Mary Queen of Scots—
At the beginning of his reign, Henri II had organised the marriage of the young Queen of Scotland to his eldest son, the four year old Francois. Mary was brought to France before the age of 6 and she grew up with the King’s children. When Henri died Mary’s young husband became Francois II at the age of 15. He had never been in robust health and died the following year. Mary was Queen of France for less than seventeen months. Her mother-in-law Catherine de Medici never liked her. With nothing more for her in France, she returned to Scotland.
Elisabeth, Archduchess of Austria—
Catherine
’s second son became Charles IX at the age of ten, with his mother acting as Regent. When Charles was twenty, he married Elisabeth, one of the Austrian Emperor’s sixteen children. The marriage did not prevent Charles from keeping his long time mistress Marie Touchet. When Charles died at the age of 24, he had no legitimate son. The year before he died Marie had given birth to a son, named Charles after his father. Charles IX’s brother became Henri III, King of France and the illegitimate child was brought up with the royal family.
Louise of Lorraine—
Catherine’s third and favourite son Henri III married Louise of Lorraine. Louise was one of fourteen children of a Count from the House of Lorraine. No one, least of all Louise, would have suspected she would become Queen of France. It was a Cinderella story – the only royal marriage which had no political considerations. Louise was Queen of France for 14 years until her husband was assassinated. She had no children, which meant that against the odds, it was the end of the dynasty.
Elisabeth de Valois—
At 14, Catherine’s eldest daughter Elisabeth married King Philip II of Spain. He was 32 and had already been married twice. His second wife had been his cousin Queen Mary I of England who had died seven months earlier. Elisabeth had two daughters before dying in Madrid at the age of 23. Philip remarried. His fourth wife was his 20 year old niece Anne, one of his uncle, the Austrian Emperor’s sixteen children. Anne had five children before dying ten years later. Philip then turned his eye to her fourteen year old sister who decided she preferred to become a nun.
Marguerite de Valois—
Catherine’s daughter married Henri de Navarre, becoming the Queen of Navarre. Their marriage was meant to signal peace between the Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants) but five days after the wedding, on St Bartholemew’s Day, one of the worst massacres in French history occurred. The marriage was not at all happy and both had lovers. Catherine cut Marguerite out of her will but her fate changed when her brother Henri III was assassinated and next in line to the throne was Marguerite’s estranged husband Henri de Navarre.
None of the five queens left an heir to the throne.
