WI: Marie Elisabeth de Valois, Princess of France lives?

[Kynan]

Born in 1572, Marie Elisabeth de Valois, Fille de France and the only child of the last batch of the Valois Kings to survive to adulthood, was born. She was the daughter of Charles IX of France and Elisabeth of Austria and would grow up firstly in the care of her grandmother Catherine de Medici until 1580, when she was taken and raised by her own mother, who returned to France in that year for fear her daughter would be harmed due to rising conflict in France. Initially the widow had wished to remove her daughter entirely from the country, but was forbidden by Marie Elisabeth's uncle, Henri III of France.

Elisabeth and her daughter would instead live in Amboise, which had fallen from royal favour as a place of residence and was seen by some as a hive of Protestant intrigue. However, Elisabeth of Austria would attempt to root out any Huguenot peoples within her home and would have her daughter raised perfectly Catholic in the later years of her childhood.

In 1589, when her daughter was almost to the age of 17, Henri III of France died. Upon hearing that the Valois had fallen, Elisabeth of Austria was urged to leave France with her daughter and thus prevent her from obviously would be a Huguenot takeover of France. However, as a dear friend of Margaret de Valois, Queen of Navarre and now France, Elisabeth felt safe, even knowing the woman in question was in high favour with no one. But, what mattered was the feelings of safety and thus, with her daughter firmly in her control, Elisabeth of Austria sat in Amboise, continuing to instruct her daughter in most things she felt necessary.

Upon the beginnings of 1590, Marie Elisabeth faced her first betrothal, to Philip, Prince of Asturias. The marriage would have placed her with a boy 6 years her junior and thus would fall through in 1592 upon an even greater, more realistic offer. And this offer would be, upon the beginnings of his divorce, the marriage between Marie Elisabeth de Valois and Henry IV of France.

And thus, at the end of 1596, when the union between Henry IV of France and Margaret de Valois ended upon the King's hurried agreement to her terms, Marie Elisabeth de Valois married the King of France in a elaborate ceremony. See how quickly her husband had remarried and how eager he was to put her aside, Margaret de Valois was said to have remarked she should have asked for more, just to make herself a little richer. But was done was done and the 43 year old King had his 24 year old bride.

Marie Elisabeth de Valois, Queen of France and Navarre

 

[Kynan]

As Queen of France, Marie Elisabeth would not make a loud impression initially. Pretty but quiet, she would mostly enjoy the company of her mother and aunt/rival queen, only appearing out at court when necessary. She was terrified of her new husband for various reasons, but one of the main reasons was her fear of the heretic, built into her by one particularly cruel nun, who had taught her religious matters until 1588. However, Henry IV of France was enchanted with his pretty little bride and would begin to send her presents to entice her to join him in various parties, which she began attending until, in 1598, aged 16, she found herself pregnant for the first time.

Pregnancy was not enjoyable for the quiet queen, who frequently found herself ill and at times lost strength in her legs. But ultimately the pregnancy ended and on the 18th of February, 1599, Marie Adelaide de Bourbon, Fille de France, was born. She, like her own mother, had the Queen of England as her godmother and as her godfather, the King of Scotland was chosen. Henry IV was quite partial to her daughter and all would say she was as much of a beauty as her mother and grandmother. However, the birth had been hard and it would take 3 months before Marie Elisabeth would rejoin the world in full.

Just as she entered her second pregnancy, in early 1600, Elisabeth of Austria began to suffer pains in her left arm and ultimately, on the 29th of March, the former Queen of France left the world. The Queen was devestated and announced that, if she had another daughter, it would be named for her mother. However, the child would be the longed for Dauphin and it would take another 2 children for Elisabeth de Bourbon to be born, in 1606. Before her went Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Orleans and the shortlived Henri de Bourbon, twin boys born in 1602. Elisabeth would be the second last child for the royal couple, as she was followed by her brother Philippe de Bourbon, Duke of Berry.

After her final pregnancy in 1608, Marie Elisabeth chose to abstain from her husband, which caused tension between the two which would last until his death in 1610. Upon her husband's death, Marie Elisabeth was said to have cried no tears but to have been a true comfort to her children. And for the first time in her life, Marie Elisabeth took a firm stand and announced that, by order of her 10 year old son, she would act as regent until such time as he was ready to take his full responsibilities as King of France. And as such, Marie Elisabeth de Valois, Queen Dowager of France, began her career as a politician at the age of 38, with 5 young children to raise and a son and husband in the grave.

Marie Elisabeth de Valois, Queen Dowager of France -circa 1511-

 

[Kynan]

On the 12th of October, 1610, while still in mourning, Marie Elisabeth contracted a betrothal between her eldest daughter Marie Adelaide, to Henry Stuart, Prince of Wales. However, this would only last until 1612, when the Prince died. Instead, she would marry Philip III of Spain in 1613 as his second bride and would give him a single daughter, Isabella Michelle of Spain, in 1614.

Her eldest son, the King, Louis XIII of France, would be married in 1615 to his former-potential sister-in-law Elizabeth Stuart. Marie Elisabeth would find her daughter-in-law unappealing and uncultured, the quiet but proud Queen Dowager had become known for her love of the Latin language in particular and thus Elizabeth's complete lack of knowledge in that area (a decision her father had made fr her education) left them with a natural divide, which was not helped by the young woman's refusal to learn the language her mother-in-law loved so much. But all was put aside when, on the 19th of October, 1616, Henri de Bourbon, Dauphin of France was born. He would be followed by a brother in 1618, named Louis, Duke of Aquitaine and a sister in 1619, named Marie Elisabeth de Bourbon. These first 3 would be followed by 6 more over the next 10 years.

Finally, the Duke of Orleans would be married in 1619 to Anne of Austria, who would prove barren throughout their marriage, miscarrying one son in 1623 and thus ending her genealogical career very quickly. And thus, the marriage was unhappy and the two would only suffer each other's company on state occasions. His elder sister Elisabeth would go on to Marry her nephew-in-law Philip IV of Spain in 1620, at aged 16.

The Duke of Berry would be betrothed to no one throughout this time and he was seen as the unremembered child. Eventually he would marry Marie Elisabeth of Saxony in a match that would upset his mother but would be supported by his brother's who hoped he would find happiness without becoming too powerful in comparison to them. The would have 7 children surviving out of 14.

 

[Kynan]

Henry IV of France (b.1553: d.1610) m. Marie Elisabeth de Valois (b.1572: d.1630) (a)

1a) Marie Adelaide de Bourbon (b.1599) m. Philip III of Spain (b.1578: d.1621) (a), Charles I of England (b.1600: d.1649) (b)

1a) Isabella Michelle of Spain (b.1614)

2a) Miscarriage (c.1616)

3b) Charles II of England (b.1619)

4b) James Stuart, Duke of York (b.1622)

5b) Miscarriage (c.1623)

6b) Mary Stuart (b.1626)

7b) Henry Stuart, Duke of Clarence (b.1629)

8b) Miscarriage (c.1530)​

2a) Louis XIII of France (b.1600) m. Elizabeth Stuart (b.1596) (a)

1a) Henri de Bourbon, Dauphin of France (b.1616)

2a) Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Aquitaine (b.1618)

3a) Marie Elisabeth de Bourbon (b.1619)

4a) Charles de Bourbon (b.1620: d.1620)

5a) Stillborn Boy (c.1622)

6a) Christine de Bourbon (b.1625)

7a) Francis de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou (b.1626)

8a) Sophie de Bourbon (b.1627)

9a) Henrietta de Bourbon (b.1629)​

3a) Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Orleans (b.1602) m. Anne of Austria (b.1601)

1a) Miscarriage (c.1623)​

4a) Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou (b.1602: d.1602)

5a) Elisabeth de Bourbon (b.1606: d.1630) m. Philip IV of Spain (b.1605) (a)

1a) Philip, Prince of Asturias (b.1622: d.1623)

2a) Maria Theresa of Spain (b.1623)

3a) Maria Magdalena of Spain (b.1624)

4a) Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (b.1626)

5a) Isabella of Spain (b.1629)​

6a) Philippe de Bourbon, Duke of Berry (b.1608) m. Marie Elisabeth of Saxony (b.1610) (a)

1a) Stillborn Boy (c.1633)

2a) Francis de Bourbon (b.1634)

3a) Sophie Christine de Bourbon (b.1635)

4a) Miscarriage (c.1637)

5a) Philippe de Bourbon (b.1639)

6a) Elisabeth de Bourbon (b.1639)

7a) Margaret de Bourbon (b.1640)

8a) Stillborn Boy (c.1641)

9a) Miscarriage (c.1641)

10a) Miscarriage (c.1642)

11a) Charles de Bourbon (b.1645)

12a) Francoise de Bourbon (b.1646)

13a) Stillborn Boy (c.1648)

14a) Miscarriage (c.1649)​