Françoise of Lorraine, Duchess of Vendôme facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Françoise of Lorraine |
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| Duchess of Vendôme | |||||
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Engraving of Françoise while a widow
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| Born | 1592 France |
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| Died | 8 September 1669 Paris, France |
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| Burial | Capucins, Paris, France | ||||
| Spouse |
César, Duke of Vendôme
(m. 1608; died 1665) |
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| Issue Detail |
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| Father | Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur | ||||
| Mother | Marie de Luxembourg | ||||
Françoise of Lorraine (born November 1592 – died 8 September 1669) was a princess from the Lorraine family in France. She later became the daughter-in-law of Henry IV of France, a famous French king.
Françoise was also known as Françoise de Mercœur. She belonged to a special branch of the powerful Dukes of Lorraine family. She was the niece of Louise of Lorraine, who was married to the previous King Henry III. Françoise inherited a lot of land and titles from her father. This meant she became the Duchess of Mercœur and Penthièvre in her own right.
Her Life Story
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Françoise was the younger of two children. She was born in November 1592, but the exact date is not known. Her only brother, Philippe Louis, had died in 1590 when he was just one year old. This made Françoise the only heir to a very large family fortune.
During the time of King Henry III, Françoise's father led a group called the Catholic League in Brittany. He declared himself the protector of the Roman Catholic Church in that area in 1588. Her father tried to become independent in Brittany. He claimed rights through his wife's family, who were descendants of the Dukes of Brittany. He even set up his own government in Nantes and called his son the "prince and duke of Brittany."
With help from the Spanish, her father defeated Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier. King Henry IV of France had sent the Duke of Montpensier to fight him. The king then marched against Mercœur himself. As part of their peace agreement in 1596, a marriage contract was made. This contract said that Françoise would marry Henry IV's son.
France and Spain signed a peace treaty called the Peace of Vervins on May 2, 1598. Françoise was 6 years old at this time. Part of this treaty again stated that young Françoise would marry César de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme. César was King Henry IV's eldest son with his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées.
The wedding happened at the palace of Fontainebleau on July 16, 1609. Françoise was 16, and César was 15. The couple had three children together. They were also the grandparents of a famous general known as le Grand Vendôme. Because of their marriage contract, César gained the right to manage Françoise's lands.
Her husband, César, died in 1665. He had been involved in political troubles known as the Fronde. In the same year, Françoise traveled to Savoy with her granddaughter Marie Jeanne of Savoy. Marie Jeanne married Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy on May 20, 1665.
Françoise's eldest son inherited the titles of Mercœur and Penthièvre. Françoise died in Paris in 1669 when she was 77 years old. She was buried there. Françoise also owned other important lands, including the princedom of Martigues, the duchy of Étampes, and the seigneurie of Ancenis.
Her Children
- Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme (1612–1669) married Laura Mancini and had children.
- Élisabeth de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Vendôme (1614–1664) married Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours and had children.
- François de Bourbon, Duke of Beaufort (1616–1669) never married.
See also
In Spanish: Francisca de Lorena para niños
