FRANÇOISE DE CHATEAUBRIANT
In the entourage François’ mother Louise had organised to meet François on his return to France, there was one person she made sure was not present – François’ “official favourite”, Françoise, the Countess of Chateaubriant.
François and Françoise were the same age. Their affair started early in his reign. She was a beautiful brunette, with a body to match. Understandably, her husband Jean de Laval, Count of Chateaubriand, was initially not happy. No one felt sorry for him.
About ten years earlier at the age of 20 Jean de Laval had abducted Françoise, then aged eleven, from the court of Anne of Brittany. (To be fair, she had consented.) He kept her isolated in his chateau in Brittany.
François heard about the beautiful young woman. He was fascinated and manoeuvred to have her come his court. He was not disappointed.
The king gave her husband important assignments (away from the court, of course) and before long Jean, the Count of Chateaubriand, saw the situation had a lot of advantages for him.
François’ wife Claude had been busy having babies and for the most part, appearances were saved with Françoise having an official place in the queen’s household. François tried to keep the situation
discreet but his mother Louise managed to find out what they were up to.
She did not like Françoise because she did not like her family. In a letter to François’ sister
Marguerite, Louise said she was furious with Françoise’ husband for putting up with the situation.
The affair was still going strong nine years later when François went to war in Italy in 1525. Naturally
his mistress expected to take up where they had left off when he returned to France after being held
captive in Spain. She had no intention of giving up. However Françoise was now 31. She was competing with the 18 year old Anne de Pisselieu, a determined, much younger woman who knew exactly what she wanted.
Initially François was amused at the cat fights between Françoise and Anne. He assured each
woman she was the only one. Françoise was at a disadvantage, not only because of her age, but
because she genuinely loved François. Anne did not allow that to enter the equation and she played
it much smarter. François told them both they were the only one and his excuse to both sides for
not sending the other away was that he could not deprive his mother of one of her ladies in waiting.
No one was fooled and the situation went on for almost two years.
When Françoise finally gave up and moved back to Brittany, her husband was not at all happy to see her. He relied on Françoise’ position with the king for his own favours.
She moved back into the new Renaissance style chateau her husband was building on their property overlooking the medieval Chateau of Chateaubriant.
Françoise’s husband Jean de Laval finished the new chateau started by his grandmother.
François visited the chateau four years later staying there with his son for six weeks.
Françoise died at the Chateau de Chateaubriant almost ten years after leaving the French court.
Visitors can see the bedroom where Françoise died. Rumour had it her husband murdered her in
the gilded bedchamber. Every year on the anniversary of her death (October 16), they say a pool of
blood appears in front of the fireplace.
During all this time, Françoise’ rival Anne de Pisselieu has gone from strength to strength in spite of
the arrival of a new Queen.