Mary of Bourbon
Encyclopedia
Mary of Bourbon or Marie de Bourbon (29 October 1515 - 1538) was a daughter of Charles, Duke of Vendôme and Françoise d'Alençon
, daughter of René, Duke of Alençon. Mary was the subject of marriage negotiations of James V of Scotland
. He visited her in France, but subsequently married the Princess Madeleine. Mary died two years later.
of 1517. The Treaty itself was primarily concerned with mutual military support. As James V of Scotland
came of age, at first it was thought he would marry the Princess, Madeleine of Valois. By December 1534, it was clear that Madeleine was sickly. Francis I of France suggested that James V should marry Mary of Bourbon instead to fulfill the Treaty. The marriage was promoted by John Stewart, Duke of Albany, and by the end of 1534, his secretary Nicolas Canivet and James V's secretary Thomas Erskine of Haltoun
had met the Scottish King and shown him Mary's portrait. However, Marguerite de Navarre
had discussed this marriage plan with Henry VIII's diplomat, the Duke of Norfolk
in June 1533. She pointed out that the Duke of Vendôme was closely allied with the Emperor
and claimed that Mary of Bourbon and her sister were 'sore made awry.' The Queen of Navarre wondered if James V might marry Christina of Denmark
, and suggested her sister-in-law Isabella as Queen of Scotland instead.
In January 1535, James V wrote to Francis I explaining that he felt he had been misrepresented in this negotiation, and sent his herald, James Aikenhead to France. Aikenhead was instructed to explain that James could not deviate from the 1517 Treaty by marrying a bride not a Princess without the consent of the Parliament of Scotland
.
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On 3 June 1535, James V wrote from Stirling Castle
to Francis I regarding his possible marriage to Madeleine, the treaty, and the alternative offer of Mary of Bourbon. He wrote that he had heard from Nicolas Canivet that Mary of Bourbon was a possible bride. James V sent the letter with his 'familiar servant,' the herald James Aikenhead, who was told to; 'see and wesie the gentyll woman that is offerit us,' to note her personage, manners, 'having' (deportment) and conversation. Aikenhead, if satisfied on these points, was to enquire about a dowry for Mary as if she were a daughter of Francis. If the business was concluded, Mary should 'haste home' to Scotland with an 'honest train' of gentlewomen before winter. James sent letters on the same day with Aikenhead to Philippe Chabot and Anne de Montmorency
.
Again, the Duke of Albany briefly entertained the idea that James V might marry Christina of Denmark, now the widowed Duchess of Milan, and James V halted progress on the marriage to Mary of Bourbon. At the point, there was also an investigation into the possibility of him marrying his former mistress, Margaret Erskine
. Then, on 28 December 1535, Aikenhead was sent to France to resume the Vendôme marriage plan and get the best deal for James V. Once again, Aikenhead's instructions included that Mary's train should consist of a 'sobir nummyr' of gentlewomen. James V then appointed his 'procurators,' his legal representatives to finalise the match.
On 29 March 1536 a final contract made at Cremieu
, near Lyon
, for Mary to marry James V of Scotland, was sealed by Francis I of France
. The meeting was convened by Jean III d'Estourmel, Master of Household to the Duke of Vendôme, assisted by Mathieu de Lonjoüe, Bishop of Soissons, Guillaume Poyet, President of the French parliament, Guillaume Féau, seigneur de Fernay, Royal Chamberlain, and the Scottish herald James Aikenhead, whose name appears in French records as 'Hacquenet.' The resultant contract was signed by Cardinal Tournon
, the Chancellor Antoine de Bourg, Anne de Montmorency
, Marshall of France, and Admiral Philippe de Chabot
, Count of Busançois. James V had already consented to the marriage by appointing his procurators to finalise the details on 29 December 1535. Among its provisions, the contract provided that Francis I would transfer Dunbar Castle
with the gift of all of its guns, which was kept by the Duke of Albany, to James V, and if James died first Mary would have Falkland Palace
for the rest of her life. In April 1536 Francis I consolidated the agreement by sending James V the collar of the Order of Saint Michael
. The Duke of Albany, who had promoted this marriage plan, died in July 1536.
The Scottish King visited Mary of Bourbon at St. Quentin
in Picardy
in September 1536, but then went south to meet Francis I. Instead of marrying Mary, he married the French king's daughter, Madeleine of Valois. On 14 October 1536, Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, Bishop of Faenza, wrote that Francis I now intended Mary of Bourbon to marry Francis, Marquis of Lorraine
. Both Madeleine and Mary of Bourbon died soon after. The Scottish chronicle writer Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie
wrote;
of Listonshiels. Mary was not fooled and recognised him from his distinctive red hair and the portrait she had been given. Although this story seems doubtful, a modern historian has noted that English observers reported some secrecy about James's trip to St Quentin from Dieppe
. Adam Abell's contemporary chronicle is the earliest source;
After James V married Madeleine, and Dunbar Castle and its guns were handed over, James Aikenhead, who was described as the King's Great Butler, was made its Captain.
Françoise d'Alençon
Françoise d'Alençon was the eldest daughter of René of Alençon and Margaret of Lorraine, and the younger sister and despoiled heiress of Charles IV, Duke of Alençon....
, daughter of René, Duke of Alençon. Mary was the subject of marriage negotiations of James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
. He visited her in France, but subsequently married the Princess Madeleine. Mary died two years later.
First negotiation
A marriage to a French princess for the Scottish king had been an expectation since the Franco-Scottish alliance by the Treaty of RouenTreaty of Rouen
The Treaty of Rouen was signed on August 26, 1517 between France and Scotland. The treaty provided the renewal of the Auld Alliance in terms of mutual military assistance and reciprocal aid...
of 1517. The Treaty itself was primarily concerned with mutual military support. As James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
came of age, at first it was thought he would marry the Princess, Madeleine of Valois. By December 1534, it was clear that Madeleine was sickly. Francis I of France suggested that James V should marry Mary of Bourbon instead to fulfill the Treaty. The marriage was promoted by John Stewart, Duke of Albany, and by the end of 1534, his secretary Nicolas Canivet and James V's secretary Thomas Erskine of Haltoun
Thomas Erskine of Haltoun
Sir Thomas Erskine of Haltoun and Brechin was the royal secretary to James V of Scotland from 1524.-Family:A royal charter of 8 February 1543 noted Thomas as the uncle of the reformer John Erskine of Dun, who was married to a French lady-in waiting of Mary of Guise, Barbara Berlay. Thomas's sister...
had met the Scottish King and shown him Mary's portrait. However, Marguerite de Navarre
Marguerite de Navarre
Marguerite de Navarre , also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of Henry II of Navarre...
had discussed this marriage plan with Henry VIII's diplomat, the Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
in June 1533. She pointed out that the Duke of Vendôme was closely allied with the Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
and claimed that Mary of Bourbon and her sister were 'sore made awry.' The Queen of Navarre wondered if James V might marry Christina of Denmark
Christina of Denmark
Christina of Denmark was a Danish princess who became Duchess-consort of Milan, then Duchess-consort of Lorraine...
, and suggested her sister-in-law Isabella as Queen of Scotland instead.
In January 1535, James V wrote to Francis I explaining that he felt he had been misrepresented in this negotiation, and sent his herald, James Aikenhead to France. Aikenhead was instructed to explain that James could not deviate from the 1517 Treaty by marrying a bride not a Princess without the consent of the Parliament of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
.
Second negotiation
As Francis I had once again firmly indicated to James V that a French princess of the royal family would not be available to him since Madeleine was too frail, the negotiation for his alternative marriage to Mary of Bourbon began again in earnest.Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
to Francis I regarding his possible marriage to Madeleine, the treaty, and the alternative offer of Mary of Bourbon. He wrote that he had heard from Nicolas Canivet that Mary of Bourbon was a possible bride. James V sent the letter with his 'familiar servant,' the herald James Aikenhead, who was told to; 'see and wesie the gentyll woman that is offerit us,' to note her personage, manners, 'having' (deportment) and conversation. Aikenhead, if satisfied on these points, was to enquire about a dowry for Mary as if she were a daughter of Francis. If the business was concluded, Mary should 'haste home' to Scotland with an 'honest train' of gentlewomen before winter. James sent letters on the same day with Aikenhead to Philippe Chabot and Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
.
Again, the Duke of Albany briefly entertained the idea that James V might marry Christina of Denmark, now the widowed Duchess of Milan, and James V halted progress on the marriage to Mary of Bourbon. At the point, there was also an investigation into the possibility of him marrying his former mistress, Margaret Erskine
Margaret Erskine
Lady Margaret Erskine was a mistress of King James V of Scotland.She was a daughter of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Margaret Campbell.James V had a number of mistresses in his time, but some accounts describe her as his favourite...
. Then, on 28 December 1535, Aikenhead was sent to France to resume the Vendôme marriage plan and get the best deal for James V. Once again, Aikenhead's instructions included that Mary's train should consist of a 'sobir nummyr' of gentlewomen. James V then appointed his 'procurators,' his legal representatives to finalise the match.
On 29 March 1536 a final contract made at Cremieu
Crémieu
Crémieu is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.It is located near Bourgoin-Jallieu, about 25 miles east of Lyon.-Early history:...
, near Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, for Mary to marry James V of Scotland, was sealed by Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
. The meeting was convened by Jean III d'Estourmel, Master of Household to the Duke of Vendôme, assisted by Mathieu de Lonjoüe, Bishop of Soissons, Guillaume Poyet, President of the French parliament, Guillaume Féau, seigneur de Fernay, Royal Chamberlain, and the Scottish herald James Aikenhead, whose name appears in French records as 'Hacquenet.' The resultant contract was signed by Cardinal Tournon
François de Tournon
François de Tournon was a French Augustinian diplomat and Cardinal. From 1536 he was also a military leader of French forces operating in Provence, Savoy and Piedmont. In the same year he founded the Collège de Tournon. For a period he was effectively France's foreign minister.-External links:*...
, the Chancellor Antoine de Bourg, Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
, Marshall of France, and Admiral Philippe de Chabot
Philippe de Chabot
Philippe de Chabot, Seigneur De Brion, Count of Charny and Buzançois , also known as Admiral De Brion, was an admiral of France.- Biography :...
, Count of Busançois. James V had already consented to the marriage by appointing his procurators to finalise the details on 29 December 1535. Among its provisions, the contract provided that Francis I would transfer Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
with the gift of all of its guns, which was kept by the Duke of Albany, to James V, and if James died first Mary would have Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a former royal palace of the Scottish Kings. Today it is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and serves as a tourist attraction.-Early years:...
for the rest of her life. In April 1536 Francis I consolidated the agreement by sending James V the collar of the Order of Saint Michael
Order of Saint Michael
The Order of Saint Michael was a French chivalric order, founded by Louis XI of France in 1469, in competitive response to the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece founded by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, Louis' chief competitor for the allegiance of the great houses of France, the Dukes of...
. The Duke of Albany, who had promoted this marriage plan, died in July 1536.
The Scottish King visited Mary of Bourbon at St. Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
in Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
in September 1536, but then went south to meet Francis I. Instead of marrying Mary, he married the French king's daughter, Madeleine of Valois. On 14 October 1536, Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, Bishop of Faenza, wrote that Francis I now intended Mary of Bourbon to marry Francis, Marquis of Lorraine
Francis I, Duke of Lorraine
Francis I was a member of the French nobility. He was briefly Duke of Lorraine from 1544–1545.-History:...
. Both Madeleine and Mary of Bourbon died soon after. The Scottish chronicle writer Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie
Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie
Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie was a Scottish chronicler, author of The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565, the first history of Scotland to be composed in Scots rather than Latin....
wrote;
"the duik of Vandones dochter, quho tuke sick displeasour at the king of Scotlandis marriage that shoe deceast immediately thaireftir: quhairat the king of Scotland was highlie displeased, thinkand that he was the occasioun of that gentlewoman's death."
A meeting in disguise?
Four Scottish chronicles record a story that James V had entered the court of the Duke of Vendôme in disguise. He had exchanged his clothing with a servant, perhaps John TennentJohn Tennent
John Tennent of Listonshiels was a servant and companion of James V of Scotland. He kept an account of the king's daily expenses which is an important source document for the Scottish royal court....
of Listonshiels. Mary was not fooled and recognised him from his distinctive red hair and the portrait she had been given. Although this story seems doubtful, a modern historian has noted that English observers reported some secrecy about James's trip to St Quentin from Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
. Adam Abell's contemporary chronicle is the earliest source;
"In ane dissimilit vestement he com to the duik of Vendôme fathir of the lady that he suld haif marreit. He wes knawin thare be his picture."
After James V married Madeleine, and Dunbar Castle and its guns were handed over, James Aikenhead, who was described as the King's Great Butler, was made its Captain.
External links
- Drawing of Mary of Bourbon, c. 1535 by François ClouetFrançois ClouetFrançois Clouet , son of Jean Clouet, was a French Renaissance miniaturist and painter, particularly known for his detailed portraits of the French ruling family.-Historical references:Clouet was born in Tours....
, Musée Condé, Chantilly, RMN. - Drawing of Mary of Bourbon, c. 1534 by Jean ClouetJean ClouetJean Clouet was a miniaturist and painter who worked in France during the Renaissance. He was the father of François Clouet.-Biography:Clouet was allegedly born in Brussels....
, Musée Condé, Chantilly, RMN. - Teulet, Alexandre, Relations Politiques de la France et de l'Espagne avec l'Ecosse, vol. 1, Paris (1862) (Internet Archive)