Biette Cassinel (; c.1320s-1394) was the supposed royal
mistress
Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to:
Romance and relationships
* Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a d ...
of
Charles V of France
Charles V (21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380), called the Wise (french: le Sage; la, Sapiens), was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380. His reign marked an early high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armi ...
from 1360 until 1363.
Biette was the daughter of the François Cassinel, ''sergent d'armes'' of
John II of France
John II (french: Jean II; 26 April 1319 – 8 April 1364), called John the Good (French: ''Jean le Bon''), was King of France from 1350 until his death in 1364. When he came to power, France faced several disasters: the Black Death, which kill ...
, and Alix Deschamps. She was the sister of Ferry Cassinel,
bishop of Lodève
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
and
Auxerre
Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...
and eventually
archbishop of Rheims
The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese ...
.
Biette was married to Gérard de Montagu by 1336. She was the mother of
Jean de Montagu
Jean de Montagu or Jean de Montaigu (c.1349/50, Paris – Paris, 17 October 1409), was a royal secretary and pupil to Charles V, and subsequently an administrator and advisor to Charles VI of France, who became a leading figure in France during the ...
, who would rise to become
Grand Master of France
The Grand Master of France (french: Grand Maître de France) was, during the and Bourbon Restoration in France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "", the king's royal household. The position is similar to that of ...
. It is said by some that Jean was her son by Charles V, while Merlet and Delachenal state there is no evidence for this. Autrand states that a clerk of
Parlement
A ''parlement'' (), under the French Ancien Régime, was a provincial appellate court of the Kingdom of France. In 1789, France had 13 parlements, the oldest and most important of which was the Parlement of Paris. While both the modern Fre ...
skipped two words, concerning Jean's execution, which incorrectly attributed Charles V as Jean's father, instead of his legitimate father Gerard de Montaigu.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassinel, Biette de
Mistresses of French royalty
1325 births
1394 deaths