Isabel de Valois (Elisabeth de Valois), Queen of Spain

[umigon]

She was a French princess, but as a Spanish Queen, I thought it was better to write about her here.

I think she was a charming creature and I would love to discuss her in this thread!

Born in 1546 to Henry II of France and Catherine of Medicis, she married Philip II of Spain in 1559. Of her four pregnancies only two daughters survived: Isabel Clara Eugenia and Catalina Micaela. She died prematurely in 1568, leaving her husband and Spain devastated.



Queen Isabel

[Prince_Lieven]

Her husband, King Felipe, adored her, despite his rather chequered marital history, and after her death he became devoted to Infanta Isabella Clara, and she didn't marry until her 30s so as to stay with him.

[umigon]

Its true that Felipe didn't want Isabel Clara Eugenia to marry because she would leave Spain, but the main reason for Isabel to remain in Spain was because, engaged since she was 10 years old to her cousin, the mad Emperor Rudolph II, the marriage would never take place because Rudolph didn't want to marry.

In 1597 iFelipe, fed up of his nephew's indecision, resolved that Isabel would marry another of his nephews, cardinal Albrecht of Austria. Felipe wasn't able to see his eldest daughter married, as the wedding was celebrated in April 1599, months after Felipe's death.

These are Felipe's daughters by Isabel:



Isabel Clara Eugenia (1566-1633), by Sánchez Coello ^

and Catalina Micaela (1567-1597), by Sofonisba Anguisciola

[Prince_Lieven]

Whom did Catalina marry? Did Isabella and Albrecht become Regents of the Netherlands?

[umigon]

Catalina married Carlo Emanuele of Savoy in 1585 and she became the mother of 10 children in 12 years of marriage. She died aged 30 after giving birth to a daughter who didn't survive her very long.

Yes, isabel and Albrecht were Regents of the Netherlands and, had there been a baby from their marriage, that baby would have inherited the Netherlands  in its own right! Sadly, Isabel always had problems with her menstruation and she never become pregnant.

[Prince_Lieven]

Thanks umigon! You and cimbrio know more about Spanish royalty than anyone I've ever encountered!!

Hmm . . . perhaps if Isabella had of married earlier she might have had children . . .

It's no surprise that poor Catalina died aged only 30. 10 children was enough to kill a woman in those days! And in only 12 years!!

[umigon]

We'll never know if Isabel would have been mother had she married earlier... but in 1583, when she was 17, her father wrote a letter saying something like "i am very concerned because Isabel hasn't yet the "camisa" (Spanish word of those times for menstruation) and Catalina, who is a year younger, is going to make two years with it".

She certainly had it soon afterwards, but conceiving would have been difficult for her even if she had married aged 20!


Oh! and thank you very much for your nice words!!!

[ilyala]

wasn't elizabeth first engaged to felipe's son, don carlos?  why did that change to marrying felipe himself?

[umigon]

They hadn't been officially engaged, but yes, their marriage was being negotiated.


Don Carlos was mad and slightly mentally retarded. Felipe knew this, but when his marriage to Mary Tudor began to prove barren, he resigned to having Don Carlos as his heir. He looked out for a wife in order to get a better heir before his own death... maybe don Carlos's children were normal.


But then Mary Tudor died and Felipe signed the Cateau-Cambresis treaty with Henri II of France. Instead of marrying don Carlos to Isabel de Valois, he would marry her himself. This wedding made father and son even less closer than they were. But with this wedding Carlos gained the person who was his best friend and more loyal supporter (NEVER his lover, as the Black Leyend states): Queen Isabel, who was one year his junior.

[Prince_Lieven]

You know, up until now, I had no idea that Isabel was Elisabeth in Spanish! How silly of me!

[umigon]

It is, the same as Isabella, Isabelle, Isobel, etc.

[Agneschen]

They hadn't been officially engaged, but yes, their marriage was being negotiated.


Don Carlos was mad and slightly mentally retarded. Felipe knew this, but when his marriage to Mary Tudor began to prove barren, he resigned to having Don Carlos as his heir. He looked out for a wife in order to get a better heir before his own death... maybe don Carlos's children were normal.


But then Mary Tudor died and Felipe signed the Cateau-Cambresis treaty with Henri II of France. Instead of marrying don Carlos to Isabel de Valois, he would marry her himself. This wedding made father and son even less closer than they were. But with this wedding Carlos gained the person who was his best friend and more loyal supporter (NEVER his lover, as the Black Leyend states): Queen Isabel, who was one year his junior.

Elisabeth was indeed unofficially engaged to don Carlos before she married his father King Felipe II. Elisabeth's sister Marguerite ("Margot") was likewise unofficially engaged to Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia who in the end did not marry her but her aunt, Henri II's sister, also called Marguerite.
Elisabeth and Carlos were almost of the same age and close friends. I agree with umigon, the rumours about their being lovers are absolutely unfounded and false ... though, had they not existed, Schiller would probably never have written his splendid Don Karlos and what a loss to literature that would have been !

[umigon]

I totally agree with you Agneshcen, but I still think is very sad that such a wonderful piece of art is the product of the gossip spread by malicious perons!

[Agneschen]

Literature, you know ... Shakespeare's historical plays are absolute wonders but are not always accurate. Some of the love verses in Don Karlos are outstandingly beautiful.

[Prince_Lieven]

As has been noted, Felipe was very fond of Elisabeth (or Isabel, whichever you like), but how did she feel about him? And did she have a good relationship with her daughters?