Catherine de Clèves

## Catherine de La Marck

Louis, Archevêque-Adjuteur de Reims

Marie, Mademoiselle de Guise ✝

Claude, Prince de Joinville

Renée, Soeur de Remiremont

Jeanne, Soeur de Remiremont

François-Alexandre-Paris, Vicomte de Marsan

Henriette, Mademoiselle de Guise

Catherine, Mademoiselle de Joinville

Jacques, Duc de Nevers ✝

Marie, Princesse Douairiere de Condé ✝

**Catherine de Clèves** (19th September 1548 - Present), sometimes referred to as Catherine de Nevers or de La Marck, is the wife of Henri de Guise, Duc de Guise, the matriarch of the large family. Furthermore, she was the Comtesse d'Eu and Princesse de Château-Renault in her own right, a large swathe of land which she inherited from his father, François de Nevers. Through her maternal line she was the cousin of the King of Navarre, and Princes of Conde.

A keen supporter of the Catholic League, she was considered the most influential woman in Paris following the death of her sister in law, Catherine de Guise, and spent large sums on the proliferation of pro-Leaguer propaganda. She was very closely related to all events within League business. In Paris, she was loved for her charity and regular appearances, regularly visiting convents and hosting various functions for the League, Priests, and intellectuals of the city.

In her court life, she was the lady of honour to Catherine de Medici (who was also her godmother), Louise de Lorraine, Elisabeth d'Autriche, Isabelle d'Autriche, and Marguerite d'Autriche.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Delivered in 1548, she was born in Paris to her mother, Marguerite de Bourbon-Vendôme, the sister of Antoine de Navarre, Roi de Navarre. Her father, François I de Nevers, Duc de Nevers, was a prominent individual at court and commanded during the Italian wars. She was the fourth child, and second daughter, of the pair. Given the style of Mademoiselle d'Eu, she was taken to be cared for by the family governess.

Raised in the manner of a true princess, she was educated enough to read and write, though never practised much writing. Her education by governesses focused greatly on the need for dancing, etiquette, Latin, theology, singing, riding, and musical skills in the viol and virginal.

### Adolescence

At the age of 11 in 1559, her mother would pass away, and her father, within a year, would remarry to the Duchesse d'Estouteville, Marie II de Saint-Pol. This same year, the young Catherine was engaged to Antoine de Croy, Prince de Porcein. As a result, her education came to an end and she was awarded a handsome dowry.

## Initial Marriage

### Marriage

Merely aged 12, the young Catherine was to marry the Prince de Porcein, which she would do so in October of 1560. This would not prove to be a happy marriage for the young pair. Her husband would soon become a leader of the Huguenot movement, which conflicted with the upbringing that Catherine had lived through.

Within the first two years of marriage, her father would pass away in the Calvinist faith, leaving his estates to her eldest brother, François II de Nevers, though he too would die within months. It was then her brother Jacques who was to inherit the family lands.

### Family Life

Catherine and her two sisters, Henriette and Marie, were referred to as the three graces at court, considered smart, beautiful, and graceful young women, although Catherine and her sister Marie would never get along owing to the latter's Huguenotism. Marie had been raised by her aunt, Jeanne d'Albret, the strictly Calvinist mother of Henri de Navarre, and in turn, held the same religion. This already tense relationship was further strained with Marie's marriage to the Prince de Conde, whose father had been fighting against their brother Francois in the battle which killed him.

In 1564, Catherine's brother Jacques also died without an heir. This resulted in the family estates being divided between the three sisters. Henriette would inherit the Duchy of Nevers and the County of Rethel, Catherine would inherit the County of Eu and the Principality of Château-Renault, while Marie would inherit the County of Beaufort, the Marquisate of the Isles, the Barony of Jaucourt, and the Lordship of Jully.

### Affair

During the latter portion of her marriage with the Prince de Porcein, it was widely suspected that she was in the midst of an affair with the Duc de Guise, Henri. Henri was the most bitter rival of her husband, both on opposing sides in the religious wars. By 1567, her husband was dying, and was quoted as saying; *"I have no doubt that being young, beautiful and rich, you will be remarried after my death. I leave you the choice of parties and of the whole kingdom; I only exclude one man, the Duke of Guise. He is the man I hate the most, and I ask you in grace that my greatest enemy is not the heir of the most precious of my possessions."* He would die some weeks later, his wife aged 19.

## Second Marriage

### Marriage to Guise

After the appropriate mourning period of 3 years, Catherine remarried to the Duc de Guise, entirely against the wishes of her husband. She was aged 22, and her husband, aged 20. The couple was exceedingly pleased with one another, and as a result, they would produce 16 children, half of whom survived. She would find herself privy to the affairs of the Guise family at this point. Here, she was made useful for her financial abilities and promotion of pro Guise propaganda and anti-Huguenot boards.

### Saint-Barthélemy

In 1572, the Massacre of Saint-Barthélemy took place under the orchestration of her in laws. Her own sister, Marie, and her husband, the Prince de Conde, were forced to renounce the Calvinist faith and were remarried in the Catholic Rite. She helped hide Huguenot clients of her family in the Hotel de Guise, hiding some 100 Huguenots who sought her refuge.

## Issue

With her husband, Henri the Duc de Guise, she would have sixteen children;

* Charles, Duc de Chevreuse (2nd August 1571 - Present)
* Henri, Comte de Rieux (15th June 1572 - 6th November 1574)
* Catherine, Mademoiselle de Guise (2nd July 1573 - 7th July 1573)
* Louis, Archeveque-Coadjuteur de Reims (22bd January 1575 - Present)
* Charles, Vicomte de Marsan (13th February 1576 - 18th March 1576)
* Marie, Mademoiselle de Guise (7th May 1577 - 29th March 1582)
* Claude, Prince de Joinville (5th June 1578 - Present)
* Christine Marguerite, Duchesse Douairiere d'Angoulême (7th November 1579 - Present)
* Catherine, Mademoiselle de Joinville (20th September 1580 - 10th October 1580)
* François, Vicomte de Marsan (27th October 1581 - 15th June 1582)
* Renée, Soeur de Remiremont (23rd June 1585 - Present)
* Jeanne, Soeur de Remiremont (14th August 1586 - Present)
* Louise-Marguerite, Mademoiselle de Pons (19th May 1588 - 9th December 1594)
* François-Alexandre, Chevalier de Guise (3rd July 1589 - Present)
* Henriette, Mademoiselle de Guise (30th June 1590 - Present)
* Catherine, Mademoiselle de Joinville (1st April 1591 - 25th September 1598)