Guyonne de Breüil was a French lady-in-waiting at the court of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

in France and Scotland.

Family background

She was a daughter of Henri Lyonnet de Breil, seigneur de Paluau and Anne de Baudreuil. In 1527 she married Jean de Beaucaire, sieur de Puyguillon (1505-1578), in 1527. The Château du Puy-Guillon is at Vernusse in the Auvergne. In June 1552, the Cardinal of Lorraine sent Jean de Beaucaire, Sieur de Puyguillon, usually known as "Peguillon", to Scotland to address the financial affairs of

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

. He became one of masters of Mary, Queen of Scots' household, retiring in 1574.

Scottish court

In September 1561 they both came to Scotland with Mary, Queen of Scots. They returned to France for a visit in August 1562 with their son. Her husband, bringing letters from Mary, was a given a passport to come to London and meet

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

. They were accompanied by Mademoiselle de Fonte-Pertuis and two more of Mary's gentlewomen. The passport issued at

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...

mentions their 14 mounted servants and 12 footmen, and the colours and sizes of their horses and mares, measured in "handfuls". Their companion, Suzanne Constant, Mademoiselle de Fontpertuis, was one of the queen's maidens, she received bedlinen with the queen's four Maries in 1561, dined with them, and was given the "second dule" mourning clothes. She was given a crimson silk chamlet gown with gold embroidery to take back with her to France in August 1562, probably for her marriage to Jean Hurault, seigneur de Veuil. Her name appears in the treasurer's accounts as "Simpartew" or "Fimpartew". A menu was drawn up for the royal household in Scotland just before they left, specifying meals and allowances. The document noted that that the budget for the table for the queen's gentlwomen could be reduced following the departure of "Pinguillon et Fontpertuis''.

Family

Guyonne de Breüil's daughter Marie de Beaucaire (1535-1613), was also a member of Mary's household in France. According to Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme, she was a great favourite of Mary and was then known as "Mademoiselle de Villemontays". She married Sébastien, Duke of Penthièvre in 1556, a master of Mary's household. He came to Scotland as a soldier during the

siege of Leith The siege of Leith ended a twelve-year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Scotland. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after an English force arrived to attempt to assist in removing the ...

in 1560 and was known as "Martigues" from his French title. He returned to Scotland in April 1562 to request that Mary be the godmother of their daughter, Marie (1562-1623). She married Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur in July 1579. In 1566 Mary, Queen of Scots, made a will leaving some of her jewellery to the daughter of Martigues including a necklace with rubies, diamonds and pearls, a ''cottoire'' of pearls, a pearl headdress, and a pearl necklace.Joseph Robertson, ''Inventaires'' (Edinburgh, 1863), p. xxxvii. Another daughter of Guyonne de Breüil, Françoise de Beaucaire, married a Spanish aristocrat, Pierre de Salzedo. Another daughter, Maquize de Beaucaire (1533-1609) was a nun and Abbess of Saint Georges,

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

References

{{Reflist Court of Mary, Queen of Scots Date of death unknown 16th-century French women