Louise of Savoy
Louise of Savoy | |
---|---|
Basilica of St Denis, France | |
Spouse | |
Issue | Marguerite, Queen of Navarre Francis I of France |
House | Savoy |
Father | Philip II, Duke of Savoy |
Mother | Margaret of Bourbon |
Louise of Savoy (11 September 1476 – 22 September 1531) was a French noble and regent, Duchess
Family and early life
Louise of Savoy was born at Pont-d'Ain, the eldest daughter of Philip II, Duke of Savoy and his first wife, Margaret of Bourbon.[1] Her brother, Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, succeeded her father as ruler of the duchy and head of the House of Savoy. He was, in turn, succeeded by their half-brother Charles III, Duke of Savoy.
Because her mother died when she was only seven, she was brought up by
Marriage
At age eleven, Louise married
The household of Charles was presided over by his
Their first child, Marguerite, was born on 11 April 1492; their second child, Francis, was born on 12 September 1494.
When her husband fell ill after going out riding in the winter of 1495, she nursed him and suffered much grief when he died on 1 January 1496.[5]
Widowed and motherhood
When she was widowed at the young age of 19, Louise deftly manoeuvred her children into a position that would secure for each of them a promising future. Though they remained in
Louise had a keen awareness of the intricacies of politics and diplomacy, and was deeply interested in the advances in arts and sciences in Renaissance Italy. She made certain that her children were educated in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, also helped by her Italian confessor, Cristoforo Numai from Forlì. She commissioned books specifically for them and she taught Francis Italian and Spanish.[7]
When Louis XII became ill in 1505, he determined that Francis should succeed him and that both Louise and his wife Anne of Brittany should be part of the regency council.[8] He recovered and Francis became a favourite of the king, who eventually gave him his daughter Claude of France in marriage on 8 May 1514. Following the marriage, Louis XII designated Francis as his heir.
Mother of the King
With the death of Louis XII on 1 January 1515, Francis became king of France. On 4 February 1515, Louise was named Duchess of
The Bourbon inheritance
Her mother having been one of the sisters of the last dukes of the main branch of Bourbon, after the death of
Regent
Louise of Savoy remained politically active on behalf of her son in the early years of his reign especially. During his absences, she acted as regent on his behalf. Louise served as the Regent of France in 1515, during the king's war in Italy, and again from 1525 to 1526, when the king was at war and during his time as a prisoner in Spain.
In 1524, she sent one of her servants, Jean-Joachim de Passano, to London to open unofficial negotiations with
She initiated friendly relations with the
She was the principal negotiator for the
Death
Louise of Savoy died on 22 September 1531, in
Ancestors
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References
- ^ a b Knecht 1982, p. 1.
- ^ a b c Jansen, Sharon L. (2002). The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe. p. 182.
- ^ Knecht 1982, p. 3.
- ^ Hackett (1937), pp. 48-52
- ^ Knecht 1982, p. 3-4.
- ^ Jansen, Sharon L. (2002). The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe. p. 184.
- ^ Knecht 1982, p. 6.
- ^ Knecht 1982, p. 12.
- ^ a b Merriman, p. 129
- ^ Seward 1973, p. 173
Sources
- Hacket, Francis (1937). Francis the First. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc. ASIN B001DW6NR8.
- Jansen, Sharon L. (2002). The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 182.
- Knecht, R.J. (1982). Francis I. Cambridge University Press.
- ISBN 9780026097000.