Born in 1492, Elizabeth Tudor was the second daughter and fourth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. She was born to very little celebration or notice and was placed in the same nursery as her elder brother Henry Tudor and her sister Margaret Tudor, though her eldest brother Arthur had been placed in a seperate household in Ludlow. And thus, she became an important piece in the Tudor puzzle, to be placed at her father's discretion.
In 1494 she was betrothed to Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France, who unfortunately died in 1495. That same year, she suffered from a severe illness that lasted some months, but fortunately the young children come through as healthy as ever. And thus, she celebrated her newfound health with another betrothal in 1496 to Francis of Angouleme, the heir to the County of Angouleme and a possible (though unlikely) heir to the French Throne. However, shortly after the Count of Angouleme died and Louise of Savoy ended the betrothal for her young son, perhaps hoping for a future French Princess for her son.
A third betrothal occurred in 1499 to Miguel de Paz, heir to the Portuguese, Castillian and Aragonese thrones, which ended upon his death in 1500. This would be her last childhood betrothal. While there was talk of a match between her and Charles of Savoy (the heir to Philibert and a future Duke of Savoy) her prospects were overshadowed by the death of her brother in 1501 and the death of her mother and infant sister in 1503. And thus, it would take until 1507 when finally, upon the insistence of her grandmother, the young woman found herself in a married state.
On the 18th of August, 1507, Elizabeth Tudor was married by proxy to Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours. Elizabeth was thus, until her travelling to the French Court where her husband resided later that year, referred to as the Duchess of Nemours. And upon her arrival in November, her husband payed for a portrait to be done of his bride. This portrait would become Elizabeth's prized possession, even after she would have other portraits done throughout her lifetime. The match between the two was quite happy as a newly wedded couple and the Queen of France, Anne I of Brittany, would take a maternal interest in the girl who at one point would have been her daughter-in-law.
Elizabeth Tudor, Duchess of Nemours -circa 1507-
The first pregnancy between the Duke and Duchess of Nemours would be announced the next year, in October of 1508. The Duchess would enjoy a relatively happy and healthy pregnancy, ending in the birth of Gaston de Foix in April of 1509. The birth of his son would give Gaston Snr. immense pride and he would reward his bride with a pearl and ruby cross. And soon after this, in March of 1510, a daughter that was named Alys de Foix was born.
Finally, as her husband left for Italy in 1511, Elizabeth discovered she was pregnant with the couple's third child. The expectant mother would expect nothing but the goodness that had happened in her previous pregnancies to happen, however, in January of 1512, Elizabeth Tudor give birth to premature male children, both of whom did not survived the birthing process. And, within the next 3 months, her husband would die in battle with the Spanish in Italy. And thus, aged 19 (almost 20) years old, Elizabeth Tudor was made a widow with 2 children.
In 1514, upon the death of the Queen of France, Elizabeth was offered by her brother, Henry VIII of England to Louis XII as a replacement bride due to the failing Anglo-Spanish alliance. Elizabeth initially opposed the match by finally, in July of 1514, she was married to the King of France in a grand ceremony. The bride was noted as being beautiful enough but very quiet and she would eventually leave the celebratory feast early, only to be followed by her husband.
The marriage would last 2 years, until the King dropped dead in August of 1516. By this time Elizabeth was pregnant and thus a regency would be set up under the Count of Angouleme for the potential King of France. Finally, in January of 1517, Louis XIII of France was born to Elizabeth Tudor, the same year her sister would be married to the King of Castille and Aragon. Elizabeth was 25 at the time, the mother to a Duke and a King and a woman of some means, as her most recent husband had left her the Duchess of Berry as a way to support herself. And thus, in 1518, she received orders from her brother to give herself to the Duke of Savoy, who he was attempting to Court as an ally. However, the young woman sent would to her brother that she would not remarry, even as his loving and loyal sister. Twice she had married at the orders of the King of England and now she felt she deserved peace and the power to make her own actions.
In 1522 Elizabeth had her young daughter betrothed to the Prince of Portugal Luis, Duke of Beja. The two were married with the express knowledge that the girl was not to be touched until she had reached the age of 15. Her elder son Gaston, however, was married in 1529 to Anne of Cleves, a German Princess. The two would become somewhat partial to each other, however, the young man would also keep mistresses throughout their marriage. His younger brother the King of France would marry in 1535, under the guidance of his mother, to Isabella of Spain, the eldest of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor's 4 daughters by Mary Tudor. Upon her death in 1529, he had remarried to Isabella of Navarre and would have 3 children, 2 more daughters and a son, named Philip and born in 1533.
Elizabeth died due to a heart attack in 1541, which was most likely brought on by her copious love for food and hatred of anything but the least strenuous of exercise. She died a woman of much wealth and left a legacy of children and grandchildren.
The Descendants of Elizabeth Tudor
illegitimate
Elizabeth Tudor (b.1492: d.1541) m. Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours (b.1489: d.1512) (a), Louis XII of France (b.1462: d.1516) (a)
1a) Gaston de Foix, 2nd Duke of Nemours (b.1508) m. Anne of Cleves (b.1515) (a), p. Various Women (b)
1b) Elisabeth de Foix (b.1526)
2b) Louis de Foix (b.1527)
3a) Charles de Foix (b.1530: d.1531)
4a) Gaston de Foix (b.1534)
5b) Charlotte de Foix (b.1535)
6a) Adela de Foix (b.1537)
7a) Miscarriage (c.1540)
8b) John de Foix (b.1540)
9b) Eleanor de Foix (b.1543)
10b) Marie de Foix (b.1545)
11a) Catherine de Foix (b.1546)
2a) Alys de Foix (b.1510: d.1542) m. Luis of Portugal, Duke of Beja (b.1506) (a)
1a) Alexandre of Beja (b.1528: d.1540)
2a) Catarina of Beja (b.1533)
3a) Juan of Beja (b.1538)
3a) Unnamed Boy (c.1512)
4a) Unnamed Boy (c.1512)
5b) Louis XIII of France (b.1517) m. Isabella of Spain (b.1520: d.1544) (a), Madeline de Angouleme (b.1520: d.1546) (b), Maria Manuela of Portugal (b.1527) (c)
1a) Charles IX of France (b.1540)
2a) Louis, Duke of Orleans (b.1542)
3a) Gaston, Duke of Berry (b.1543)
4a) Francis, Duke of Anjou (b.1544: d.1544)
5b) Miscarriage (c.1546)
6c) Marie Elisabeth of France (b.1548)
7c) John, Duke of Anjou (b.1550)
8c) Anne of France (b.1553)
9c) Margaret of France (b.1556)