Margaret of Lorraine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blessed Margaret of Lorraine |
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| Duchess of Alençon | |
| Born | 1463 Castle of Vaudémont, Lorraine, France |
| Died | 2 November 1521 (aged 58) Argentan, Normandy |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholicism |
| Beatified | 10 March 1921, Rome by Pope Benedict XV |
| Feast | November 2 |
Margaret of Lorraine, also known as the Duchess of Alençon, was a French noblewoman who later became a nun. She was born in 1463 at Vaudémont Castle in Lorraine and passed away on November 2, 1521, in Argentan, Normandy. She was recognized as a blessed person by the Church in 1921.
Her Early Life
Margaret was born in 1463 at Vaudémont Castle in Lorraine, France. She was the youngest daughter of Frederick II, Count of Vaudémont, and Yolande d'Anjou. When she was only seven years old, her father passed away.
After her father's death, Margaret was raised by her grandfather, René of Anjou, in Aix-en-Provence. When her grandfather died in 1480, she returned to Lorraine to live with her brother, René II. He arranged her marriage to René, Duke of Alençon. They were married in Toul on May 14, 1488.
| Margaret of Lorraine | |
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| Duchess of Alençon | |
| Spouse(s) | René of Alençon, Duke of Alençon |
| Issue | |
| Charles IV of Alençon Françoise of Alençon, Duchess of Beaumont Anne of Alençon, Lady of La Guerche |
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| Noble family | House of Lorraine House of Anjou |
| Father | Frederick II, Count of Vaudémont |
| Mother | Yolande d'Anjou |
| Born | 1463 Castle of Vaudémont, Lorraine, France |
| Died | 2 November 1521 (aged 58) Argentan, Normandy |
Margaret and René had three children:
- Charles IV of Alençon (1489–1525): He married Marguerite of Angoulême.
- Françoise of Alençon, Duchess of Beaumont (1490- 14 September 1550): She first married François, Duke of Longueville. Later, she married Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, and they had thirteen children.
- Anne, Lady of La Guerche (30 October 1492- 18 October 1562): She married William IX Palaeologos, Marquis of Montferrat, and they had three children.
Margaret died on November 2, 1521, in Argentan, France. She was almost 58 years old. Nearly 400 years after her death, she was officially recognized as "Blessed" by Pope Benedict XV on March 10, 1921.
Life as a Widow
Margaret became a widow in 1492. After her husband's death, she took charge of managing her duchy and raising her children. Once her duties as a duchess were less demanding, she decided to leave her worldly life.
She moved to Mortagne and joined a group of religious women. Later, she brought some of these nuns to Argentan. There, she started a new monastery. With permission from the Pope, she placed this monastery under the rules of Saint Clare, which were slightly changed by the Minor Observants.
Margaret herself became a nun in this new home. She took her vows on October 11, 1520. She lived a very simple and strict life for about a year. On November 2, 1521, she passed away in her humble cell at the age of fifty-eight.
Her body was kept in the monastery of the Poor Clares. When that monastery was closed, her body was moved to the church of Saint Germain d'Argentan. However, during the French Revolution in 1793, her remains were disturbed and placed in a common burial ground.
Her Legacy
Margaret of Lorraine is remembered in important religious books. These include the Martyrologium franciscanum and the Martyrologium gallicanum.
After a request from the bishop of Séez, Jacques Camus de Pontcarré, King Louis XIII asked Pope Urban VIII to investigate Margaret's good deeds and any miracles linked to her. This investigation helped lead to her beatification.
