Marguerite d'Autriche-Styrie

Marguerite d'Autriche-Styrie (German: Margarete von Österreich-Steiermark; 25th December 1584—present), the illustrious Madame la Grande-Douairière, was the consort of François III & II, Empereur de Grandelumière from 1601 to 1617 and later regent for her son, Charles X & II, from 1617 to 1621. 
As the daughter of Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria, Marguerite was an archduchess of the prestigious, expansive Habsburg dynasty. Her marriage strengthened ties between Grandelumière and the Austrian dominions; Marguerite's two immediate predecessors, Élisabeth d'Autriche and Isabelle d'Autriche, were both members of the Habsburg dynasty (Tyrolese and Spanish branches, respectively). Through her, the Dukes of Savoy and Electors of Bavaria are descended.
Described as virtuous and determined, the "godmother of the court" maintained a strong courtly presence despite being widowed at the mere age of thirty-two and her desire to serve the crown was unmatched by following generations. For over fifty years and the duration of four reigns—spanning her father-in-law, husband, son, and grandson, Marguerite d'Autriche-Styrie remained a staple at the Grandelumièrian court in Paris.
== Early Life ==
=== Birth and Education ===
Marguerite d'Autriche-Styrie, then referred to as Erzherzogin Margarete von Österreich, was born to Karl II von Österreich and Maria Anna von Bayern on 25th December 1584 in Graz. Marguerite was the eleventh of fifteen children born to the Styrian branch of the Austrian dynasty. 
At the age of seven, as customary during the era, Marguerite began her journey to the Abbey of Sackau, where she was educated. In keeping with tradition of the time, Marguerite’s education heavily focused on “feminine” activities that were seen as a necessity to behold as a woman of status. Marguerite’s feminine activities included ballet, embroidery and sewing, drawing and painting, and courtly etiquette. Under the supervision of several bishops, Marguerite was taught to pray the rosary and began theological studies at the age of eight. Her musical studies were led by Orlande de Lassus (until his death in 1594), who had tutored Marguerite’s own mother. She was well-versed as a musician, playing the lute, clavichord, harpsichord, harp, violin, and cello.
== Marriage ==
As she neared the end of her education, Marguerite's mother and the regents over Österreich-Steiermarck began making marital arrangements for Marguerite. In 1598, after much deliberation, Marguerite's family settled on François de Grandelumière of the Valois dynasty. François was styled as Monseigneur le Dauphin and was heir presumptive of Charles IX & I, Empereur de Grandelumière et Roi d'Écosse.
Marguerite's handover took place near Strasbourg, where the Austrian court and Grandelumièrian court met at an abbey. The Valois family seemed quite pleased with the Austrian archduchess, and François and Marguerite took a liking to one another at once. Their wedding took place at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris on 18th April 1599.
The marriage was supposedly blissful until new court favourites, in the form of mistresses, rose to power. From 1601 until 1602, François entertained the Duchesse de Ventadour as his mistress; from 1609 until his death, his unofficial mistress was his half-sister-in-law, the renowned Duchesse Douairière d'Angoulême. Despite her incredibly devout perspective regarding the infidelities of marriage, it is said that Marguerite was ultimately forgiving and civil with both François and his companions. As she wrote in 1615, "The duty of a wife is to forgive the unforgivable." 
== Madame la Dauphine ==
=== Court of Charles IX ===
As Madame la Dauphine, Marguerite was the second highest woman in the empire behind the Impératrice, Isabelle Claire Eugénie d'Autriche. She was a docile presence at court with a mild, sweet disposition that many of the courtly ladies were taken to. Originally not particularly outgoing, she was ushered into Grandelumièrian life by the illustrious Duchesse de Montpensier (who was seven years her senior). 
Much unlike her father-in-law, Marguerite was incredibly devout. She spent her morning at mass and took prayer at least once more during the course of the day. Often, she would host the younger, unmarried ladies in the gardens of the Tuileries, hosting games and picnics. This era was not a particularly tranquil time for the realm with rebellion looming in the capital.
=== Storming of the Louvre ===
In late 1600, the Louvre was stormed by peasants who were opposed to the homosexual, undevout tendencies of the sovereign. The court fled Paris and arrived at the Châteauneuf de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where Charles IX settled his court. He explained it to be a temporary situation, and hoped to return to Paris if the peasants eventually simmered and no longer posed a threat. However, this would prove to not be the case for the disgraced monarch.
Charles IX, while holding audience at the Châteauneuf on 6th January 1601, was stabbed several times by a servant. Marguerite, at the time, was confined to her bedchambers, having recently discovered that she was pregnant just before her arrival at Saint-Germain. Hearing of her father-in-law's death, Marguerite lamented on her husband's premature succession. She made a brief appearance the following day, though she spent the next week ill and confined to her chambers.
== Impératrice-Consort ==
=== Coronation ===
The coronation of François III & II de Grandelumière was held on 24th January 1601. Taking place at the Cathédral Notre-Dame de Reims, François was coronated alongside his wife, Marguerite, whose pregnancy-induced illness had ceased (at least for the time being). With the imperial family, princes du sang, peers, servants of the imperial household, and various clergymen in attendance, the coronation was met with much celebration by the court. Following the holy anointing of the sovereign and consort, cheers for François and Marguerite rang out through the empire, though the Parisian rebellion put quite a strain on the mood of the imperial court.
Marguerite was the first empress since Catherine de' Medici to be coronated alongside her husband. The wives of Charles IX—Louise de Lorraine, Élisabeth d'Autriche, and Isabelle d'Autriche—had all been coronated after their marriages. Marguerite described the occasion of her coronation as "a beacon of light in a misty swamp" in reference to the shattered, murky state of the realm at the time.
=== Court of François III ===
François III settled his court at Saint-Germain, like his father had done, until 1608. The court then relocated to the Château de Boulogne in Bois-de-Boulogne. The court was, until the 1610s, ridden with political division. The Impératrice-Douairère and Reine-Douairière de Navarre had gone rogue with an anti-Guise faction and the Huguenots were facing political exclusion, war with the Ligue Catholique, and loss of territory. Marguerite was not in a position during this time to be overly political, and therefore merely expressed support for her husband in his endeavours, regardless of her personal convictions.
The court settled itself by 1609, shortly after the move to the Château de Boulogne. It was around this time that Marguerite was pregnant for the fourth time, and was immediately put on bedrest. The court rejoiced when she gave birth to Charles X, then known as Charles, Monseigneur le Dauphin, in April 1609. The court became docile, even bland, with each day consisting of garden games, imperial ceremonies, readings, mass, etc. François III grew tired of the dreary Château de Boulogne and, to signify his reign being a new era, he commissioned the Château de Vaucresson, to where the court relocated in late April 1614. 
At Vaucresson, court became somewhat more lively. Marguerite took it upon herself to place the Duchesse de Montmorency as her courtly favourite, granting them an apartment within her state suite—Montmorency would serve Marguerite until her death. Marguerite and the Duchesse de Guise, Catherine de Clèves shared a strong friendship while the Duchesse ran the Maison de l'Impératrice as Première Dame d'Honneur. No favourite matched the Duc de Mayenne, whom Marguerite considered to be a substitute for her husband after being widowed in 1617; while rumours of a romantic affair emerged, these were later disproved by correspondence between Marguerite and the Duc de Mayenne that suggested a platonic, even emotional, dependency.
François III, meanwhile, attempted to bring more appeal to court, patronizing ballets and artistic productions. In 1614, he briefly fell ill, and his health began to rapidly decline following such. As consort, Marguerite took it upon herself to strengthen her role as the leading lady of the court, and often hosted in place of her husband. 
One of Marguerite's most notable accomplishments as consort was the founding of l'Ordres des Dames de Vertu (Order of the Ladies of Virtue), a female chivalric order granted to devout Roman Catholic courtiers (mainly married women and widows). She remained the Grand Dame until the marriage of her son, when her successor as Impératrice-Consort, Nicole de Lorraine, took up leadership of the order.
=== Regency of 1617 ===
François III fell ill in the spring of 1617, confining himself to his state bedchamber. While Marguerite ran the court and her influence grew, her ailing bond with the emperor further deteriorated. However, the consort did not bask in such; in fact, she was met with desperate attempts for favour, and even a petition from the infamous Duchesse de Joyeuse that beseeched the Impératrice to dismiss the Duc de Guise as head of the government.
During (and slightly prior to) the regency, Marguerite took up the practice of holding private audiences in her personal salon, rather than in her audience chamber. She created an informal environment but the pomp of an official audience was still observed. This tradition was one that allowed her to maintain a pleasant dialogue but in a way that accomplished tasks. She visited with ministers, received personal petitions, and the like on behalf of her husband. Otherwise, she continued court as normal in retaliation of the rumours that François III was nearing an untimely death.
=== Death of François III ===
To the dismay of the court, François III received an official diagnosis in April 1617: bowel cancer. His condition took a turn for the worse by late May. Marguerite, realizing that there was no hope for his recovery, began to visit François in the days prior to his untimely death. She remained at his bedside when court was dismissed, often chatting with him and reminiscing as she embroidered and he read or rested.
After court was dismissed on the night of 31st May 1617, pages were sent to fetch the senior courtiers at 3:00am. In just her nightgown, Marguerite sprinted through the halls of her wing of Vaucresson, rushing across the cour d'honneur and into the sovereign's wing. She remained by her husband's side with her children present as well. At 5:27am on 1st June 1617, François III & II de Grandelumière succumbed to complications from bowel cancer. His son, Charles, was proclaimed Charles X & II de Grandelumière.
== Impératrice-Mère ==
=== Regency Council ===
As per the will of François III & II, Marguerite became the Première Conseiller du Conseil de Régence, which was comprised of the Duc de Guise, Cardinal de Lorraine, Duc d'Aumale, and Duc de Retz. As the head regent, Marguerite continued leading Petit Conseil meetings, as well as meetings for the Conseil de Régence. The regency period was relatively tranquil, and Marguerite essentially acted as both sovereign and consort, hosting court while tending to the matters of state. The regency brought the elevation and granting of several titles, orders, etc. The council remained in place until the coronation of Charles X & II in 1621.
The last two accomplishments of the regency was the planning of the coronation, which took place in July 1621, just after the Empereur turned twelve. The second accomplishment was the marriage of Charles X. It was arranged for him to be wed to Nicole, the heiress of the Duché de Lorraine. The pair were married in 1626, just before Nicole's sixteenth birthday.
=== Marriage of Charles X ===
In 1626, the handover of Nicole de Lorraine, now Duchesse-Souveraine de Lorraine, was arranged to take place on the Grandelumièrian-Lorrainer border. The Duchesse was the de facto head of the Lorraine dynasty, from which the Guise family (princes du sang) were descended. Marguerite took great pride in her son's marriage, and was quite pleased with the new addition to the dynasty. However, the marriage seemed less than pleasant; Charles X was not very attentive of his wife, who struggled with conception, just as Marguerite had.
Marguerite grew concerned as the marriage progressed with no offspring. The Empereur had taken an interest in Henri III, Duc de Montmorency, with whom he was having an intimate affair. As his mother, Marguerite took it upon herself to encourage further attempts to have a child with the Impératrice. In response, much to the horror of Marguerite, Charles X stated, "I shall just have to pretend she is Montmorency." Eventually, the pair did conceive, and lost a child in 1634. Fortunately, they welcomed to more children, to the delight of Marguerite: Henri III in 1636, and Marguerite Louise in 1638.
=== Court of Charles X ===
Charles X's court was heavily centered around libertinism and the arts. As a patroness of the arts herself, Marguerite encouraged the patronization of local artists and scholars. However, she detested her son's libertine, debauched habits. Both Charles X and Monsieur were very progressive, to the dismay of their mother. With both of her sons engaged in homosexual affairs, she began to content herself with the presence of her daughter, Madame Impériale, as well as her daughters-in-law, the Impératrice, and Madame (la Duchesse de Bourgogne).
Having commissioned the Palais du Luxembourg in 1615, the Impératrice-Mère made use of it frequently during her son's later reign. In 1634, she hosted the first imperial art exhibition, patronizing the works of Claude Vignon, an artist from Paris. Monsieur also frequented Luxembourg, hosting scholarly readings, salons, and libertine parties. Court was often fluttering about through Paris, never truly contained to one spot for long. However, much of the court—and Marguerite, truth be told—were content with such liberty.
During the Thirty Years' War, Marguerite found herself accompanying the Duc de Mayenne (one of her favourites) to the Scottish warfront, with the Duchesse Douairière de Montmorency (her Dame d'Atour) accompanying as well. Marguerite visited various regiments under the commands of the Duc de Mayenne, Duc de Retz, Marquis de Champdenier, and Duc de Joyeuse. When the Duc de Mayenne died in the spring of 1634 shortly after a protestant rebellion, Marguerite was by his side. Montmorency and Marguerite returned to court, battered and tired, in August 1634.
=== Perpetual Compromise of 1634 ===
However, the rebirth of prosperity in Grandelumière didn't last. Monsieur and the Empereur began feuding publicly (as well as Monsieur and the Impératrice-Mère). The Empereur was favouring and devoting much of his time to the Duc de Montmorency, with whom he was still intimately close. After angering Monsieur and the princes du sang by insulting their noble privilege, a schism formed. Monsieur and the Lorraine-Guises (and their cadet branches), along with their allies from various courtly families, fled court for the Guise residence, Château de Joinville, in August 1634. Marguerite attempted to mediate between her sons, the princes, and the court; however, she was promptly ignored by the strong-headed men leading the opposing sides. Thus, she made a statement of neutrality by departing court to the Hôtel de la Reine Marguerite.
The Hôtel became a neutralist haven. Marguerite often entertained the neutral women of the court, though she received several gentlemen as well (namely, the new Duc de Mayenne). The Duchesse de Montpensier traveled between the three courts and acted as a messenger and envoy. When the Impératrice-Mère was met with threats regarding the Empereur's lack of heir and alleged homosexuality, she pushed for her sons to reconcile and for the conception of a Dauphin.
Her efforts were not in vain. By the end of the month, a treaty had been signed between the Empereur and Monsieur, as well as their allies. Court co-existed for the time being, with Monsieur often expressing public discontent with his frère. Marguerite attempted to smooth over relationships with families that had been split, and continued to advise her sons on maintaining peace.
=== Death of Charles X ===
During his couvert on 2nd September 1638, Sa Majesté found himself struggling to cut into his dish after the entrées were served. He began having difficulty breathing and swallowing. Upon inquiring of his condition, the Impératrice-Mère was met with an intense stream of blood emitted from her son as he began to cough. As she dropped and shattered her wine glass, the Empereur fell to the floor and began convulsing, struggling to speak. Court was thrown into a chaotic spiral of panic and despair as the Empereur was led to his bedchamber.
The court was at his side for an hour before being dismissed by the physician. The Archévêque de Lyon, who had been called upon to perform confession and Last Rites, was late, and therefore Charles X & II would die without proper blessing. As the court was preparing to exit, the Empereur lunged at the physician and proclaimed the he had been poisoned. Marguerite remained by Empereur's side while he lapsed in and out of consciousness, continuing to vomit on the her and periodically convulse. Finally, at approximately 10:00pm, Charles X & II died from poisoning. 
Henri Louis de Grandelumière, Monseigneur le Dauphin, was proclaimed Henri III & II by the court. He was led to the bedchamber of the Impératrice-Mère (now Impératrice-Douairière), where his mother and grandmother promptly addressed him and curtsied to him out of respect. He was placed back into the care of the Gouvernante Impériale, and Nicole, Impératrice-Mère, was proclaimed as regent in the will of the late Charles X & II.
== Impératrice-Douairière ==
=== Regency of Nicole de Lorraine ===
The regency of Nicole de Lorraine was a tumultuous time for the realm. Nicole began the investigation of her husband's assassination, with the Inquisition and government settling on one Geoffrey Arnauld, a Catholic fanatic, as the assassin. He was trialed in 1640 and found guilty of regicide. His execution took place in November 1640. While the court attempted to depart the Palais de Justice, they were met with angry mobs that were outraged at the execution of the assassin of the "heretical" Charles X.
Nicole maintained a very neutral, non-confrontational court. Marguerite, despite being the senior empress, remained a staple and acted as a pseudo-consort to her daughter-in-law. Marguerite frequently found herself feuding with her son, Monsieur, over his continued impropriety; at one point, Marguerite physically removed her son from the Louvre. During a visit to Blois in 1644, it was revealed that Monsieur had exchanged vows with the Marquise de Mortemart, his mistress, and was further engaged in a homosexual affair. At the command of Nicole de Lorraine, Monsieur and Mortemart were both arrested. Marguerite was present at the arrests and took the Bourgogne children with her the join the court at the Château de Chenonceau. The court was not made aware of this arrest, but was rather informed that Monsieur had retired.
=== Rebellion ===
Rebellion broke out against Nicole de Lorraine's regency in 1640 and by 1644, the peasantry raged throughout the empire. The peasants took the Bastille and stole weaponry from imperial storage; when the Bastille was taken back, the weapons were not all confiscated and this was to the state's detriment. Much like in 1601, the Louvre was a target for revolutionaries. One peasant woman was brought into the boarded-up palace and after demanding public distribution of grain and Marguerite conversed with her to hear the grievances of the peasants. When the woman called for the removal of Impératrice-Régente Nicole, she was executed in front of the young Henri III & I. Court began fleeing from the Louvre as cannonballs struck the roofs; they narrowly missed the storming, reminiscent of that of 1601. The palace was in shambles and anarchy took grasp of the city. 
The court sojourned first at the Château de Blois, Monsieur's personal residence. After his arrest, the court traveled to the Château de Chenonceau, residence of the Duchesse Douairière d'Angoulême. The regent commanded the court to travel to the gates of Paris where they resided in an encampment. The Bastille was charged by the imperial forces. Marguerite herself fired cannons from the rooftops, directly serving in conflict. When the Louvre was retaken, she was aboard La Marguerite, a frigate in her name, and the Garde Écossais, who once joined her in 1634 in Scotland, rushed the aging dowager to the Château de Louvre. She inspected the wreckage of the palace and emerged from the gates amongst rubble and stacks of corpses.
=== Northern Tours and Charity ===
Between 1621 and 1648, Marguerite visited her three suo jure dower duchies: Chartes, Berry, and Évreux. Favouring Évreux, she was eventually known as "Sa Majesté, la Bonne Dame d'Évreux" (Her Majesty, the Good Lady of Évreux). In Chartres, artists were commissioned by Marguerite to design a statue of her late husband. It later graced the center of the city from 1638 onward. In Berry, she oversaw the expansion of hospitals and charitable wards. Évreux received the most visits, with Marguerite sojourning there for weeks at a time to oversee construction of public works, financial reforms, and frequent almsgiving.
Marguerite formed the Société Impériale de Travaux d'Aiguille (Imperial Needlework Society) in 1638. The society frequently met at the Palais du Luxembourg. It took pride in heavy contributions during the bubonic plague outbreak between 1638 and 1644. An astounding four thousand needlework and embroidery pieces were contributed to the outbreak relief efforts alone. 
== Ancestry ==
== Character Synopsis ==
=== Personality ===
Marguerite was, in her youth, a rather timid and sweet young girl. Her innocence and piety were adored by many, including her own husband. However, after nine years of failed pregnancies, the sweet, mild Marguerite grew into a much more dominant consort, often being noted as similar to her predecessor, Catherine de Médicis (though not nearly as intense). Being more authoritative than the Empereur, Marguerite was often called upon by her court for advice, guidance, and interference in courtly affairs due to her nature as a matronly figure.
The epitome of grace, Marguerite was a stickler for etiquette. In fact, she was known to dismiss courtiers from her presence if they failed to properly greet her, insisting that they attempt to properly address her once more. The pomp and circumstance of court ceremonies were near and dear to her, and she was revered for her devotion to running court in tip-top shape in the absence of her husband.
=== Appearance ===
Marguerite was not regarded as a beautiful woman. As the daughter of a Habsburg and a Wittelsbach, she had unfortunate genetics and it became evident when she reached adulthood. With auburn-brown hair, porcelain skin, and thin, light red lips, Marguerite was described as “fair”, “tender”, and “mild”. Unfortunately, her nose and jaw were of a peculiar shape, given the general flatness of her face. Her nose was rounded along the bridge, coming to a sharp conclusion at a blunt, rounded tip near the nostrils; her jaw, meanwhile, was ever-so-slightly pushed back in a flattened manner, with not much of a chin to remark upon. Her eyes were blue-grey, sometimes even appearing green in later works of art, and her eyebrows were extremely light and thin. Her stature was relatively tall compared to that of her Grandelumièrian contemporaries, standing at about 5’7”. Her build was petite, with thin extremities, and a mild bosom; however, her shoulders were somewhat broad, though this was often assumed due to the way most of her attire highlighted her figure.
== Issue ==
Throughout the course of her marriage to François III & II, Marguerite would go on to have numerous pregnancies. She faced several difficult pregnancies, which would end in miscarriages or early deaths for her children. The pregnancies are as follows:
* Miscarriage (12th January 1601)
* Miscarriage (7th August 1604)
* Miscarriage (20th February 1606)
* Charles X & II, Empereur de Grandelumière et Roi d'Écosse (9th April 1609—2nd September 1638)
* François Henri de Grandelumière, Duc de Bourgogne (28th September 1610—9th June 1653)
* Miscarriage (16th April 1611)
* Louise Victoire de Grandelumière, Reine d'Espagne (19th June 1612—6th October 1644)
* Philippe Maximilien de Grandelumière, Duc d'Orléans (7th May 1614—10th August1614)
* Catherine Marguerite de Grandelumière, Duchesse de Savoie (5th March 1615—present)
* Louis Antoine de Grandelumière, Duc d'Anjou (19th February 1617—21st February 1617)
* Élisabeth Amélie de Grandelumière, Électrice de Bavière (19th February 1617—present)
== Titles, Styles, & Honours ==
===Titles & Styles===
* 25th December 1584—18th April 1599 Ihre Königliche Hoheit, Erzherzogin Margarete von Österreich-Steiermark
* 18th April 1599—6th January 1601 Son Altesse Impériale, Madame la Dauphine de Grandelumière et Duchesse de Bretagne
* 6th January 1601—1st June 1617 Sa Majesté Impériale et Très Chrétienne, Impératrice de Grandelumière et Reine d'Écosse
* 1st June 1617—3rd September 1634 Sa Majesté Impériale et Très Chrétienne, Impératrice-Mère de Grandelumière, Impératrice-Douairière de Grandelumière, Reine-Douairière d'Écosse
**1st June 1617—3nd September 1634 Madame la Duchesse de Berry et Duchesse de Chartres
* 3rd September 1638—present Sa Majesté Impériale et Très Chrétienne, Impératrice-Douairière de Grandelumière, Reine-Douairière d'Écosse
**3rd September 1638—29th January 1655 Madame la Duchesse d'Évreux, Duchesse de Berry, et Duchesse de Chartres
**3rd September 1634—present Madame la Grande-Douairière (honourific)
**29th January 1655—present Madame la Duchesse d'Évreux et Duchesse de Chartres 
=== Honours ===
* 28th May 1614—present Dame Chevalière de l'Ordre des Dames de Vertu
* 1st June 1617—22nd July 1621 Première Conseillère de Régence (under Charles X & II)
Category:16th Century Births
Category:House of Valois-Angoulême
Category:House of Habsburg
Category:Grandelumièrian Consorts
Category:Grandelumièrian Duchesses
Category:Grandelumièrian Princesses
Category:Grandelumièrian Countesses