Margaret of Valois

She had a romantic association with Henry of Guise. Since Catherine de' Medici had a longstanding power struggle with the ‘House of Guise’, she would not let them have any chance to control France. Thus Marguerite met with severe opposition from her parents.

Her mother often used her as a political pawn. Catherine de' Medici’s initiative to arrange a marriage between Marguerite and Don Carlos, son of King Philip II failed. Her mother also tried to negotiate her marriage with King Sebastian of Portugal.

Thereafter, her parents negotiated her marriage with distant cousin King Henry of Navarre on August 18, 1572 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as a political alliance to initiate peace between the Catholics and Protestants. Though the couple had mutual respect and admiration for each other they often quarrelled and both had open extra-marital affairs. Their marriage was annulled in 1599.

Margaret was born Marguerite de Valois on May 14, 1553, in the royal family of Henry II and his manipulative wife Catherine de' Medici as their sixth child and third daughter among seven children.

Her three brothers Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III were all future kings of France and her sister Elizabeth, being the third wife of King Philip II of Spain, was the Queen of Spain.

Marguerite de Valois was married by her parents to her distant cousin King Henry of Navarre on August 18, 1572 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as a political alliance to initiate peace between the Catholics and Protestants.

Queen Jeanne III, Mother of Henry, who staunchly opposed the wedding, died of mysterious circumstances before the marriage. Though never proved, it was rumoured that Catherine de' Medici, who had knowledge of poison and was also known for her use of it, might had a hand in the mysterious incident.

The marriage that took place in the Catholic dominated Paris was attended by several eminent and wealthy Protestants. The more sinister motive of the alliance was exposed after six days of the wedding when mob violence was instigated by Roman Catholic factions and also supposedly by Catherine de' Medici on ‘St. Bartholomew’s Day’. The incident that later became known as ‘Bartholomew's Day Massacre’ witnessed killing of thousands of Protestants (Huguenots) by the assassins.

Prominent Protestant leaders were assassinated including Admiral Gaspard de Coligny. It is presumed that Charles IX under the influence of his mother Catherine de' Medici reluctantly passed the order for such assassinations.

During the massacre, Marguerite de Valois played a prominent role of saving the lives of many eminent Protestants including her husband Henry by hiding them in her rooms and denying access to the assassins.

She has been an inspiration and subject of many novelists and movie makers including Shakespeare whose comedy ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ portrays a reflection of her reconciliation with husband Henry.