page_title: Anne of Austria
section_title: Birth of an heir
hierarchical_section_title: Anne of Austria / Life / Birth of an heir
context_page_description: Anne of Austria, Infanta of Spain, Infanta of Portugal, Archduchess of Austria, Anne d’Autriche in French, was Queen consort of France and Navarre. She also acted as a regent for her son, Louis XIV of France. During her regency Cardinal Mazarin served as France's chief minister.
context_section_description: They saw in the arms of this princess whom they had watched suffer great persecutions with so much staunchness, their child-King, like a gift given by Heaven in answer to their prayers.
  — Madame de Motteville, Memoires
  Surprisingly, while there was such a strain between Anne and Louis at this time, Anne suddenly had a baby. Suspicious people suggested that Cardinal Richelieu was the child's parent. Another, more likely suggestion, was that there was one night with a storm that stopped Louis from going to Saint-Maur and made him sleep with the queen instead. This was the night of 5 December 1637. However, the official newspaper, the Gazette de France, does not mention if they slept in the same room.
  A royal birthing-bed was made ready. It was three feet wide, and had two long sticks made of wood for Anne to hold while she was giving birth to her baby. On 4 Saturday September, Anne finally went into labor. She gave birth in the sight of the court. This was so that if her child was a boy, it would not be changed for a girl, or a living baby to a dead one. The child was safely delivered. The Gazette de France called it "a marvel when it was least expected", and Anne had a son for the first time in 22 years.
  The queen's joy in Louis was very great. One of her servants said, "She takes great joy in playing with him ... it is her great pleasure in life." There are a great number of suggestions as why she did not show such a great love for Monsieur, her second son.
  Almost exactly two years after Louis, Anne had another son, Philippe. He was born on 22 September 1640. He was known as 'Monsieur'. This was the official title for the king's second son.
  It is said that Anne of Austria died from breast cancer in a convent. Her lady-in-waiting, Madame de Motteville, wrote the story of the queen's life in her Mémoires d'Anne d'Autriche.
caption: Anne with her sons. The sons in the picture are the future King Louis XIV of France, and Philippe, Duke of Orléans.
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