A Queen Twice Over: Mary Tudor the Elder Marries Francis I of France
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
Normally it should have been Dauphiné, but since he already has Britanny, it seems evident that Britanny will play this role.
The last person in Frnace to effectively be taught to rule in a semi-autonomous area was Louis XI that ruled on the Dauphiné as state chief.
This tradition started to fade due to the last series of transmission of power, Francis II and Louis XII were not Dauphin before becoming king of France and OTL this problem will persist, and quickly the Dauphiné will lose this function.
It's a good thing because Louis XI and OTL Francis Ist of France (for the short time he reigned before his father started to stop him.) showed that as heir ruling a semi-autonomous region alloed the heir to learn how to rule a region and encourage innovation to prove their worth, I think if everything goes well Francis II could become a good duke of Britanny because he will want to show his worth and will be well surrounded and then later become a good king of France. (If Francis I accept to let him rule as he wants contrary to the OTL Francis III).
Last edited:
Indeed he did. Three, in fact. Hal by Bessie Blount, born June 1519, Edmund by Diane, born October 1523, and now the precious Prince of Wales, George, born 23rd April 1525.
I bet the two would get along quite well. Would be adorable for Henri to admire his uncle and namesake. It would be interesting to see another grand meeting between the two families. Perhaps in England next time? I wonder when the last time a French monarch went there?
Really! You would think the king would want his heir near him so he could teach him and have him know the court and his future vassals and advisors. And I just can’t imagine having a kid and rarely seeing them. So sad. Will there ever be a time he’s with his family for longer periods of time.
Ok! I could’ve sworn you had one a list at least of the family but I can’t recall.
Mary is Catherine of Aragon's child - like she's going to take any crap from Henri.
Being spoilt rotten by his doting mother at the moment....
I wasn't talking about Mary. I was talking about George and the fact that he is being raised away from his sisters so they can't keep him in line...!
Eventually, Henry will have to introduce George to other noble children of his own age. When George is old enough to be formally tutored perhaps?
I did put up a list somewhere on this thread, but I can't find the post right now... Anyway, family tree not far off now...
And yeah, the two Henry's meeting would be adorable😍. I'll have to see what I can do.
As for François being raised away from Court, it seems to have been the done thing, at least until the heirs were old enough to take a proper part in Court life. Admittedly, my examples are all English but: Edward V and Arthur were both raised at Ludlow. Henry VIII was at Eltham until his adolescence. I could see Marie expecting something similar for her son. I think it's also a security thing. If you keep the King and his heir apart, they won't be felled by the same illness/fire/accident and the line will be able to continue.
Yeah. I’ll just wait for the Official tree!
It would be. I just like the idea of Henry spoiling Henri and Henri looking up to Henry.
Didn’t know that. Huh. Very interesting. I love learning new things in stories like this!
@Carolus and @ImperialxWarlord - I have found the list of Francis and Marie's kids I posted earlier in the thread:
"Francis and Marie have the following kids: Margot (b. March 1516), Francis, (b. April 1517), Henri (b. March 1519), Louise (b. December 1520), a miscarriage in August 1521, Jean (b.July 1522) and Marie (b.September 1524 - d. December 1524)."
Henry meanwhile has: Mary (b. February 1516), Hal Fitzroy, Earl of Somerset, (b. June 1519), Lillibet (b. September 1523), Edmund Fitzroy (b. October 1524) and George (b. April 1525).
Full family trees for both sets of cousins, complete with betrothals, is still forthcoming, I promise.
"Francis and Marie have the following kids: Margot (b. March 1516), Francis, (b. April 1517), Henri (b. March 1519), Louise (b. December 1520), a miscarriage in August 1521, Jean (b.July 1522) and Marie (b.September 1524 - d. December 1524)."
Henry meanwhile has: Mary (b. February 1516), Hal Fitzroy, Earl of Somerset, (b. June 1519), Lillibet (b. September 1523), Edmund Fitzroy (b. October 1524) and George (b. April 1525).
Full family trees for both sets of cousins, complete with betrothals, is still forthcoming, I promise.
Thank you! I love writing them, so I'm glad you like reading them! Next chapter includes a little of Margot's thoughts too
Section LXIII - August 1525
Blois, August 1525
“What are we going to do about Louis de Breze?”
Francis exhales in muted frustration as he finishes the latest missive from Milan and sets it aside. Marie, who has been sitting in the window embrasure sewing as he deals with his correspondence, looks up in slight surprise.
“Do we need to do anything about him? He’s serving us perfectly well in Milan, isn’t he?”
“He is. But he’s far from best pleased about the news from London.”
“What? The new Lady Warwick and the rumours that she’s pregnant again?” Marie has had one eyebrow raised since they started this conversation. Now the other rises to join it, “I can see why he’s not pleased. It can’t be easy watching your younger wife fall for another man and make herself the talk of Christendom. But why do we have to do anything about him? Diane is my brother’s mistress. He’s the one who has honoured her so. Let him be the one to deal with the fallout.”
“Louis de Breze is our servant. Besides, who was it who sent Diane to England in the first place?”
Francis arches a sardonic eyebrow back at Marie and she flushes.
“You wanted her to go too! You wanted Henry influenced. I just chose the instrument.”
“Yes, I wanted our brother influenced,” Francis agrees, impatience creeping into his tone, “Towards a French match. Not to take the wife of one of my most trusted courtiers into his bed! He’s made her his maitresse-en-titre and given her a quasi-royal title, for God’s sake! De Breze is spitting feathers and I don’t blame him. You know how sensitive he is about his family history. This is like a red rag to a bull as far as he’s concerned. He’s already threatening to denounce Lady Warwick for abandonment and annul their marriage as soon as he possibly can. And once’s he’s done that, he’ll come for us, for letting it happen in the first place.”
“He wouldn’t dare!” Marie gasps, “After everything you’ve done for him!”
“Oh, he would,” Francis says, confident in his assessment of the situation, and the other man’s character, “And again, I wouldn’t blame him. I’d do the same if old Louis had tried to use my wife as one of his chess pieces. But we do need to limit the damage if we can. Louis is powerful enough as it is. If he gets too many of the other nobles on his side, we’re done for. And you know how touchy our courtiers can get about their families.”
Marie purses her lips. Little as she likes it. Francis is right. They – she – may have overstepped the mark a little in sending Diane to England. Yes, she had the right to send someone to help raise her niece as a French Duchess, but it didn’t have to be Diane de Breze. With all the noblewomen in France to choose from, it could have been someone a little less to her brother’s taste.
“I could put Francoise and Louise De Breze in the nursery at Amboise?” she offers, “Francoise isn’t that much younger than Margot, and Louise is only a few months younger than our own. It would be an honoured position for them both, particularly if they follow our girls to Scotland and Portugal.”
“And we’d know where they were if we ever needed to turn a screw,” Francis muses, turning the suggestion over in his head, examining it from all angles.
Eventually, he nods, “Do it. Louis is clever enough to get the message. We’ll take the girls into the nursery, and I’ll recall Louis from Milan temporarily. Recall him and give him a title in thanks. Chartres, I think. Comte de Chartres ought to do the trick.”
“Chartres?” Marie whistles through her teeth, “That’s a very big carrot, my love.”
“It is,” Francis agrees, “But we need to keep Louis in line, at least until Henri is old enough to rule Milan for himself. Let’s just hope it’s enough.”
With that, he pecks Marie on the cheek and strides out of the room to set things in motion. He’s never been one for putting off unpleasant tasks.
Amboise, August 1525
Francoise de Breze reminds her of a sparrow, Margot thinks. Small, plump, rather plain and unassuming.
Oh, she doesn’t mind having her in her household. Not really. But she doesn’t really understand why she needs her. Maman says it’s because she’s getting older, that she needs more ladies in preparation for when she goes to Portugal, but Francoise and Louise are littler than her. Louise is even littler than Louise. She’s scarcely bigger than Jean! So the De Breze girls can’t be her ladies! Not yet, anyway! And though Maman thinks it might be nice for them to be friends, she’s got Kate and Nanette for that. Why would she need more friends, when she already has the two best friends in all the world?
All coherent thought flies out of Margot’s head the moment Francoise de Breze rises from her curtsy. The younger girl fixes her with a gimlet stare, and Margot realises she’s not a sparrow at all. She’s a hawk.
“Your mother sent my mother to England,” Francoise says. Her voice is high, but it is also calm and assured, far more so than that of most seven-year-olds, “Your mother sent my mother to England and now she’s dead.”
Margot shifts uncomfortably. Francoise clearly believes what she’s saying, but Margot knows it isn’t true. She’s not quite sure what Madame de Breze is doing in England, but she’s heard enough rumours to be reasonably certain she isn’t dead.
She glances over Francoise’s head to Lady Parr, silently pleading with her to tell her what to do.
“Play along,” her governess mouths, “Play along, Your Highness. I’ll explain later.”
Now Margot is even more confused. Isn’t playing along with what Francoise has said lying? Lying is a sin. Lady Parr always says so. She gets very cross whenever Henri and Louise lie to get each other into trouble.
But if she leaves it any longer to answer Francoise, she’ll look rude, and she knows she can’t be seen to be rude to her new lady, even if her new lady is a little girl two years younger than she is.
“I know,” she says at last, “I’m very sorry.”
Francoise nods stiffly and then Lady Parr is ushering her away to join her little sister and Louise. Margot watches them go, relieved to have the awkward moment over.
Ampthill, August 1525
George snuffles in his sleep and begins to squirm. He whimpers lightly and Lady Clifford glances up worriedly. Her charge only drifted off half an hour ago. And everyone knows how miserable the little Prince can be when he’s tired. But, on the other hand, if she doesn’t teach him how to sleep in his cradle now, when he’s still young and malleable, how is he ever going to learn?
The whimpering rises a little in pitch and volume and Lady Clifford rises to her feet. Perhaps if she just slips her hand into the cradle and rubs George’s stomach a little, he might go back to –
“Maggie! What have I told you? I don’t want George left on his own in the cradle. If he wants to sleep in someone’s arms, let him!”
Lady Clifford has to bite back a curse. Her older sister, radiant with the confidence that comes with giving the King his heart’s desire, has swept into the nursery.
“Madam,” She curtsies, but Mary pays her no heed, only sweeping the grizzling George up out of his lambswool cradle and into her arms. She rocks him gently, rubbing his back and he rolls his head to the side and goes back to sleep.
Mary looks at her sister triumphantly, “See! All he wants is to be held! I don’t know why you keep making it so hard on yourself. You know how he cries when he’s on his own.”
“Madam… With all due respect… I don’t want the Prince growing up spoiled. It won’t do England any good to have a spoiled King. I know it’s hard to hear him cry, but remember what Rose used to say when we were little? Babies need to learn to sleep alone. Otherwise, how is His Highness going to cope when the Duke of York or a Lady Cecily arrives to take his place as the baby of the nursery?”
“Rose was a witch,” Mary scowls, “She never liked me and you know it, so I don’t know why you’d bring her up. I don’t want any memories of her near my son. Besides, what she said about us doesn’t apply to George. We weren’t Princes. Not even Francis. George is the most precious child in England and you will treat him as such. You will give him whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. I don’t care if that means holding him every minute of every day, or feeding him every hour of the night. I’d rather that than hear him shed a single tear more than necessary. Is that clear?”
“Madam… Sister…”
“Is that clear?” Mary snarls, jolting her son awake as she does so, “You’re going to Greenwich with George next week, to set up his household. If you can’t promise me that you’ll bend over backwards to keep my son happy, then I’ll find someone else to be his governess. Someone who will treat him with the true reverence he deserves.”
Lady Clifford winces. She can hear her old nurse glowering even as she considers her sister’s words. But she doesn’t want to lose her position as George’s governess. It’s an honour for a younger daughter such as herself, even if she is the Queen’s sister. And George’s lusty screams are making it hard to think. He’s certainly got a pair of lungs on him.
Eventually, she sucks in her breath and nods reluctantly.
“As you say, Madam. I’ll ensure His Highness’s every whim is met. I promise.”
“Good. Now, for goodness’ sake, calm him down!”
Mary almost thrusts George back at Margaret, and then plumps herself down in the nearest padded chair, watching coolly as her sister is forced to circle the room, rocking and patting the writhing, wailing baby.
It doesn’t take long for George to settle, now that he is being held again, but Lady Clifford grimaces inwardly regardless. Every time she gives in to George’s cries to be held is another day he hasn’t learnt to sleep in his cradle.
Interesting to see the consequences for Marie and Francis, hopefully sending the de Breze girls to attend Margot will be appeasement enough... Also dammit Mary, don't bully your sister for trying to do her job. Great chapter!
