Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon
Encyclopedia
Suzanne de Bourbon was suo jure
Duchess of Bourbon
and Auvergne
from 1503 to her death. Her husband was Charles de Bourbon
.
, and Anne of France
, daughter of King Louis XI of France
. She became duchess regnant in 1503 after the death of her father. Her mother, Anne became her regent
during her minority and negotiated for several different marriages to ensure that she was given a spouse who would protect her position.
One of these marriage proposals resulted in her betrothal on 21 March 1501 to Charles IV, Duke of Alençon, which had required a Papal dispensation. For reasons which are unknown, the betrothal was annulled, and Anne was forced to look for another husband for Suzanne.
On 10 May 1505, at Château du Parc-les-Moulins, Suzanne married her cousin Charles de Bourbon
, head of the Montpensier
family, a cadet branch of the Bourbons. Her husband was made her co-ruler through marriage.
Suzanne of Bourbon had three children:
Suzanne died at Château de Châtellerault
. Her husband kept his position as Duke of Bourbon after her death. Her death without heirs caused her lands to eventually become a part of the kingdom of France.
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....
Duchess of Bourbon
Duke of Bourbon
Duke of Bourbon is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of Bourbon...
and Auvergne
Rulers of Auvergne
-History:In the 7th century Auvergne was disputed between the Franks and Aquitanians. It was later conquered by the Carolingians, and was integrated for a time into the kingdom of Aquitaine...
from 1503 to her death. Her husband was Charles de Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
.
Inheritance and marriage
She was the daughter and only surviving offspring of Peter II, Duke of BourbonPeter II, Duke of Bourbon
Peter 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...
, and 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...
, daughter of King 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 became duchess regnant in 1503 after the death of her father. Her mother, Anne became her 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...
during her minority and negotiated for several different marriages to ensure that she was given a spouse who would protect her position.
One of these marriage proposals resulted in her betrothal on 21 March 1501 to Charles IV, Duke of Alençon, which had required a Papal dispensation. For reasons which are unknown, the betrothal was annulled, and Anne was forced to look for another husband for Suzanne.
On 10 May 1505, at Château du Parc-les-Moulins, Suzanne married her cousin Charles de Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
, head of the Montpensier
Montpensier
The French lordship of Montpensier , located in historical Auvergne, became a countship in the 14th century....
family, a cadet branch of the Bourbons. Her husband was made her co-ruler through marriage.
Suzanne of Bourbon had three children:
- Francis de Bourbon, Count of Clermont. He was born on 17 July 1517, and died in January or February 1518.
- An unnamed pair of twins. They were born dead, Suzanne having suffered either a miscarriage or a still-birth in the wake of Francis' death.
Suzanne died at Château de Châtellerault
Châtellerault
Châtellerault is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in France.It is located to the north of Poitou, and the residents are called Châtelleraudais.-Geography:...
. Her husband kept his position as Duke of Bourbon after her death. Her death without heirs caused her lands to eventually become a part of the kingdom of France.