Christine Marie of France(10 February 1606 – 27 December 1663) wasDuchess of Savoyfrom 26 July 1630 to 7 October 1637 as the consort of DukeVictor Amadeus I.She was the daughter ofHenry IV of Franceand sister ofLouis XIII.Following her husband's death in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648.
| Christine of France | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait of Christine of France in mourning as Regent of Savoy | |||||
| Duchess consort of Savoy | |||||
| Tenure | 26 July 1630 – 7 October 1637 | ||||
| Born | 10 February 1606 Palais du Louvre,Paris,France | ||||
| Died | 27 December 1663(aged 57) Palazzo Madama, Turin,Savoy | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue Detail | |||||
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| House | Bourbon | ||||
| Father | Henry IV of France | ||||
| Mother | Marie de' Medici | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Daughter of France
editBorn in thePalais du LouvreinParis,Christine was the third child and second daughter of KingHenry IV of Franceand his second wifeMarie de' Medici.As a daughter of the king, she was aDaughter of France.She was a younger sister ofLouis XIII of FranceandElisabeth of Franceand an older sister ofNicholas Henri, Duke of Orléans,Gaston, Duke of OrléansandHenrietta Maria of France.Christine was a sister-in-law ofPhilip IV of Spainthrough Elisabeth and ofCharles I of Englandthrough Henrietta Maria. As a child, she was raised under the supervision of the royal governessFrançoise de Montglat.
After the marriage of her older sister Elisabeth in 1615 to the futurePhilip IV of Spain,Christine took on the honorary title ofMadame Royale,which indicated her status as the eldest and most senior unmarried daughter at the court of her brother. After her marriage, the style went to her younger sister Henrietta Maria.
Princess of Piedmont
editChristine marriedVictor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy,on 10 February 1619 at the Louvre in Paris.[1]From 1619 till her husband's accession, she was known as thePrincess of Piedmont.He was a son ofCharles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy,and theInfanta Catherine Michelle of Spain.She was said to be volatile and frivolous. Educated at the French court, she introduced French culture to the court of Savoy. Her residences included thePalazzo Madama,which she had rebuilt, and she was also the driving force for the reconstruction of theCastello del Valentinoas well as the additions to theRoyal Palace of Turin.She would also later own Villa Abegg, the old residence of her brother-in-lawMaurice of Savoy.
She did as much as she could to ensure that her court rivalled in splendour that of her sister Henrietta Maria, wife ofCharles I of England.In spite of this, the two sisters maintained an avid correspondence throughout their life which showed their close relationship. She was a confidant to the exiled Queen Henrietta, who often wrote to her about her experiences during theEnglish Civil Warand her son's restoration. Christine encouraged her husband to claim his right to the rather empty title ofKing of Cyprus and Jerusalem,a 'kingdom' which led to him being tagged as 'a king without a crown'. She did not keep it a secret that she would rather have been a queen than a duchess, or that she also wanted to transform the minor Duchy of Savoy into a little France.
Duchess and Regent of Savoy
editVictor Amadeus became Duke after the death of his father on 26 July 1630. When Christine's husband died in 1637, she was created regent in the name of her sonFrancis Hyacinth.At the death of Francis Hyacinth in 1638, her second sonCharles Emmanuel IIsucceeded and Christine retained the regency.
BothPrince Mauriceand his younger brotherPrince Thomas of Savoydisputed the power of their sister-in-law and her French entourage. When the first heirFrancis Hyacinthdied in 1638, both brothers started thePiedmontese Civil Warwith Spanish support. The two parties were called "principisti"(supporters of the Princes) and"madamisti"(supporters of Madama Reale).
After four years of fighting, Christine was victorious, thanks to French military support. Not only did she keep the Duchy for her son, she also prevented France getting too much power in the Duchy. When peace was concluded in 1642, Maurice married his fourteen-year-old niece Louise Christine, abandoning the title of cardinal and asking dispensation fromPope Paul V.Maurice became governor ofNice.Christine of France stayed in firm control of the Duchy of Savoy until her son could follow in her footsteps; her formal regency ended in 1648, but she remained in charge at his invitation until her death.[2]
She lived an uninhibited private life and had relationships with the French Ambassador, Marini, her brother-in-law, Maurice, and Count Filippo d'Aglié, a handsome learned and courageous man who remained faithful to her all her life.
Her regency was terminated in 1648.
Later life
editShe encouraged her son Charles Emmanuel to marry her nieceFrançoise Madeleine d'Orléans,the youngest surviving daughter ofGaston, Duke of Orléans,her youngest brother. They married 3 Apr 1663.[2]
Christine died at the Palazzo Madama, Turin, on 27 Dec 1663[3]at the age of 57 and was buried at theBasilica of Sant'Andrea.She had outlived 4 of her seven children.
Aftermath and legacy
editFrançoise Madeleine died in January 1664 and her son later married another cousin,Marie Jeanne of Savoy.[4]Marie Jeanne would give birth toVictor Amadeus II of Sardiniawho would later marry another French Princess (and member of theHouse of Orléans)Anne Marie d'Orléans.17 years after her death, in 1680, her granddaughterVictoria of Bavariavia her third daughterPrincess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy,would marry her older brother's grandsonLouis de Franceknown as 'the Fat' andMonseigneur.Christine thus became a direct ancestress of the Spanish branch of theHouse of Bourbonvia Victoria's second sonPhilip V of Spain.[5]
In 2010, it was revealed on NBC'sWho Do You Think You Are?that one of her descendants is model/actressBrooke Shields.[6]Princess Michael of Kent,born Baroness Marie Christine, is also a descendant by Christine's son,Charles Emmanuel.[7]
Issue
edit- Stillborn son (1621)
- Prince Louis Amadeus of Savoy (1622–1628)
- Princess Luisa Christina of Savoy(27 July 1629 – 14 May 1692) marriedPrince Maurice of Savoywith no issue.
- Francis Hyacinth, Duke of Savoy(14 September 1632 – 4 October 1638), Duke of Savoy
- Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy(20 June 1634 – 12 June 1675) marriedFrançoise Madeleine d'Orléansand had no issue; secondly marriedMarie Jeanne of Savoyand had issue.
- Princess Margaret Yolande of Savoy(15 November 1635 – 29 April 1663) marriedRanuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma,and died in childbirth.
- Princess Henriette Adelaide Maria of Savoy(6 November 1636 – 18 March 1676) marriedFerdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria,and had issue.
- Princess Catherine Beatrice of Savoy(6 November 1636 – 26 August 1637) died in infancy.
Ancestors
editReferences
edit- ^Parrott 1997,p. 36.
- ^abOresko 2004,p. 20.
- ^Oresko 2004,p. 21.
- ^Oresko 2004,p. 21-23.
- ^Oresko 2004,p. 18.
- ^Participant: Brooke Shields; Director: Harvey Lilley; Executive Producer: Lucy Carter (4 July 2010)."Brooke Shields".Who Do You Think You Are? – USA.Episode 2. United Kingdom. BBC.BBC One.
Back in New York, Brooke sets out on the trail of her very different paternal ancestry, the family of her paternal grandmother, the glamour heiress Marina Torlonia. Her journey takes her to Rome where she discovers that as bankers to the Vatican, the Torlonia family became one of the wealthiest and most influential families in 19th-century Italy. But it doesn't end there – on the trail of yet another illustrious ancestor, the mysteriously titled 'Madame Royale', Brooke heads to Paris and the very heart of French nobility.
- ^Princess Michael of Kent.The Serpent and the Moon: Two Rivals for the Love of a Renaissance King,Simon and Schuster, Sep 13, 2005. Index.Princess Michael Descent Chart
- ^Robert Knecht,Renaissance France,genealogies; Baumgartner, genealogical tables.
Sources
edit- Oresko, Robert (2004). "Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours (1644–1724): daughter, consort, and Regent of Savoy". In Campbell Orr, Clarissa (ed.).Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort.Cambridge University Press. pp. 16–55.ISBN0-521-81422-7.
- Parrott, David (1997). "The Mantuan Succession, 1627–31: A Sovereignty Dispute in Early Modern Europe".The English Historical Review.CXII, Issue 445, February (445). Oxford Academic: 20–65.doi:10.1093/ehr/CXII.445.20.