Marie de’ Medici, Queen of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

source: Wikipedia

Marie de’ Medici, Queen of France

Marie de’ Medici was the second wife and consort of King Henri IV of France. She was born on April 26, 1575, at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy, the sixth of seven children of Francesco I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Archduchess Joanna of Austria. Of her siblings, only one lived to adulthood:

The House of Medici had come to prominence in the 15th century, as founders of the Medici Bank, the largest bank in Europe, and later as Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Along with Marie, other prominent members of the family included Catherine de’ Medici, consort to King Henri II of France, and Popes Leo X, Clement VII, and Leo XI.

Having lost her mother at the age of 5, and her father at the age of 12, Marie was raised by her uncle Ferdinando, who had succeeded her father as Grand Duke of Tuscany, who ensured that she received a proper education. Marie showed great talent in the arts and science and became very devout in her religious beliefs.

After numerous suitors, Marie became engaged to King Henri IV of France (also King Henri III of Navarre). For Henri, marriage to Marie would help bring legitimate royal descent to France as Marie was descended from the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I. It would also bring significant financial benefits from the very wealthy de’ Medici family. And for Marie, it would mean becoming Queen of both France and Navarre. The couple was married by proxy in Florence on October 5, 1600, and the following month, Marie traveled to France. Marie and Henri were then married in a religious ceremony in Lyon, on December 17, 1600. They went on to have six children:

Marie with her husband and family. source: Wikipedia

While the couple had a large family, the marriage was far from happy. Henri had numerous mistresses, with whom Marie was often feuding. When Henri would be drawn into these feuds, he typically sided with the mistress and not his wife. Marie later fought back against her husband, showing support and sympathy for his first wife, Marguerite of Valois, who he had banished from France after their marriage was annulled. Marie’s support prompted Henri to allow Marguerite to return to the country.

Although she became Queen upon marriage, Marie was not formally crowned until May 13, 1610, at the Basilica of St. Denis. The following day, her husband, King Henri IV, was assassinated and Queen Marie was appointed Regent for their eldest son, the eight-year-old King Louis XIII. One of her first acts as Regent was to banish her late husband’s mistress from the French court. When she came to the French court from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Marie brought Leonora Dori Galigai, who had been appointed to be her maid when Marie was 13-year-old, as lady-in-waiting and wardrobe attendant. Leonora married another Tuscan, Concino Concini, who had also accompanied Marie to France. As Regent of France, Marie brought Concino Concini to the forefront of her court, and he became the Queen’s most trusted advisor.

The Coronation of Queen Marie, painted by Rubens. source: Wikipedia

Marie was strongly influenced by Concini and her other Italian advisors, and many of her policies were in sharp contrast to those of her late husband. She promoted a strong alliance with the Spanish monarchy and favored Catholicism over Protestantism. To strengthen this bond, she arranged the marriages of her son, King Louis XIII, to Infanta Anna of Spain (known primarily as Anne of Austria), and her eldest daughter, Elisabeth, to the future King Felipe IV of Spain.

But Marie’s policies and plans did not meet with much support amongst the nobility and the princes of the blood who began to oppose her Regency. Unable to overcome the challenges to her position, Marie was forced into convoking the Estates-General in 1614. Along with Concini, Marie counted the Duke of Richelieu (later Cardinal) among her closest advisors. Richelieu had risen to power during the Estates-General and by 1616 had been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.

By 1617, Marie’s policies had become greatly unpopular with the people of France. Her son – now three years into his majority – finally stepped in and asserted his position as King. He ordered that Concini be assassinated. Concini’s wife Leonora Dori Galigai, Marie’s long-time confidante, was accused of bewitching Marie and executed. Richelieu was dismissed from his position and exiled to Avignon. Queen Marie was also sent into exile at the Château de Blois in the Loire Valley.

Marie escaped two years later and began a movement to return to the French court. Led by her younger son, Gaston, this revolt was quickly squashed by the King. However, the King knew that he needed to do something to appease his mother and her supporters. He brought Richelieu back to the French court to help mediate the situation with Marie. This led to the Treaty of Angoulême in August 1619, which formally ended the battles between the supporters of Marie and those of the King. It also established a reconciliation between Marie and her son. By 1621, Marie had once again assumed her position on the Royal Council. But by 1630, her political machinations saw her once again banished from court. Exiled to Compiègne, she escaped the following year and traveled to Brussels and later to Amsterdam where she received a grand royal welcome. After visiting her daughter, Henrietta Maria, in England in 1638, she later traveled to Cologne, Germany.

Independently wealthy, Marie used her fortune to finance numerous projects in France. One of the most prominent of these was the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris. In 1612, Marie purchased what was then called the Hôtel de Luxembourg and its large grounds, and commissioned a much larger palace, modeled after the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, where she was born. Often referred to as Palais Médicis, the new Palais du Luxembourg became her primary residence during her regency. Today, it is the home of the French Senate. The original building became known as the Petit Luxembourg and now serves as the residence of the President of the French Senate. Marie also commissioned famed painter Peter Paul Rubens to create a series of paintings that would adorn the new Palais du Luxembourg. These 24 paintings became known as the Marie de’ Medici Cycle, and now hang in The Louvre.

Queen Marie, painted by Rubens, 1622. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie died in the Free Imperial City of Cologne, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia; on July 3, 1642. Her heart is buried at Cologne Cathedral, but despite the strained relationship with her son, her other remains were returned to France and buried in the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, France.

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