Marguerite De Navarre

Date of Birth

Apr 11, 1492

Marguerite De Navarre, or also known as "Marguerite of Angouleme" was born in Angouleme on April 11, 1492. She was the eldest of Louise of Savoy and Charles. Her father was a descendant of Charles V and married eleven year old Louise of Savoy on February 16, 1488.

Death of her father/Life afterwards

Feb 9, 1494

When Marguerite was nearly 4 years old, after settling in Cognac, her father died. He brother who later became the King of France became the heir to the throne of France when he was just one years old. The widow to her father, Louis was 19 at the time of her husband's death, gave Marguerite a classical education which included Latin. Now a young princess, she was to be called "Maecenas to the learned ones of her Brother's Kingdom".

1st Marriage

Feb 9, 1502

At an early age of 10 years old her mother, Louis tried to get Marguerite married to The Prince of Wales who later became Henry VII of England. But the alliance was courtesly rebuffed. Finally at the age of 17 Marguerite married Charles IV of Alecon who was 20 years old. Maguerite was to marry a generally kind but pactically-illiterate man for political expediency. She was to save the royal pride of Louis by keeping the Country of Armagnac in the family. There wasn't any offspring between the 2.

2nd marriage and first child

Oct 20, 1525

After the death of her first husband in 1525, Marguerite married Henry II of Navarre. Henry ruled the Lower Navarre the independent princiapality of Bearn, and several other dependencies in Gascony. Around November 16, 1528 Marguerite gave birth to a daughter of Henry, who soon became the Jeanne III of Navarre in the future, and who was the mother of future HenryIV of France.

Recognition

Nov 19, 1529

A Venetian ambassador of that time praised Marguerite for her knowlege of the secrets of diplomatic art and thought that they should trear her with deference and circumspection. Her most remarkable adventure was when she freed her brother who was held prisoner in Spain by Charles V, Holy Roman Empeor after being captured during a batttle. During a critical period of negotiations, she rode horseback through the woods 12 hours a day to meet a safe deadline and in the night wrote diplomatic letters

Second Child & start of writing

Jul 7, 1530

On July 7, 1530 Marguerite now 38 years old gave birth to her only son Jean. Sadly, Jean did not live to his first birthday, and died on Christmas Day of that same year. Scholars believe that her grief over her son's death motivated her to write her most controversial work, Miroir de l'ame pecheresse in 1531.

Role in the Reformation

May 11, 1538

Following the expulsion of John Calvin and William Farel from Geneva, Marguerite wrote to Marie Dentiere on what caused them to be expelled from Geneva. Marie a good friend of her, replied back and asked Marguerite to support and aid in increasing literacy and access among women, then advised her to act in expelling Catholic clergy from France. She helped in what they asked of her,

Patron of the Arts

Apr 12, 1540

Marguerite is most remembered by being a generous partron of the arts and befriended and protected many artists and writers. Those among were Francois Rebelaid, Clement Marot, Claude de Bectoz, and Pierre de Ronsard. She also served as a mediator between Roman Catholics and Protestants. She did her best to protect the reformers and dissuaded Francis I from intolerant measures he would do.

Legacy

Feb 9, 1546

Following the footsteps set by her mother, Marguerite became the most influential woman in France during her life time. Her salon, became famous internationally. Marguerite not only protected the reformers, but she also wrote many poems and plays. Her most notable works are a classic collection of short stories, "Heptameron". She also wrote a very religious poem "Miroir de l'ame pecheresse" (Mirror of the sinful soul), Which is the poem said to be the cause of her grief over the death of her son

Death of the "Mother of the Renaissance"

Dec 21, 1549

Marguerite De Navarre died at age 57 on December 21, 1549 in Odos, France. After her death, many famous writers wrote about her as rememberance. Jules Michelet, Pierre Bayle,and Jane Seymour were some of the people who honored her in writing about her legacy.