Children of Diane de Poitiers. Diane de Poitiers

Portraits of Diane de Poitiers can still be seen in all museums in France today: regular facial features, beautiful skin color, jet-black hair ... Her contemporaries called her a “blossoming flower of beauty”.

Fifteen-year-old (according to other sources, thirteen-year-old) Diana was married to Count Louis de Brezet de Molevrier, Grand Seneschal of Normandy. He, the grandson of Charles VII and Agnes Sorel, was at that time fifty-six. Nevertheless, as they said, young Diana remained faithful to him and was known as a very caring wife. However, her contemporaries stubbornly did not believe this fact, not to mention historians ...

According to some reports, the seneschal admired the beauty of his wife, respected her intelligence and always listened to her opinion. According to others, he did not appreciate at all that he was the owner of a flower of such rare beauty and charm.

Be that as it may, in marriage, Diana gave birth to eight children, of whom only two daughters survived. Becoming a widow after nineteen years of marriage, the beauty mourned her husband for a long time.

But she was already waiting new love in the guise of the heir to the throne, the future King Henry II, and then ... an eleven-year-old boy.

By the way, her relatives denied that there was an intimate relationship between Diana and the king. As evidence, the fact was cited that between them there was big difference aged.

She was indeed much older than Heinrich - eighteen years old, but her extraordinary attractiveness brightened up this "flaw". “In those days when women were considered old women at thirty, such a woman seemed amazing and even unusual,” notes historian Guy Breton. “That's why there were rumors that she used potions. Her secret was simple...

Even in the very cold weather Diana washed herself with water from the well. Rising at six o'clock in the morning, she went for a horseback ride. After driving two or three miles, she would return home, eat a light breakfast of vegetables and dairy products, and read in bed until noon. This beauty did not use any cosmetics, neglecting even the blush, from which, as she believed, her freshness could fade.

“I am sure that if this lady had lived another hundred years, she would not have aged either in face or body…” wrote historian Pierre Brantome.

The Dauphin did not part with her even after marrying the young Catherine de Medici. And he always decorated his dress with black and white colors (black and white are the colors of his beloved). When Henry ascended the throne after the death of his elder brother, Diana became more than a queen. She held the fate of the state in her hands: she handed out posts, transformed ministries and parliament, and managed finances. And Heinrich unquestioningly carried out her will, asked her advice on various issues. In fact, she, and not the queen, was his co-ruler on the throne. Often the honors accorded by palace etiquette to the queen were also given to the favorite. So, for example, it happened during the solemn entry of the king into Lyon, accompanied by Catherine de Medici, Diana and the court.

But, according to the historian Brantoma, when Henry wished to legitimize one of the daughters adopted from Diana, she proudly said: “I was born in order to have legitimate children from you. I don't want Parliament to declare me your concubine."

Heinrich, as if inviting his subjects to share his delight in possessing a beautiful woman, repeatedly ordered nude portraits of his beloved, and also ordered her image to be carved from marble and cast from silver. The famous Italian sculptor and jeweler Benvenuto Cellini, who admired the beauty and intelligence of Diana, made her sculptural portraits many times.

The ladies of the French court copied the walk of Diane Poitiers, her gestures and hairstyle. Thanks to her, the canon was established female beauty, which has not changed for a century and a half.

A beautiful woman should have:
three things are white - skin, teeth, hands;
three black ones - eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes;
three pink - lips, cheeks, nails;
three long ones - body, hair, fingers:
three short ones - teeth, ears, feet;
three thin ones - lips, waist, ankle;
three full - arms, thighs, calves;
three small ones - nose, chest, head.

The queen hated the favorite with all her heart, but, madly in love with her husband and always afraid of losing him due to some kind of oversight, she eventually became close to Diana and began to behave with her like a friend.

One day, after all, Catherine made an attempt to separate her husband from her favorite and herself pushed him to the young and very beautiful governess of the young Mary Stuart, who lived at the French court, the green-eyed blonde Lady Fleming. Once, Diana imprudently fell off her horse, and therefore was forced to lie in bed for several days in her castle. During this short time, Heinrich became close to the Englishwoman and even managed to understand: to caress beautiful girl twenty years younger than Diana so nice! Upon learning of this connection, the favorite was furious: the young rival was removed from the French court. She left pregnant from the king and after the allotted time gave birth to a son, Henri, the future Grand Prior of France ... And although the favorite hated by many could not be removed, the mere thought that the king dared to cuckold Madame de Valentinois made life very pleasant for a few days for many yard.

When in 1550 Catherine fell ill with an incomprehensible illness, most of the courtiers and ladies-in-waiting left her, fearing infection. Then only three faithful servants remained next to the queen, and among them was Diane de Poitiers, whom Catherine considered her worst enemy. But it was her husband's favorite who organized the correct round-the-clock care for the queen and sent for the outstanding doctor of that time, Ambroise Pare. The queen's life was saved.

There is nothing worthy of admiration in this act, historians explain: it was dictated solely by elementary fear. After all, a not very attractive queen was simply ... necessary for Diana. She could not allow Catherine to die, otherwise Heinrich could remarry one of the young and beautiful women of any European court.

Nevertheless, the recovered Catherine never forgave Diana. Her hatred for her rival only intensified ...

One of the astrologers, Lukas Gorik, once informed the Queen that a certain battle would end both her husband's reign and his life:

“All fights in confined spaces should be avoided, especially by the time the king is forty-one years old, since during this period of his life he is threatened with a head wound that can lead to blindness or death.”

Nostradamus, whom Catherine invited to court in 1556, published a book containing the following poetic admonition:

The old lion will be dominated by the lion cub.
There will be a duel on the tournament square.
And in a golden cage, he will gouge out his eye.
Death is sometimes painful.

Not only that: on the eve of the tournament, in which Henry II was mortally wounded, Catherine clearly dreamed of the moment of the fatal blow. Her soul foresaw trouble... Ekaterina begged her husband not to take part in the tournament. It was all in vain - Heinrich inevitably walked towards his own death!

“Under the scorching sun, the king rode to the stadium in black and white - the colors of Diane de Poitiers. The duel began immediately,” writes Breton. – Everything was going great. However, when he was wiping sweat after the second fight, Catherine asked me to tell him "so that he no longer fights for the love of her."
“Tell the queen that it is for the love of her that I want to enter this battle,” said the king ...
And then, before the eyes of the deathly pale queen, the prophecies were fulfilled: the fighters rushed towards each other, and Montgomery's spear broke on the king's helmet with such force that the visor opened.
There was a scream from the crowd, and the queen collapsed unconscious.
Henry II clung to his horse with a bloodied face. Everyone ran to him; the tip of the spear pierced his right eye and penetrated his skull.
"I'm dead," he whispered.

Catherine forbade her rival to visit the dying Heinrich. When the king died without regaining consciousness, she received a humble letter signed by Diane de Poitiers.

“For the first time in her life, the former favorite humiliated herself, lowering her head,” the historian narrates. “She, who only a few weeks ago spoke of the royal family as “we”, put her signature on official letters next to the name of the king, ordered ministers and generals, was just an anxious old woman whose future depended on the one who hated her most on light. And she asked the queen for forgiveness for the wrongs done and "offered her her property and life."

Catherine showed generosity: “I only want “mother Poitiers” to never appear at court again,” she firmly stated. And she resolutely took up state affairs, including the coronation of her fifteen-year-old son Francis.

The young king ordered to announce to Diana that, due to the pernicious influence on his father, she deserved severe punishment, but he only demands that the favorite return the jewelry received from Heinrich ...

In the last years of her life, Diana founded several hospitals and shelters and maintained them with her own money. From the poor and orphans who were there, only one thing was required: to pray for the soul of the late King Henry II, to whom she gave almost thirty years of her life ...

For five centuries, the mystery of the love of Henry II and his mistress Diane de Poitiers excites the minds of researchers and lovers. Heinrich declared Diana a Beautiful Lady when he was already married to Catherine de Medici. This almost fantastic story of deep feelings has amazed people for several centuries...

Prior to this, Diana had been the wife of the great Seneschal of Normandy, Louis de Brese, grandson of Charles VII, for sixteen years. This marriage was arranged by her father, Count Valentinois, when Diana was 15 years old, and Louis de Breze was 56. Beauty and the Beast - Diana was beautiful and majestic, and Louis de Breze is old and ugly, but reliable, like a rock against which all blows are broken fate.

Born September 3, 1499 Belonged to the ancient family of the Dauphiné In 1515 she married Louis de Vrese. Widowed in 1531 Since 1539 - beloved and official favorite of King Henry II of France Actively engaged in politics Died on April 26, 1566.

Its evidence is still alive throughout France: on the walls of Versails, the castles of the Loire and the town of Anet, you can see frescoes, sculptures and portraits of Diana de Poitiers and King Henry II of France. On the pediments of the Parisian and Lyon buildings - their crowns: double Latin letters "DH", Diana and Heinrich (Henri). Like it just happened yesterday. Meanwhile, it all began in the distant XVI century.

In the spring of 1525, general despondency reigned at the French court. How else, if the country was left without a monarch. The extravagant king Francis I, who got involved in the war with the Spaniards, was not only defeated in the battle of Pavia, but also captured. A huge ransom was demanded for him. However, to raise money, they were even ready to release the king if he sent hostages to Spain - his sons, the 8-year-old heir-dauphin Francis and his younger brother Henry, who was not even 7 years old.

THE LITTLE PRINCE
At the beginning of March 1526, the Parisian court went to the Spanish border to pick up the king and hand over the little captives to the Spaniards. The road was terrible, the weather dank. The princes coughed. The ladies of the court did not get out of the carriages. And, in order to brighten the way, the gentlemen tried to flirt with the only beauty who was not afraid to catch a cold - the main maid of honor of the royal court, Diane de Poitiers. By the way, Francis himself once tried to court her, but to no avail.

He only painted a portrait of a beauty - a graceful posture, an expressive face, eyebrows apart and Brown eyes, in which intelligence and mystery shone, - and signed: “ Her face is beautiful. Her company is pleasant". But even the loving monarch did not dare to do more: Diana from the first days at court kept herself aloof, she was even nicknamed the Ice Maiden.

Diane de Poitiers

On March 29, 1515, she married a friend of her father, 56-year-old Louis de Breze, Grand Seneschal of Normandy. And everyone was waiting for the 15-year-old beauty to get herself a lover. But she gave birth to her husband two daughters and flatly refused any extraneous courtship. And now, having shifted from the carriage to a hardy horse, 26-year-old Diana listened indifferently to compliments on her beauty, exuded by court heliports galloping on both sides of her.

She only wondered to herself: does anyone really care that tiny children will have to be given hostages, guilty only because their reckless father-king wanted to fight.

By the morning of March 15, we finally reached the border river Bidassoa. Here the exchange of the king for the hostage princes was to take place. Narrowing her eyes, Diana saw a barge sail away from the Spanish shore. Everyone rejoiced: the king was on board. Children immediately began to hastily put into the barge from the French side. Everyone fussed around the Dauphin - the last instructions and hugs. What about the future king?

Henry II in his youth

No one approached tiny Heinrich. He stood alone, courageously holding back tears. Diana's heart sank. She rushed to the boy, pressed him to her chest and kissed him. " You must hold on! she whispered. - We'll be waiting for you!».

Then she learned that the Spaniards had thrown the children into prison. They were beaten and starved. At night, Diana dreamed of Heinrich with huge haunted eyes. And she began to pray for him as for her own child.

Only four years later, Francis I was able to redeem the princes. In honor of their return and the marriage of the king, a tournament was held. Francis and the Dauphin bowed to the new queen. But Henry bowed his banner to ... Diane Poitier. The court gasped: after all, she is already 31 years old, and the prince is not even twelve yet! But, apparently, they grow up quickly in captivity: the young knight won his duel.

And after 3 months, the Great Seneschal of Normandy, Louis de Breze, died. And Diana put on her widow's clothes, black and white. Now this is her outfit for life ...

THE WEDDING NIGHT
In the summer of 1531, the court traveled along the Loire. In the famous rose garden of the castle of Chenonceau, the king beckoned Diana to him. She approached with ease and grace. The king marveled - in the 32nd year of her life, Diana blooms like a young girl. After the death of her husband, she returned maiden name, although the mourning did not take off. But, damn it, how attractive is this woman in her black and white attire!

Bathing Diana. OK. 1550-1560

« The cursed captivity had a too gloomy effect on Heinrich! the king said. He is only 13 years old and looks twice his age. But most importantly, in captivity, the boy forgot how to smile. But I saw how he looks at you ... A drop of live flirting - that's all I ask!»

Diana inhaled the scent of roses. A drop of flirting - is it reprehensible? Just a game of knight and beautiful lady. Young Heinrich will bring a rose to Diana. And she will dry it in her favorite volume of poetry ...

And now Heinrich is scribbling enthusiastic sonnets and raising the standards of the black and white colors of his lady of the heart. And at night Heinrich dreams of Diana. And in her sleep she forgets that she is already a widow and that her daughter Françoise is older than this strange young man.

Meanwhile, the king was carrying out his plans for his son. In 1533, a bride arrived from Italy - Duchess Catherine de Medici, heiress of the richest banking house. The 14-year-old girl adoringly looked at the young handsome groom. But how could she, ugly and undersized, kindle his marital passion?

The king understood this. And so he himself led the newlyweds into the bedroom and ordered: “Come on, children!” And he stood by the bed until the "children" became husband and wife.

Catherine de Medici

But the next morning, Diana found the "knight Henry" in his usual place at the door of his chambers. The young wife did not cure him of romantic sighs. On the contrary, excited by the wedding night, he looked at Diana with true passion.

What should she have done? How to behave? Every evening, Diana prayed: let Henry's heavy passion subside! May he and she find peace. And let it be possible to establish relations with Ekaterina, because this poor girl is Diana's distant relative. But, apparently, God did not hear her prayers. Or did God have other plans?

In August 1536, the eldest son of the king suddenly died, and the 17-year-old Henry became heir-dauphin. Now he, whom no one paid attention to before, found himself in the center of palace life. A month later, the court went to the castle of Ekuan - to look at the famous stained glass windows about the love of Psyche and Cupid.

Henry II

It just so happened that Heinrich and Diana admired the stained glass windows together. And, emboldened, the young man embraced Diana. She was embarrassed, but Heinrich whispered, as if in a fever: “ I survived captivity, only to return to you!»

They stood at the door, open to the garden. The moon shone overhead. And Diana thought: tomorrow the sun will rise, ruthlessly illuminate their difference in age. But as long as the moon is in the sky, can't they be happy?

That night, Diana realized for the first time that she had not yet truly loved. She respected the good old Seneschal, but there was no love. And so she came...

ROYAL PASSIONS
Catherine despaired of waiting for Henry in the bedchamber. For how many years she has been married, the king-father-in-law demands an heir, but from where ?! Heinrich sticks out day and night at the accursed Diana!

Catherine de Medici

Suddenly a floorboard creaked. It can't be—Heinrich has come! " Oh darling, I hope I gave you pleasure? he only exhaled, having fulfilled his conjugal duty. — Diana scolds me. He says I must visit you every night until you give us an heir.". Heinrich kissed his wife indifferently and left.

Catherine sobbed into the pillow. What a shame! The husband comes to her at the insistence of his mistress! .. How did this witch bewitch him? But it will not always be her top - time is running! Soon Diana will grow old and wrinkle, and Catherine will blossom. It is not for nothing that the best healers, whom she has gathered in the palace, prepare her love potions and ointments of rejuvenation. She will be beautiful! We just have to wait...

Francis I

On January 19, 1544, in the 11th year of marriage, the first-born of Catherine and Henry was born. Of course, he was named after his grandfather - Francis. But the birth of a son did not change the habits of the "knight of Diana." Yes, and could not change: Catherine was just an imposed dynastic wife. Diana is the whole life. Leaving her even for a day, Heinrich sent countless letters. And in these chaotic letters, the gloomy and uncommunicative Heinrich became a verbose and ardent romantic:

« I beg you to remember that I knew only one God and only one Friend...», « Most of all in life I want to try to become useful to you, because I cannot live long without seeing you ..."The answer to these letters was the motto that Diana took for herself:" Sola vivit in illo» — « I live only in it».

Chenonceau castle

It is not surprising that when Francis G died in 1547, the newly-minted King Henry II presented his mistress with lands, valuables and even the most luxurious castle on the banks of the Loire - the legendary Chenonceau. As if Diana, not Catherine, is the queen of France. But it was true: Diana owned not the country, but the heart of the king.

OLD PROPHECY
Diana woke up before Heinrich. He was breathing peacefully next to him - young, beautiful. He gets so excited when he sees Diana naked. But soon she will turn 50. What then? No magic will stop time. It's just the eccentric Catherine hopes for all sorts of healers, magicians, astrologers. And yet, - Diana raised herself on the bed - there are true wizards!

Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard "Portrait of Henry II and Diane de Poitiers in Jean Goujon"

Artists, sculptors, poets - that's who can stop time and forever capture its beauty in poetry, canvases, sculptures! She will become the nymph of the royal palace of Fontainebleau and the patroness of art. Once upon a time, at birth, the old soothsayer foretold that the girl, born in the autumn of 1499 to Jean de Poitiers and who was called Diana, would rule over everyone.

Excellent prophecy. But Diana did not aspire to power. But if the descendants call her the patroness and inspirer of the arts and say that it was during the time of the beautiful Diana that the golden age of the French Renaissance began, this will become the pinnacle of her life.

Since then, this has been the case. Diana invited the best architects to build new palaces and restore old ones; the best painters, so that they paint the vaults of these palaces, placing portraits of her, Diana, on the walls; the best poets and musicians, so that they also glorify her love with Heinrich.

Bedroom of the mistress of King Henry II, Diane de Poitiers

Well, the royal life was still going "for three." Catherine gave birth regularly. Di-ana raised the royal offspring. Both women always behaved within the bounds of decency. Until at the end of 1558, Catherine intervened in one political alignment, which was started by Henry and Diana. Ah, that damned politics!

Diane de Poitiers in the costume of the patroness of hunting

The king yelled at his wife. She swallowed her tears and pretended to pick up a book. "What are you reading, madam?" Diana asked, wanting to reconcile. And then the former quiet girl exploded: “I read the history of France and see that here always whores ruled the kings!" Diana couldn't resist: Don't cry about whores, madam! And so everyone sees that your children bear little resemblance to Heinrich!»

The fireplace in the bedroom of Diane de Poitiers, ironically, above the fireplace is a portrait of a legitimate wife - Ekaterina Medici.

It was an unfair accusation. And Diana knew this very well, but she so wanted to hit this ungrateful woman harder at least once. After all, how many times Henry wanted to get a divorce, but it was Diana who did not allow it! And now the rivals stood opposite each other, their hands on their hips, like bazaar traders. They forgot that 25 years of sticking good manners for her only man. And now the stock of manners is over ...

Diana decided to leave the yard. Heinrich was horrified: "I can not be without you!» Indeed, as far as he could remember, he could not live without her. What he said to his wife is a secret, but Ekaterina again began to smile at her rival. Delighted by the reconciliation, Henry decided to arrange a jousting tournament.

On the third day of the holiday, June 30, 1559, he rode a prancing stallion with the strange name Beda. The squire put a huge golden helmet on the head of the monarch. Diana gasped. She suddenly remembered an old prophecy made by an old fortune teller. How did it start there?

“The one who will be born in the autumn of 1499 and who will be called Diana ... - and further - will save the snowy head, and then lose the golden one. And losing and gaining, she will shed many tears. But rejoice - she will rule all!

And life has shown that the fortuneteller was not mistaken ...

The fate of Diana really turned out to be a lot of joys and losses. And the "snow head" was found. When Diana was 25 years old, her father, Jean de Poitiers, was involved in a conspiracy against King Francis. And only the intercession of the Breze couple saved the father's gray head from the chopping block. Diana saved the “snow head” after all. But Diana did not meet the “golden head”. But she was destined to lose. And here is Heinrich in a gilded helmet! ..

Diana screamed with all her might: “ Stop, sire!» But the king has already rushed to the opponent - the young captain Montgomery. In a few moments they collided. The captain's spear broke, but its fragment, lifting the visor of the royal helmet, pierced right into Henry's eye.

The bleeding king was carried to the palace. Diana, in despair, clutched the handrails of the platform and repeated: “The one who will be called Diana will lose her golden head! ..” Ekaterina lost her senses. And when she came to herself, she remembered the prediction of her astrologer Luka Goriko: “ The king must avoid fighting at the age of 41". She also remembered the quatrain famous doctor and the prophet Nostradamus:

The young lion will overcome the old
On the battlefield, one on one.
Gouge out his eye in a golden cage,
And he will die a cruel death.

Well, how could such a la-wine of prophecies not come true?!

The Diana of Anet 1550-54

ROSES OF ETERNITY
« Due to the harmful influence, you are moving away from the court!”- hissed, looking contemptuously at the favorite of his father, the new king of France, Francis II. And Diana suddenly remembered how this eternally sick young man was tormented by a terrible rash. Everyone was afraid to approach him, and only she had the courage to change his bandages. But she never thought about gratitude. Moreover, Catherine de Medici now stood behind the throne, having received the title of Queen Mother.

Finally, she managed to get rid of her rival. But it looks like it's too late...
The next day after her son's coronation, she was horrified as she washed off the blush from her face: she was only 40, and the mirror showed a wrinkled old woman. And no magic ointment helps.

And Diana, who left for her castle Ane, attracted the eyes of men even in her seventies. Once the court writer Pierre Branthom asked her to reveal the secret of eternal youth.

« There is nothing surprising in this Diana answered. — I get up at 6 am and take a cold bath. So I sit on a horse and ride at full speed. At 8 I return and go to bed for a little rest. I have breakfast and lunch lightly, for dinner I drink goat's milk. But the main thing is this: every day you need to do something pleasant and fall asleep joyfully, without holding heavy thoughts in your head.».
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Benvenuto Cellini. Tomb of Diane de Poitiers

On the night of April 25, 1566, Diane de Poitiers fell asleep, remembering her Henry with a smile. And she hasn't woken up. In the church of Ane, a monument of white marble was erected to her, as a true ancient goddess.

And now, for the fifth century, on the day of her repose, mysterious admirers bring two white roses to this monument - one from themselves, the other from Heinrich. No wonder he once wrote to his beloved: My love will protect you both from time and from death itself.».

Elena Korovina

Biography

Origin, marriage

Diane de Poitiers was born on September 3, 1499. Eldest daughter Jean de Poitiers, seigneur de Saint-Valliers, she was one of the last representatives of the Aquitaine sovereign house. At the age of thirteen, she was married to Louis de Brese, Comte de Molvrier (whose mother was the fruit of the illicit love of Charles VII and Agnes Sorel). Her husband died on July 23, 1531, leaving Diana a widow at the age of 31. She set up a majestic tomb for her husband in Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen, until the end of her days, without ceasing to wear mourning for him. Her colors, even at the time when she became the king's favorite, were always limited to white and black. Despite this demonstration of eternal sorrow, according to the historian F. Erlange, Diana's beauty served her father, the lord de Saint-Vallier, with considerable service. Participating in the rebellion on the side of the constable de Bourbon, he took the side of the rebels. The tribunal sentenced him to death by decapitation. Bursting into tears, Diana threw herself at the feet of King Francis, begging for mercy. Tears shed from such beautiful eyes had their effect: Francis I, touched by the beauty and grief of his daughter, forgave the rebel father.

Meeting with Heinrich

The meeting of Henry and Diana took place when he was 6 years old: he went hostage, instead of his father, Francis and Diana, who was then 25, kissed the boy on the forehead. Since then, he became her knight and returned 10 years later from captivity, burned with an ardent passion for her. Unfortunately for Diana, Henry was the youngest son of the king, which did not give him the opportunity to claim the crown. But soon after the death of the young Francis, the Duke of Orleans became the Dauphin of France, and Diana, his beloved, shared power at court with the Duchess d'Etampes, favorite of Francis I. Although Diana was ten years older than her rival, she still dazzled with the beauty that so and was not destined to fade. Branthom, who saw her shortly before her death, assured her that she was still beautiful. In vain, the Duchess d'Etampes and her supporters joked about the age of the beautiful widow, awarding her with the nickname "Old Mushroom": Diana's influence increased every day. Having become a faithful knight of Diana, Henry wore the colors of the mistress of his heart: white and black, until his very last breath, and decorated his rings and clothes with the double monogram "DH" (Diana - Henry).

Genuine queen

When King Francis I died and Henry II ascended the throne, it was not Catherine de Medici, his wife, who became the real queen, but Diana. Even at the coronation, she took an honorable public place, while Catherine was on a remote podium. The coming to power of Henry turned into a triumph for Diana, who was elevated to sky-high heights at the new court. Heinrich showered her with priceless gifts: to the most enviable jewels of the crown, he added a huge diamond seized from the defeated favorite of the deceased king, the Duchess d'Etampes. Diana got all her castles, as well as the Parisian mansion of her rival. Soon Diana received another beneficence. In accordance with tradition at the change of kingship officials were required to pay tax "for confirmation of authority". This time, all the funds did not go to the royal treasury, but personally to Diane de Poitiers. She also had to receive part of the tax on the bell towers. According to the historian F. Erlange, there is a very unambiguous hint about this in the famous book of Rabelais, namely in the story of Gargantua, who hung Parisian bells around his mare's neck. In addition to the above, three months after the death of his father, Henry II gave his beloved the castle of Chenonceau. And in 1548, the widow of the Grand Seneschal finally received the title of Duchess de Valentinois.

Renaissance interiors of the castle of Chenonceau

Having come to power, Henry II allowed his beloved to exercise complete control over the affairs of the kingdom. As the historian Guy Chaussinan Nogaret notes, never in the history of the monarchy has any favorite been able to achieve such an absolute and effective influence on the person of the king, and even more so to convince foreign sovereigns of her omnipotence. The ambassadors addressed their correspondence to her, and she corresponded with the Pope himself. The king did nothing without consulting her.

Personnel policy

the beginning political activity Diana was holding a new personnel policy. Not satisfied with the expulsion of the Duchess d'Etampes, Diana purged the entire royal council, ministry and parliament. So, Pierre Lise lost the post of prime minister, and Olivier lost the post of chancellor. At the same time, supporters of Diana began to receive the highest government positions. As soon as Henry became king, he remembered his old friends and ordered that Montmorency be entrusted with the highest state post. Diana did not object to such a decision, since the choice of this person the best way suited her own interests, and she supported the constable - he did not inspire fear in her. However, she soon decided that Montmorency took too much power and did not consider her opinion enough. She tried to create a competitor for him. The house of Lorraine enjoyed the favor of the king and favored her. She secured the appointment of Cardinal Charles of Lorraine to the post of head of the personal royal Council, and to strengthen the bonds of gratitude even stronger, she married her youngest daughter, Louise de Breze, to Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne. She also secured for her second brother-in-law, Robert de La Marche, the position of Marshal of France. One of her most notable supporters was Cardinal Jean du Bellay, dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, who did not fail to praise the favorite of the pope. Paul III also treated her kindly, praised and recommended the nuncio to wish her happiness for "her piety, piety and outstanding services that she rendered to the Holy See at the French royal court." Nevertheless, not everyone was equally disposed to the absolute power that Diana, with the support of the House of Lorraine, possessed almost completely. Ambassador Cosimo de Medici in Paris considered her influence a deplorable and disastrous fact. “One should not, - he wrote, - pass off black for white in relation to the high position and omnipotence of this woman. She behaves in such a way that we can only regret Madame d'Etampes.

Another person dissatisfied with the "rule" of Diana was Montmorency, whose influence decreased in proportion to the increase in confidence in the House of Lorraine and the immediate environment. To get rid of Diana and her supporters, and to regain the confidence of the king, he decided to replace the favorite with a beautiful young woman, Mary Fleming, the governess of Mary Stuart. To stop the connection that arose between the king and Mary, Diana had to use all her will and outstanding, according to Brantome, acting abilities. As a result, Montmorency lost, and Diana regained her lost ground. Starting from 1550, she managed ministries, was in charge of appointments, removals, and in general all affairs, like a state prime minister. She approved a new treasurer, l'Eparne, completely devoted to her. When she felt that the keeper of the seal, Francois Olivier, showed insufficient diligence and indecision, she put in his place Jean Bertrand, a faithful man whom she could rely on.

Diplomat

The influence of the favorite was not limited only internal politics, but spread to literally everything, including international relationships. Involuntarily drawn into the war that threatened her lands dependent on the House of Lorraine, after the defeat at Saint-Quentin, she became close to Montmorency and the peace party. Under the influence of the Pope and Montmorency, Diana advised Henry to sign the Peace of Cato-Cambresia (April 3, 1559), which successfully completed italian trips lasting sixty years. This peace strengthened the borders in the north and east, and secured Calais and three Bishoprics for France. As for Catherine de Medici, during the life of her husband she did not interfere in state affairs, leaving all issues to be decided by Diana, while maintaining the appearance of friendly relations with her. Only once, according to Brant, did the queen demonstrate all the dislike she felt for her rival. Finding Ekaterina one day with a book in her hands, the favorite asked her with a smile what she was reading. To which the queen replied: "I read the history of France and find indisputable evidence that in this country harlots have always managed the affairs of kings."

The power of Diane de Poitiers over Henry II was also manifested in the fact that she openly speculated on the religious orthodoxy of the king, instilling in him hatred for the Protestants, prompting him to persecute them, in order to enrich himself by robbery.

After the death of the king

Diane de Poitiers' "reign" ended in 1559 when Henry II was accidentally killed in a tournament by the Comte de Montgomery. The king was still alive when Queen Catherine de Medici, showing weakness, ordered Diana to leave Paris, giving up all the jewels given to her by Henry. It was ancient tradition: with the death of the king, all his associates (including mother, wife, children ...) returned the jewels that belonged to the royal treasury. Diane de Poitiers gave a very worthy answer: "... as long as I have a master, I want my enemies to know: even when there is no king, I will not be afraid of anyone." Diana returned the jewelry box only the day after the death of Henry II. Diane de Poitiers retired to her castle of Anet, where she died at the age of sixty-seven, remaining the owner until her death amazing beauty, which, according to Brantome, "does not meet such an insensitive heart that it remains indifferent."

Reviews and ratings

The attitude of contemporaries to Diana was very different. In particular, Brantom spoke of her as a person full of kindness and mercy, known for her piety and piety, as a result of which the people of France had to pray to God that no subsequent favorite would be inferior to her in anything. In other reviews, the Duchess de Valantinois is called a people's bloodsucker, accusing her of greed and self-interest, is considered the culprit of all the troubles that befell France during the reign of Henry II, in particular, the violation of the French-Spanish truce and the persecution of Protestants.

Diana also became the heroine of the historical novel by A. Dumas "Two Dianas".

Two Dianas

The novel tells about one of the tragic stories of France in the 16th century - the beginning of religious strife between Catholics and Protestants.

Literature

Bogomolov A. Favorites of the French kings. - M., 2005.
Breton G. Love story and French history. - M., 1993.
Klulas I. Diane de Poitiers. - M., 2006
Princess of Ken. The snake and the moon. - M., 2007.
Erlange F. Diane de Poitiers. - M., 2007.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

September 21, 2016, 22:50

There are few stories about how a knight falls in love with a lady at first sight and loves her until his last breath, even in medieval literature - not like in real life. However, one case, just such a knightly love, is known for certain. The knight was the king of France, and his lady was truly a beautiful woman, although she was 20 years older than the king himself ...

In 1525, the French king Francis I lost the battle for Pavia, was captured by the Spaniards and signed the Treaty of Madrid. Under its terms, the king gained freedom only in exchange for the freedom of his two sons: the eight-year-old Dauphin Francis, heir to the throne, and the six-year-old Prince Henry. To the border river of Bidassoa, the brothers were accompanied by a huge motorcade of courtiers, among whom was the wife of the Comte de Breze, Diana de Poitiers. When the courtiers began to say goodbye to the brothers on the border, they turned mainly to the Dauphin Francis, as to the elder. Heinrich stood alone for a long time and cried, until Diana approached him. She hugged him, covered him with her shawl and said: “Everything will be fine, believe me, Your Highness!” When the Spaniards arrived for the princes, Diana, kissing Henry on the forehead, pushed him to the boats and said: "Do not be afraid, we will meet again." By this time, Diane de Poitiers, who was born on September 3, 1499, was 27 years old, and for 12 years she had been the wife of the Comte de Brezet du Molevrier, Grand Seneschal of Normandy. She was given in marriage when she was not yet fifteen, and her husband was already fifty-six.

HEINRICH II.

DIANA DE POitiers.

Their marriage was quite happy. The count admired the beauty of his wife, respected her mind and will, always listened to her advice.

And Diana demonstrated an extraordinary fidelity to the matrimonial bed for those times. She cheated on her husband only once, and even then not of her own free will ... This happened in 1525, when the constable Charles de Bourbon fled from France and joined the troops of the German king Charles V. King Francis I responded to the betrayal of Charles de Bourbon with reprisal over his supporters. Diana's father, Jean de Poitiers, was considered a friend of the fugitive - and now he was expected to be executed. Diana adored her father. She couldn't let him be executed. She hastily gathered in Paris - to fall at the feet of the king and beg him for mercy - and begged him at the cost of adultery, which was soon known to all of Paris.

Her husband forgave Diana, and her contemporaries admired her. The famous memoirist Pierre de Brantome. a friend and admirer of Diana, wrote without naming her: “I heard stories about a nobleman sentenced to beheading and already erected on the scaffold, when suddenly a pardon came, obtained by his daughter, one of the first court beauties. And so, descending from the scaffold, he uttered nothing more than such a phrase: “May the Lord protect the good bosom of my daughter.”

Jean de Poitiers, who had no sympathy for Francis I, feared that the king would make his daughter one of his many mistresses. Her father hid Diana in the castle of Saint-Valier, where she spent several months without a break in the company of only her daughters, the youngest of whom was the same age as Henry.

Prince Henry was born on March 31, 1519. He was the fourth child of King Francis I and Princess Claude of France, who gave birth to a child a year and died in 1524, during her eighth pregnancy, before the age of twenty-five. Heinrich almost did not remember his mother, who was replaced by his tutor Madame de Chavigny. All five years that Henry and his brother Francis were in Spanish captivity, she was next to the youngest of the princes. It was thanks to her that Henry became addicted to reading, preferring poems and chivalric romances, of which Amadis of Galicia by Garey Ordoñez de Montalvo was his favorite. In it, the twelve-year-old prince Amadis fell in love with a beautiful warrior maiden, who knew the secret of eternal youth: she motherly instructed and protected him, and at the same time loved with all possible passion ... Heinrich tried on the image of Amadis for himself and chose his lady of the heart : that stranger from the coast of Bidassoa. He swore to be faithful to her to the grave.

Henry and Diana met for the second time on March 15, 1531. At a jousting tournament arranged in honor of the wedding of Francis I and his second wife, Eleanor of Austria. This was Heinrich's first tournament. His older brother, the Dauphin Francis, had to fight in the name of his stepmother - that was required by courtesy. But Henry had the choice, and he rode up to the barrier, behind which Diana sat next to her greatly aged husband, and, bowing his standard before her, announced that he would fight for the glory of Diane de Poitiers, the most beautiful of all women.

In the summer of that year, Diane de Poitiers was widowed. She ordered a tombstone of incredible splendor for her husband. For the figure of a kneeling widow, Diana posed for the sculptor in person. She really mourned the death of the Comte de Breze and, having put on mourning, wore it all her life. Black and white suited her very well. young prince From now on, Heinrich also dressed only in black and white - the colors of "his lady."

On October 28, 1533, 14-year-old Henry was married to his peer Catherine de Medici, niece of Pope Clement VII. From a political point of view, this marriage was considered successful and profitable for France. Of course, no one asked the opinions of the newlyweds. Heinrich did not like Catherine. The reason for the hostility was not some of her physical shortcomings: although she was not beautiful, she was graceful, moreover, educated and intelligent. It's just that she was not Diana de Poitiers, and Prince Henry did not want to see any other lady in his life. And although Francis I chuckled at his son's love for a woman who was fit for his mother, he preferred to make sure that the marriage "took place": during the wedding night of the prince and Catherine de Medici, the king literally stood over their bed.

CATHERINE MEDICHI.

When Diane de Poitiers and Prince Henry became lovers, it is not known exactly. Some historians believe that this happened at the initiative of Diana in November 1536, when the king's eldest son Francis died of a fever and the seventeen-year-old Henry became heir to the French throne. However, most contemporaries noticed that their relationship became especially tender when Henry was nineteen, and Diana was approaching forty.

At forty, Diana de Poitiers was still fresh, slender and vigorous, and this seemed suspicious to many contemporaries. Court gossips said that she dabbled in witchcraft and prepared some special ointments for herself. Among those who spread these gossip was the king's favorite. Anna de Pisslet, Duchess d'Etampes, who claimed the title of the first beauty of France. The king, to his credit, calmly watched the ups and downs of the "war of two beauties." And from the side of the Duchess d'Etampes, she was the most real war. In 1538, she even commissioned a pamphlet on Diane de Poitiers from the poet Jean Voulte and distributed it among the courtiers. Here are just a few of the most respectable lines of a libel written in Latin: “Let the lady from Poitiers know: it is not given to women to be reborn, because those whom time has chosen to use, along with time, go out of use. Painted bait does not attract game, and even if you bought everything a woman needs, you would not get what you want from your lover, because for love you have to be alive, and you are already dead.

Despite all the efforts of the Duchess d "Etampes, the pamphlet was not successful, because it was absolutely not true. Diane de Poitiers never tried to hide her age. She just really looked much younger than her years. She seemed to be the same age as the Duchess d" Etampes, and even Catherine de Medici. And the recipe for her unfading beauty was very simple: Diane de Poitiers got up at six in the morning, took an ice bath, and then went on a horse ride and, in any weather, galloped around the castle for three hours.

Branthom wrote: “I saw Diana when she was sixty-five years old, and could not marvel at her beauty; all the charms shone on the face of this rare woman. I think if this lady had lived a hundred years, she still would not have grown old either in her face, so perfect were his lines, or in her body, even if hidden in clothes, it was so well tempered and trained.

Diane de Poitiers was without a doubt the first beauty of the kingdom, it was not for nothing that the absolute canon of female beauty was “written off” from her, which did not change in France for a century and a half. According to him, a beautiful woman should have:

three things are white - skin, teeth, hands:

three black ones - eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes:

three pink - lips, cheeks, nails;

three long - body, hair, fingers:

three short ones - teeth, ears, feet;

three thin - lips, waist, feet:

three full - arms, thighs, calves:

three small ones - nipples, nose, head.

However, they say that Diana de Poitiers received the devoted love of the prince due not only to her physical perfection, but also to her mind. Even the king liked the fact that his youngest son, whom Francis I always considered a weak-willed dreamer, had such a mature and wise mistress.

Brantom candidly admired the devotion " greatest prince, who so ardently loved a noble widow of mature years that he left his wife and others, no matter how young and beautiful they were, for the sake of her bed. But he had every reason for this, for she was one of the most beautiful and amiable ladies that had ever been born into the world. And her winter was undoubtedly worth more than the springs, summers and autumns of others.

Their closeness was no secret to anyone at court. And the ambassadors of foreign powers in their reports to their rulers invariably mentioned the name of Madame de Brezet. True, not all of them believed that Heinrich and Diana were really lovers. The Venetian ambassador Marino Cavalli wrote in 1546: “The prince is 28 years old. Above all, he values the company of the widow of the Grand Seneschal of Normandy, 48-year-old Madame de Breze. He feels true affection for her, but they believe that there is nothing voluptuous in their relationship, as if they were mother and son. It is said that Diana de Brese took it upon herself to patronize, educate and guide the Dauphin, encouraging him to accomplish deeds worthy of him. And she did it really well. From an empty mocker, not too attached to his wife, the prince turned into a completely different person. He also got rid of several other minor shortcomings of youth.

However, other ambassadors were not so naive or simply had the opportunity to observe the relationship between Henry and Diana longer. A year later, after King Francis I died on March 31, 1547, and Henry ascended the French throne, the Roman ambassador Alvoratto wrote: “In addition to playing ball and hunting, he constantly courts his mistress. The king visits her after every meal, and thus, on average, spends at least eight hours in her company. If the lady is with the queen at this time, he orders her to be called ... "

HEINRICH II.

Now Diana de Poitiers has become like the queen of France ... "More than a queen" - that's what her contemporaries said about her, citing the fact that Diana did not take revenge on the favorite of the late king. Everyone was sure that Diana must certainly avenge many years of humiliation. The Duchess d'Etampes even fled to the Limur Castle and spent several months there in constant fear for her life. Former supporters of the Duchess d'Etampes also dispersed to their family estates, waiting for the repressions against them to begin.

It took a long time before the former enemies of Diana believed in her nobility and began to return to Paris. Now most of them did not feel hostile towards her, and not at all because they would be afraid to quarrel with the royal favorite: Diana's unexpected nobility attracted many to her side. And Diana was not interested in petty revenge: she was interested in power. But not her own - she dreamed of making Henry II a great king.

Even those who did not have much sympathy for Diana are forced to recognize her services to France. The French historian Ivan Klulas, a great admirer of Catherine de Medici, constantly criticizing Diana de Poitiers in his books, wrote: “Diana, demonstrating the image of an impeccable widow, got the new king to instruct the state, and first of all the court, on the path of morality. A whole series of measures aimed at establishing economy and asceticism clearly shows that under the control of the “Lady of Anet” and the control of her friends, who held the springs of state power in their hands, France was waiting for a renewal. A special regulation stipulated that balls and concerts would no longer be held daily; velvet, satin, gold and silver brocade, braids and embroidery must disappear from clothing under the threat of a fine of a thousand ecu. The court staff was pretty cut down. Queen Catherine was allowed to have only four maids of honor, ladies "serious and decent." The first of them was Diana herself, the rest were the ladies de Montpensier, de Nevers and de Saint-Paul.

It was on the advice of Diana, as Klulas wrote, “Henry began to introduce mercy and charity in society, ordered the monasteries to distribute alms in the form of money or food on certain days. The inhabitants of each quarter had to jointly take care of the food of poor families. The sick and crippled beggars were ordered to be kept in hospitals. A parliamentary reform was also proposed: from now on, only a person over thirty years of age could become an adviser, and only after a thorough check on the subject of a virtuous and moral lifestyle.

Heinrich listened to Diana's advice in everything, even in regard to his relationship with his wife. This was known at court, but even the most sharp-tongued courtiers were not tempted to reproach the king for this, and even more so his favorite. And everyone laughed at Catherine. And they admired the “wisdom” and “nobility” of Diana, who thought not only about the joys of the flesh, but also about the urgent needs of her lover: that the future king needed heirs.

After spending several years in marriage, Catherine de Medici still could not get pregnant. She took all sorts of "healing elixirs", put herbal poultices on her stomach and leeches on her thighs. She drank the urine of a mule, took the crushed ashes of a frog, and boar fangs mixed with earthworm powder, she wore a belt of goat hair soaked in donkey milk. She used all the achievements of medicine and tried everything folk remedies. But nothing helped, despite that. that Diane de Poitiers regularly, once a week, refused to caress her young lover - and sent Henry to his wife, making it a condition that he would certainly fulfill his conjugal duty.

According to contemporaries, Jean-Francois Fernel, the doctor recommended to her by Diana, saved Catherine de Medici. He discovered some flaw in her internal structure, due to which the royal seed did not reach its goal and could not bear fruit. Fernel advised Henry to continue to perform his marital duties in some other position than the one that the prince usually preferred. Subsequently, thanks to strict adherence to the advice of the court physician, Catherine had ten children. But because of this, Henry still did not begin to love her more - his heart belonged to Diana.

Henry paid much more attention to his children than his wife. Together with Diane de Poitiers, who took an active part in raising her lover's children, he often played with them, walked in the park, read books to them. His wife, in dealing with children, as well as with people in general, was more coldly laconic - she did not speak French well and was embarrassed by this.

Catherine desperately searched for the reasons why her husband considered Diana so desirable all these years. She refused to understand that you can love a person without any reason, simply because the person seems close, sweet and dear. Catherine bribed Diana's maids to steal the incense from her mistress, with which she anointed herself before the arrival of her husband, hoping that she could arouse more passion in him. Once she even undertook to spy on the king and his mistress...

Henry soon became aware that Catherine was watching him and Diana. But he did nothing against this and did not even punish the "lady who accompanied the queen", although he knew that the Duchess de Montpensier acted as the queen's confidante in this episode and she blabbed about what had happened to other ladies-in-waiting. Such dismissive inaction was perceived at court as a very cruel revenge on the queen.

But even more cruel was Henry's decision to oblige Diana to take part in the upbringing of royal children, "for she had extensive experience in this matter." Diana was allowed to be present at the birth, she chose the nurses, studying their composition and the quality of milk, and if the nurse did not cope with her duties, she found a replacement for her. It was Diana who decided when it was time to wean the baby. In order to protect the royal offspring from epidemics that raged most in the cities, she settled them in a castle on the Loire. All these details appear in Diana's letters to the court tutor Jean d'Humière.

Catherine was so jealous of Diana that her dislike extended even to her own children, to whom Diana seemed to pay more attention than own mother too preoccupied with her relationship with her husband.

And for Henry, nothing and no one - not even children, even the heir-dauphin - did not matter as much as Diane de Poitiers. Several of his letters to his mistress have been preserved, clearly demonstrating what tender and respectful feelings he had for her. despite. that their relationship lasted longer than any other marriage ...

“My love, I beg you to write to me about your health, because when I hear that you are sick, I am in great sorrow and do not know what to do. If you are still unwell, I would not like to skimp on the duty of visiting you in order to serve you as promised, and also because it is impossible for me to live without seeing you for so long. And since in the old days I was not afraid to lose the favor of the late king for the pleasure of being near you, then it’s not worth saying now how painful it is for me not to be able to be of service to you. I. believe me, I will not rest until the bearer of this letter returns with an answer. And for this I beg you to tell me truthfully what your condition is and when you will be able to go. I think it will not be difficult for you to imagine how little pleasure I will get in Fontainebleau without seeing you, since, being removed from the one in whom all my good, I can not think of any amusements. I am ending this letter out of fear that it is already too long and you will get bored reading it.

I humbly entrust myself to your good disposition with the only hope of preserving it forever.

“Lady of my soul,” Heinrich wrote in another letter, “I humbly thank you for the work that you have undertaken to send me news of your news, for it has become for me the most pleasant event. I only beg you to keep my promise, since I cannot live without you, and if you knew how little time I spend here in entertainment, you would undoubtedly feel pity. I will no longer entertain you with my outpourings, but let me assure you that you will not be able to arrive as soon as I would like. I remain forever your insignificant servant ... "

The entertainment Heinrich wrote about consisted mostly of jousting. For some time now, Catherine de Medici has strongly opposed the participation of the king in them. The fact is that the queen consulted with the soothsayers on any, even the most insignificant issue, and several soothsayers simultaneously predicted the death of the king during the duel. Michel Nostradamus in his poems described the details of the death of the king:

The lion is young, rushing to the battle.

He killed the old lion in a duel.

The helmet was shattered with gold, the eyes were covered with darkness.

The unfortunate drank the cruel cup of death.

And astrologer Luke Gorik named the exact age when the king should be afraid of death from a spear - forty years.

In July 1559, the queen did not cease to persuade her husband to cancel the jousting tournament, or at least not participate in it. The king did not want to believe either his wife or her soothsayers. Moreover, the tournament was dedicated to Diane de Poitiers. But in vain. In 1559, he just turned forty years old.

It was said that Gabriel Montgomery, a young knight whose shield was decorated with a lion, until the last refused to go out to fight the king. But Henry II ordered, and the young man did not dare to resist.

The king appeared at the fatal duel in a gilded helmet. Montgomery's tournament spear, of course, had a blunt tip, but the spear broke from the blow, a sharp sliver ten centimeters long hit the gap and pierced the king's eye - "the eyes turned dark." It was an absurd accident that simply could not be predicted ...

Henry was able to show his nobility for the last time: before he passed out from the pain, he said that Montgomery was innocent.

When the helmet was removed from the king, Catherine de Medici fainted. Diana stood pale, trembling, but did not dare to approach Heinrich in front of everyone: let everyone know about their relationship, but she considered herself obligated to observe external decorum.

For several days it seemed that the king was about to recover, but then inflammation began. Heinrich lived for another ten days and all this time he experienced inhuman torment - "the cruel unfortunate drank the cup of death."

Diana was not allowed to see the dying king. Finally, Catherine could completely take possession of her beloved, and he was unable to resist this.

Henry II was still alive when a messenger from the queen came to Diane de Poitiers, demanding that she immediately leave Paris and not dare to return without special permission, and also return the “crown jewels”. It was an ancient tradition: with the death of the king, all his entourage, including his wife, mother and children, returned the jewels that belonged to the royal treasury. But Catherine showed pettiness, adding to the list of jewelry that Henry gave Diana not at the expense of the treasury, but from his own funds.

And then an amazing scene took place, described with admiration by Brantome. "Is the king already dead?" asked Diane de Poitiers.

“No, madam, but he will not last even the night,” replied the envoy of Catherine de Medici.

"Well. as long as I still have a master, and I want my enemies to know that even when there is no king, I will not be afraid of anyone. If I am destined to experience misfortune, which I do not hope for, my heart will be too absorbed in suffering so that I can still pay attention to the sorrows and insults that they want to inflict on me.

Only the day after the death of the king, Diana sent a chest of jewels to Catherine de Medici - according to the list - and retired to her palace in Anet. She left him only to open another shelter, which she created with her own money, insisting only that the poor and orphans she had beneficent prayed daily for the soul of the deceased King Henry II.

Friends who remained by her side until the last minute claimed that even death did not deprive her of her beauty. In addition, the countess had excellent health before her awkward fall - she was riding to Mass, and the horse slipped on the paving stones. Diana's hip turned out to be broken, and it did not grow together in any way: nevertheless, she was already in her sixty-seventh year ... the countess lay in bed for several months, weakened, began to fall ill. Realizing that the end was near, she called for a sculptor and last day posed for him for her tombstone.

MONUMENT TO DIANA.

After her death, Diana shared the fate of her beloved king. During the years of the French Revolution, the ashes of all French rulers, their wives and children were removed from the royal tomb in Saint-Denis and thrown into the moat. The revolutionaries did the same with the remains of the royal favorite Diane de Poitiers. It is said that Diana's body was perfectly preserved, and her hair, striking in its beauty, was cut into curls by the rebels to make amulets out of them, promising eternal love.

Diane Poitier went down in history not only as one of the beautiful women of her era, but also as the uncrowned Queen of France. A significant age difference did not prevent her from becoming the favorite of King Henry II and for a long time keeping him near her. However, it is in vain to look for self-interest or a thirst for power in her actions: unlike subsequent mistresses of the French (and not only) monarchs, Diane de Poitiers loved in Henry not a king, but a man.

Origin and early life

According to experts in the field of genealogy, the Poitiers family is much older than the royal one, which is a side branch of the more ancient Capetian family. In any case, there were connections between the two noble dynasties: Aymar de Poitiers was married to Marie Valois, who was the illegitimate daughter of King Louis XI (1461-1483). Their son, Jean, married Jeanne de Batarnay, a representative of another noble French family. Their first child was Diane de Poitiers.

Unfortunately, exact date her birth is unknown. There are two options that are equally successful with historians: either September 3, 1499, or January 9, 1500. Close ties with the ruling dynasty allowed early deceased Jeanne de Batarna to entrust the care of Diana to another daughter of King Louis - Anna de Gode.

One of the main concerns of the girl's teacher was the search for a suitable husband for her. This was found quickly enough: at the age of thirteen, Diana married Ludovic de Breze. This marriage, as expected, was no different from other marriage unions of the Middle Ages: Diana's feelings were not taken into account, it was only about making a good party. Ludovic de Breze was 56 years old at the time of the marriage.

happy marriage

Paradoxically, so unequal marriage became happy for Diane Poitier. According to contemporaries, the young wife was distinguished by fidelity, rare for those times. For almost eighteen years of marriage, she cheated on her husband only once, but this episode also took place against the wishes of Diana.

In 1525, the constable (the highest state position in what was then France), Charles de Bourbon, joined the troops of France's main enemy - the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, Charles of Habsburg. On charges of high treason, not only the criminal was punished, but also his closest friends, namely, the father of Diane de Poitiers was such. To save her father, she immediately went to Paris and obtained an audience with the king. Jean de Poitiers' life was saved at the cost of his daughter's betrayal of her husband. The friend of the traitor was pardoned. But after that, Jean de Poitiers, just in case, isolated his daughter in the remote castle of Saint-Valier: the risk that she would join the staff of the king's numerous mistresses was too high.

Louis de Brese forgave his wife. In the summer of 1531 he died at an advanced age. From this marriage there were two daughters: Louise and Francoise.

Political battles and first meeting

As already mentioned, in the first half of the XVI century political life Europe passed under the sign of confrontation between France and the vast territories of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain united under one scepter. Charles V of Habsburg sought to surround France with his lands and thereby deprive her of her independence.

In 1525, the unsuccessful battle for France took place at Pavia. The king's army was utterly defeated, and he himself experienced an unprecedented humiliation, being captured. Among the conditions imposed by Charles was the payment of a huge indemnity and the marriage of Francis to his sister. Francis could not fulfill the requirements of the winner, being in captivity, therefore he was released, but he had to send his children as hostages as a pledge to fulfill the contract.

The princes were escorted by a huge retinue, among which, as a lady-in-waiting to the queen, was Diane de Poitiers. All the attention of the courtiers was directed to Francis, the eldest son and heir to the throne: they encouraged him in every possible way, gave advice on how to behave in captivity. Henry didn't seem to exist. Only Diana kissed the eleven-year-old prince and uttered a few parting words.

Younger son

If French nobility it was known that Francis Jr. would never become king, but would die in 1536 after drinking a cup of cold water, then Heinrich would have gotten much more attention. But little prince no luck: first his mother died, then four years of Spanish captivity. And if everyone was worried about the health and fate of the Dauphin, then Henry was remembered only for the sake of politeness.

Contemporaries note a striking change that happened to the prince during the years of captivity. As a child, he was a cheerful and sociable boy, and returned as a gloomy and withdrawn young man, who clearly harbored a grudge against his father. The king, concerned about his son's condition, asked Diane de Poitiers to take care of his upbringing. According to another version, Heinrich himself asked his father about this.

The fact that the young prince has some feelings for a woman much older than himself became clear to the whole court during the jousting tournament of 1531. According to the terms of such fights, each knight had to choose a lady for whose honor he promised to fight. Heinrich, without hesitation, chose Diana.

The widowed Diane de Poitiers with two children in her arms could not possibly become the wife of the prince of the blood, and everyone understood this. Perhaps Heinrich dreamed of such an outcome, but the power of tradition was so great that no love could break it. After a careful study of foreign policy issues and family trees, King Francis appointed younger son Italian Catherine from the noble Florentine family of the Medici.

Sources unanimously claim that Catherine was extremely ugly. The surviving portraits seem to confirm these assessments, but at the same time the prince's wife was smart, knew how to behave and was pleasant to talk to. King Francis nevertheless preferred to see that the prince would spend his wedding night in bed with his wife.

The relationship between Catherine and Diane de Poitiers, of course, was not smooth. Especially offensive for the prince's wife was the fact that Heinrich wore the colors of his mistress (Diana did not part with white and black clothes to her death as a sign of mourning for her husband), decorated his things with the monogram DH (the initials of the names Diana and Henri) and even at his coronation gave the favorite a more honorable place than his wife.

The fight of the favorites

The French court of the 16th century is a rather eclectic phenomenon: medieval simplicity has not yet been completely eliminated, but the trends of luxury from the times of absolutism have already appeared. Even a century earlier, it would have seemed reprehensible for royal mistresses to openly appear in public. King Francis, a lover of sensual pleasures, did not particularly care about people's rumors. His favorite, Anna d'Etampes, not only kept court life under control, but also actively intervened in politics. Either because she sympathized with the Protestants, or because of her faded beauty, the king's mistress was nicknamed the Old Mushroom.

Meanwhile, the position of Diane de Poitiers at court was strengthened so much that Anna was seriously afraid for her title of the first beauty of France. She did her best to denigrate her rival, not disdaining a custom-made pamphlet in which Diana's far-fetched attempts to hide her age with various cosmetics were ridiculed. Apparently, the conjectures of Anna d "Etampes were so much in conflict with reality that the pamphlet had no success.

The dispute between the two favorites was decided by time: in 1547, King Francis died. He was the only one who connected Anna with the court world, and her position was immediately shaken. It soon became clear that shortly before the death of her lover, Anna made contact with his worst enemy, Charles V, hoping to secure a comfortable old age. Heinrich immediately expelled his father's favorite from Paris and took away the diamonds that he presented to Diane Poitiers. She, contrary to the expectations of the public, did not take revenge on her rival.

Diane de Poitiers: the secret of beauty

Anna d'Etampes' paflet is interesting in that an accusation of witchcraft slipped through it. For the medieval world, this is a very serious accusation, for which they could easily be sent to the scaffold. The beauty of forty-year-old Diana really raised a lot of questions and a desire to imitate her. However, no magical secret of youth Diane of Poitiers did not possess her secret only in meticulous self-care and physical exercise.For example, Diana's mornings began with a bath of ice water, after which, in any weather, she went on a horseback ride that lasted at least three hours.

Subsequently, the beauty of Diana became canonical. All noble ladies have long tried to comply with the following rules:

skin, teeth, hands should be white;
eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes - black;
lips, cheeks, nails - pink;
body, hair, fingers - long;
teeth, ears, feet - short;
lips, waist, feet - thin;
arms, thighs, calves - full;
nipples, nose, head - small.

queen without a crown

When King Francis died and Henry succeeded to the throne, Diane de Poitiers was at the pinnacle of power. Even during the life of her husband, she showed that, in addition to beauty, she had a remarkable mind, giving him valuable advice related to the management of estates. Now Diana has proved to be an important political player.

Never before has a favorite reached such heights. Even the participation of Anna d "Etampes was limited to her concern for the Protestants and recommendations that Francis listened carefully, but did not always follow. Many foreign monarchs, knowing about Diana's influence on French politics, entered into correspondence with the favorite. Even the Pope did not stand aside.

Many appointments passed through the hands of Diane Poitier. She personally determined to whom to give this or that position. The real queen all this time remained on the sidelines. But Diana was by no means indifferent to her fate. On the contrary, knowing that for some reason Catherine could not give France an heir, the all-powerful favorite undertook to personally deal with this problem. She gave her unfortunate rival various advice, did not allow Henry to come to her, urgently demanding from him the fulfillment of his marital duty. As a result, Diana managed to find a certain doctor who was able to help. Catherine de Medici gave birth to ten children. Diane de Poitiers was instructed to take care of their education.

Unexpected ending

Deprived of access to politics, Catherine gathered around her a society of various fortune-tellers and soothsayers. Among them was the famous Nostradamus, who made several vague prophecies. Among them was the prediction of Henry's death at the age of forty.

Brought up on chivalric novels, Henry loved to arrange tournaments in compliance with all medieval rules. The year 1559, when he turned forty, was no exception. Ekaterina begged her husband to refuse to participate this time. Even Diana seemed to believe the predictions, but Heinrich was adamant.

Belief in predictions in those days was very strong. Gabriel Montgomery - the knight with whom Henry was supposed to fight - refused to enter the battlefield, fearing that it was he who was destined to kill the king. The enraged king ordered the knight to immediately enter the battlefield.

At tournaments, they fought with wooden weapons, and the participants were protected by real armor. But the count unsuccessfully threw a spear: it broke, and one of the chips pierced right into the king's eye. He only had time to say that Montgomery was innocent, and lost consciousness. The agony lasted ten days, and on July 10, 1559, the king died in inhuman agony.

Last years

Catherine de Medici finally had the opportunity to get even with the favorite. First of all, she forbade Diana to enter the room where the dying king was. Some time later, according to the tradition adopted in France, she demanded from Diana the return of all the jewelry and real estate donated to her. The strange thing was that Catherine even demanded back what Heinrich had given Diana Poitiers from personal funds. The favorite meekly returned all the things on the list. The vengeful queen even took Chensoneau, the favorite castle of Diane de Poitiers.

The story of Diana and Henry has attracted the attention of novelists for many centuries. Since Platonic love was not honored in those years, many of them claimed that Henry was the father of the son of Diane de Poitiers. However, this is not true. Whether the love between them was platonic or carnal is still a matter of dispute. But it is hard to believe that from all the records that curious contemporaries left for any reason, the mention of such a high-profile event as the birth of a royal bastard disappeared. As already mentioned, Diane Poitiers had two children, and they were born in a legal marriage with Louis de Breze.

The uncrowned queen spent the last six years of her life in the castle of Anet. She devoted them to the opening of various shelters, from which she demanded only one thing: to pray for the soul of Henry. Eyewitnesses reported that Diana retained her beauty until her death. At the age of sixty-six, she did not change her habit and went on a horseback ride. The horse on which Diana was riding stumbled, and the former favorite, falling from it, broke her hip. Recovery was very difficult. Anticipating an imminent death, Diana ordered a tombstone from the sculptor. On April 26, 1566, she died.

Time turned out to be even more merciless to Diana than Catherine de Medici. For more than two hundred years, her embalmed remains were in the cathedral of Anet. But during the French Revolution, when the rebels wanted to destroy not only the monarchy, but everything connected with it, the temple was devastated, and the remains of Diane de Poitiers were buried in a common grave. They were discovered only in 2008.