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Gabrielle d'Estrees, Marquise
de Monceaux, Duchesse de Beaufort (1571-1599)
Born before 1571 Coeuvres
Died 10 April 1599 Paris
Married June 1592 Noyon Annulled 7-1-1595
Nicolas d'Amerval, Seigneur de Liencourt
Born before 1558
Died after 1600
Children by Henri IV, King of France 1589-1610,
son of Antoine de Bourbon, Duc de Vendome, King of Navarre
and Jeanne III d'Albret, Queen of Navarre 1555-1572
Born 14 December 1553 Pau
Died 14 May 1610 Paris (murdered)
Buried St.Denis
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Although her grandfather, Jean d'Estrees, had been distinguished in
royal service, her father, Antoine d'Estrees, was much less admired. Antoine
was absent-minded and prone to making mistakes, the greatest of which was
to marry Francoise Babou. Almost as disastrous was his decision, when Francoise
had run off, to allow his greedy sister-in-law, Isabelle de Sourdis, to
bring up his children.
Gabrielle was about ten years old when her mother abandoned her children.
However, according to Agrippa d'Aubign‚: "Gabrielle is a miracle of sweet
beauty and feminine charms. How one who is so gentle, so simple and so
modest can bear to tolerate the embraces of a turncoat (Henri IV) who has
loved many women surpasses all understanding". The praise of this stern
Huguenot undoes all the malicious rumours which were spread later on about
Gabrielle.
The sister of Henri IV, Catherine of Navarre, a devout Protestant,
became Gabrielle's intimate friend and was godmother to Gabrielle's only
daughter. When it was rumoured that Henri IV was going to take a royal
bride, it was his sister who suggested he marry Gabrielle
d'Estrees as so did Queen Louise, the widow of King Henri III. Louise
de Coligny, the dowager princess of Orange, publicly befriended Gabrielle
and on at least two occassions visited Henri IV to urge him to marry her.
However, shortly before Henri IV had met her, approaches had been made
to arrange his marriage to Louise de Guise; but this came to nothing because
of Gabrielle. Once Louise de Guise met Gabrielle d'Estrees, they became
the best of friends.
In 1591 Henri IV's mistress was Corisande d'Andouins, Comtesse de Guiche,
but he was already tiring of her. Then Madame de Sourdis appeared with
her lovely nieces, Diane and Gabrielle d'Estrees. However, Gabrielle not
only rejected Henri IV's advances but, in June
1592, married Nicolas d'Amerval, a middle-aged widower whose late wife
had been a cousin of Gabrielle's father. When Gabrielle discovered that
this marriage had been arranged by her father, she was stricken dumb and
spoke to no-one for four days. The reason her father had arranged this
marriage was to protect her from the king, so that when
Gabrielle became the king's mistress he was so angry he broke with
her.
Henri IV, previously unaware of the marriage, hastened to Gabrielle
when he found out. Nicolas d'Amerval claimed he had never slept with Gabrielle
who, when they divorced in 1594, in turn claimed that she regarded him
impotent. On 4 September 1592 Gabrielle left her husband and the next day
joined the king at Chartres, and from then on she travelled the country
with him. Although in the beginning she was unfaithful with the Duc
de Bellegarde, in less than a year later, by June 1593, she was transformed
from an immature, lazy girl to an adult in love with the king.
Previously she had shown no interest in politics but now began to take
notice. She encouraged Henri IV to become a Catholic as this would not
only unite the country but also, so long as Henri IV was regarded a heretic,
the pope would not allow the king a divorce from his estranged wife. Henri
IV's sister Catherine first opposed the king's conversion but Gabrielle
was able to change her mind. Nevertheless, political turmoil still ensued
in France with several Catholic candidates for the crown: Henri IV's uncle,
Infanta Isabella of Spain, the Duke de Guise and the Duke of Lorraine.
Gabrielle continued her efforts to break down Henri IV's opposition to
his conversion till at last he did become Catholic and the Parisians
rejoiced. On separate occassions both Henri IV and Gabrielle met with
the disgruntled Huguenot leaders, promising to protect their rights. Early
in 1594 Henri IV laid siege and conquered Paris. On 7 June 1594 Gabrielle
gave birth to a son, Cesar.
In December 1594, in Gabrielle's presence, an attempt was made on Henri
IV's life. Jean Chastel, a student at a Jesuit college, and another student,
Guignard, were found guilty. On 7 January 1595 Jean Chastel was publicly
hanged and Guignard suffered the same fate two days later. Also on 7 January
1598 Gabrielle's marriage to Nicolas d'Amerval was dissolved on the grounds
of Gabrielle's close relationship to Nicholas's first wife. A few weeks
later Nicolas d'Amerval married a third time. With formal letters patent,
Henri IV legitimised their son, Cesar, but made it clear that at that time
his son was ineligible to become king. Henri IV then left it to Gabrielle
to deal with the pope. She also succeeded in making peace with the Duke
of Mayenne.
On 14 November 1596 Gabrielle gave birth to a daughter, Catherine Henriette.
For the baptism, Queen Elizabeth I of England sent a special ambassador
who also proposed a new treaty between England and France. Then, surprising
everyone, Spain attacked Amiens. One of the first things Gabrielle did
was to ask the people of France to contribute financially to the war efforts
while she herself pawned her jewellery; in doing so she raised a substantial
fortune. Then she rushed to the fortress at Beauvais near Amiens to be
with Henri IV. While at Beauvais, Henri IV fell ill and was nursed by Gabrielle.
He then had to return to Paris to obtain reinforcements but there he collapsed.
It took a long time before he recovered his health. When again well, he
ordered all nobles to pay tax on the land they
owned and requested cardinals and bishops to contribute to the war
fund. It was effective as all complied and Henri IV and Gabrielle were
able to return to Amiens. Although the situation was dangerous, Gabrielle
refused to leave as she wanted to visit the sick and
wounded.
Then the Duke of Mayenne arrived, which proved Gabrielle's saving.
Secretly and suddenly, Austrian soldiers appeared to assist the Spaniards.
This unexpected event confused the French so that two companies of recruits
fled in disorder. Gabrielle remained calm,
ignoring the artillery fire around her and urging on the French soldiers
to resist. Mayenne, rallying several regiments, placed himself at their
head and by midnight the Austrian offensive was blunted. Henri IV then
launched a counter-attack, forcing the Austrians to retreat. The defeat
of the Austrians also brought the surrender of the Spaniards in Amiens.
When the Spanish soldiers were allowed to return home, the French knew
that Philip II of Spain had been beaten and would be forced to keep the
peace. To show his gratitude to Gabrielle, Henri IV created her Duchess
of Beaufort with the stipulation that the title would go on to their son,
C‚sar. She was also given a chest with fifty thousand ‚cus, the sum she
had given him, as well as her jewelry which he had redeemed from her money-lender.
All that prevented peace in France was the last of the rebels, the
wealthy Philippe Emanuel and Marie, Duke and Duchess of Mercoeur and Penthievre.
When they refused to submit to the king, Henri IV and Gabrielle at the
head of a large army went to Brittany where Philippe
Emanuel and Marie still tried to procrastinate. Only when they realised
that the king had lost all patience did Marie approach Gabrielle. The result
was that Cesar was betrothed to Francoise, the only child of the Duke and
Duchess of Mercoeur. This brought their
extensive wealth to the king who, now, did not confiscate their lands.
However, the government of the duchy was taken over by Henri IV. From then
on, Gabrielle, pregnant once more, involved herself with the reconciliation
of Catholics and Protestants. On 13 April 1598, the Edict of Nantes, giving
rights to the Protestants, was signed and four days later Gabrielle gave
birth to another son, Alexandre. Also in 1598, Henri IV decided that he
wished to marry Gabrielle and to achieve this had to divorce his wife,
Margot, who willingly agreed. Not only had she been pressing for divorce
since 1593 but she had given birth to at least one illegitimate child and
as well had enormous debts. Indeed, since back in February 1597 she had
even started correspondence with Gabrielle about the matter. A group of
French nobles were sent to the Vatican to obtain the divorce and, in November
1598, Gabrielle moved into the official bedchamber reserved for the queen.
From then on she was treated by all as though she was indeed queen already.
By Christmas France was at
peace both abroad and at home for the first time in living memory and
Gabrielle received a pension of ten thousand francs per year from the Huguenots.
However, when she was asked to obtain permission for the Jesuits to return
to France, she failed.
Henri IV, certain that his divorce would be granted, announced that
his wedding would take place on Easter Sunday. Paris celebrated and so
did the nobility. But then, although it became obvious that Gabrielle was
again pregnant, the pope procrastinated. What later
became known was that Pope Clement would have approved of the divorce
but only if Henri IV would have married Marie de' Medici. Although Gabrielle's
previous pregnancies had been easy, this time was different. She had feelings
of pending disaster, wept frequently
and suffered from nightmares. On 5 April 1599 she was carried in a
litter from Fontainebleau to Savigny, continuing the next day by boat to
Paris where she went to the house of her aunt. She was able to go to church
but, on returning to ther aunt's house, she fainted. Even though the baby
was not due for another three months, labor pains set in. From then on
she was in agonizing pains and by six o'clock in the evening of the next
day had lost the powers of speech, hearing and sight. After giving birth
to a stillborn child, she died at five in the morning on 10 April 1599.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
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