Catherine of Cleves
Encyclopedia
Catherine de Clèves (1548 – 11 May 1633) was the wife of Henry, Duke of Guise
, and matriarch of the numerous and influential House of Guise
. By marriage she was Duchess of Guise from 1570 to 1588, and Dowager Duchess of Guise
thereafter. She was Countess of Eu
in her own right from 1564.
and Marguerite de Bourbon, elder sister of Antoine de Bourbon.
She was the first cousin of Henry of Navarre
, sister-in-law of Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé
, and great aunt of Ludwika Maria Gonzaga
, Queen of Poland
.
At the age of twelve, Catherine married Antoine de Croÿ
, Prince de Porcien (or Porcean), who died seven years later. After the conventional three years of mourning, on 4 October 1570, she married Henri de Lorraine, Duke of Guise
, who was two years her junior.
They had fourteen children, including Charles, Duke of Guise
and Louis III, Cardinal of Guise
. She had a widely publicised affair with a young nobleman, Saint-Mégrin, who was killed by her husband. The event is dramatised in the Alexandre Dumas play Henri III et sa cour (1829).
Henry of Guise was the leader of the fervently Catholic faction in the French Wars of Religion
. From 1584, the conflict among factions led by Henry of Guise, Henry of Navarre, and Henry III of France was known as the War of the Three Henrys
. In 1588, Henry of Guise was assassinated on the orders of King Henry III.
Catherine never forgave Henry III of France
(who kept taunting her as "la maîtresse de Saint Megrin") for his part in the assassination of her husband. She took a keen interest in the intrigues of the Catholic League
and encouraged Henry's assassination in 1589. At the conclusion of the War of the Three Henrys
she was mindful of the interests of her large family and supported her son Charles as a candidate for the French throne.
Catherine's reconciliation with her cousin, Henry IV
, was not effected until his conversion to Catholicism. She immediately moved to Paris and obtained a very honorable position in the retinue of his wife, Marie de' Medici
. The Guises continued to support the Queen throughout the regency, and Catherine followed Marie into exile in Blois
after Louis XIII assumed the reins of government.
After returning to the Louvre
, the Dowager Duchess - anxious to promote the interests of the House of Guise
- resumed plotting against Cardinal Richelieu. The death of her youngest daughter, the princesse de Conti (who had been implicated in the Day of the Dupes
conspiracy), proved a blow to her spirits.
She retired to her château d'Eu
, where she died aged 85. She was buried at the château next to her husband's ornate tomb.
, by whom she had fourteen children:
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu , sometimes called Le Balafré, "the scarred", was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este...
, and matriarch of the numerous and influential House of Guise
House of Guise
The House of Guise was a French ducal family, partly responsible for the French Wars of Religion.The Guises were Catholic, and Henry Guise wanted to end growing Calvinist influence...
. By marriage she was Duchess of Guise from 1570 to 1588, and Dowager Duchess of Guise
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
thereafter. She was Countess of Eu
Countess of Eu
- House of Normandy, 996–1246:-House of Lusignan, 1219–1260:-House of Brienne, 1260–1350:Raoul IV was accused of treason in 1350, and the county was confiscated...
in her own right from 1564.
Biography
Catherine was the second daughter of François de Clèves, Duke of NeversNevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
and Marguerite de Bourbon, elder sister of Antoine de Bourbon.
She was the first cousin of Henry of Navarre
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, sister-in-law of Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé
Henri I de Bourbon, prince de Condé
Henri de Bourbon-Condé was a French Prince du Sang and Huguenot general like his more prominent father, Louis I, Prince of Condé....
, and great aunt of Ludwika Maria Gonzaga
Ludwika Maria Gonzaga
Marie Louise Gonzaga was queen consort to two Polish kings: Władysław IV Vasa, and John II Casimir Vasa...
, Queen of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
At the age of twelve, Catherine married Antoine de Croÿ
House of Croÿ
The House of Croÿ is an international family of European mediatized nobility which held a seat in the Imperial Diet from 1486, and was elevated to the rank of Imperial Princes in 1594...
, Prince de Porcien (or Porcean), who died seven years later. After the conventional three years of mourning, on 4 October 1570, she married Henri de Lorraine, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu , sometimes called Le Balafré, "the scarred", was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este...
, who was two years her junior.
They had fourteen children, including Charles, Duke of Guise
Charles, Duke of Guise
Charles de Lorraine, 4th Duke of Guise was the son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves.-Biography:...
and Louis III, Cardinal of Guise
Louis III, Cardinal of Guise
Louis de Lorraine known as the Cardinal de Guise was the third son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves....
. She had a widely publicised affair with a young nobleman, Saint-Mégrin, who was killed by her husband. The event is dramatised in the Alexandre Dumas play Henri III et sa cour (1829).
Henry of Guise was the leader of the fervently Catholic faction in the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. From 1584, the conflict among factions led by Henry of Guise, Henry of Navarre, and Henry III of France was known as the War of the Three Henrys
War of the Three Henrys (1584-1598)
The War of the Three Henrys was the eighth and final conflict in the series of civil wars in France known as the Wars of Religion...
. In 1588, Henry of Guise was assassinated on the orders of King Henry III.
Catherine never forgave Henry III of France
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
(who kept taunting her as "la maîtresse de Saint Megrin") for his part in the assassination of her husband. She took a keen interest in the intrigues of the Catholic League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
and encouraged Henry's assassination in 1589. At the conclusion of the War of the Three Henrys
War of the Three Henrys (1584-1598)
The War of the Three Henrys was the eighth and final conflict in the series of civil wars in France known as the Wars of Religion...
she was mindful of the interests of her large family and supported her son Charles as a candidate for the French throne.
Catherine's reconciliation with her cousin, Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, was not effected until his conversion to Catholicism. She immediately moved to Paris and obtained a very honorable position in the retinue of his wife, Marie de' Medici
Marie de' Medici
Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici...
. The Guises continued to support the Queen throughout the regency, and Catherine followed Marie into exile in Blois
Blois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
after Louis XIII assumed the reins of government.
After returning to the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
, the Dowager Duchess - anxious to promote the interests of the House of Guise
House of Guise
The House of Guise was a French ducal family, partly responsible for the French Wars of Religion.The Guises were Catholic, and Henry Guise wanted to end growing Calvinist influence...
- resumed plotting against Cardinal Richelieu. The death of her youngest daughter, the princesse de Conti (who had been implicated in the Day of the Dupes
Day of the Dupes
Day of the Dupes is the name given to the day in November of 1630 on which the enemies of Cardinal Richelieu mistakenly believed that they had succeeded in persuading Louis XIII, King of France, to dismiss Richelieu from power...
conspiracy), proved a blow to her spirits.
She retired to her château d'Eu
Eu, Seine-Maritime
Eu is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.Eu is located near the coast in the eastern part of the department, near the border with Picardie.Its inhabitants are known as the Eudois.-Geography:...
, where she died aged 85. She was buried at the château next to her husband's ornate tomb.
Issue
She married on October 4, 1570 in Paris to Henri de Lorraine, Duke of GuiseHenry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu , sometimes called Le Balafré, "the scarred", was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este...
, by whom she had fourteen children:
- Charles, Duke of GuiseCharles, Duke of GuiseCharles de Lorraine, 4th Duke of Guise was the son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves.-Biography:...
(1571–1640), who succeeded him - Henri (June 30, 1572, Paris – August 13, 1574)
- Catherine (November 3, 1573) (died at birth)
- Louis III, Cardinal of GuiseLouis III, Cardinal of GuiseLouis de Lorraine known as the Cardinal de Guise was the third son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves....
(1575–1621), Archbishop of ReimsArchbishop of ReimsThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by St. Sixtus, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese around 750... - Charles (January 1, 1576, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) (died at birth) - Marie (June 1, 1577–1582)
- Claude, Duke of ChevreuseClaude, Duke of ChevreuseClaude de Lorraine , also called Claude de Guise, was a French noble and husband of Marie de Rohan. He was the Duke of Chevreuse, a title which is today used by the Duke of Luynes.-Biography:...
(1578–1657) married Marie de Rohan, daughter of Hercule de Rohan, duc de Montbazon - Catherine (b. May 29, 1579), d. young
- Christine (January 21, 1580) (died at birth)
- François (May 14, 1581 – September 29, 1582)
- Renée (1585 – June 13, 1626, ReimsReimsReims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
), Abbess of St. Pierre - Jeanne (July 31, 1586 – October 8, 1638, JouarreJouarreJouarre is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Jouarre Abbey:It is the site of the Jouarre Abbey a Merovingian foundation of Abbess Theodochilde or Telchilde, traditionally in 630, inspired by the visit of Columban, the travelling Irish...
), Abbess of Jouarre - Louise MargueriteLouise Marguerite de LorraineLouise Marguerite of Lorraine was a daughter of the Duke of Guise and a member of the House of Lorraine. She married François de Bourbon, titled the Prince of Conti. As such, after her marriage she was the Princess of Conti...
, (1588 – April 30, 1631, Château d'Eu), married at the Château de MeudonMeudonMeudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
on July 24, 1605 François, Prince of Conti - François Alexandre (February 7, 1589 – June 1, 1614, ChâteauChâteauA château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
des Baux), a Knight of the Order of Malta