Louis XIII his early life

King Louis XIII of France was a Catholic monarch, who came to the throne at the age of nine. His father, Henri IV was the first monarch from the House of Bourbon, was assassinated in Paris on 14 May 1610.

If someone were to write a CV of the life of Louis XIII, King of France, his reign could simply be summarised as:

• Born: 27 September, 1601 at Fontainebleau.
• Mother: Marie de Medici
• Father: Henri IV
• Occupation: Absolute Monarch
• House: Bourbon
• Religion: Catholic
• Became King: Following assassination of his father on 14 May, 1610
• Regency: Mother ruled until his majority in 1614
• Key Influence: Cardinal Richelieu
• Wife: A Spanish princess Anne of Austria¹
• Children: Two
• Louis XIV
• Phillippe I, Duc de Orléans
• Death: 14 May, 1643

There is however a lot more to Louis than that. Between them Louis and Richelieu, who controlled the government, were to rebuild France and forge a powerful European state. Yet to understand the young King Louis it is vital to first understand his father, King Henri IV.

Henri of Navarre

Henri hd been originally baptised into the Catholic faith. however Henri's mother Jeanne d'Albret Queen of Navarre brought him up as a member of the Huguenot faith. And as a leader of the Protestant cause. he became the King of Navarre, when in 1572 when his mother Jeanne d'Albret died.

²

This meant as King of Catholic France, he could not remain a leader of a Protestant Huguenot army, so in effect he was forced to change his faith and as a Catholic. He could then fight a series wars from 1589 to 1593 against the armies of rival Protestant states to keep his throne. This change of faith was not without cost, he became regarded by many as a man who abandoned his faith for his own advancement he became widely distrusted.

François Ravaillac. Catholic patriot or Assassin.

This may have been one of the reasons that led to his assassination in 1610 by François Ravaillac.

Ravaillac a teacher and catholic fanatic had made repeated attempts to have an audience with the king. He wanted to explain his vision for the conversion of the Huguenots to the Catholic faith. He regarded Henri's decision to invade the Spanish Netherlands as a direct attack on the Catholic faith. On May 14, in Paris 1610 whilst Henri was travelling through Paris to visit his friend and advisor the Duke of Sully. Ravaillac who become aware of the kings plans, waited in the street for the kings coach to pass. The streets were busy and the coach was halted by traffic, when the coach halted Ravaillac simply climbed onto the coach and stabbed the king.

Obviously guilty, he was condemned to death, it is recorded that Ravaillacs sentence was death by dismemberment. The official punishment for regicides was that they were to be pulled apart by horses.

Henri was succeed by 9 year old Louis, and a consequence of this was it allowed queen Marie de Medici to establish herself as regent in all but name. And minister of France, Cardinal de Richelieu was able to expand his power and influence beyond his office.

Louis of France and Anne of Austria

Henry had secured the succession with two children, Louis destined to be King Louis XIII of France, and Henrietta Maria who was to become the wife of Charles I of England.

Louis had a difficult childhood, there is some evidence that he became the victim of his father Henri's sexual attentions³ and this was to allow his mother and others to manipulate him. In November 1615, at the age of 14 Louis married the 14 year old daughter of Philip III of Spain, Anna María Mauricia, known to history as Anne of Austria⁴.

The wedding day was a torment for Louis was so terrified that he needed to be carried to the alter. During the ceremony Louis could hardly speak through fear. The couple’s first night was a farce, including the inspection of the sheets from their bed, on the following morning.

After the wedding night it was customary to inspect the sheets of a newly married couple. Any stains found on sheets were normally regarded as proof of consummation. When they were displayed to the court by Marie, no one in the court however regarded these as genuine. Louis found the whole thing so distasteful that the royal couple did not take meals together for months. All this was seen as a blow to Cardinal Richelieu's plans to secure a Catholic successor for the French throne.

Louis ignored his new bride, his mother, Marie de' Medici⁵ now put great pressure on the couple to consummate the marriage, as Maries parents could use a legal precedent and force an annulment of the marriage if unconsummated.

It was during this period of the young king's life he begun to fall under influence of the first minister of France, Cardinal de Richelieu.

The Children of Louis and Anne

The marriage Louis XIII and Anna María Maurici continued unhappily. Royal Louis duties kept them separated for long periods. In the little time they spent together they tried to discharge their royal duty to provide an heir. It was to take nearly 24 years eventually the couple finally produced an heir on 5 September 1638, Named Louis Dieudonné⁶ the future Louis XIV. In gratitude the devout Queen Anne decided to build the Benedictine abbey of the Val-de-Grâce in thanks for the birth. his father Louis XIV was not sure of the miracle but despite his doubts he laid the cornerstone of the new building.

The royal couple had suffered several stillbirths, fortunately they eventually had 2 surviving children.

Louis XIV of France, 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715.

Philippe I, Duc d'Orléans, who lived 21 September, 1640 – 8 June, 1701.

Louis, Marie de' Medici and Cardinal de Richelieu

Owing to Louis age Marie de' Medici had been declared regent until Louis was 16. Marie continued to regard herself as Queen of France and ignored Anne’s position as queen. Anne responded by creating a Spanish court at the palace and surrounded herself with high-born Spanish ladies-in-waiting.

Political intrigue worsened when Louis now reliant upon Cardinal de Richelieu* who wanted to isolate Anne and prevent her from having any effect on any of Louis political decisions. Fortunately for the future of France the Cardinal succeeded to hold on to his master's favour and Louis now merely tolerated Anne, this made the Cardinal the virtual ruler of France.

One of Louis XIII's great challenges was managing the country's continuing religious discord. He managed to score an important victory against the Huguenots in 1628 at La Rochelle. In 1630, Louis found himself battling his own mother after she insisted on Richelieu's dismissal. Instead, he chose to send his mother back into exile.

Anne turned to the one friend Anne made in the court the Duchesse de Chevreuse, Marie de Rohan-Montbazon. The Duchesse de Chevreuse was artful in both the ways of the court and the bedroom. She was to prove a great asset to Anne.

It may have been Marie Duchesse de Chevreuse who was instrumental in persuading Anne and Marie de' Medici to unite and demand the dismissal of Cardinal de Richelieu. When in November 1630 the two women confronted Louis with the demand Louis retreated to his hunting lodge in Versailles.

The Cardinal soon followed Louis to Versailles, where he gained Louis continued support. This support was to continue until Richelieu's death in 1642. This failed attempt has been since been recorded in history as the "Day of Dupes".

The marriage Louis XIII and Anna María Mauricia continued unhappily. Royal Louis duties kept them separated for long periods. In the little time they spent together in the discharge their royal duty together they found time to provide France with an heir. It was to take nearly 24 years⁷ eventually the couple finally produced an heir on 5 September 1638, Named Louis Dieudonné⁸ the future Louis XIV.

George Villiers And Anne Of France

George Villiers the Duke of Buckingham is remembered today as a favourite of King James and a friend of his son Charles⁹, and also for his swift elevation to a position of wealth and power. There was more than that however, he was an outrageous and notorious lover and schemer.

When the Duke of Buckingham returned to France on official court business, in May 1624, he lodged once again at the mansion of the Duchesse de Chevreuse. The Duke was attracted to Anne, but weather Anne reciprocated is unclear, it has been said that he was determined to become her lover. The detail of what occurred has not recorded but George and Anne met at first during banquets, as the relationship progressed¹⁰ they began to meet in private. Royal courts by today’s standards had fairly loose morals, and the French court was more liberal than England's and corruption was endemic. After a week in Paris having failed to achieve a conclusion to the state business, Buckingham left Paris.

Buckingham was to meet Anne later in Amiens¹¹ which was on Buckinghams route to Calais. The meeting was reported to have been of an intimate nature. Later and reports indicate that Anne inquired amongst her ladies about childbirth. Anne also had a pet name for George, "My king dog" that is evident as she used this in a private note to him.

There is a famous novel set in this period, by Alexandre Dumas entitled The Three Musketeers, and there is evidence to suggest that this novel might not be entirely the work of fiction. There may have been some truth in the story of the diamond studs as told in the novel, The Three Musketeers. They did exist and two may have been given to Buckingham as a gift. They would have had to be swiftly reproduced to hide the loss, we will never know for sure.

Louis Later Life

In 1617, Louis had assumed control of the court and sent his mother into exile in Blois. He then ruled with much guidance and support from his closest advisers. Louis eventually realised how useful Cardinal Richelieu could be, and had proved this by appointing the Cardinal as his chief minister in 1624. Richelieu was able to exert an extraordinary amount of influence on foreign and domestic policies.

Louis had many problems but the greatest was to control the religious discord in France. He managed to relax religious tension when in 1630 his forces managed a victory against the protestant forces at La Rochelle.

Then in 1635 Louis went to war with Spain. His victories in the Spanish wars increased his popularity throughout France. This was not without family problems, unfortunately for Louis he had married a spanish princess and her passionate reaction to the conflict caused Cardinal Richelieu to attempt to bring a charge of of treason against Queen Anne.

Louis was only 40 when he was taken ill with what turned out to be tuberculosis, he passed away on 14 May, 1643 aged 41. He was succeeded son, who became Louis XIV.

Louis was a good king for france he left his country in a position to assume its place in Europe. With Richelieu's help under Louis France had become, more influential, militarily powerful and had a stronger economy.

Postscript

If his writing is anything to go by, Alexandre Dumas seems to have had some admiration for Buckingham. Not however Charles Dickens¹² who had a different view writing of him as "that insolent upstart" and describing his war in France as being started by "that pestilent Buckingham" and the main reason was "to gratify his own wounded vanity". That view would be an accurate reflection of public opinion of England at the time.

There is also some evidence that Lady de Winter to have existed. it is possible that she was Lucy Percy the Countess of Carlisle 1599–1660. In the diaries of François de La Rochefoucauld, written whilst he was in the service of Queen Anne of Austria. Various aliases are mentioned Lady Clarick de Winter, Lady de Clarick and Lucy Percy or Lucy Hay the Countess of Carlisle. The activities of Lucy Percy however were more involved in the intrigues of the English Civil War. Working for the Royalist cause as the queens messenger passing news between bands of royalists. She was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London from 21 March 1649 to 25 September 1650. Royalist handbills stated she was almost put to the rack to gain information about her activities.