#valois
Joan of Valois was technically Queen of France, but was never crowned or acknowledge as Queen by her husband.
When her husband became King Louis XII of France he was so desperate to keep hold of the Duchy of Brittany that he decided to marry Anne of Brittany. Problem was, he was married to Joan. She was not happy about this, and was even less happy when he claimed their marriage was unconsummated because he was physically repulsed by her :(
You can read more about Joan and the fight for her marriage at creativehistorian.co.uk.
Reblogging because 8th September 1476 was her wedding day!
Post link
Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day
This is the 446th Anniversary of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre…
In the pre-dawn hours of AUGUST 24th 1572, Marguerite de Valois’ POST-WEDDING CELEBRATIONS BECAME A MASSACRE—THE ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S DAY MASSACRE TO BE EXACT.
Before the bloodshed was over, 3,000 men, women and children would be dead in Paris alone and the violence would spread to province after province. The Seine was so full of bodies at one location that it was possible to cross it without wetting one’s feet. People urged their children to throw the infants of neighboring families into the river. Many who died were, of course, persecuted Protestants. But the rage at its root has much to do with socio-economic jealousy and personal grudges as well, as people took the opportunity during the on-going violence to settle grudges of many sorts.
Within the walls of the Louvre men who had sat down at wedding banquets together only days before became murders and victims. And Margot’s husband the King of Navarre was hunted to the apartment of his brother-in-law the King of France.
Margot would be forced by the events of the massacre to make a choice between loyalty to her family and the dictates of her own conscience. Fortunately for the history of France, she chose the later.
“Drawing a deep breath I step out of my apartment, glad of the dagger I clutch.
At first I see no one and the noises I hear, while dreadful, are distant. Then the shrieking comes. Ahead of me a man emerges from a chamber. He runs, full speed, in my direction, screaming. Behind him three archers come into view. They pause, take aim, and down the gentleman goes, not ten steps from me, arrows in his back. Yet the shrieking does not stop.
Holy Mary mother of God am I screaming? I must be. But this fact has no effect on the archers, they merely lower their bows and run past, barely pausing to see that that fallen gentleman is dead. I close my eyes. Surely this is a nightmare. But even before I open them again I know that the body of the gentleman will remain—the odor of blood fills my nostrils.”
–Médicis DaughterbySophie Perinot
OnAMAZON, or wherever books are sold.
Post link
SPRING, SEASON OF LOVE … AND PERIL!
Every woman knows the Mother-Daughter relationship is perilous. Now imagine your mother is Catherine de Médicis—a powerful Queen who views independence as disloyalty. That is the situation Marguerite de Valois, finds herself in. Margot knows she will be married off to forge an alliance for the French crown. She doesn’t anticipate falling head-over-heels for the charismatic Duc de Guise …
MEDICIS DAUGHTER on AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/M%C3%A9dicis-Daughter-Novel-Marguerite-Valois/dp/1250072093
Or wherever books are sold.
February is sort of a month of love thanks to Valentines Day, but in 1569 King Charles IX was unlucky at love–or at least at marriage–when his bride was stolen by his former brother-in-law. Ouch!
Enjoy the conniving and cunning of the Valois Court under King Charles IX in MEDICIS DAUGHTER. On Amazon or wherever books are sold.
Post link
What better way to commemorate the record cold weather than with a cold weather quote. Let’s face it they had winter in the 16th century too—and without the benefit of central heating. In my novel MÉDICIS DAUGHTER one of the earliest scenes is set in the winter as the youngest French Princess, Marguerite de Valois, sets out on her journey to adulthood on a very cold day indeed. ENJOY THIS EXCERPT FROM MÉDICIS DAUGHTER…
Winter 1564— Fontainebleau, France
“Dear God, the cold!”
It must be the hundredth time my gouvernantehas uttered these words, or something very like, in the last three days.
“It was also cold in Amboise,” I reply, trying to keep my voice cheerful while repressing an urge to kick Madame in the shins as she sits acrossfrom me in the coach. How can she think of the cold at a time like this?
“There were fi res at Amboise, Your Highness, and chimneys that drew properly.”
When we stopped at Nemours last evening, Madame was nearly smothered, thanks to an ill- maintained flue. Well, she can hardly blame me: I wanted to continue on to Fontainebleau, as it could not be more than another two hours’ ride. Madame, however, insisted we stop. She wanted me freshly dressed and looking my best for our arrival at the château, for my arrival at Court.
Court— since word came a fortnight ago that I was summoned, I have thought of nothing else. I am going to join the Court, and the Court ensemblewill depart upon the largest royal progress ever undertaken.
MÉDICIS DAUGHTER. Copyright © 2015 by Sophie Perinot. All rights reserved.
Post link
I don’t know about you, but come late October I WANT a little wicked in my reads … some cunning, some conniving and most definitely things that go bump in the night. Well when it comes to WICKED nobody does it like the VALOIS ;)
AUGUST 22ND 1572 … The Attempted Assassination of Admiral Coligny.
Basking in his King’s favor (much to a jealous Catherine de Médicis’ displeasure) Coligny was returning to his residence at the rue de Béthisy after visiting with Charles IX when an assassin fired at him breaking his arm and severely wounding but not killing the Admiral. The bullet that struck him was from an Arquebus and was fired from the first floor of a house in the cloisters of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois.What saved the Admiral from more serious harm was the fact that he bent to adjust his shoe at the precise moment of the shot.
Coligny’s companions found the gun (smoking) but the shooter was gone—galloped off through the Porte Saint-Antoine on a horse he had ready behind the house. One of these same companions immediately rode to the Louvre to tell the King.
Was the jealous Queen Mother behind this crime?
Read my novel MEDICIS DAUGHTER for my take on this delicate question.
Post link
Charlotte of Valois
She was a sickly, delicate child and died from measles at not quite eight.
October 23, 1516 – September 18, 1524
Post link
