Marie de' Medici - Queens, Birthday and Family
Marie de' Medici's Personal Details
Marie de' Medici was the Queen of France
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | April 26, 1576 |
| Died on | July 3, 1642 |
| Nationality | French |
| Famous | Historical Personalities, Empresses & Queens, Empresses, Navarre, Queen Consort of France, Queens |
| Spouses | Henry IV, King of France |
| Known as | Marie de Médicis, Maria de' Medici |
| Childrens | Duchess of Savoy Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orléans Gaston, Duke of Orléans Henrietta Maria, King of France Elisabeth, Louis XIII, Queen of England, Queen of Spain Christine |
| Birth Place | Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Tuscany |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Gender | Female |
| Father | A |
| Mother | Archduchess Joanna of Austria |
| Sun Sign | Taurus |
| Born in | Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Tuscany |
| Famous as | Queen consort of France and Navarre |
| Died at Age | 66 |
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Marie de' Medici's photo
Who is Marie de' Medici?
Marie de' Medici, originally a scion of the powerful and rich ‘House of Medici’, was the Queen of France and the second wife of the King of France, Henry IV. Her marriage with King Henry IV enabled him to pay off his debts with the huge dowry that he obtained from the alliance. While she despised the King’s open extra-marital relationships, she was resented by him for her blind trust on her iniquitous and cunning maid Leonara and her husband Concino Concini. After King Henry IV was assassinated she was made the regent for her son Louis by the Parliament of Paris until the time he came of age. She was guided by Concino Concini in reversing the anti-Spanish policy implemented by King Henry IV. She, along with Concino, continued to govern ignoring and using the name of King Louis XIII even after he came of age. She had strained relation with her son King Louis XIII for her endless political affiliations and even faced exile. She is noted for her remarkable artistic patronage, lavish and capacious building constructions that till date rank among some of the finest works in Paris.
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Childhood & Early Life
Marie de' Medici was born on April 26, 1575 at Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy, as a scion of wealthy and powerful ‘House of Medici’. She was born to Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de' Medici and his wife Archduchess Joanna of Austria as their sixth daughter.
Though she had a challenging childhood due to her mother’s early death and negligence by her father, she received sound education in line with the tradition of the family and developed an excellent base in fine arts.
Queen of France
She married Henry IV of France in October 1600 in a grand wedding ceremony in Lyon, France, which was celebrated with 4,000 guests.
The marriage was a successful one in terms of producing children, but it was not a happy one as Marie and Henry fought over his mistresses.
On May 13, 1610, she was coronated as the Queen of France and the very next day Henry IV was assassinated. Following his assassination, she was made the regent for her son Louis XIII by the Parliament of Paris until the time he comes of age.
Her acumen in political issues was little both before and after the lifetime of King Henry IV. She was under high influence of her conspiring maid Leonora "Galigai" Dori and her iniquitous Italian husband Concino Concini. Though Concino never fought a battle the couple’s unscrupulous influence on the Queen made him a ‘Marshal of France’ and also ‘Marquis d'Ancre’.
Duke of Sully, a minister from the time of King Henry IV, was dismissed unscrupulously under the influence of the Concini couple. The Italian members of Catholic Church tried to suppress Protestantism by using their influence.
Due to the capricious rule of the regency, a sense of revolt was brewing up among many princes led by Duke of Enghien and Henri de Bourbon, who left the court and threw open challenges. During 1614 and 1615, she was under pressure from them to convoke the ‘Estates General’. The Protestants became restless observing the royal waver.
Lack of experience and insight of her regency fuelled instability and expectations of nobles and aristocrats. This resulted in draining of the treasury by way of disbursing pensions and other spoils to the nobles on May 15, 1614, in pursuit of buying them off. It still failed to fulfil their discontent.
She was guided by Concino in reversing the anti-Habsburg policy and the ‘Treaty of Bruzolo’, implemented by King Henry IV. She called back French army from Europe and to further the alliance with Spain, she married her daughter to the future king of Spain, Philip IV. She also arranged her son Louis XIII’s marriage with Anne of Austria in 1615.
In 1615, she was instrumental in the construction of ‘Palais du Luxembourg’ in Paris. Her artistic bent of mind reflected in the interiors of the palace including its furnishings. The palace, referred by Marie as ‘Palais Médicis’, was designed by Salomon de Brosse.
She along with Concino continued to govern on the name of King Louis XIII even after he came of age. Her poor judgement along with Concino Concini’s domination over the royal council as well as at the court compounded the regal weakness and resurgence of revolt and instability in regency.
In 1617, King Louis XIII, who had already achieved legal majority few years back, took control over the regal authority dominated by Marie and the Concinis through a veritable coup d'état. It resulted in reversing of the pro-Habsburg policy, arrest of Marie and her exile to the Château de Blois.
On April 24, 1617, Charles d’Albert de Luynes, one of Louis’s favourites assassinated Concino Concini. Cardinal Richelieu who joined Marie’s regency in 1616 was inducted in Louis XIII’s bishopric.
She managed to escape in February 1619 with the help of her third son, Gaston, Duke of Orléans. She masterminded a revolt along with Gaston but was easily overpowered by the forces of the King.
Later, mediation of Richelieu resulted in reconciliation of Marie with Louis and she was permitted to take over a court at Angers.
In 1621, she joined back the regal council. She re-constructed ‘Palais du Luxembourg’ with extravagant decorations including ‘Marie de' Medici Cycle’, a series of remarkable and enormous paintings by Peter Paul Rubens that reflected her life from birth till her reconciliation with Louis. The construction of the palace was completed in 1623.
The power of Richelieu strengthened and he went on to become a major guide of Louis following the death of Duke of Luynes. Marie conspired against Richelieu along with son Gaston to remove him as chief minister. She planned a coup in November 1630, referred as ‘Day of Dupes’ but was dramatically beaten and forced to flee to Compiègne.
In 1631, she managed to escape to Brussels. She continued to conspire against Richelieu by influencing his opponents. This included writer Mathieu de Morgues, who earlier served Richelieu. They launched campaigns through distribution of pamphlets that attacked anti-Habsburg policies of France, Richelieu’s ministry and favoured Marie. She later went to Amsterdam in 1638.
Her exile and plotting against Richelieu continued till her death in Cologne in 1642.
Personal Life & Legacy
In October 1600, she married King Henry IV of France in Lyon shortly after the King divorced his first wife Marguerite de Valois. Marie de' Medici brought with her a huge dowry.
On September 27, 1601 her son and the future King of France Louis XIII was born. Her first daughter Elisabeth, who went on to become the Queen of Spain upon marriage with King Philip IV of Spain, was born on November 22, 1602.
Her second daughter Christine, the Duchess of Savoy, was born on February 10, 1606, followed by birth of her second son Nicholas Henri, the Duke of Orleans on April 16, 1607. Nicholas died young.
On April 25, 1608, her third son Gaston was born who later became the Duke of Orleans. Her youngest daughter and the future Queen of England Henrietta Mari who married King Charles I of England was born on November 25, 1609.
Her relation with Henry IV was strained as she resented his countless extra-marital relationships and often quarrelled with his mistresses especially with his leading mistress, Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues.
She later sympathized and supported Henry IV’s expelled ex-wife Marguerite de Valois and played an instrumental role in reconciling and bringing Marguerite back to the court.
After the assassination of King Henry IV, she became the regent of her son King Louis XIII. Thereafter, she expelled her husband’s leading mistress Catherine from the court.
On July 3, 1642, she died in Cologne and was engraved in ‘Basilica of St Denis’, Paris.
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Marie de' Medici biography timelines
- // 26th Apr 1575Marie de' Medici was born on April 26, 1575 at Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy, as a scion of wealthy and powerful ‘House of Medici’. She was born to Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de' Medici and his wife Archduchess Joanna of Austria as their sixth daughter.
- // Oct 1600She married Henry IV of France in October 1600 in a grand wedding ceremony in Lyon, France, which was celebrated with 4,000 guests.
- // Oct 1600In October 1600, she married King Henry IV of France in Lyon shortly after the King divorced his first wife Marguerite de Valois. Marie de' Medici brought with her a huge dowry.
- // 26th Sep 1601On September 27, 1601 her son and the future King of France Louis XIII was born. Her first daughter Elisabeth, who went on to become the Queen of Spain upon marriage with King Philip IV of Spain, was born on November 22, 1602.
- // 13th May 1610On May 13, 1610, she was coronated as the Queen of France and the very next day Henry IV was assassinated. Following his assassination, she was made the regent for her son Louis XIII by the Parliament of Paris until the time he comes of age.
- // 1614 To 1615Due to the capricious rule of the regency, a sense of revolt was brewing up among many princes led by Duke of Enghien and Henri de Bourbon, who left the court and threw open challenges. During 1614 and 1615, she was under pressure from them to convoke the ‘Estates General’. The Protestants became restless observing the royal waver.
- // 15th May 1614Lack of experience and insight of her regency fuelled instability and expectations of nobles and aristocrats. This resulted in draining of the treasury by way of disbursing pensions and other spoils to the nobles on May 15, 1614, in pursuit of buying them off. It still failed to fulfil their discontent.
- // 1615She was guided by Concino in reversing the anti-Habsburg policy and the ‘Treaty of Bruzolo’, implemented by King Henry IV. She called back French army from Europe and to further the alliance with Spain, she married her daughter to the future king of Spain, Philip IV. She also arranged her son Louis XIII’s marriage with Anne of Austria in 1615.
- // 1615In 1615, she was instrumental in the construction of ‘Palais du Luxembourg’ in Paris. Her artistic bent of mind reflected in the interiors of the palace including its furnishings. The palace, referred by Marie as ‘Palais Médicis’, was designed by Salomon de Brosse.
- // 1617In 1617, King Louis XIII, who had already achieved legal majority few years back, took control over the regal authority dominated by Marie and the Concinis through a veritable coup d'état. It resulted in reversing of the pro-Habsburg policy, arrest of Marie and her exile to the Château de Blois.
- // 24th Apr 1617On April 24, 1617, Charles d’Albert de Luynes, one of Louis’s favourites assassinated Concino Concini. Cardinal Richelieu who joined Marie’s regency in 1616 was inducted in Louis XIII’s bishopric.
- // 1619She managed to escape in February 1619 with the help of her third son, Gaston, Duke of Orléans. She masterminded a revolt along with Gaston but was easily overpowered by the forces of the King.
- // 1621In 1621, she joined back the regal council. She re-constructed ‘Palais du Luxembourg’ with extravagant decorations including ‘Marie de' Medici Cycle’, a series of remarkable and enormous paintings by Peter Paul Rubens that reflected her life from birth till her reconciliation with Louis. The construction of the palace was completed in 1623.
- // 1630The power of Richelieu strengthened and he went on to become a major guide of Louis following the death of Duke of Luynes. Marie conspired against Richelieu along with son Gaston to remove him as chief minister. She planned a coup in November 1630, referred as ‘Day of Dupes’ but was dramatically beaten and forced to flee to Compiègne.
- // 1638In 1631, she managed to escape to Brussels. She continued to conspire against Richelieu by influencing his opponents. This included writer Mathieu de Morgues, who earlier served Richelieu. They launched campaigns through distribution of pamphlets that attacked anti-Habsburg policies of France, Richelieu’s ministry and favoured Marie. She later went to Amsterdam in 1638.
- // 1642Her exile and plotting against Richelieu continued till her death in Cologne in 1642.
- // 3rd Jul 1642On July 3, 1642, she died in Cologne and was engraved in ‘Basilica of St Denis’, Paris.
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Marie de' Medici's FAQ
What is Marie de' Medici birthday?
Marie de' Medici was born at 1576-04-26
When was Marie de' Medici died?
Marie de' Medici was died at 1642-07-03
Where was Marie de' Medici died?
Marie de' Medici was died in Cologne, Germany
Which age was Marie de' Medici died?
Marie de' Medici was died at age 66
Where is Marie de' Medici's birth place?
Marie de' Medici was born in Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Tuscany
What is Marie de' Medici nationalities?
Marie de' Medici's nationalities is French
Who is Marie de' Medici spouses?
Marie de' Medici's spouses is Henry IV, King of France
Who is Marie de' Medici childrens?
Marie de' Medici's childrens is Duchess of Savoy Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orléans Gaston, Duke of Orléans Henrietta Maria, King of France Elisabeth, Louis XIII, Queen of England, Queen of Spain Christine
What is Marie de' Medici's religion?
Marie de' Medici's religion is Roman Catholicism
Who is Marie de' Medici's father?
Marie de' Medici's father is A
Who is Marie de' Medici's mother?
Marie de' Medici's mother is Archduchess Joanna of Austria
What is Marie de' Medici's sun sign?
Marie de' Medici is Taurus
How famous is Marie de' Medici?
Marie de' Medici is famouse as Queen consort of France and Navarre