Charlotte of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Charlotte of Savoy was the second wife and only Queen consort
of Louis XI of France
. She had three surviving children, one of whom succeeded Louis as King Charles VIII of France
, with her eldest daughter, Anne of France
, acting as his regent
.
, and Anne of Cyprus
. Her maternal grandparents were Janus of Cyprus
and Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche
. Her maternal grandmother, for whom she was probably named, was a daughter of John I, Count of La Marche
, and Catherine de Vendôme.
She was one of 19 children, 14 of whom survived infancy.
. For reasons unknown, the betrothal was annulled. Less than eight years later on 14 February 1451, Charlotte married Louis, Dauphin France
(future Louis XI), eldest son of Charles VII of France
and Marie of Anjou
. The bride was only nine years old and the groom twenty-seven. The marriage, which had taken place without the consent of the French king, was Louis' second; his first wife, Margaret of Scotland
, had died childless in 1445. Upon her marriage, Charlotte became Dauphine of France.
In spite of her virtues, Louis neglected her. For example, upon his succession to the throne of France, he immediately abandoned her in Burgundy - where the two had been in exile - to secure his inheritance, leaving the young Queen dependent upon the aid of Isabella of Bourbon
, wife of Charles, Heir of Burgundy
. A contemporary of Charlotte's noted that "while she was an excellent Princess in other respects, she was not a person in whom a man could take any great delight"; She was, however, praised for the taste and excellence of her personal library.
On 22 July 1461, Charlotte became Queen consort of France. She held that position until her husband's death on 30 August 1483.
Charlotte gave her husband eight children; however, only three survived infancy; these were the future King Charles VIII
, and princesses Anne of France
(better known as Anne de Beaujeu), who would act as regent of the kingdom, and Jeanne of France
, who later became the consort of Louis XII of France
.
After a solitary life, Charlotte died on 1 December 1483 in Amboise
, just a few months after her husband's death.
She is buried with him in the Notre-Dame de Cléry Basilica http://www.clery-saint-andre.com/basilique.html in Cléry-Saint-André
(Loiret
) in the arrondissement of Orléans
.
:
Upon the death of her daughter, Anne, Charlotte's line became extinct; her granddaughter, Suzanne having died in 1521 without surviving issue.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Louis XI of France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
. She had three surviving children, one of whom succeeded Louis as King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, with her eldest daughter, Anne of France
Anne of France
Anne of France was the eldest daughter of Louis XI of France and his second wife, Charlotte of Savoy. Anne was the sister of King Charles VIII of France, for whom she acted as regent during his minority; and of Joan of France, who was briefly queen consort to Louis XII...
, acting as his 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...
.
Family
She was a daughter of Louis, Duke of SavoyLouis, Duke of Savoy
Louis I was Duke of Savoy from 1440 until his death.-Life:...
, and Anne of Cyprus
Anne of Cyprus
Anne of Cyprus was the daughter of King Janus of Cyprus and Charlotte de Bourbon; and a member of the celebrated Lusignan crusader dynasty...
. Her maternal grandparents were Janus of Cyprus
Janus of Cyprus
Janus of Cyprus was a King of Cyprus, King of Armenia and a Titular King of Jerusalem from 1398 to 1432.-Biography:He was born in Genoa where his father, King James I of Cyprus was a captive...
and Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche
Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche
Charlotte de Bourbon was the Queen consort of Cyprus and titular Queen consort of Armenia and Jerusalem through her marriage to King Janus of Cyprus. She was his second wife and the mother of his six legitimate children, which included King John II and Anne de Lusignan...
. Her maternal grandmother, for whom she was probably named, was a daughter of John I, Count of La Marche
John I, Count of La Marche
John of Bourbon-La Marche , was the second son of James I, Count of La Marche and Jeanne of Châtillon.-Life:...
, and Catherine de Vendôme.
She was one of 19 children, 14 of whom survived infancy.
Betrothal and marriage
On 11 March 1443, when Charlotte was just over a year old, she was betrothed to Frederick of Saxony (28 August 1439- 23 December 1451), eldest son of Frederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II, Elector of Saxony
Frederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
. For reasons unknown, the betrothal was annulled. Less than eight years later on 14 February 1451, Charlotte married Louis, Dauphin France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
(future Louis XI), eldest son of Charles VII of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
and Marie of Anjou
Marie of Anjou
Marie of Anjou was the Queen consort of King Charles VII of France from 1422 to 1461. Her mother, Yolande of Aragon, played a leading role in the last phase of the Hundred Years' War.-Family:...
. The bride was only nine years old and the groom twenty-seven. The marriage, which had taken place without the consent of the French king, was Louis' second; his first wife, Margaret of Scotland
Margaret Stewart (Dauphine of France)
Margaret of Scotland was a Princess of Scotland and the Dauphine of France. She was the firstborn child of King James I of Scotland and Queen Joan Beaufort....
, had died childless in 1445. Upon her marriage, Charlotte became Dauphine of France.
In spite of her virtues, Louis neglected her. For example, upon his succession to the throne of France, he immediately abandoned her in Burgundy - where the two had been in exile - to secure his inheritance, leaving the young Queen dependent upon the aid of Isabella of Bourbon
Isabella of Bourbon
Isabella of Bourbon, Countess of Charolais was the second wife of Charles the Bold, Count of Charolais and future Duke of Burgundy. She was a daughter of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon and Agnes of Burgundy, and the mother of Mary of Burgundy, heiress of Burgundy.-Life:Not much is known about her life...
, wife of Charles, Heir of Burgundy
Charles I, Duke of Burgundy
Charles the Bold , baptised Charles Martin, was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477...
. A contemporary of Charlotte's noted that "while she was an excellent Princess in other respects, she was not a person in whom a man could take any great delight"; She was, however, praised for the taste and excellence of her personal library.
On 22 July 1461, Charlotte became Queen consort of France. She held that position until her husband's death on 30 August 1483.
Charlotte gave her husband eight children; however, only three survived infancy; these were the future King Charles VIII
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, and princesses Anne of France
Anne of France
Anne of France was the eldest daughter of Louis XI of France and his second wife, Charlotte of Savoy. Anne was the sister of King Charles VIII of France, for whom she acted as regent during his minority; and of Joan of France, who was briefly queen consort to Louis XII...
(better known as Anne de Beaujeu), who would act as regent of the kingdom, and Jeanne of France
Joan of France, Duchess of Berry
Joan of France was briefly Queen consort of France as wife of King Louis XII of France, in between the death of her brother, Charles VIII, and the annulment of her marriage....
, who later became the consort of 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...
.
After a solitary life, Charlotte died on 1 December 1483 in Amboise
Amboise
Amboise is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It lies on the banks of the Loire River, east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court...
, just a few months after her husband's death.
She is buried with him in the Notre-Dame de Cléry Basilica http://www.clery-saint-andre.com/basilique.html in Cléry-Saint-André
Cléry-Saint-André
Cléry-Saint-André is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
(Loiret
Loiret
Loiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :...
) in the arrondissement of Orléans
Arrondissement of Orléans
The arrondissement of Orléans is an arrondissement of France, located in the Loiret département, in the Centre région. It has 24 cantons and 122 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Orléans are:# Artenay# Beaugency...
.
Issue
With Louis XI of FranceLouis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
:
- Louis (1458–1460)
- Joachim (1459-1459)
- Louise (1460-1460)
- Anne de Beaujeu (3 April 1461 -14 November 1522), Duchess of Bourbon, Viscountess of Thouars (1468–1473), Regent of France (1483–1491); married Peter II, Duke of BourbonPeter II, Duke of BourbonPeter II, Duke of Bourbon was the son of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon and Agnes of Burgundy, and a member of the House of Bourbon...
, by whom she had one daughter, Suzanne, Duchess of BourbonSuzanne, Duchess of BourbonSuzanne de Bourbon was suo jure Duchess of Bourbon and Auvergne from 1503 to her death. Her husband was Charles de Bourbon.-Inheritance and marriage:...
. - Joan of France, Duchess of BerryJoan of France, Duchess of BerryJoan of France was briefly Queen consort of France as wife of King Louis XII of France, in between the death of her brother, Charles VIII, and the annulment of her marriage....
(23 April 1464- 4 February 1505), was briefly married to King Louis XII of FranceLouis XII of FranceLouis 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...
as his first wife. She did not produce any children, and the marriage was quickly annulled. - Francis (1466-1466)
- Charles VIIICharles VIII of FranceCharles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
(30 June 1470- 7 April 1498), married Anne of BrittanyAnne of BrittanyAnne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Eleanor of...
; he died childless. - Francis (1472–1473)
Upon the death of her daughter, Anne, Charlotte's line became extinct; her granddaughter, Suzanne having died in 1521 without surviving issue.