Henriette of Cleves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henriette of Cleves |
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| suo jure Duchess of Nevers suo jure Duchess of Rethel suo jure Countess of Rethel Princess of Mantua |
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| Portrait of Henriette of Cleves painted by François Clouet on an unknown date | |
| Spouse(s) | Louis I of Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers |
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| Catherine, Duchess of Longueville Marie Henriette, Duchess of Mayenne Frederic Gonzaga Francois Gonzaga Charles I, Duke of Mantua |
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| Noble family | La Marck |
| Father | Francis I of Cleves, 1st Duke of Nevers, Count of Rethel |
| Mother | Marguerite of Bourbon-La Marche |
| Born | 31 October 1542 La Chapelle-d'Angillon, Cher, France |
| Died | 24 June 1601 (aged 58) Hôtel de Nevers, Paris, France |
| Burial | Nevers Cathedral |
Henriette de La Marck (born October 31, 1542 – died June 24, 1601), also known as Henriette of Cleves, was an important French noblewoman. She was the Duchess of Nevers and Countess of Rethel in her own right. This means she inherited these titles herself, not through marriage. She also became a Princess of Mantua when she married Louis I of Gonzaga-Nevers. Henriette was very skilled at managing her lands and money. She even became one of the main people the country of France owed money to during her lifetime.
Early Life
Henriette was born in La Chapelle-d'Angillon, France, on October 31, 1542. She was the oldest daughter and second child of Francis I of Cleves. Her father was the first Duke of Nevers and Count of Rethel. Her mother was Marguerite of Bourbon-La Marche.
At her baptism, the future King Henry II of France was her godfather. Henriette had several brothers and sisters. Her brothers Francis and James were supposed to inherit their father's lands. She also had a brother named Henri who died young, and two sisters, Catherine and Marie.
Henriette later worked at the royal court as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine de' Medici. She became a close friend of Princess Marguerite. On March 4, 1565, when she was 22 years old, Henriette married Louis I Gonzaga. He was a prince from Mantua, Italy. Their wedding took place in Moulins, France.
Duchess of Nevers and Rethel
Henriette's life changed when her older brothers, Francis and James, died without having children. Francis died in 1562, and James died in 1564. Because of this, Henriette became the 4th Duchess of Nevers and Countess of Rethel in her own right.
When she took over, she inherited a lot of debt from her father and brothers. But Henriette was a very smart manager. She worked hard to get her lands and money back in order. She was so good at it that she made a lot of profit. In fact, she became one of the main people who loaned money to the French government. This was during a difficult time in France called the Wars of Religion.
Henriette died in Paris on June 24, 1601. She was 58 years old. She was buried in Nevers Cathedral next to her husband, who had died earlier in 1595.
Children
Henriette and Louis had five children:
- Catherine (born 1568 – died 1629): She married Henry I, Duke of Longueville. They had one son, Henri II d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville.
- Maria Henrietta (born 1571 – died 1601): She married Henry of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne.
- Frederick (born 1573 – died 1574): He died when he was a baby.
- Francis (born 1576 – died 1580): He also died when he was a young child.
- Charles (born 1580 – died 1637): He became the Duke of Nevers, Rethel, Mantua, and Montferrat after his parents. Charles married Catherine Mayenne. They had six children, including Charles II Gonzaga and Anna Gonzaga.
In Fiction
- Henriette of Cleves is a character in the book La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas.
- Henriette of Cleves is also an important character in the movie La Reine Margot. She is played by Dominique Blanc.
See Also
In Spanish: Enriqueta de Cléveris para niños
