Diane de Poitiers, Mistress of King Henri II of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Diane de Poitiers was the royal mistress of King Henri II of France from around 1534 until the King’s death in 1559. During that time, she was considered by most to be the most powerful and influential woman in France, far surpassing the King’s wife, the former Catherine de’ Medici.

Diane de Poitiers – source: Wikipedia

Diane de Poitiers was born on January 9, 1500 at the Château de Saint-Vallier in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. She was the second child, and eldest daughter, of Jean de Poitiers, Vicomte d’Estoile and Seigneur of Saint-Vallier and his wife, Jeanne de Batarnay.

Following her mother’s death in 1506, Diane was raised in the court of Princess Anne of France (Anne de Beaujeu), the daughter of King Louis XI and sister of King Charles VIII of France, for whom she had served as regent from 1483-1491 when he reached his majority). During this time, Diane received an education typical for young girls in the aristocracy at that time – studying languages, music, several languages, and proper etiquette. She also became a skilled huntress – something she enjoyed well into her later years.

In 1515, Princess Anne arranged for Diane to marry Louis de Brézé, Comte de Maulevrier and Seigneur d’Anet, who was nearly 40 years older than her. He was a grandson of King Charles VII of France and served as a courtier to King François I. The couple had two daughters:

During her marriage, Diane became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude of France (mother of Henri II) and later served in the same role to Louise of Savoy (grandmother of Henri II) and Queen Eléanore of France (stepmother of Henri II). Along with her position at court, Diane also became known for her financial independence – something rarely seen for a woman in those times. Widowed in 1531, Diane went to court to retain her husband’s estates and titles in her own right, and not be required to submit them to a male relative as was expected. Impressed by her acumen, King François issued Letters Patent allowing Diane to retain everything until ownership could be established, allowing her to establish complete financial independence.

King Henri II. source: Wikipedia

Through her presence at court, Diane became known to the young Prince Henri. Eighteen years older than the young prince, she made quite an impression on him despite his young age. Despite his marriage in 1533 to Catherine de’ Medici – Diane’s second cousin – the young Prince was smitten with Diane. From their correspondence, it is believed that Diane became his mistress sometime around 1534.

For the next 25 years, Diane de Poitiers would be the King’s closest companion, and many felt she was the most powerful woman in France at the time. Her influence on the King was without match, and he relied heavily on her advice in all official decisions. Such was her position that when foreign royals and leaders would send gifts to the Queen, they would also send gifts to Diane.

Château de Chenonceau. photo: CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=604946

The King, too, showered Diane with gifts. She was created Duchess of Valentinois in 1548, and Duchess d’Étampes in 1553, and was given custody of the French Crown Jewels. He also had the Château d’Anet rebuilt for her (on the site of her late husband’s former château, which was left to her), and gave her the Château de Chenonceau, despite his wife’s desire that she have it for herself.

Diane’s influence and power would come to a complete halt in 1559 after King Henri was critically injured in a jousting tournament. Queen Catherine quickly took control, refusing to allow Diane to see the ailing King, despite his requests for her. After suffering for ten days, the King died on July 10, 1559, of sepsis from his wounds. The Queen quickly took steps to eliminate Diane from the existence she had enjoyed for so many years. She was forced to return the Crown Jewels, give up the Château de Chenonceau in exchange for the Château de Chaumont, and sent into exile. After a brief stay at Chaumont, Diane returned to d’Anet where she lived a relatively quiet life for the next six years.

Tomb of Diane de Poitiers. Photo: Par Binche — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16697082

In poor health for several years after suffering a fall while out riding, Diane de Poitiers died at the Château d’Anet on April 25, 1566, at the age of 66. Per her wishes, her daughter Louise had a funeral chapel built on the grounds of the château which would serve as Diane’s resting place. However, during the French Revolution, her grave was opened and her remains were thrown into a mass grave. In 2009, her remains were rediscovered and returned to her original tomb at d’Anet the following year.

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