Françoise de Montmorency-Fosseux (; 1566 – 6 December 1614), also called "La Belle Fosseuse" or "La Fosseuse", was mistress to King Henry III of Navarre (future King

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

) from 1579 to 1581.

Biography

Françoise de Montmorency-Fosseux was the youngest of five daughters born to Pierre de Montmorency-Fossuex. At age fourteen, she became lady-in-waiting to Queen

Margaret of Valois Margaret of Valois (, 14 May 1553 – 27 March 1615), popularly known as , was List of Navarrese royal consorts, Queen of Navarre from 1572 to 1599 and Queen of France from 1589 to 1599 as the consort of Henry IV of France and III of Navarre. Ma ...

. A shy and blushing girl, she caught the attentions of

Henry III of Navarre Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

. He called her "''ma fille''" and plied her with cakes, pastries, and rosewater sweets. She finally gave in to his advances during a voyage to

Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...

, and afterwards grew ambitious and arrogant towards Queen Margaret, carrying on the affair in hopes of marriage. She eventually became pregnant, and with the prospect of bearing the child of a king, came to consider herself queen. Wary of gossip, however, she and Henry fled court at

Nérac Nérac (; , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Lot-et-Garonne Departments of France, department, Southwestern France. The composer and organist Louis Raffy was born in Nérac, as was the former Arsenal F.C., Arsenal and FC Girondins de Bo ...

for Eaux-Chaudes from 7 to 25 June 1581. Margaret traveled with them as far as

Bagnères de Bigorre Bagnères is part of the name of three towns in France, all in the Pyrenees: *Argelès-Bagnères, Hautes-Pyrénées Department *Bagnères-de-Bigorre, Hautes-Pyrénées Department *Bagnères-de-Luchon Bagnères-de-Luchon (; ), also referred to as ...

. Margaret proposed banishing her rival from court, but La Fosseuse screamed that she would refuse to cooperate. Françoise finally gave birth to a daughter, but the child was stillborn. The doctor informed Henry, and Margaret made sure the

lying-in Lying-in is the term given to the European forms of postpartum confinement, the traditional practice involving long bed rest before and after giving birth. The term and the practice it describes are old-fashioned or archaic, but lying-in u ...

proceeded as discreetly as possible by acting as

midwife A midwife (: midwives) is a health professional who cares for mothers and Infant, newborns around childbirth, a specialisation known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughou ...

. Margaret was then invited by her mother

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

to Paris, along with her ladies-in-waiting, including Françoise. Catherine advised her daughter to return Françoise to her own parents. Following this counsel, Margaret chased La Fosseuse from court in 1582. Henry took this as a personal insult, but did nothing to retaliate, as he had then fallen to the charms of "the beautiful Corisande," Diane d'Andoins. On 11 March 1596, Françoise de Montmorency-Fosseux married François de Broc, Baron of Cinq-Mars. At her death in 1614, she was buried in the church at

Broc Broc (; , locally ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Gruyère (district), Gruyère in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Fribourg (canton), Fribourg in Switzerland. History Broc is first mentioned in 1115 as ...

References

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Montmorency-Fosseux, Francoise de Mistresses of Henry IV of France 16th-century French women 1566 births 1642 deaths Francoise French ladies-in-waiting

Biography

See also

References

Sources