Elisabeth of Valois
Elisabeth of Valois | |
---|---|
Queen consort of Spain | |
Tenure | 22 June 1559 – 3 October 1568 |
Born | 2 April 1546 Palace of Fontainebleau, France |
Died | 3 October 1568 Royal Palace of Aranjuez, Spain | (aged 22)
Burial | |
Spouse | |
Issue more... | |
Valois-Angoulême | |
Father | Henry II of France |
Mother | Catherine de' Medici |
Elisabeth of France, or Elisabeth of Valois (Spanish: Isabel de Valois; French: Élisabeth de Valois) (2 April 1546[1] – 3 October 1568), was Queen of Spain as the third wife of Philip II of Spain. She was the eldest daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici.[2]
Early life
Elisabeth was born in the
Elisabeth's childhood was spent in the French royal nursery, where her father insisted she share her bedroom with her future sister-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots, who was about three years older. Although Elisabeth had to give precedence to Mary (since Mary was already a crowned queen), the two would remain close friends for the rest of their lives.
Her lady-in-waiting, Claude de Vineulx, accompanied her to Spain and often wrote reports of Elisabeth's health to Catherine. She was described as being shy, timid and very much in awe of her formidable mother, even as there is evidence in letters that Catherine was tender and loving towards her. While it is acknowledged that her sister Margaret and her future sister-in-law Mary were both prettier than she, Elisabeth was nevertheless still considered one of Catherine's attractive daughters.
In 1550, Elisabeth's father, Henry, began negotiations for her marriage to
Queen of Spain
Elisabeth married
Elisabeth left France dressed as a "daughter of France" and arrived in Spain transformed with her 16 French ladies costumed in the Spanish style.
Philip was completely enchanted by his 14-year-old bride,
Elisabeth had originally been betrothed to Philip's son, Carlos, Prince of Asturias, but political complications unexpectedly necessitated instead a marriage to Philip. Her relationship with her troubled stepson Carlos was warm and friendly. Despite reports of his progressively bizarre behavior, Carlos was always kind and gentle to Elisabeth.[10] When it eventually became necessary for Philip to lock him away (which shortly led to the Prince's demise), Elisabeth cried for days.[11]
Philip was very attached to Elisabeth, staying close by her side even when she was ill with smallpox. Elisabeth's first pregnancy in 1560 resulted in a stillborn son,[12] followed in 1564 with a miscarriage of twin girls. She later gave birth to Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia on 12 August 1566, and then to Isabella's younger sister Catalina Micaela on 10 October 1567. Phillip and Elisabeth were very close to both of their daughters, buying them jams, dolls, toys and more. It is said "both rejoiced at the birth of Isabella as if it had been the birth of a son". Elisabeth had another miscarriage on 3 October 1568, and died the same day,[13] along with her newborn infant daughter.
After the death of Elisabeth, Catherine de' Medici offered her younger daughter Margaret as a bride for Philip.[13] Philip declined the offer.[14]
In fiction
Elisabeth of Valois is a central character in
In
Elisabeth of Valois is portrayed by Caoimhe O'Malley (in the pilot) on the CW show Reign, then later by Anastasia Phillips in the fourth season of the show. Rather than the “plain Jane” of her family, the character is portrayed as beautiful and her timid and shy personality is changed to that of one more forceful, cold, insensitive and quite controlling which is driven out of her legitimate desire for her mother's affections. Her name Elisabeth is spelled with an S instead of a Z, though in the fourth season she is simply called Leeza as not to be confused with Queen Elizabeth I. In the first episode, Leeza is married to King Philip of Spain, leaves for Spain with her husband without speaking any lines, and isn't physically seen until fourth season of the show. Though not seen until the fourth season, she is mentioned as a possible option for godmother to her King Francis's (her brother's) illegitimate son John in the second season. In the third season, her kingdom is chosen as a safe haven for her younger sisters and brothers after a group calling themselves "The Red Knights" threaten revenge on the Valois family. Making her physical return to the show, she is one of the four queens (Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth I, and her mother, regent Queen Catherine) to be featured during the season. During her appearance, she spends time in the French court as an envoy of Spain and voice of her husband's wishes as well as a rival for her mother.
Elisabeth of Valois is a major character in The Creation of Eve, a novel by Lynn Cullen based on the history of Sofonisba Anguissola, the first renowned female artist of the Italian Renaissance. In the novel, Sofonisba is the painting tutor and premier lady-in-waiting for young Queen Elisabeth.
Notes
References
- ISBN 978-1-5266-1342-4.
Many historians have cited the year as 1545, but [...] common practice at the time usually placed the new year at Easter (rather than 1 January). Elisabeth's birth date thus fell in the year 1546 according to modern dating practices. This date is corroborated by other correspondence.
- ^ Knecht 1999, p. 34.
- ^ a b c Baumgartner 1988, p. 123.
- ^ Isabey 1858.
- ^ a b c Kamen 1997, p. 74.
- ^ Jemma Field, 'Female dress', Erin Griffey, Early Modern Court Culture (Routledge, 2022), pp. 392-393.
- ^ Nader 2003, p. 1.
- ^ Carrión 2010, p. 74.
- ^ Kamen 1997, p. 90.
- ^ Kamen 1997, p. 120-121.
- ^ Kamen 1997, p. 121.
- ^ Toulalan 2020, p. 32.
- ^ a b Knecht 1999, p. 134.
- ^ Kamen 1997, p. 125.
Sources
- Anselme de Sainte-Marie, Père (1726). Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France [Genealogical and chronological history of the royal house of France] (in French). Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Paris: La compagnie des libraires.
- Baumgartner, Frederic J. (1988). Henry II, King of France:1547-1559. Duke University Press.
- Carrión, María M. (2010). Subject Stages: Marriage, Theatre and the Law in Early Modern Spain. University of Toronto Press.
- The Walters Art Museum.
- ISBN 9780300070811.
- Knecht, R.J. (1999). Catherine de'Medici. Longman.
- Nader, Helen, ed. (2003). Power and Gender in Renaissance Spain: Eight Women of the Mendoza Family, 1450-1650. University of Illinois Press.
- Tomas, Natalie R. (2003). The Medici Women: Gender and Power in Renaissance Florence. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate. ISBN 0-7546-0777-1.
- Toulalan, Sarah (2020). "Bodies, Sex, and Sexuality". In Capern, Amanda L. (ed.). The Routledge History of Women in Early Modern Europe. Routledge.
- Whale, Winifred Stephens (1914). The La Trémoille family. Boston, Houghton Mifflin. p. 43.