Marguerite of Valois

Marguerite of Valois was a French princess and writer who became the queen consort of Navarre and France. She was the daughter of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici, and the sister of three kings: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. She married Henry of Navarre, the leader of the Protestant Huguenots, in 1572 as part of a peace plan to end the religious wars in France. However, six days after their wedding, the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre took place, in which thousands of Protestants were killed by Catholic mobs. Marguerite protected her husband from death by hiding him in her rooms. She remained faithful to him despite his infidelity and her own numerous affairs. She also tried to mediate between him and her brothers, who were often in conflict over the control of France. She followed Henry to Navarre in 1582, where she became involved in the cultural and political life of the kingdom. She supported his claim to the French throne after the death of her brother Henry III in 1589, but she opposed his conversion to Catholicism in 1593 as a betrayal of the Protestant cause. She refused to agree to an annulment of their marriage until 1599, when she received a large compensation and the title of Queen of France . She then retired to Paris, where she devoted herself to writing, patronizing arts and letters, and hosting a brilliant salon. She wrote her Memoirs, which are considered a valuable historical source and a remarkable example of autobiographical literature. She also wrote several poems, letters, and plays. She died in 1615 at the age of 61 and was buried in the Basilica of St Denis, the traditional burial place of French kings and queens.