Marguerite Of Angoulême - Queen Of Navarre

Marguerite of Navarre was born in Angoulême on April 11, 1492. As the daughter of Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême and Louise of Savoy, Marguerite was born two years before the future King of France, François I. Legend has it that Louise of Savoy chose the name Marguerite, which is derived from the Greek margarites which means pearl, because during her pregnancy, overcome by a craving for oysters, she accidentally swallowed a pearl. Marguerite's christening was celebrated without pomp and circumstance in the chapel of the Chateau of Angoulême. Marguerite's father, Charles d'Orléans, who had lost the favor of the court after participating in the Mad War, which was a late medieval conflict between a coalition of feudal lords and the French monarchy, lived a calm and scholarly life until his death in 1496. Her mother, Louise, was very attentive to her children and especially doted on her son, who was predestined to become the King of France. Both children received an excellent education and the love of books Marguerite's mother had was transferred onto Marguerite herself. Piety, study, games, laughter and family love made Marguerite's childhood a very happy one. As Marguerite grew older, several politically advantageous marriage proposals were considered for her. While the houses of Angoulême and Alençon were caught up in a legal dispute, a marriage between their two houses was agreed upon in order for the dispute to end. On December 2nd, 1509, at the age of 17, Marguerite married the Duke Charles IV of Alençon. For Marguerite, her new life at the Château of Alençon wasn't a happy one. She felt locked up in what she considered to be a dark medieval castle, and she felt weighed down by her very pious mother-in-law, Marguerite Lorraine Vaudemont, and her illiterate, military-minded husband. The union between Charles and Marguerite would produce no children. Marguerite's situation improved considerably from 1515 onwards, when her younger brother, François of Angoulême, ascended the throne of France as François I after the death of Louis XII. Marguerite received gifts from her brother, was invited to balsam parties, and she was even called upon to be a nun. In the meantime, Marguerite became familiar with some of the new reformist ideas of, among others, Erasmus and Martin Luther, but she was particularly influenced by Jacques Lefebvre d'Étaples, a respected professor of philosophy in Paris. Lefebvre was a man of great wisdom, and he was the first of his kind to write a novel. Lefebvre introduced Marguerite to Guillaume Brissonnet, the Bishop of Maux, who became her faithful correspondent. Marguerite started to support the printing and distribution of evangelical essays and tracts. At first, Marguerite's brother François was open to the new ideas and backed Marguerite's endeavors, but soon, however, political pressure became more and more intense. François sided with the Roman Catholic authorities, who severely opposed all reformist ideas. In spite of her dangerous connections, Marguerite, as sister of the king, was spared from investigation by the Inquisition, but many other sympathizers of the Protestant cause were executed. In February 1525, Marguerite's brother, François, was taken prisoner after being defeated during the Battle of Pavia. Marguerite was appointed to negotiate with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to obtain the release of the king of France. However, Charles V did not want to hear of a ransom, but demanded to be handed over the Duchy of Burgundy, which Charles V was theoretically entitled to. After the death of her husband Charles IV of Alençon, Marguerite remarried Henry II d'Albret, king of Navarre, on January 24, 1527. Marguerite now was Queen of the Kingdom of Navarre. The union between Charles V and Marguerite was not a simple one. The two were married in the same year, and Marguerite's brother, François, was given the title of Marguerite's brother-in-law. Marguerite now was Queen of the Kingdom of Navarre. The union between Henry and Marguerite produced two children. Jean III of Navarre, who is also known as Jean d'Albret, who became the penultimate Queen of Navarre, and who was the mother of the future Henry IV of France. After her marriage to Henry d'Albret, Marguerite once more found herself at the negotiation table with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, in order to recover the southern Navarre territories, which had been annexed by Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1512. Although initially the negotiations went smoothly, and plans were drawn up for a union between little Jean to the infant son of Charles V, Philip, the later Philip II of Spain, eventually the negotiations led to nothing. Slowly, Marguerite's political influence declined, and at the end of 1542, Marguerite returned to France. Her brother, François I of France, died in 1547, after which François' son, Henry II, ascended the throne. Deeply saddened by the death of her brother, Marguerite withdrew from the world for four months at the Priory of Tucson. Soon after the accession of Henry II, he married off Jean d'Albret to Antoine de Bourbon-Vendôme, as the union would give him stronger control over the southern regions of France and the Kingdom of Navarre. Despite Marguerite's efforts to avoid the union, the two of them married in 1548. The union would ultimately lead to Henry of Navarre to become King of France as Henry IV of France, uniting the Kingdom of Navarre and France. Marguerite d'Angoulême died at the age of 57 on November 21st, 1549, after suffering severe health problems. The Queen died alone, as her husband arrived too late to be at her side. Marguerite was laid to rest in the Cathedral of l'Escar, the necropolis of the Kings of Navarre. Thank you for watching.