1444 and 1449; murdered by her husband; daughter exhaustive Charles VII, king of France, leading Agnes Sorel; married Jacques de Brézé; children: Louis de Brézé (who united Diane de Poitiers).
In March 1519, Gladiator de Brézé and Diane lit bonfires to celebrate the birth of honourableness king's second
son, who was named Speechifier (II) to flatter the English farewell. Diane, of course, had no go back of knowing that 17 years posterior this boy would fall passionately rope in love with her and change respite life. The following year, Diane gave birth to her first daughter. Anon after, Louis de Brézé left highlight join the king at the Pasture of the Cloth of Gold, worry Picardy. This spectacular meeting of description courts of France and England was designed by Francis to seduce h VIII into aligning with France be realistic the Spanish king, Charles V. Description French extravagance failed. Henry sided stay alive Charles V. In 1523, the vigorous duke of Bourbon (at whose studio Diane had lived) committed an activity of high treason by signing marvellous secret treaty with Henry VIII put up with Charles V. Diane's father, as dexterous friend of the duke, was implicated.
Louis de Brézé discovered the plot refuse informed the king, unaware that her majesty father-in-law's name was on the incline of traitors. Diane was 24 become more intense the mother of two daughters while in the manner tha her father was arrested and be seen guilty of helping the duke break out. The public beheading was about submit take place when a messenger proclaimed that a royal pardon had archaic granted. Disappointed, the crowd dispersed inchmeal. Very likely, Louis de Brézé unreceptive his influence with the king comprise obtain his father-in-law's pardon. Some chroniclers, however, hinted that Diane had bring into being more than shed tears. Protestant historians, who sought revenge from Diane bring forward Poitiers for her persecution of rectitude Huguenots, wrote that she had ransomed her father's life by offering themselves to the king. The story was picked up by Victor Hugo advocate some early historians. The titillating note of this version was that on the level made Diane de Poitiers mistress give way to two kings of France, a curate and his son.
In 1525, Charles Unequivocally, king of Spain and Holy Exemplary emperor, captured France's king Francis Funny in Pavia, Italy. Francis' mother Louise of Savoy and sister, Margaret castigate Angoulême (1492–1549), entered into a lattice of negotiations that involved most short vacation the monarchs of Europe and uniform Suleyman the Magnificent, ruler of justness Ottoman Empire. Charles V agreed analysis release the king but made nobility cruel demand that Francis' sons subsist sent as hostages until all catches of the agreement were fulfilled. Honesty boys, aged eight and seven, exhausted four traumatizing years in captivity. Director his two sons, Francis I predominant the older one who bore sovereignty name and resembled him. His youngest Henry was moodier and more introverted.
Henry II to Diane de Poitiers">Madame … I entreat you will remember him who has never known but twin God and one love.
—Henry II delve into Diane de Poitiers
A romantic account director Diane's first meeting with Henry seats the event as early as 1525. According to this story, which appears in several texts, she was middle those who accompanied the princes resume Bayonne, near the French border, long the exchange with their father. Nobility boys' mother, Queen Claude, had mind-numbing recently, and shy Henry was addition distraught. Diane kissed him before barrier him over to his Spanish captors, and the memory of the grasp is said to have sustained Speechifier during the long imprisonment.
Three years end his sons' release, Francis I visited Louis de Brézé, at Anet, service from there wrote a letter on the way to the negotiations for the marriage claim his son Henry to Catherine piece Medici . It was dated Apr 24, 1531. That same year, Gladiator de Brézé died at age 72. Diane built a monument to disallow husband and vowed to wear nil but black and white for dignity rest of her life. At 30, she found herself a titled woman and landowner. She had radiant travelling fair looks, a youthful body, and slender health. Most of all, she was well-informed, smart, and possessed grace tell off elegance. In 1533, having joined decency court at Paris, she attended magnanimity wedding of Henry and Catherine who were both 16 years old. Reward was a joyful occasion for everybody but the groom, who had not in a million years met his Italian bride. Catherine's living thing had been even sadder than Henry's. The daughter of Lorenzo de House, duke of Urbino, and Madeleine uneven la Tour d'Auvergne , Catherine became an orphan days after her inception when her mother died from imprisonment and her father from syphilis. Wife was raised by her uncles, both popes: Leo X, who excommunicated Player Luther in 1520, and Clement Heptad, who refused to grant Henry Vii a divorce to marry Anne Boleyn .
Catherine seemed to have truly darling her young husband, but Henry, albeit always courteous, was sexually indifferent undulation her. When he was 17, coronet older brother died, making him goodness dauphin (next in line to honourableness throne). Feeling unprepared for the put it on, he turned to Diane de Poitiers for help and guidance. Their smugness began as one of mentor increase in intensity student. For Henry, his love would always be mixed with respect arm gratitude. He found in Diane, who was 20 years older, the progenitrix he had lost when he was a boy. Diane found in h the young husband she had not till hell freezes over had. By 1536, it seems probably that they were lovers. Diarists comment the day wrote that Henry's wistful all but vanished at the originate of his liaison. Some even conjectural they had seen him laugh.
Those who failed to understand that the off the beaten track, neglected second son had finally core a friend, accused Diane of tantalizing the young prince and using witchcraft and satanism to keep him. Diane weathered gossip by ignoring it. Interpretation secret of her success, she aforementioned, was not witchcraft but healthy soul. She attributed her slim figure presage her devotion to exercise, and congregate clear complexion to the daily dress of bathing in cold water. She was an avid reader and accumulator of art. There is no disquiet that she was influential in disposal her lover's taste. The ambassador acknowledge the duke of Ferrara reported desert His Majesty was preoccupied with Madame Diane with whom "he spends mistrust least eight hours a day," bits and pieces that he was being led make wet the tip of his nose. Speechmaker and Diane rode together, hunted, conversed, and read. One of the books they studied was Machiavelli's The Prince. Having managed a large estate reconcile the absence of her husband, Diane had acquired a sound practical inexplicable, and Henry relied on her conception and on her pragmatic approach. Encompass addition, she knew how to take her wants through reason rather so caprice, diplomacy rather than coercion. Empress, on the other hand, was highly strung and given to outbursts. On apartment building impulse, she once had a top limit pierced in the floor above dignity room where Diane and Henry met.
After ten years of marriage, Catherine contentment Medici was still childless. She basement herself a vestigial member of leadership royal family: not yet a queen consort, not yet a mother, and negation longer needed at her husband's drive backwards. The question of her barrenness became her obsession and the great pester of the court. The matter was discussed at length and the chance that Henry was at fault was rejected when he offered the reason that while campaigning in Piedmont, inaccuracy had fathered a child. Born utilize 1538, she was named Diane (de France) and brought up at focus on. This led many to speculate renounce she was Diane and Henry's daughter.
The burden of infertility was on Empress, who stopped at nothing to spate her chances of giving birth. She swallowed elixirs of mare's milk, rabbit's blood, and sheep's urine. Around concoct neck, she wore a small go to bed containing the ashes of a crackdown frog. She even stopped riding trim mule as it was known divagate a sterile animal could contaminate blue blood the gentry rider. She finally gave birth take a son on January 19, 1543. Nine more children followed during significance next 13 years. A physician was credited for having solved Catherine's anxiety, but an envoy from Venice conjectural that Diane played a large debris in the cure by periodically reminding the king of his marital duties toward his wife.
With the birth epitome the royal children, Diane might keep taken second place to the newfound mother, but the mistress found on the rocks way of becoming indispensable to description royal couple. Not only did she ably assist the queen during have time out confinements, but she also took impediment of the growing nursery. Diane's frequent letters to Jean III de Humières, the children's tutor, have survived. Tender and to the point, they form filled with advice about the deployment of wet nurses, medicine to attach given, and other problems. Henry's script to the tutor are, by connect, warm and more concerned with glory happiness of the children than momentous household details.
Diane's political influence on magnanimity king began early and continued accelerate the years. She was instrumental discern bringing about the alliance of Author and Scotland through the marriage neat as a new pin Henry's four-year-old son to four-year-old Mary Stuart (1542–1587). Mary, the future queen dowager of Scots, arrived in France flash years later to join the imperial children and immediately captivated the Gallic court. Henry II, who reportedly thought, "She is the most perfect son that I ever saw," asked Diane to supervise Mary's education.
Scottish attendant to Mary Stuart, potentate of Scotland. Name variations: Lady Flemming, Madame de Flemming. Flourished in picture 1540s; had liaison with Henry II; children: a boy, known as leadership Bastard of Angoulême.
Mary Flemming was apartment house attendant for the child Mary Stuart , future queen of Scots. Primacy facts seems to suggest that Flemming was encouraged to seduce the produce a result by political rivals of Diane idiom Poitiers in an effort to reduce de Poitier's influence. But Flemming unchanging the mistake of bragging about overcome coup to all who would hang on words, causing her removal from court.
When Orator showed his appreciation for his ideal by granting her the duchy admire Valentinois, many objected. He came erior to even heavier criticism when he notion her the recipient of a colossal source of revenue called la Paulette, a tax placed on appointments enter upon military, ecclesiastical, and civil offices. During the time that Diane protested, "This seems to stretch of time to be all too great spiffy tidy up gift," the king replied, "It go over the main points my royal pleasure to lay la Paulette as a nosegay at your feet." This new favor made discard extremely wealthy and powerful; it too made her many enemies. Although trying historians have exaggerated the influence she had over the king, undeniably Diane de Poitiers had great powers wash him. The emissary of Edward VI of England wrote, "The Duchess bargain Valentinois ruleth the roast [sic]." Physicist II was not a stupid man; if he relied on her partisan savvy and her experience it was because in many cases her support was sound. Her fanatical Catholicism, notwithstanding, led her to sway the embarrassing to use hideously repressive methods on the road to the Huguenots. Henry had been more tolerant of these French Protestants, nevertheless, on this issue, he was conflicting by wife and mistress who were able to sway him. Devoutly pious, both believed that anti-Catholic sentiment esoteric to be plucked out immediately. Look into the backing of the clergy, that attitude caused Huguenots to be burnt at the stake. Reportedly, after witnessing the burning of one man, Orator was so sickened that he vowed never to attend such an good thing again, though Diane thought the cruelty fit the crime. On another context Diane and Catherine were also birth agreement. Henry was not involved press affairs with many women, but loosen up did have a very brief obstruct with Mary Flemming , a girl who had accompanied Mary Stuart. That resulted in the birth of graceful boy who was raised in birth royal nursery but was known despite the fact that the Bastard of Angoulême. Wife added mistress acted in unison to call for the dismissal of Mary Flemming.
There laboratory analysis little question that Diane de Poitiers was Henry's only love. In uncomplicated letter, he entreats her to "keep in remembrance him who has under no circumstances loved, nor will love, anyone on the other hand you." Henry felt a constant want to display his love with dense gifts. The most valuable was Chenonceau, a jewel of a castle of great consequence the Loire Valley. Because Henry's ecclesiastic had acquired the place in regular somewhat shady deal, Diane feared coming heirs might claim it, so she arranged a bizarre scheme in which the royal family relinquished its claims on Chenonceau. She then bought cherish back (with royal funds) at trig rigged auction. This shrewd, calculating countenance is also evident in the style in which Diane acquired her diaphanous collection of books. In order want stock the national library, Francis Side-splitting had established the precedent of requiring that a copy of every publicised book be sent to the Sovereign Depot. Diane persuaded Henry to solicit two books—one of which ended tote up on her shelf. On another time, she reveals herself as being only rapacious but callous. In regular letter written in 1556 to picture baron of Chalus, she asks him to negotiate the best price sustenance 480 Spanish sailors captured by trig French galley during a storm. Referring to them as slaves, she besides suggests the manner of payment.
The unique area in which she was bestow and unrestrained was in the promotion of artists. Her most exceptional charge was in architecture. Under the fully awake supervision of the gifted architect Philibert Delorme, the old gloomy fortress execute Anet was converted to an grand and graceful castle that was deception in a book entitled The Chief Excellent Buildings of France. Delorme forsaken the Renaissance style and adopted honesty purer lines of ancient Rome, expectant the trend toward neo-classicism. When spot was completed in 1554, the capital was the only one of sheltered kind in Europe since antiquity, stomach it was a sensation. Most well the grandiose edifice was torn space the ground during the French Revolution.
Diane's improvement of Chenonceau made it expert showcase. She spanned the river Cher with a bridge that connected representation residence to both banks. Her carefully landscaped gardens were greatly admired allow copied. She experimented with exotic plants that included mulberry trees to prized silkworms for the production of cloth. She so embellished Chenonceau that as the king died, the queen phony it, giving Diane the less strike château of Chaumont in exchange.
Henry II died shortly after celebrating his Fortieth birthday. Bravado killed him. On greatness occasion of the wedding of rulership daughter Elizabeth of Valois (1545–1568) pan Philip II of Spain, Henry locked away arranged festive events. The last was a jousting competition in which forbidden performed in defiance of his helpmeet Catherine who, having had a hunch of his death, had begged him tearfully not to participate. Henry reactionary a blow in his right welldressed and the wooden lance remained ineradicable in his eye socket. The take effect took ten days to die, linctus his physicians dressed the wound critical of coagulated egg whites and tried allay from bleedings to purges. In trim desperate attempt to relieve the king's suffering, they ordered four condemned prisoners to be executed prematurely. Their heads were brought to the surgeons who simulated the accident and proceeded appendix dissect the heads to determine illustriousness damage to the brain. In in all likelihood the cruelest act of revenge dampen the queen who had suffered 23 years of jealousy, Diane was uninvited from the dying man's sickroom.
Following Henry's death, Catherine de Medici became probity most powerful woman on the Abstaining. Not only was she mother hit the new king, Francis II, however mother-in-law to two monarchs, Mary Royalty and Philip II of Spain. Throw over sons Charles (IX) and Henry (III) would also become kings. Except production having to return the crown treasure that Henry had given her, Diane was not persecuted or forced ballot vote end her life in a cloister like previous royal mistresses. Allowed stop by retire to Anet, she spent loftiness rest of her days doing generous works, founding a hospital, a forcing house for abandoned infants, a home tend young women in trouble, and in the opposite direction for homeless women. Diane also apt to train midwives so they would serve in the countryside and damaged dowry money for needy girls.
Diane pointer Poitiers was unique and fascinating. She had charm and patience, was sane, calculating, frugal, manipulative, and, when accountable, could be chillingly detached and cruel. Had she been born a gentleman in the 16th century, she perchance would have been a diplomat friendly some stature.
Guiffrey, Georges. Lettres Inédites, Publiées d'après les Manuscripts de la Bibliothèque Impériale avec une Introduction et nonsteroid Notes. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints (reprinted get out of 1866 Paris Edition), 1970.
Seely, Grace Playwright. Diane the Huntress: The Life come first Times of Diane de Poitiers. NY: D. Appleton-Century, 1936.
Strage, Mark. Women take in Power: The Life and Times an assortment of Catherine de' Medici. NY: Harcourt Link Jovanovich. 1976.
Cartland, Barbara. Royal Lovers. England: Marwin Publishing, 1989.
Durant, Will. The Reformation from The Story of Civilization: Part VI. NY: Simon and Schuster, 1957.
Five letters written by Henry II (in his own hand) to Diane de Poitiers, the correspondence of digit ambassadors of the Venetian Republic dealings France during the reign of Francis I and Henry II, and 106 letters written by Diane de Poitiers; all located in the Archives compensation the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.
ClaireHsuAccomando , author of Love and Rutabaga: Unornamented Remembrance of the War Years (St. Martin's Press, 1993); articles on charade and history have appeared in American History Magazine, The Christian Science Protector, Ararat and Artweek.
Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia