Sons of Francois I
Three Renaissance Princes of King Francois I & Queen Claude
Brief outline of the sons of King Francois I and Queen Claude; Francois the Dauphin, Henri II and Charles, Duc de Orleans.
François I and Queen Claude had three sons during their ten-year marriage. While royal offspring were treated to much more lavish lifestyles than the average Renaissance child, there were heavy burdens to bear as well. Royal princes were used as political pawns, and often the subject of plots and murder.
Francois, Dauphin of France, was born February 18, 1518. As the heir to the French throne, François was doted on by his father. He resembled his father as he grew older, with dark hair and a handsome face. Despite François I's affection for his heir, he did not hesitate to send François and his younger brother Henri, to Spain as political hostages. For two long years, François and his little brother were left in the uncaring hands of the Spanish. When François returned home, his father and grandmother were most grieved to find he had changed. He was no longer a carefree, outgoing child. Instead he was very quiet and reserved, who hardly spoke. François died unexpectedly at the age of 18, on August 10, 1536.
Henri, the second son, was born on March 31, 1919. He was more or less overlooked by his father, who favored his older brother, François. With the death of his mother when he was at the age of five, and then a two-year term as a hostage for Spain, Henri grew up just a tad bit insecure. As a result, he latched on to the one woman who provided him with affection, attention, and later on, love. Diane de Poitiers was old enough to be Henri’s mother; in fact, she attended Queen Claude when she gave birth to Henri at Blois Chateaux. Despite the 19-year age gap, Henri and Diane embarked on one of history's most passionate love affairs. Henri was married to the Florentine merchant princess, Catherine de Medici in 1533. Most evidence shows that Henri thought very little of his wife, a commoner by blood. At Diane’s insistence, he managed to overcome his dislike of Catherine to have ten children with her, assuring the security of the throne. When Henri died from injuries incurred in a jousting accident, on July 10, 1559, Catherine was quick to seize power and push Diane from court once and for all.
Charles of Valois was the youngest son of François and Claude was born on January 22, 1522. Following the death of his oldest brother, Charles inherited the title Duc de Orleans (which had belonged to Henri II).
Sources
HRH Princess Michael of Kent. Serpent and the Moon. New York: Touchstone, 2004
Sider, Sandra. Handbook to life in Renaissance Europe. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
