Charlotte of Albret
Encyclopedia
Charlotte of Albret, suo jure
Dame de Châlus
, Duchess of Valentinois (1480 – 11 March 1514), also known as Charlotte d'Albret, was a wealthy French noblewoman of the Albret
family. She was the sister of King John III of Navarre
, and the wife of the notorious Cesare Borgia
whom she married in 1499. She was the mother of his only legitimate child, Louise Borgia to whom she acted as regent
following the death of Cesare.
, Lord of Albret, and Françoise of Châtillon-Limoges. Her paternal grandparents were Jean I d'Albret and Charlotte de Rohan, and her maternal grandparents were Guillaume de Blois, Viscount of Limoges and Isabelle de La Tour d'Auvergne
, daughter of Bertrand V de La Tour, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne
, and Jacquette du Peschin. Her paternal great-great-grandfather was Charles d'Albret
, Constable of France
, who was killed while commanding the French troops at the Battle of Agincourt
in 1415. She had six siblings including John d'Albret who became King of Navarre upon his marriage to Catherine of Navarre
.
, she married Cesare Borgia
, the notorious illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI
Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei
of the Savoyard House of Candia
. He had recently been created Duke of Valentinois by King Louis XII of France
. His sister was the renowned Lucrezia Borgia
. The marriage was political, arranged with the purpose of strengthening Cesare's alliance with France. Shortly after the wedding, Cesare accompanied King Louis in his invasion of Italy.
Charlotte was described as having been "beautiful and rich". In 1504, she became the owner of the properties of Feusines, Néret, and La Motte-Feuilly.
Cesare and Charlotte together had one daughter:
Cesare had at least eleven illegitimate children by various mistresses.
After escaping from a Spanish prison, Cesare died at the siege of Viana
on 12 March 1507 in the service of Charlotte's brother, the King of Navarre with whom he had sought refuge. Following his death, Charlotte acted as regent for their only daughter, Louise who had succeeded her father as the suo jure Duchess of Valentinois. Almost seven years after Cesare's death, on 11 March 1514, at the Chateau of La Motte-Feuilly, Charlotte died. She was buried in the convent of the Annonciades
at Bourges
.
As of the 21st century, there are many living descendants of Cesare Borgia and Charlotte of Albret, including Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma.
Suo jure
Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
Dame de Châlus
Châlus
Châlus is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in western France.-History:Châlus' is where Richard I of England was wounded by a crossbow bolt and killed as a result of the wound...
, Duchess of Valentinois (1480 – 11 March 1514), also known as Charlotte d'Albret, was a wealthy French noblewoman of the Albret
Albret
The lordship of Albret , situated in the Landes, gave its name to one of the most powerful feudal families of France in the Middle Ages...
family. She was the sister of King John III of Navarre
John III of Navarre
John III , also known as Jean d'Albret, was jure uxoris, King consort of the Queen regnant Catherine of Navarre.He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and his wife, Frances of Châtillon-Limoges.-King of Navarre:...
, and the wife of the notorious Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
whom she married in 1499. She was the mother of his only legitimate child, Louise Borgia to whom she acted as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
following the death of Cesare.
Family
Charlotte was born in 1480, the daughter of Alain I of AlbretAlain I of Albret
Alain I of Albret , called "The Great", was a powerful French aristocrat. He was 16th Lord of Albret, Viscount of Tartas, the 2nd Count of Graves, and the Count of Castres. He was the son of Catherine de Rohan and Jean I of Albret...
, Lord of Albret, and Françoise of Châtillon-Limoges. Her paternal grandparents were Jean I d'Albret and Charlotte de Rohan, and her maternal grandparents were Guillaume de Blois, Viscount of Limoges and Isabelle de La Tour d'Auvergne
La Tour d'Auvergne
La Tour d'Auvergne was a French noble family. Its senior branch, extinct in 1501, held the titles of count of Auvergne and count of Boulogne for about half a century. Its junior branch, extinct in 1802, held the title of duke of Bouillon since 1594 and the titles of duke of Albret and duke of...
, daughter of Bertrand V de La Tour, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne
Count of Boulogne
The county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
, and Jacquette du Peschin. Her paternal great-great-grandfather was Charles d'Albret
Charles d'Albret
Charles d'Albret was Constable of France from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415. He was also the co-commander of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt where he was killed by the English forces led by King Henry V....
, Constable of France
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
, who was killed while commanding the French troops at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
in 1415. She had six siblings including John d'Albret who became King of Navarre upon his marriage to Catherine of Navarre
Catherine of Navarre
Catherine was Queen of Navarre , duchess of Gandia, Montblanc, and Peñafiel, countess of Foix, Bigorre, and Ribagorza, and viscountess of Béarn.- Biography :...
.
Marriage to Cesare Borgia
On 10 May 1499, at the age of 19 at BloisBlois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
, she married Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
, the notorious illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei
Vannozza dei Cattanei
Vannozza dei Cattanei was an Italian noblewoman from the House of Candia, who was one of the many mistresses of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, future Pope Alexander VI. Among them, she was the one whose relationship with him lasted the longest...
of the Savoyard House of Candia
House of Candia
The House of Candia is a European dynastic house, created by a junior branch of the House of Anjou originally from "Castrum Candiaco" in the Dauphiné of the nobility of Savoy and Piemont...
. He had recently been created Duke of Valentinois by King Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. His sister was the renowned Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
. The marriage was political, arranged with the purpose of strengthening Cesare's alliance with France. Shortly after the wedding, Cesare accompanied King Louis in his invasion of Italy.
Charlotte was described as having been "beautiful and rich". In 1504, she became the owner of the properties of Feusines, Néret, and La Motte-Feuilly.
Cesare and Charlotte together had one daughter:
- Louise BorgiaLouise BorgiaLouise Borgia, born princess Louise de Candia-Borgia d'Albret , was a French noblewoman and the suo jure Duchess of Valentinois, having succeeded to the title upon the death of her father Cesare Borgia in 1507 when she was almost seven years old. She was also the suo jure Dame de Chalus...
, suo jure Dame de Châlus, suo jure Duchess of Valentinois (17 May 1500–1553), she first married on 7 April 1517 Louis II de la TrémoilleLouis II de la Trémoillethumb|Portrait of Louis II de la Trémoille by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]] or one of his assistants.Louis II de la Trémoille was a French general. He served under three kings: Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I...
, Governor of Burgundy; she married secondly on 3 February 1530, Philippe de Bourbon, Siegneur de BussetBourbon-BussetThe Bourbon-Busset family is an illegitimate branch of the House of Bourbon, being thus agnatic descendants of the Capetian dynasty. Historically they have been regarded as non-dynastic since decisions rendered by Louis XI of France....
, by whom she had issue.
Cesare had at least eleven illegitimate children by various mistresses.
After escaping from a Spanish prison, Cesare died at the siege of Viana
Viana, Spain
Viana is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. Cesare Borgia is buried there. Francisco Gonzalez de Ibarra, a missionary active in Southern California between 1820 and 1840 was a native of Viana, born there in 1782.**...
on 12 March 1507 in the service of Charlotte's brother, the King of Navarre with whom he had sought refuge. Following his death, Charlotte acted as regent for their only daughter, Louise who had succeeded her father as the suo jure Duchess of Valentinois. Almost seven years after Cesare's death, on 11 March 1514, at the Chateau of La Motte-Feuilly, Charlotte died. She was buried in the convent of the Annonciades
Annunciade
Annunciade is a denomination common to several orders, both religious and military, instituted with a view of the Annunciation.-Religious orders:...
at Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
.
As of the 21st century, there are many living descendants of Cesare Borgia and Charlotte of Albret, including Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma.