Diane de Poiters ruled France alongside Henri II for over a decade. Her early influence on the French prince's life was an important factor.

Following the death of Queen Claude on July 24, 1524, Diane de Poitiers was put in charge of the royal nursery. This was her biggest social coup to date.

Little Prince Henri was only five when his mother died, so Diane no doubt took on a mother-figure role which she would maintain for the rest of their lives. More sorrows lay ahead for the little prince and his brother, the Dauphin. Their father, Francois I, was taken hostage after the Battle of Pavia, in 1525. In exchange for his own freedom, Francois offered his two oldest sons as hostages to the Emperor Charles V. At the tender age of 10 and 9, the two princes were escorted to the Spanish border, by a French entourage that included Diane de Poitiers. No doubt Diane tried her best to comfort young Henri, who must have been terrified of leaving his homeland to live among the enemy.

Henri’s Return From Exile

Diane’s presence at his departure must have left a great impact on the boy, for upon his return two years later Henri immediately went to Diane, not his father, for comfort. During the summer and fall of 1530 both Henri and the Dauphin stayed with Diane and her husband, Louis de Breze at their chateaux, Anet. Henri, 11, loved Diane with a boyish adoration. The following spring at his first jousting tournament, Henri wore green and white, Diane’s colors, in her honor.

The Widow

Louis de Breze died later that same year and Diane found herself a widow. However, even with her great wealth and beauty, she would need a protector at the scheming French Court. Despite her quiet tact, Diane had some powerful enemies, chief among them was François I's conniving mistress, Anne de Pisseleu. It would only be a matter of time before Anne found a way of ousting Diane from court.

Henri, only 14 at the time, made his devotion to the new widow clear, offering his protection. Though they were not yet lovers, this chivalrous admiration would grow into one of the most powerful love affairs of the Renaissance.

Henry was married to the daughter of a Florentine merchant, three years later in 1533. The quiet, plain faced Catherine de Medici could not hold a candle to the lovely Diane de Poitiers. Diane would play an important role in Henri and Catherine’s marriage, overseeing their households, royal children and even state of affairs. Through it all Catherine smiled and sat bland faced, waiting for the right time to strike her enemy down.

Sources

HRH Princess Michael of Kent. The Serpent & The Moon. New York: Touchstone, 2004

Herman, Eleanor, Sex with Kings New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

Sider, Sandra. Handbook to life in Renaissance Europe. New York: Facts on File, 2004