Elisabeth of FranceorIsabella of Bourbon(22 November 1602 – 6 October 1644) wasQueen of Spainfrom 1621 to her death andQueen of Portugalfrom 1621 to 1640, as the first spouse of KingPhilip IV & III.She served asregent of Spainduring theCatalan Revoltin 1640–42 and 1643–44.[1]
| Elisabeth of France | |
|---|---|
 Elisabeth in 1620 byRodrigo de Villandrando | |
| Queen consort of Spain | |
| Tenure | 31 March 1621 – 6 October 1644 |
| Queen consort of Portugal | |
| Tenure | 31 March 1621 – 1 December 1640 |
| Born | 22 November 1602 Palace of Fontainebleau,Kingdom of France |
| Died | 6 October 1644(aged 41) Royal Alcazar of Madrid,Madrid,Crown of Castile,Spain |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue more... | Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias Maria Theresa, Queen of France |
| House | Bourbon |
| Father | Henry IV of France |
| Mother | Marie de' Medici |
Life
editChildhood
edit
Elisabeth was born atChâteau de Fontainebleauon 22 November 1602, the eldest daughter of KingHenry IV of Franceand his second wife,Marie de' Medici.According to the court, her mother showed a cruel indifference to her, because she had believed the prophecy of a nun who assured her that she would give birth to three consecutive sons.[2]
Shortly after her birth, she was betrothed toPhilip Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont,son and heir ofCharles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy,byCatherine Michaela,daughter of KingPhilip II of Spain.However, Philip Emmanuel died of smallpox in 1605.[3][4]
As a daughter of the King of France, she was born aFille de France.As the eldest daughter of the king, she was known at court by the traditionalhonorificofMadame Royale.The early years ofMadame Royalewere spent under the supervision of theroyal governessFrançoise de Montglatat theChâteau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye,a quiet place away from the Parisian court, in which she shared education and games with her legitimate siblings, as well as illegitimate half-siblings; children who were the result of her father's constant love affairs.[2]Besides theDauphin Louis,the otherEnfants de France(Henry IV's legitimate children) wereChristine Marie,later Duchess of Savoy;Nicholas Henri, Duke of Orléans,who died in infancy;Gaston, Duke of Orléans;andHenrietta Maria,later Queen of England. When King Henry IV was assassinated outside thePalais du LouvreinParison 14 May 1610, her brother the Dauphin (with whom Elisabeth had a very close relationship) succeeded him to the throne as KingLouis XIII of Franceunder theregencyof their mother Marie de' Medici.
In 1612, when Elisabeth was ten years old,negotiationswere begun for a double marriage between the royal families of France and Spain; Elisabeth would marry thePrince of Asturias(the futurePhilip IV of Spain) and her brother Louis, the Spanish InfantaAnne.
Marriage
edit
After her proxy marriage to the Prince of Asturias and Louis's proxy marriage to the Infanta Anne, Elisabeth and her brother met their respective spouses for the first time on 25 November 1615 onPheasant Island,a small island in the RiverBidassoathat divides France and Spain between the French city ofHendayeand the Spanish city ofFuenterrabía.This was the last time Louis would see his sister. In Spain, Elisabeth's French name took on the Spanish form ofIsabel.The religious ceremony took place in theCathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos.At the time of her marriage, the thirteen-year-oldIsabelbecame the new Princess of Asturias.
This marriage followed a tradition of cementing military and political alliances between the Catholic powers of France and Spain with royal marriages. The tradition went back to 1559 with the marriage of KingPhilip II of Spainwith the French princessElisabeth of Valois,the daughter of KingHenry II of France,as part of thePeace of Cateau-Cambrésis.TheExchange of the Princesses at the Spanish Borderwas painted byPeter Paul Rubensas part of hisMarie de' Medici cycle.
Queen
edit
Elisabeth was renowned for her beauty, intelligence and noble personality, which made her very popular in Spain. In 1621, the couple had ascended to the throne of Spain upon the death ofPhilip III of Spain.The new queen of Spain was aware that her husband had mistresses.
Elisabeth herself was the subject of rumors about her relations with the noted poet Peralta (Juan de Tassis, 2nd Count of Villamediana), who was her gentleman-in-waiting. On 14 May 1622, a fire broke out while the PeraltamasqueLa Gloria de Niqueawas being acted before the court. Peralta carried the queen to a place of safety, which caused suspicion about their relationship to deepen. Peralta neglected a significant warning that his life was in peril, and "he was murdered as he stepped out of his coach. The responsibility for his death was divided between Philip IV andOlivares"(at the time, prime minister and king's favorite).
She was regent of Spain during theCatalan Revoltand supported the Duke of Nochera against the Count-Duke of Olivares in favor of an honorable withdrawal from the Catalan Revolt.
Prior to 1640, the queen does not appear to have had much influence over state affairs, which was largely entrusted to Olivares. Elisabeth did not get along with Olivares, who reportedly assisted Philip IV in his adultery, and prevented her from achieving any political influence and once famously remarked, when she presented a political view to the king, that priests existed to pray as well as queens existed to give birth.[1]
Between 1640 and 1642, Elisabeth served as regent for the king in his absence during the Catalan revolt and was given very good marks for her efforts.[1]She was reputed to have influenced the fall of Olivares as a part of a "women's conspiracy" alongside the duchess of Mantua, Ana de Guevara, María de Ágreda and her chief lady-in-waitingLuisa Manrique de Lara, Countess Paredes de Nava.[1]
The fall of Olivares made the king consider her his only political partner, and when the king left again for the front in 1643, Elisabeth was again appointed regent assisted by Juan Chumacero Carrillo y Sotomayor.[1]Her second regency was also well received, and she was credited by the king for her efforts to provide vital supplies for the troops as well as for her negotiations with the banks to provide finances for the army, offering her own jewelry as security.[1]It was rumored that she was intending to follow the example of QueenIsabella the Catholicand lead her own army to retakeBadajoz.[1]
The Queen died in Madrid on 6 October 1644 at the age of forty-one, leaving two children:Balthasar CharlesandMaria Theresa.After her death, her husband married his nieceMariana of Austria.Elisabeth's last child, Infanta Maria Theresa of Spain, would later become queen of France as the wife of her nephew, the futureLouis XIV.Unlike her husband and sister-in-law, she would not see the wedding that cemented the peace between her homeland and adopted country, Spain; the countries would beat war until 1659.One of her great-grandsons, Philip,Duke of Anjou,became KingPhilip V of Spain,and through him, Elisabeth is an ancestor of the subsequent Spanish monarchs.
Issue
edit- Maria Margaret of Austria, Infanta of Spain (14 August 1621 – 15 August 1621), died in infancy
- Margaret Maria Catherine of Austria, Infanta of Spain (25 November 1623 – 22 December 1623), died in infancy
- Maria Eugenia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (21 November 1625 – 21 August 1627), died in infancy
- Isabella Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (31 October 1627 – 1 November 1627), died in infancy
- Balthasar Charles of Austria, Infante of Spain(17 October 1629 – 9 October 1646),Prince of Asturias.
- Maria Anna Antonia Dominica Jacinta of Austria, Infanta of Spain (17 January 1636 – 5 December 1636), died in infancy
- Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain(10 September 1638 – 30 July 1683), marriedLouis XIV of Franceand had issue.
Elisabeth also suffered at least three miscarriages:
- A miscarried daughter (16 November 1626)
- A miscarried daughter (1640)
- A miscarried son (1644)
Gallery
edit-
Elisabeth portrayed by Rodrigo de Villandrando -
Elisabeth portrayed by Velázquez -
Elisabeth portrayed by Velázquez, 1632 -
An equestrian portrait of Elisabeth by Velázquez, 1632
Ancestors
editExternal links
edit- Diccionario Biográfico. Real Academia de la HistoriaIsabel de Borbón
References
edit
- ^abcdefgDiccionario Biográfico. Real Academia de la HistoriaIsabel de Borbón
- ^abLa reina desdichada, Isabel de Borbón (1602-1644)in: mujeresenlahistoria.com (in Spanish)[retrieved 11 April 2014].
- ^Isabel de Borbónin: mcnbiografias.com (in Spanish)[retrieved 11 April 2014].
- ^Isabel de Borbón, reina de España, primera esposa de Felipe IVin: museodelprado.es (in Spanish)[retrieved 11 April 2014].
- ^Robert Knecht,Renaissance France,genealogies; Baumgartner, genealogical tables.