Charlotte de Brézé also known as Charlotte de Valois (c. 1446–1477), was an illegitimate daughter of
Charles VII of France
Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious () or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. His reign saw the end of the Hundred Years' War and a ''de facto'' end of the English claims to ...
by
Agnès Sorel
Agnès Sorel (; 1422 – 9 February 1450), known by the sobriquet ''Dame de beauté'' (Lady of Beauty), was a favourite and chief mistress of King Charles VII of France, by whom she bore four daughters. She is considered the first officially ...
. She was the sister of
Marie de Valois (1444–1473) and Jeanne de Valois (b. 1448), and the half sister of
Louis XI of France
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
.
Life
Despite the circumstances of her birth, Charlotte was said to be a great favourite of her father's wife queen
Marie of Anjou
Marie of Anjou (14 October 1404 – 29 November 1463) was Queen of France as the spouse of King Charles VII from 1422 to 1461. She served as regent and presided over the council of state several times during the absence of the king.
Life
Marie ...
.
On March 1, 1462, Charlotte married Jacques de Brézé, seneschal of Normandy and comte de Maulévrier, an arranged and politically expedient match. From this marriage were born five children, including
Louis de Brézé, who would go on to marry as his second wife
Diane de Poitiers
Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and courtier who wielded much power and influence as King Henry II of France, Henry II's Maîtresse-en-titre, royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position inc ...
, herself a mistress of
Henri II of France
Henry II (; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder brother Francis in 1536.
As ...
.
Charlotte was murdered on the night of May 31/June 1, 1477, by her husband. He suspected her of having an affair with one of his huntsmen, Pierre de Lavergne. Charlotte was buried at the Benedictine abbey of
Coulombs.
Further reading
*''Charlotte de Valois et Jacques de Brézé, chronique du XVe siecle'' (1844)
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breze, Charlotte de
1477 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Illegitimate children of French monarchs
15th-century French people
15th-century French women
1440s births
Daughters of kings
French murder victims
People murdered in France
Uxoricides