Elisabeth of France or Isabella of Bourbon (22 November 1602 – 6 October 1644) was

Queen of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

from 1621 to her death and

Queen of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the nea ...

from 1621 to 1640, as the first spouse of King Philip IV & III. She served as regent of Spain during the Catalan Revolt in 1640-42 and 1643–44.Diccionario Biográfico. Real Academia de la Historia
''Isabel de Borbón''

Life

Childhood

Elisabeth, ''Madame Royale'', was born at the

Château de Fontainebleau Palace of Fontainebleau (; ) or Château de Fontainebleau, located southeast of the center of Paris, in the commune of Fontainebleau, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. The medieval castle and subsequent palace served as a residence ...

on 22 November 1602. She was the eldest daughter of King

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

and his second spouse Marie de' Medici. According to the court, her mother showed a cruel indifference to her, because she had believed the prophecy of a nun who assured her that she would give birth to three consecutive sons.''La reina desdichada, Isabel de Borbón (1602-1644)'' in: mujeresenlahistoria.com (in Spanish)
etrieved 11 April 2014 Shortly after her birth, she was betrothed to Philip Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont, son and heir of

Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I ( it, Carlo Emanuele di Savoia; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630. He was nicknamed (, in context "the Hot-Headed") for his rashness and military aggression. Being ...

, by Catherine Michaela, a daughter of King Philip II of Spain. Philip Emmanuel died in 1605.''Isabel de Borbón, reina de España, primera esposa de Felipe IV'' in: museodelprado.es (in Spanish)
etrieved 11 April 2014 As a daughter of the King of France, she was born a ''Fille de France''. As the eldest daughter of the king, she was known at court by the traditional

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

of '' Madame Royale''. The early years of ''Madame Royale'' were spent under the supervision of the royal governess Françoise de Montglat at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a quiet place away from the Parisian court in which she shared education and games with her legitimate siblings and the bastard children that her father had from his constant love affairs. Besides the Dauphin, the other ''Enfants de France'' (Henry IV's legitimate children) were Christine Marie, later Duchess of Savoy;

Nicholas Henri, Duke of Orléans Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...

, who died in infancy; Gaston, Duke of Orléans; and

Henrietta Maria Henrietta Maria (french: link=no, Henriette Marie; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until Charles was executed on 30 January 1649. She was ...

, later Queen of England. When King Henry IV was assassinated outside the

Palais du Louvre The Louvre Palace (french: link=no, Palais du Louvre, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

on 14 May 1610, her brother the Dauphin (with whom Elisabeth had a very close relationship) succeeded him to the throne as King

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

under the

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of their mother Marie de' Medici. When Elisabeth was ten years old, in 1612,

negotiation Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties to reach the desired outcome regarding one or more issues of conflict. It is an interaction between entities who aspire to agree on matters of mutual interest. The agreement c ...

s were begun for a double marriage between the royal families of France and Spain; Elisabeth would marry the

Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias ( es, link=no, Príncipe/Princesa de Asturias; ast, Príncipe d'Asturies) is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain. According to the Spanish Constitution ...

(the future

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

) and her brother Louis the Spanish Infanta

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

Marriage

After her proxy marriage to the Prince of Asturias and Louis's proxy marriage to the Infanta Anne, Elisabeth and her brother met their respective spouses for the first time on 25 November 1615 on the

Pheasant Island Pheasant Island (french: Île des Faisans/Île de la Conférence, es, Isla de los Faisanes, eu, Konpantzia, ) is an uninhabited river island in the Bidasoa river, located between France and Spain, whose administration alternates between the ...

in the river Bidassoa that divides France and Spain between the French city of

Hendaye Hendaye ( Basque: ''Hendaia'')HENDAIA
Fuenterrabía. This was the last time Louis would see his sister. In Spain, Elisabeth's French name took on the Spanish form of ''Isabel''. The religious ceremony took place in the Saint Mary Cathedral in Burgos. At the time of her marriage, the thirteen-year-old ''Isabel'' became the new Princess of Asturias. This marriage followed a tradition of cementing military and political alliances between the Catholic powers of France and Spain with royal marriages. The tradition went back to 1559 with the marriage of King Philip II of Spain with the French princess

Elisabeth of Valois Elisabeth of France or Elisabeth of Valois ( es, Isabel de Valois; french: Élisabeth de France) (2 April 1545 – 3 October 1568) was Queen of Spain as the third spouse of Philip II of Spain. She was the eldest daughter of Henry II of France ...

, the daughter of King

Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...

, as part of the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis. The ''Exchange of the Princesses at the Spanish Border'' was painted by

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradi ...

as part of his Marie de' Medici cycle.

Queen

Elisabeth was renowned for her beauty, intelligence and noble personality, which made her very popular in Spain. In 1621, by the time of the birth of the couple's first child, the couple had ascended to the throne of Spain upon the death of

Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...

. The new queen of Spain was aware that her husband had mistresses. Elisabeth herself was the subject of rumors about her relations with the noted poet Peralta ( Juan de Tassis, 2nd Count of Villamediana), who was her gentleman-in-waiting. On 14 May 1622, a fire broke out while the Peralta

masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A masq ...

''La Gloria de Niquea'' was being acted before the court. Peralta carried the queen to a place of safety, which caused suspicion about their relationship to deepen. Peralta neglected a significant warning that his life was in peril, and "he was murdered as he stepped out of his coach. The responsibility for his death was divided between Philip IV and Olivares" (at the time, prime minister and king's favorite). She was regent of Spain during the Catalan Revolt and supported the Duke of Nochera against the Count-Duke of Olivares in favor of an honorable withdrawal from the Catalan Revolt. Prior to 1640, the queen does not appear to have had much influence over state affairs, which was largely entrusted to Olivares. Elisabeth did not get along with Olivares, who reportedly assisted her spouse in his adultery and prevented her from achieving any political influence and once famously remarked, when she presented a political view to the king, that priests existed to pray as well as queens existed to give birth. Between 1640 and 1642, Elisabeth served as regent for the king in his absence during the Catalan revolt and was given very good marks for her efforts. She was reputed to have influenced the fall of Olivares as a part of a "women's conspiracy" alongside the duchess of Mantua, Ana de Guevara, María de Ágreda and her chief lady-in-waiting Luisa Manrique de Lara, Countess Paredes de Nava. The fall of Olivares made the king consider her his only political partner, and when the king left again for the front in 1643, Elisabeth was again appointed regent assisted by Juan Chumacero Carrillo y Sotomayor. Her second regency was also given good reviews, and she was credited by the king for her efforts to provide vital supplies for the troops as well as for her negotiations with the banks to provide finances for the army, offering her own jewelry as security. It was rumored that she was intending to follow the example of queen Isabella the Catholic and lead her own army to retake

Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populatio ...

. The Queen died in Madrid on 6 October 1644 at the age of forty-one, leaving two children:

Balthasar Charles Balthasar Charles (17 October 1629 – 9 October 1646), Prince of Asturias, Prince of Girona, Duke of Montblanc, Count of Cervera, and Lord of Balaguer, Prince of Viana was heir apparent to all the kingdoms, states and dominions of the ...

and Maria Theresa. After her death, her husband married his niece

Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria ( es, Mariana de Austria) or Maria Anna (24 December 163416 May 1696) was Queen of Spain as the second wife of her uncle Philip IV of Spain from their marriage in 1649 until Philip died in 1665. She was then appointed regent f ...

. Elisabeth's last child, Infanta Maria Theresa of Spain, would later become queen of France as the wife of her nephew, the future

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

. Unlike her husband and sister-in-law, she would not see the wedding that cemented the peace between her homeland and adopted country, Spain; the countries would be at war until 1659. One of her great-grandsons, Philip,

Duke of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

, became King

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

, and through him, Elisabeth is an ancestor of the subsequent Spanish monarchs.

Children

* Maria Margaret of Austria, Infanta of Spain (14 August 162115 August 1621) * Margaret Maria Catherine of Austria, Infanta of Spain (25 November 162322 December 1623) * Maria Eugenia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (21 November 162521 August 1627) * A miscarried daughter (16 November 1626) * Isabella Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (31 October 16271 November 1627) * Balthasar Charles of Austria, Infante of Spain, Prince of Asturias (17 October 16299 October 1646),

. * Francis Ferdinand of Austria, Infante of Spain (12 March 1634) * Maria Anna Antonia Dominica Jacinta of Austria, Infanta of Spain (17 January 16365 December 1636) * Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (10 September 163830 July 1683), married

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...

and had issue. * A miscarried daughter (1640). * A miscarried son (1644).

Gallery

File:Villandrando Isabel de Borbón Lienzo. 201 x 115 cm. Museo del Prado.jpg, Elisabeth portrayed by Rodrigo de Villandrando File:Retrato de Isabel de Borbón, by studio of Diego Velázquez.jpg, Elisabeth portrayed by Velázquez File:Diego Velázquez 069.jpg, Elisabeth portrayed by Velázquez, 1632 File:Velázquez - Isabel de Borbón (Museo del Prado, 1634-35).jpg, An equestrian portrait of Elisabeth by Velázquez, 1632

Ancestors

External links

Diccionario Biográfico. Real Academia de la Historia
''Isabel de Borbón''

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Elisabeth Of France 1602 births 1644 deaths 17th-century French people 17th-century French women 17th-century viceregal rulers 17th-century women rulers People from Fontainebleau Princesses of France (Bourbon) Portuguese queens consort Spanish royal consorts Royal consorts of Naples Royal consorts of Sicily Princesses of Portugal Burials in the Pantheon of Kings at El Escorial Regents of Spain Deaths in childbirth Children of Henry IV of France Daughters of kings