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The last of the Valois family. Love and duty of Queen Margot. Life story The wedding of Queen Margot

At noon on May 24, 1553, the queen gave birth to a girl. “We will call her Margaret,” said King Henry II of France.

Already at the age of eleven, Margarita had two lovers - Antrag and Sharen. Which of them became the first? Apparently, we will never know which of them had the honor of being the pioneer. At fifteen she became the mistress of her brothers Charles, Henry and Francis. And when Margarita turned eighteen, her beauty began to attract men so much that she had a wide choice. A brunette with eyes the color of black amber, she was capable of igniting everything around her with one glance, and her skin was so milky white that Margarita, out of a desire to show off, and for fun, received her lovers in a bed covered with black muslin...

At this time, she fell in love with her cousin Duke Henry of Guise, a twenty-year-old blond handsome man. Both temperamental and devoid of any modesty, they indulged in love games wherever desire overtook them, be it in the room, in the garden or on the stairs. Once they were even found in one of the Louvre corridors. At the mere thought that this fop from the House of Lorraine could seduce his sister, King Charles IX fell into real madness. And Margot convinced the Duke to marry Catherine of Cleves, the widow of Prince Porquin...

After this incident, the Queen Mother decided to marry her daughter to the son of Antoine de Bourbon, young Henry of Navarre, who did not yet have a reputation as a Don Juan. Henry's mother, Jeanne d'Albret, was proud that she could marry her son to the sister of the King of France, and quickly agreed on everything with Catherine. Naturally, many Protestants came to the wedding, but five days later, on St. Bartholomew’s Night, every single one of them was killed by Catholics. After the Night of St. Bartholomew, Henry of Navarre, who renounced Protestantism in order to preserve his life, was under the vigilant supervision of Catherine de Medici.

While Margarita was enjoying the caresses of her lovers, Henry of Navarre was plotting. He created a secret organization whose goal was to overthrow Charles IX from the throne, eliminate the Duke of Anjou, who became king of Poland in 1573, and place the Duke of Alençon, the youngest son of Catherine de Medici, on the throne of France.

Among the favorites of the Duke of Alençon was Seigneur Boniface de la Mole, a brilliant dancer and favorite of the ladies. This God-fearing libertine was simply created for Margarita, who with extraordinary ease moved from church to alcove and went to bed with her lovers, while her hair was still fragrant with incense. When he saw her, dressed in a brocade dress with a deep neckline that allowed him to see her high and full breasts, he immediately fell in love with her... Margarita immediately rushed to him, grabbed his hand and dragged him into her room, where they made love , so noisy that after two hours the whole court knew that the Queen of Navarre had another lover.

La Mole was Provençal. In bed, he blabbed to Margarita about the conspiracy that Henry of Navarre was plotting, and about the important role that he himself and one of his friends named Coconas, the lover of the Duchess of Nevers, were to play in this conspiracy. Margarita, after listening to the confession, was horrified. As the daughter of the king, she knew that conspiracies would harm the king, and therefore, despite her love for de la Mole, she told everything to Catherine de Medici.

On a May day in 1574, de la Mole and Kokonas were beheaded on the Place de Greve. Their bodies were quartered and hung on the city gates for the amusement of the mob. As night fell, the Duchess of Nevers and Marguerite sent one of their friends, Jacques d'Oradour, to ransom the heads of those executed from the executioner. Having kissed them on their cold lips, they then carefully placed their heads in boxes and ordered them to be embalmed the next day.

Within a week, Margarita began to feel some kind of unusual excitement, because of which she became taciturn and could not find a place for herself. She needed something to calm her down. And she found such a remedy in the person of a young courtier named Saint-Luc, who was famous for his inexhaustible male strength. Over the course of several meetings, he completely relieved Margot of her torment. After this, the young woman began to appear at court balls again. One evening she met a handsome man, whose name was Charles de Balzac d'Entragues, and became his mistress...

Catherine de Medici abandoned the idea of ​​imprisoning both princes, rightly believing that this would cause violent unrest in the kingdom; however, she made the Dukes of Navarre and Alençon prisoners of the Louvre. They were forbidden to leave the palace unaccompanied, and many secret agents recorded literally every word they said.

The Duke of Anjou, after the death of his brother, Charles IX, returned from Poland in 1574 to take the throne. Under Henry III, the religious wars resumed. In 1576, under the leadership of Heinrich Guise, a holy league was formed from strict Catholics, with the goal of the final extermination of Protestantism.

Henry of Navarre was known as a great cunning man. On February 3, 1576, having lulled the vigilance of Catherine and Henry III, he obtained permission from them to go hunting in the forest surrounding the city of Senlis. The next time the Parisians were destined to see him only twenty years later. Henry III, who had not been able to calm down since the day of Navarre’s escape, refused to let Margot go, arguing that she was the best decoration of his court and that he was unable to part with her. In fact, he turned her into a prisoner. The unfortunate woman had no right to leave her room, at the door of which there were guards day and night, and all her letters were read.

Despite the constant surveillance under which Margarita was, she managed to send a note to the Duke of Alençon and report on the terrible conditions in which she was being held in the Louvre. The Duke was greatly agitated by this news and sent Catherine de Medici a letter of protest. The Queen Mother had long wanted to eliminate Francis, so she could not help but take advantage of the opportunity. Now she thought that in exchange for Margarita’s freedom, her rebellious son would leave the Protestants and give up his confrontation with the crown. She invited Henry III to enter into negotiations with the Duke through the mediation of Margaret and received consent.

The journey was painful for Margot, since their carriage was accompanied by beautiful and therefore seductive officers, each of whom would willingly calm her nerves. The next evening, after the first negotiations, when everyone had gone to bed, she silently slipped out of her room and went to the Duke of Alençon, who, with a fervor that was hardly appropriate in this case, showed her more than brotherly feelings. After this night, which brought great relief to Margarita, negotiations resumed, and Francis, confident in his abilities, set his own conditions. And a few days later, Henry III, whose hypocrisy was no less than his vices, met his brother with honor and made peace with him in front of everyone. Margarita returned to Paris with Francis.

In the spring of 1577, Mondoucet, the king's agent in Flanders, who had gone into the service of the Duke of Anjou, reported that the Flemings were groaning under the yoke of the Spaniards and that Flanders could be easily conquered by sending an experienced person there. The Duke of Anjou immediately thought of Margaret.

Departure for Flanders took place on May 28, 1577. Margaret, accompanied by a large retinue, left Paris through the gates of Saint-Denis, sitting in a stretcher, “above which on pylons stood a canopy lined with purple Spanish velvet with gold and silk embroidery.”

In Namur, Don Juan of Austria, the illegitimate brother of Philip II and the governor of the Netherlands, received Margarita with special honor. Six months earlier, he had visited Paris incognito. Thanks to the help of the Spanish ambassador, he managed to penetrate into the French court, where a ball was being held that evening, and see Margaret of Navarre, about whom all of Europe was talking. It goes without saying that he fell in love with her, although the lightning that flashed in her gaze scared him a little. After the ball, don Juan admitted to his friends: “She has more divine than human beauty, but at the same time she was created for the destruction of men, and not for their salvation.”

On May 14, 1553, Marguerite de Valois, daughter of King Henry II and Catherine de Medici, was born in the Saint-Germain Palace in Paris.[…]

On May 14, 1553, Marguerite de Valois, daughter of King Henry II and Catherine de Medici, was born in the Saint-Germain Palace in Paris. Margaret was destined to become the wife of Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre, who later divorced her and took the throne as Henry IV. Marguerite de Valois herself became famous for her romantic adventures against the backdrop of the fierce confrontation between Catholics and Huguenots, and today we know her under the novel name “Queen Margot.”

At the age of 17, Margot began a stormy affair with the Duke of Guise, who was the de facto leader of French Catholics and the head of an influential clan, the strengthening of which the king could not allow, so the marriage of de Guise and Margarita was not even seriously discussed.

On August 18, 1572, Margaret was married to her second cousin, one of the Huguenot leaders, Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre. Their wedding celebrations, which lasted a week, ended on St. Bartholomew's Night, when about 30 thousand people were slaughtered.

After this, Margot lived for many years in Paris as a hostage, who was blackmailed by her husband, and then acted as a mediator in bargaining on the terms of inheriting the throne, but in the end, her husband obtained a divorce from her, and he himself took the French throne.


Margarita was a very influential person in contemporary France. But Queen Margot gained worldwide fame not as a historical figure, but as a literary character depicted by Alexandre Dumas in the famous love adventure “court” novel. Researchers emphasize that the image of Queen Margot created by Dumas is very far from historical realities, but it is he who has become part of popular culture and the historical consciousness of hundreds of millions of people, since several generations have been familiar with the adventures unfolding on the pages of the novel since childhood.

History knows many famous and great women. Among them there are rulers, scientists, actresses, writers and amazing beauties. Margaret of Navarre did not commit great deeds, but many people know about her. In history, several representatives of the fair sex are known under this name. Today we will talk about the first wife of King Henry IV.

Childhood and youth

Margaret of Navarre belonged to the family. She was the youngest child in the family. Her mother is the famous queen of France and one of the most influential women in Europe in the 16th century - Catherine de Medici. Father - Henry II of Valois.

Since childhood, Margarita was distinguished by her beauty and charm. For this she was nicknamed the pearl of France. She captivated not only with her pleasant appearance, but also with her wit. Smart beyond her years, the future queen studied literature, philosophy, medicine and spoke several languages: ancient Greek, Italian, Spanish.

Marriage

Parents predicted one of several candidates as a husband for Margarita: the Spanish heir and the future King of Navarre. Rumors about the frivolity of the bride ruined matrimonial plans with Spain and Portugal, and Margarita was married to Henry of Bourbon. The marriage was a forced political union, and there was no talk of any feelings of the newlyweds.

The 16th century in France was a time of struggle between Protestants and Catholics. Two years before her marriage, Marguerite de Valois began a serious affair with Duke Henry of Guise. She was ready to marry him, but her parents forbade her to even think about this marriage. This marriage could upset the delicate balance established between the two opposing groups, since the Duke was the unofficial head of the Catholics in France.

In 1572, nineteen-year-old Margaret became the wife of Henry of Navarre, one of the leaders of the Protestants (Huguenots). He was 18 years old at that time.

"Bloody Wedding"

Many Huguenots, including their leaders, arrived in Paris for the celebration. Henry de Guise and his supporters took advantage of this. The event, which occurred on August 24, 1572, went down in history as St. Bartholomew's Night, when Catholics attacked and killed Protestants who had come to the wedding. Historians believe that the inspirer and organizer of this massacre was Catherine de Medici. Apparently, Margaret of Navarre, whose biography is full of tragic and terrible events, was unaware of the plans of her mother and de Guise. Some researchers are even sure that the Queen of France hoped that her daughter would die along with Henry, and this would give her additional trump cards in the fight against the hated Huguenots. But Margarita showed amazing courage and composure. She did not allow her husband to be killed, refusing to divorce him, as the family insisted. The Queen of Navarre also saved several of his people. Whatever their relationship was later, Henry IV never forgot to whom he owed salvation on that terrible night.

Margaret - Queen of Navarre: life under supervision

After the events of August 24, Henry was forced to flee Paris. Margarita remained virtually a hostage to her own family. She was suspected of helping her husband escape. And this was true. Only 6 years later she was able to reunite with her husband, when a temporary peace was concluded between Protestants and Catholics. Until 1582 she lived in Navarre, where she created a brilliant court. At the insistence of her mother, she returned to Paris, but after a quarrel with King Henry III, who believed that she was busy with herself and did little to help the family in political affairs, Margarita went to Navarre to join her husband. But Henry was already attracted to someone else, and the queen found herself out of work.

She went to her county, to Agen. Margaret of Navarre again began a relationship with and took part in intrigues against her husband and brother, King Henry III. She spent the next 18 years in the castle of Husson, where she was initially a prisoner for a short time. With the help of the Duke of Guise, she gained freedom and became the mistress of the fortress.

Divorce from Henry IV and last years of life

In 1584, Henry IV was crowned at Chartres Cathedral. After a quarrel with Margarita in 1585, their relationship was effectively severed. The childless king needed to take care of an heir. For large compensation, he obtained a divorce in 1599. Despite the fact that the relationship between Margaret and Henry in marriage was difficult, after his death, the Queen of Navarre (this title was left to her) supported the second wife of her ex-husband,

Margaret of Navarre, whose biography is extremely interesting, died in 1615. She spent her last years in Paris and until the end remained an active participant in the political life of France.

Margaret of Navarre and her image in art

During her life, she captivated with her beauty and wit; after her death, the biography of this amazing woman became an inspiration for many works of art. Margarita of Navarre (Margot) became the central character in the novel by Alexandre Dumas the Elder. Her appearance is highly romanticized here, many facts of her biography are distorted to suit the writer’s creative plan or simply made up. But the image turned out to be unusually whole and alive. "Queen Margot" is rightfully considered one of Dumas's best novels.

Plan
Introduction
1 Biography
1.1 Family and childhood
1.2 Matrimonial plans
1.3 Queen of Navarre
1.4 Recent years

2 Comment

Introduction

Marguerite de Valois (fr. Marguerite de Valois; May 14, 1553 (15530514), Saint-Germain Palace, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France - March 27, 1615, Paris, France), known as "Queen Margot" - daughter of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici. In 1572-1599 she was the wife of Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre, who, under the name of Henry IV, took the French throne.

1. Biography

1.1. Family and childhood

Margaret was the youngest, third daughter and seventh child of the French king Henry II and Catherine de Medici. The French throne was occupied in turn by her brothers Francis II (1559-1560), Charles IX (1560-1574) and Henry III (1574-1589).

From an early age, the girl was distinguished by her charm, independent disposition and sharp mind, and in the spirit of the Renaissance she received a good education: she knew Latin, ancient Greek, Italian, Spanish, studied philosophy and literature, and she herself had a good command of the pen. No one except her brother, King Charles, called her Margot. Actually, this name is an invention of Alexandre Dumas, which was later replicated.

1.2. Matrimonial plans

From early childhood, Margarita's hand was the subject of bargaining: first she was offered as a wife to Henry de Bourbon, Prince of Béarn and heir to the kingdom of Navarre, then to Don Carlos, son of Philip II of Spain, then to the Portuguese king Sebastian. However, the intransigent position of the French court in the negotiations and rumors about Margaret's behavior led to the failure of both the Spanish and Portuguese negotiations. For political reasons, Charles IX and Catherine de' Medici resumed negotiations for the marriage of Margaret and Henry de Bourbon.

In 1570, her stormy romance began with the Duke of Guise - the de facto head of the Catholics of France and later a contender for the throne, but King Charles IX and Catherine de Medici forbade her to think about this marriage, which would strengthen Guise and upset the balance between Catholics and Protestants. Apparently, Guise and Margarita retained feelings for each other until the end of their lives, which is confirmed by the queen’s secret correspondence.

1.3. Queen of Navarre

In order to consolidate another ephemeral peace between Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants) of France, August 18, 1572. Margaret was married to one of the Huguenot leaders, Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre, her second cousin, the Prince of the Blood. Her wedding, celebrated with great pomp, ended with St. Bartholomew's Night, or the "Parisian bloody wedding" (August 24). Apparently, Catherine de Medici kept her daughter completely in the dark about the impending massacre in the Louvre and even counted on her death in order to gain an additional argument in the fight against the Huguenots and their leaders. Miraculously surviving the beating and maintaining composure, Margarita saved the lives of several Huguenot nobles and, most importantly, her husband, Henry of Navarre, by refusing to file a divorce from him, as her relatives insisted.

When Henry of Navarre fled Paris in 1576, she remained at court for some time as a hostage, since Henry III reasonably suspected that she was involved in her husband's escape. In 1577, she was allowed to make a diplomatic trip to Spanish Flanders, swept by the liberation movement, in order to prepare the way for her younger brother François of Alençon, who claimed power in this country. Having conducted fairly successful negotiations with the Flemish nobility, who were pro-French, she barely escaped the troops of Don Juan of Austria, the Spanish governor of the Netherlands, who, apparently, was in love with her. The queen went to her husband only in 1578, when an interim peace was concluded with the Huguenots, and until the beginning of 1582 she lived at his residence in Neraka, in Navarre, gathering a brilliant court around her.

After this, Margarita, at the insistence of her mother, Catherine de Medici, spent a year and a half in Paris, but in August 1583 she had a quarrel with Henry III, who accused her of not fulfilling her duty towards the Valois family, and instead of playing a role the political intermediary she had played all these years embarked on a love adventure with the king’s courtier, the Marquis de Chanvallon. After this, Margarita left Paris and headed back to Navarre, but there she was no longer out of work, since Henry of Navarre was busy with love affairs with the Countess de Guiche. Moreover, since 1584, after the death of François Alençon, he is the legal heir to the crown, which allowed him to no longer use the mediation of his wife in his relations with the French court, but to act independently, dictating conditions to the childless Henry III. In this situation, in 1585, Margaret went to Agen, her own Catholic county in the south of France, where she declared herself a member of the Catholic League, renewed her relationship with the Duke of Guise and actually opposed her husband and brother. In 1586, after the failure of the Agen adventure, she was taken into custody by the troops of Henry III and sent to the castle of Husson in Auvergne, but remained as a prisoner for barely two months. The Duke of Guise bought her from the commandant and made her the mistress of the castle. The Swiss who guarded her swore allegiance to her. But alas, Guise died in 1588, the king was killed the next year, Henry of Navarre and his military camp traveled throughout France, retaking his country. The Spaniards ruled Paris. A large-scale war was raging in the country. Margarita had nowhere to return. She lived in Husson for the next 18 years, until 1605.

After Henry IV's accession to the throne, Pope Clement VIII dissolved his childless marriage to Margaret (December 30, 1599).

1.4. Last years

Margarita spent the last years of her life in Paris, gathering around her the most brilliant scientists and writers. She left interesting memoirs (Paris, 1628); a collection of her letters was published by Guessard (Paris, 1842) and Eliane Viennot (Paris, 1999).

Margarita de Valois did not change herself at the end of her life. Surrounded by admirers, often much younger than her, she continued to be a participant in social adventures, as well as important political events. Even after her divorce from Henry IV, she remained a member of the royal family with the title of queen, and as the last Valois she was perceived as the only legitimate heir to the royal house. The king constantly engaged her to organize large ceremonial events in the spirit of the Valois court and maintained a close relationship with her. His second wife, Maria de Medici, often used her advice. After the assassination of Henry IV in 1610, Margaret made a lot of efforts to ensure that civil unrest did not flare up with renewed vigor.

On March 27, 1615, she died of pneumonia, bequeathing her entire fortune to King Louis XIII, whom she loved as her own child. Margarita de Valois, who bore many titles (Queen of Navarre, Queen of France, Queen Margarita, Duchess de Valois), who loved many men, participated in many historical events, with the light hand of Dumas entered history under the name of Queen Margot.

2. Comment

It must be said that life did not spoil Margarita: she had to endure ruthless intrigues, the death of loved ones, wars, and disasters. Her marriage to Henry of Navarre, concluded not out of passion, but only “out of mind,” was stained with blood from the very beginning: the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre, which broke out on the night of their wedding, determined both the development of events in the royal family and the relationship of the spouses for many years - not at all reverently loving, but businesslike and partnering. Having removed her young husband from danger during the bloody massacre, Margarita continued to maintain a protective position towards him, including his numerous love affairs. However, Henry reciprocated her, and their mutual indulgence went down in history as an almost unprecedented phenomenon. At the slightest danger of any revelations, Henry hid his wife’s amates in his bedroom, and Margarita covered up the presence of illegitimate children with her husband and once even attended obstetrics in a similar situation, and one of Henry’s young favorites, being friendly to her, called her “daughter.”

Alexandre Dumas wrote the novel “Queen Margot”, in which he created the image of Marguerite de Valois, her friend Henriette of Cleves and lover de La Mole, popular in popular culture, but far from the historical truth.

Literature

· Eliane Viennot. Marguerite de Valois. Histoire d'une femme. Histoire d'un mythe. Paris, 2005.

· Marguerite de Valois. Correspondance. 1569-1614. Paris, 1999.

· Shishkin V.V. Royal court and political struggle in France in the 16th-17th centuries. St. Petersburg, 2004.

· A. Castelo. Queen Margo. M., 1999

When writing this article, material was used from the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron (1890-1907).

Marguerite de Valois

Margarita de Valois (French: Marguerite de Valois). Better known as Queen Margot. Born May 14, 1553 at the Saint-Germain Palace in Saint-Germain-en-Laye - died March 27, 1615 in Paris. French princess. In 1572-1599, the wife of Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre, King Henry IV of France.

Marguerite de Valois, commonly known as Queen Margot, was born on May 14, 1553 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye at the Palace of Saint-Germain.

Father - French king Henry II.

She was the youngest - third - daughter and seventh child in the family.

Three of her brothers occupied the French throne: Francis II (1559-1560), Charles IX (1560-1574) and Henry III (1574-1589).

From an early age, the girl was distinguished by her charm, independent disposition and sharp mind, and in the spirit of the Renaissance she received a good education: she knew Latin, ancient Greek, Italian, Spanish, studied philosophy and literature, and she herself had a good command of the pen.

In reality, only her brother, King Charles IX, called her by the name Margot. The writer Alexandre Dumas spread Margot's name in relation to her.

From early childhood, Margarita's hand was the subject of bargaining: first she was offered as a wife to Henry de Bourbon, Prince of Béarn and heir to the kingdom of Navarre, then to Don Carlos, son of Philip II of Spain, then to the Portuguese king Sebastian.

However, the intransigence of the French court in the negotiations and rumors about Margaret's behavior led to the failure of both the Spanish and Portuguese negotiations. For political reasons, Charles IX and Catherine de' Medici resumed negotiations for the marriage of Margaret and Henry de Bourbon.

In 1570, her stormy romance began with the Duke of Guise - the de facto head of the Catholics of France and later a contender for the throne, but King Charles IX and Catherine de Medici forbade her to think about this marriage, which would strengthen Guise and upset the balance between Catholics and Protestants. Apparently, Guise and Margarita retained feelings for each other until the end of their lives, which is confirmed by the queen’s secret correspondence.

Marriage of Margaret of Valois and Henry of Navarre

In order to consolidate another ephemeral peace between Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants) of France, on August 18, 1572, nineteen-year-old Margaret was married to one of the Huguenot leaders, eighteen-year-old Henry de Bourbon, King of Navarre, her second cousin, the Prince of the Blood.

Her wedding, celebrated with great pomp, ended with St. Bartholomew's Night, or the "Parisian bloody wedding" (August 24). Having survived the beating and maintaining composure, Margarita saved the lives of several Huguenot nobles and, most importantly, her husband, Henry of Navarre, by refusing to file a divorce from him, as her relatives insisted.

Her marriage to Henry of Navarre was stained with blood from the very beginning: the St. Bartholomew's massacre, which broke out on the night of their wedding, determined for many years both the development of events in the royal family and the relationship of the spouses - not at all reverently loving, but businesslike partnerships. Margarita maintained a position of solidarity towards him, including his numerous love affairs. However, Henry reciprocated her, and their mutual indulgence went down in history as an almost unprecedented phenomenon. At the slightest danger of any revelations, Henry hid his wife’s lovers in his bedroom, and Margarita covered up the presence of her husband’s illegitimate children and once even assisted in obstetrics in a similar situation, and one of Henry’s young favorites, being friendly to her, called her “daughter.”

When Henry of Navarre fled Paris in 1576, she remained at court for some time as a hostage, since Henry III reasonably suspected that she was involved in her husband's escape.

In 1577, she was allowed to make a diplomatic trip to Spanish Flanders, swept by the liberation movement, in order to prepare the way for her younger brother François of Alençon, who claimed power in this country.

Having conducted fairly successful negotiations with the Flemish nobility, who were pro-French, she barely escaped the troops of Don Juan of Austria, the Spanish governor of the Netherlands. The latter, apparently, was in love with her. The queen went to her husband only in 1578, when an interim peace was concluded with the Huguenots, and until the beginning of 1582 she lived at his residence in Neraka, in Navarre, gathering a brilliant court around her.

Then Margarita, at the insistence of her mother, Catherine de Medici, spent a year and a half in Paris, but in August 1583 she had a quarrel with Henry III, who accused her of not fulfilling her duty towards the Valois family, and instead of playing a political role The mediator she played all these years embarked on a love affair with the king's courtier, the Marquis de Chanvallon, and quarreled with the royal favorites, the Dukes d'Epernon and Joyeuse.

After this, Margarita left Paris and headed back to Navarre, but there she was no longer out of work, since Henry of Navarre was busy with love affairs with the Countess de Guiche. Moreover, since 1584, after the death of François Alençon, he is the legal heir to the crown, which allowed him to no longer use the mediation of his wife in his relations with the French court, but to act independently, dictating conditions to the childless Henry III.

In this situation, in 1585, Margaret went to Agen, her own Catholic county in the south of France, where she declared herself a member of the Catholic League, renewed her relationship with the Duke of Guise and actually opposed her husband and brother.

In 1586, after the failure of the Agen adventure, she was taken into custody by the troops of Henry III and sent to the castle of Husson in Auvergne, but remained as a prisoner for barely two months. The Duke of Guise bought her from the commandant and made her the mistress of the castle. The Swiss who guarded her swore allegiance to her. However, Guise died in 1588, the king was killed the following year, and Henry of Navarre and his military camp moved throughout France, giving battles to the Ligers and foreign invaders.

Paris was ruled by a Spanish garrison that supported the Spanish Infanta's claims to the French throne. In such a situation, Margarita had nowhere to return.

She lived in Husson for the next 18 years, until 1605. After Henry IV's accession to the throne, Pope Clement VIII dissolved his childless marriage to Margaret (December 30, 1599).

Margarita spent the last years of her life in Paris, gathering around her the most brilliant scientists and writers. She left interesting memoirs (Paris, 1628). A collection of her letters was published by Guessard (Paris, 1842) and Eliane Viennot (Paris, 1999).

Margarita de Valois did not change herself at the end of her life. Surrounded by admirers, often much younger than her, she continued to be a participant in social adventures, as well as important political events. Even after her divorce from Henry IV, she remained a member of the royal family with the title of queen, and as the last Valois she was perceived as the only legitimate heir to the royal house.

The king constantly engaged her to organize large ceremonial events in the spirit of the Valois court and maintained a close relationship with her. His second wife, Marie de' Medici, often asked her for advice.

After the assassination of Henry IV in 1610, Margaret made a lot of efforts to ensure that civil unrest did not flare up with renewed vigor.

On March 27, 1615, she died of pneumonia, bequeathing her entire fortune to King Louis XIII, whom she loved as her own child. Margarita de Valois, who bore many titles (Queen of Navarre, Queen of France, Queen Margarita, Duchess de Valois), who loved many men, participated in many historical events, with the light hand of Dumas entered history under the name of Queen Margot.

The writer Alexandre Dumas wrote the novel “Queen Margot”, in which he created the image of Marguerite de Valois, her friend Henriette of Cleves and her lover de La Mole, popular in popular culture, but far from the historical truth.

The image of Marguerite de Valois in the cinema:

1954 - “Queen Margot” (French: La Reine Margot) - French film directed by Jean Dreville, a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas.

In the role of Queen Margot is the French film star Jeanne Moreau.

1994 - “Queen Margot” directed by Patrice Chereau. The most famous film adaptation of the novel by Alexandre Dumas.

Margarita is played by a beauty.

Despite the fact that Isabelle has many differences with her character: both national (the actress is not French) and external (Adjani has blue eyes, while Margot has black ones), but in this role she is the recognized queen of France (received for role of the Cesar Award).

1996 - Russian television series “Queen Margot” directed by Alexander Muratov. Produced, he also played one of the main roles.

The role of Queen Margot was performed by. Queen Margot's beloved Count de La Mole plays, and her hated husband Henry of Navarre plays. Pevtsov’s hero has an affair with Queen Margot’s maid of honor, Charlotte, who, of course, is played by Dmitry Pevtsov’s wife.

2010 - “Henry IV of Navarre” directed by Joe Bayer. Film adaptation of the novel by Heinrich Mann.

Queen Margot is played by French actress Armelle Deutch, who resembles Marguerite of Navarre with her searing black eyes.