Claude of France

Claude of France was the eldest daughter of King Louis XII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany. She was born on 13 October 1499 in Romorantin-Lanthenay, France. She was named after Saint Claudius, whom her mother had invoked during a pilgrimage to have a living child. Claude inherited the Duchy of Brittany from her mother in 1514, and became Queen consort of France by marrying her cousin Francis I, who also succeeded her father as King of France in 1515. Claude was a pious and gentle woman, who suffered from scoliosis and poor health. She gave birth to seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. She was also involved in the administration of her duchy and the education of her children. She died on 20 July 1524 in Blois, France, at the age of 24, from sepsis caused by an abscess in her ear. She was buried at Saint Denis Basilica, where her tomb was later destroyed during the French Revolution. Claude is remembered as a patron of the arts and a defender of Brittany's autonomy within the French kingdom. She also gave her name to a variety of plum called Reine Claude (Queen Claude) in her honor.