Louis XII of France facts for kids
Louis XII of France was a king who ruled France from 1498 to 1515. He was born on June 27, 1462, at the Château de Blois in France. His parents were Charles, Duke of Orleans and Mary of Cleves. Louis became king in an unexpected way.
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Becoming King of France
Louis was not supposed to become king. The king at the time, Charles VIII, was young and could still have had children. But Charles had an accident and died suddenly. Charles was Louis's cousin. Because Charles had no children, Louis was next in line to the throne. He became King of France in 1498.
His First Marriage
Before he became king, Louis was married to Jeanne of France. She was the daughter of King Louis XI of France. When Louis became king, he needed to have children to continue the royal family. His marriage to Jeanne was ended because she could not have children. This was important for the future of France.
Marrying Anne of Brittany
Louis's second wife was Anne of Brittany. Anne had been married to King Charles VIII, the king before Louis. All of Anne and Charles's children had died. Because of her marriage to Charles, the land of Brittany had become part of France. Louis wanted to keep Brittany as part of his kingdom. To do this, he had to marry Anne. After they married, Anne had two daughters, Claude and Renee.
A New Queen and the Future King
In France, women were not allowed to rule the country. So, Louis still wanted a son to become king after him. After Anne died, Louis married for a third time. His last wife was Mary Tudor. She was the sister of Henry VIII of England. Mary was much younger than Louis. Louis lived for only three months after their marriage. Because Louis had no sons, the throne went to Francis. Francis was the husband of Louis's daughter, Claude.
Images for kids
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Louis kneeling in prayer, with saints, from the Hours of Louis XII, his personal book of hours, 1498–99, Getty Museum.
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Louis XII on a coin from 1514.
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Bronze cannon of Louis XII, with a porcupine emblem.
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Louis XII leaving Alessandria to attack Genoa, by Jean Bourdichon.
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Chateau de Blois, Louis's Porcupine emblem.
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Queen Joan of France, Louis's first wife.
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Queen Anne of Brittany, Louis's second wife.
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Mary Tudor during her brief time as Queen of France.
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See also
In Spanish: Luis XII de Francia para niños
