History - On This Day - 5 June 1523 - Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry

On 5 June 1523, a very noble and royal girl was born in the Château de
Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris in France. She received the name:
Margaret of France. Sometimes she was called: Marguerite de Valois.



Family

Margaret of France was the daughter of King Francis I of France
and Claude, Duchess of Brittany.

She was thus a sister of inter alia:

King Henry II of France (who had married Catherine de' Medici);
Madeleine, Queen of Scots;
Charles, Duke of Orléans;
Margaret, Duchess of Savoy.

Margaret was very close to her paternal aunt, Marguerite de Navarre,
who took care of her, her sister Madeleine and her sister-in-law:
Catherine de' Medici.

Love and Marriage

At the end of 1538, her father and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
agreed that Margaret should marry Charles 's son, the future King
Philip II of Spain. However this arrangement and wedding never
took place.

On 29 April 1530, at the age of 26, she was created:
Duchess of Berry.

Before her 36th birthday, a marriage was finally arranged for her by
her brother, King Henry II of France and her former suitor,
King Philip II of Spain as a part of the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis.

Margaret of France should marry Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy.

On 30 June 1559, just 3 days after Margaret 's wedding contract
had been signed, King Henry II of France was gravely injured during a
tournament.

Close to death, but still conscious, the King ordered that his sister's
marriage should take place immediately.He had fear that others
could have benefice from the situation.

The ceremony did not take place in the Notre Dame Cathedral as
had been planned. The event took place on 9 July 1959 in the
St. Paul's Church, a small church not far from the Tournelles
Palaces. Among the few guests was the French Queen consort
Catherine de' Medici who was weeping. King Henry II of
France died the next day.

Margaret and her husband had one surviving child:
Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy.

Death

Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry died on 15 September 1574
at the age of 51.


Source picture: Wikipedia

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