La Gastonnade — TL of another "Grand Siècle"

[SunZi]

LA GASTONNADE
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What if Gaston d'Orléans become King of France ?

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“ Jamais règne ne fut plus doux, plus tranquille, ni plus heureux que l'a été le sien ; et, en vérité, de semblables princes devraient naître un peu plus souvent, ou ne point mourir.
( Never was a reign more gentle, more tranquil, nor more happy than his; and, in truth, such princes should be born a little more often, or not die at all ). „
Jean de La Fontaine, Relation d'un voyage de Paris en Limousin, 1663

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Chapters:​

Gaston I​	King's entourage​	Internal affairs​	Foreign affairs​	Intrigues and trivia​
Death of Louis XIII and ascension of Gaston I (September—November 1630)​	​			Chateauneuf conspiracy (September—December 1631)

Chronology​

1608, April, 24 — Birth of Gaston Jean Baptiste, Duke of Anjou.

1610, May, 14 — Assassination of Henry IV. Louis XIII become king.
May, 15 — The Parliament of Paris give the Regency to Marie de' Medici.
October, 17 — Coranation of Louis XIII at Reims.

1611, November, 17 — Death of the Duke of Orléans. Gaston becomes heir to the throne.

1614, June, 15 — Baptism of Gaston.
October, 2 — Declaration of majority of Louis XIII.

1615, March, 27 — Death of Margaret of Valois.
April, 2 — Marie de' Medici begins construction of the Luxembourg Palace.
July, 13 — François Savary de Brèves is appointed governor of the Duke of Anjou.
November, 28 — Marriage of Louis XIII and Anna of Austria in Bordeaux.

1616, November, 24 — Richelieu enter into the Council.

1617, April, 24 — Assassination of Concino Concini.
April, 25 — Brèves cedes his office as governor of Gaston to his brother the Comte de Lude.
December, 3 — Gaston at the Assembly of Notables of Rouen.

1618, April, 16 — Richelieu exiled at Avignon.
May, 23 — Defenestration of Prague. Start of the Seventeen Years' War.

1619, February, 22 — Beginning of the "First war" between Marie de' Medici and Louis XIII.
April, 30 — End of this "First war".
September — Jean-Baptiste d'Ornano is appointed gouvernor of Gaston after death of Lude.

1620, July-August — "Second war" of mother and son.
October — Start of the Huguenot rebellions of Louis XIII.
October, 19 — Attachment of Béarn and Navarre to the French Crown.

1621, September, 8 — Birth of Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Enghein
December, 14 — Death of the Duke of Lyunes.

1622, September, 5 — Richelieu become cardinal.

1624, April, 29 — Richelieu's second entry into the Council.
May — Ornano separated from Gaston.

1626, May, 3 — Gaston's first participation in the Council of State.
May, 6 — Arrest of Ornano, who became marshal, governor of Monsieur.
June-August — Chalais conspiracy.
June, 1 — Michel Marillac is appointed Keeper of the Seals
June, 13 — Arrest of the Vendôme's brother, César and Alexandre.
July, 8 — Arrest of the Comte of Chalais.
August, 5 — Wedding of Gaston and Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier. Gaston obtains the Duchy of Orléans as an appanage.
August, 19 — Execution of Chalais at Nantes.

1627, May, 29 — Birth of Anne Marie Louise, first child of Gaston.
June, 4 — Death of Marie de Bourbon.
June, 22 — Execution of the Comte de Bouteville.
September, 12 — Start of the siege of La Rochelle; management of operations by Gaston.
October, 12 — Louis XIII arrives in La Rochelle; the king takes command of the royal army.
November, 16 — Gaston leave La Rochelle to Paris.

1628, October, 28 — Capitulation of La Rochelle.

1629, January, 19 — Publication of the Ordinance on complaints and grievances of the Estates General of 1614 and of the Assemblies of notables of 1617 and 1626, known as the "Michau Code".
March, 6 — Louis XIII forces Suza gorge and rescues Charles Gonzaga.
March, 18 — Lifting of the siege of Casal by the Spanish.
June, 28 — Edict of grace of Nîmes, known as Peace of Alès, which puts an end to the Huguenot rebellions.
September — Exile of Gaston in Lorraine.
November, 21 — Richelieu is appointed "chief minister of state".
December, 29 — Departure of Richelieu for a second Italian campaign.

Spoiler: Chronology

1630, February — Return of Gaston of Orléans to France
March, 23 — Capture of Pignerol by the French.
May-July — Invasion and conquest of the Savoy by Louis XIII.
July, 18 — Capture of Mantua by the Imperials.
Sept, 4-Oct, 15 — Truce between the French and the Hispano-Imperials.
September, 30 — P O D; Louis XIII died at Lyon. Gaston I become king.
October, 2 — Arrest of Cardinal Richelieu at Fontainebleau.
October, 3 — Liberation of the Duke of Vendôme.
October, 13 — Treaty of Regensburg between the Empire and France.
October, 26 — Mazarin intervenes between the French and the Spanish at Casale.
November, 1 — Coronation of Gaston I at Reims.

1631, February, 15 — Start of Richelieu's trial.
April, 31 — Treaty of Cherasco regulating the affairs of Italy between France, the Emperor, Spain and Savoy.
May, 30 — Treaty of Fontainebleau between Bavaria and France.
July, 15 — Mathieu de Morgues appointed Bishop of Orléans.
September-December — Châteauneuf conspiracy.
December, 16 — Exile of Chateauneuf in Berry
December, 28 — Mariage of the Duke of Puylaurens and Henriette of Lorraine.

1632, January, 5 — Treaty of Nancy between Gaston I and Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine.
March, 29 — Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye retroceding the colonies of Canada and Acadia to France occupied by England.
November, 16 — Battle of Lützen. Victory and death of Gustavus Adolphus.

1633

1634

1635

Work in progress ...

 

[SunZi]

Good evening,

I'm starting a timeline after several months of stepping back from this type of work. The subject is announced and is little discussed on the forum so I'm launching into it, especially after having read a lot on the subject (Gaston, Louis XIII, Marie de Medici, Richelieu, France from the 1620s to 1640s and a bunch of other related topic). The timeline will cover the reign of Gaston I, from 1630 to his death in 1660, which will not move.

The articles will be in the form of paragraphs of history books, biographies, theses, articles around the subject of Gaston I, his domestic and foreign policy, his advisors, ministers, friends, loves, adversaries and alternative events which will take place as a consequence of the premature death of Louis XIII - it does not have to follow the chronology in a linear way (a subject covering 1630 can be followed by one which deals with an event from 1640 or extending over a period). I will try to go into detail, so the pace of article publication is not likely to be like a gallop but that suits me, and for those who want it there will be Wikipedia-style summaries at the end or those who are interested in the chronology without wanting to get involved, the chronology will be updated but will spoil the events.

Hoping that you like it.

See you soon.

 

[Dragonboy]

sounds pretty interesting!

 

[isabella]

Sound really interesting. I guess who Gaston here would still marry Marguerite of Lorraine but earlier than OTL? He had already meet and fallen in love with her before the POD and here he would have no obstacle to marry as he want

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

I don't think I've seen this POD before, so definitely interesting. Just a nitpick, as I've mentioned elsewhere, Gaston would reign as "Jean III" (he was Jean Baptiste Gaston) not "Gaston I". But he could probably still be remembered in popular culture as "le Roi Gaston"

 

[SunZi]

I don't think I've seen this POD before, so definitely interesting. Just a nitpick, as I've mentioned elsewhere, Gaston would reign as "Jean III" (he was Jean Baptiste Gaston) not "Gaston I". But he could probably still be remembered in popular culture as "le Roi Gaston"

There is no clear and written rule regarding the names of reigns in France. Until Louis XVI, the question did not arise because the eldest was simply named with the usual reigning names (Louis, Philippe, Charles) and/or especially by referring to the name given at baptism.

For Gaston d'Orléans it is less clear, because his appointment came only during his baptism in 1614 (i.e. 6 years after his birth and he was until then called Monsignor the Duke of Anjou). During this ceremony he simultaneously received the first name of Gaston; by his godmother Queen Marguerite de Valois; and the first name Jean-Baptiste; by his mother Marie de Medici. So logically in this order Gaston Jean-Baptiste, given that the first name given by the godmother and/or godfather takes precedence over that given by the parents in the majority of cases (with exceptions). Add to this the custom, namely that he will always be named on paintings, documents, statutes, engravings, libels, etc. under the name of Gaston de France. Finally, Gaston is certainly a non-royal name but attached to the house of Bourbon while Jean-Baptiste is given in reference to Florence, the patron saint of the birthplace of Marie de' Medici.

Everything suggests that at the age of 22, Gaston would use his first name as his reigning name if he had ascended the throne while still a child, say in 1611 or later, the question would have been asked as to what to call him.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

So logically in this order Gaston Jean-Baptiste, given that the first name given by the godmother and/or godfather takes precedence over that given by the parents in the majority of cases (with exceptions)

during the Fronde he was toasted as "King Jean III".

while Jean-Baptiste is given in reference to Florence, the patron saint of the birthplace of Marie de' Medici.

John the Baptist was/is also a big deal in Ancien Regime France, while not patron saint of France, his feast on Midsummer's Day wasan official holiday until the Third Republic. In Paris- until 1648- the king of France personally lit the St. John's Day fire on the Place de Grève.

Every year, on the eve of Saint John's Day, a ceremony took place in the Place de Grève. The city magistrates had bundles piled up in the middle of which a tree thirty meters high was made, and decorated with bouquets, wreaths and garlands of roses. A basket attached to the tree contained two dozen cats and a fox. As soon as the trumpets announced the arrival of the king, the provost of merchants and the aldermen of the city, carrying torches of yellow wax, advanced towards the tree and presented the monarch with a torch of white wax garnished with two handfuls of red velvet with which his Majesty lit the fires.

The cats and the fox were burned alive amid the cheers of the crowd. The king then went up the Hôtel de Ville, where he found a snack composed of sugared almonds, candied fruits and marzipans etc.

After 1648 until 1789, the king was represented by a proxy.

And that's not including the fact that St. John's head is in a French cathedral, his finger is in another French cathedral, along with other sundry body parts (more than probably any other country). These relics were venerated by various French royals, (in the last hundred years) Anne of Austria who had prayed to him for a son, the duc d'Alençon- younger brother of Henri III- had sought the saint's protection (alongside St. Francis) before embarking for England, Élisabeth de Valois before embarking for Spain, Eleonore of Austria (after her miscarriage in the 1530s), Louis XII for a son, Anne of Brittany for an eye infection, Charles VIII for Charles-Orland's health etc etc etc

 

[SunZi]

during the Fronde he was toasted as "King Jean III".

I've never heard of this? You have a source, I'm interested.

John the Baptist was/is also a big deal in Ancien Regime France, while not patron saint of France, his feast on Midsummer's Day wasan official holiday until the Third Republic. In Paris- until 1648- the king of France personally lit the St. John's Day fire on the Place de Grève.

And that's not including the fact that St. John's head is in a French cathedral, his finger is in another French cathedral, along with other sundry body parts (more than probably any other country). These relics were venerated by various French royals, (in the last hundred years) Anne of Austria who had prayed to him for a son, the duc d'Alençon- younger brother of Henri III- had sought the saint's protection (alongside St. Francis) before embarking for England, Élisabeth de Valois before embarking for Spain, Eleonore of Austria (after her miscarriage in the 1530s), Louis XII for a son, Anne of Brittany for an eye infection, Charles VIII for Charles-Orland's health etc etc etc

Apart from the element given above, these examples do not support the designation of Gaston as Jean III, indeed the figure of John the Baptist is revered and his celebration is popular, but in this case the examples cited here are specific to the Valois-Orléans and Angoulême, as the link between the King of France and the city of Paris that the festival represents. Gaston remains the usual and recognized surname of the brother of Louis XIII, Jean-Baptiste comes second and is never used, with the exception of your example although I think I understand in what context it was used.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

You have a source, I'm interested.

was one of the first bio's of Louis XIV I read as a teenager. ICR the author, but I'd say written between the 50s and 80s

 

[Ammonios]

was one of the first bio's of Louis XIV I read as a teenager. ICR the author, but I'd say written between the 50s and 80s

Hello,

This notion interested me, so did some internet searching. For one, all the French kings never took a regnal name that was different from their time of baptism. It seems to be more common among monarchs in Asia while monarchs in Europe have taken their baptismal names as their regnal names. There have been only three exceptions of note, all from the British monarchy...

How British Royals Pick Their Names Once They're on the Throne - E! Online

Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son Charles became king as soon as she died—and it was his choice to reign as King Charles III. Here's a history of how his predecessors chose their regnal names.

www.eonline.com

As for any possibility of a King Jean III of France, there is this...

Prince Jean, Duke of Guise - Royalpedia

royalty.miraheze.org

Finally, for Gaston Duc d'Orléans, he was used mostly as a figurehead or rallying point by various scheming nobles. During the Fronde he see-sawed his support between the throne and the nobles until the ascension of Louis XIV. He ended up being exiled to one of his minor estates for the last seven years of his life..

Gaston of France, Duke of Orléans

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019 Gaston, Duke of Orléans could be considered the black sheep of his family. Twice he had to leave France for conspiring against the government of his bro…

www.unofficialroyalty.com

So, at any point when Gaston could become king, it is possible he could take the regnal name Jean (or another) to distance himself from his previous run-ins with the French throne. Apparently, the parents of heirs to the throne gave them a few first names so that the latter has these to choose from.

 

[Brita]

This notion interested me, so did some internet searching. For one, all the French kings never took a regnal name that was different from their time of baptism. It seems to be more common among monarchs in Asia while monarchs in Europe have taken their baptismal names as their regnal names. There have been only three exceptions of note, all from the British monarchy...

Henry III's baptismal name was Alexandre Edouard though, and IIRC he only changed it to Henri in 1565.

 

[DrakeRlugia]

Henry III's baptismal name was Alexandre Edouard though, and IIRC he only changed it to Henri in 1565.

Same with his brother Duke of Anjou—he was named Hercule and but took François as his confirmation name.

Most French princes were given typical “royal” names like Louis, Charles, Henri, Philippe. François was part of the rotation during the 16th century but fell off. Jean had been popular in the 14th and early 15th century. In the 18th century you saw this expand slightly, with French princes being given other names alongside these.

French princesses seem to have changed more quickly. You see dual names (Henrietta Maria, Maria Thèrése, ect) in the 17th centuries. There are some dual names among French Princes too—Philippe d’Orlèans had a son named Philippe Charles, but these were both traditional names for Princes too.

Henri IV used some unique names compared to his predecessors for both his daughters and sons. Before Gaston, he had a son named Nicolas. Louis XII was a return to form.

I suppose the argument could be made for Jean III vs Gaston I… but given Gaston’s Occitan / Italianate connotations (Gaston/Gastone spread back into the Medici family) that would be foreign to the Crown of France, I could absolutely see him taking Jean III as his regnal name too. Not sure if the same brouhaha would exist for Gaston wanting use that name compared to the 16th century, when the French Princes of the Blood argued when Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII wanted to name their son Orland/Orlando.

 

[SunZi]

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Death of Louis XIII and ascension of Gaston I (September—November 1630)​

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“ The death of the king in Lyon ( 22 - 30 September 1630)​

It was on 22 September that Louis XIII was assailed by his last illness. Contrary to the name of contemporaries, the king does not suffer from a "tertian fever", which seems to correspond to no reality, but from a serious intestinal affection, this chronic affection which has plagued the sovereign since his childhood.​

That day, the king went to hold council at the abbey of Ainay, where Marie de' Medici resided. Early in the afternoon, he felt the first chills of fever. He immediately returned to the carriage and crossed the Saône in a boat. It was at the archbishopric that he went to bed. The fever continued to increase until his death. The queen mother moved in next to him. Richelieu did the same and he followed, with great anxiety, the evolution of the illness of the poor patient on whom the doctors daily inflicted the torture of bloodletting.​

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The cardinal wrote to Schomberg on 25 September : " I am extremely sorry to inform you that the king has a continuing fever, of which he is on the fourth day. " If the minister is " in extreme affliction ", the king contemplates death with firmness and remarkable resignation. [...] On Friday 27 September, as the king was at his worst, the doctors informed the confessor. In the middle of the night, around two o'clock, the king, suffering from suffocation, began to delirium. [...] Saturday 28 and Sunday night are calmer, but, on Sunday 29, the illness reaches its peak and we know that it will take away the king.​

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The crisis that would be ultimate began around eleven o'clock in the evening. On Monday the 30th, the king was so exhausted that he could no longer even get up from his bed, which he had done until then. Called quickly at three o'clock in the morning, Father Suffren, on the advice of the doctors, resolved to prepare the king "for this last decisive moment of his eternity. " Louis XIII asked the father if he believed him to be in danger. The latter replied that " if the flow continued, there was a great risk to his life; on this he called the three doctors and warned them of the truth and the danger. Monsieur Seguin in the name of the three warned him of the flow of continual blood... and therefore that they saw an obvious danger to his life. " Louis confessed again and received communion from the hand of Cardinal of Lyon, during the mass celebrated in his room. Then Louis XIII ordered the doors to be opened and all those present to enter. The destiny of kings was indeed to be born and die in public, and servitudes were inseparable from greatness. He was so exhausted that the people closest to his bed barely heard these few words: " I am sorry that I do not have the strength to be able to speak. Father Suffren will speak to you for me and tell you what I would like to say as I stand here on the bed of death. I ask everyone's forgiveness for everything in which I may have offended and will not die happy if I do not know that you forgive me and you to say the same on my behalf to all my subjects. "​

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Finally, after having constantly diminished and no longer breathing except in hiccups, " he breathed his last at a quarter past two in the afternoon, on Monday the thirtieth of September 1630. " ​

[...] „​

Pierre Chevalier, Louis XIII: roi cornélien, Fayard, 1979​

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The Baroque enthronement​

On 1 October 1630, Gaston, Duke of Orléans (1608-1660), son of Henry IV and of Marie de' Medici, brother of Louis XIII (1601-1630), sists in the Louvre, in his capacity as " lieutenant of the king in the city of Paris and neighboring provinces. " Responsible for defending the north of the kingdom and the capital in the absence of Louis XIII, who since May has been fighting the Hispano-Imperial armies in northern Italy, Gaston conscientiously discharges this important responsibility. The king's advisors also corresponded with the Duke of Orléans, notably the " chief minister " Cardinal Richelieu to whom Gaston owed his return to France and his reconciliation with Louis XIII. Gaston was informed of everything and obviously when on 22 September Louis XIII went to bed struck by a fever he was informed day by day of the state of health of the king.​

It is unknown that this letter precisely announced the death of Louis XIII as the sender of the information. But its confirmation comes from the arrival of several hours of paper from Lyon. The Louvre becomes agitated at the news and everyone rushes in the direction of the now king of France Gaston I who seems far removed from the frenzy surrounding him. Montrésor reports this in his memoirs: ​

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His Majesty was outside of the events and so little attentive to the homage that his gentlemen from the parliament lead by the First President Le Jay or the aldermen of Paris led by the Prevot of the Merchants Sanguin showed him. [...] I believe he judged the moment and accepted the heavy burden that providence imposed on him. [...]​

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In this testimony, the first and important supporters of the reign of Gaston I appear, namely the parliamentarians and the provostship. These tributes precede for the first time those of the aristocracy as part of a translatio and will be symbolic of the privileged links between royal power and Parisian institutions. [...] ​

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Revenge and balances​

After this palace revolution, the reign of Gaston I can begin in the same way as all his predecessors followed. The coronation at Reims Cathedral, on 1 November during the All Saints' Day, is the first of the glorious ceremonies for the new king of France. Ceremony which completely suits the actor-prince finally at the center of the monarchy. [...] The Archbishop of Reims was at the time the second son of the Duke of Guise, aged 16, but he was only sub-deacon and not yet consecrated archbishop. As with Louis XIII, a prelate foreign to the diocese was chosen, in the person of the Archbishop of Sens, Octave de Saint-Lary de Bellegarde, cousin of the Duke of Bellgarde. [...] The choice of secular peers for the ceremony also reflects the victory of the queen mother's "party" alongside the king's "partisans": Louis, Count of Soissons for the Duke of Burgundy; Charles I, Duke of Guise for Duke of Normandy; Henri II, Prince of Condé for the Duke of Aquitaine; Roger de Bellegarde for the Count of Toulouse; César, Duke of Vendôme for the Count of Flanders; Charles II, Duke of Elbeuf for the Count of Champagne. The relegation to third place of the Prince of Condé is the clear sign of his disgrace, paying for his support to Richelieu. Weighed down by Marie de' Medici's resentment against the regency rebel and Gaston I's complete contempt for the First Prince of the Blood. The Duke of Vendôme, released from prison, obtains his first compensation here and will know how to be indebted to his royal half-brother by serving him faithfully. [...] „​

Jean-Marie Constant, Gaston Ier, Roi de la Liberté, Perrin, 2013​

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[SunZi]

First article relating the beginnings of the chronology. We will remain of this literary genre.

I want to give back to Caesar what is Caesar's. The paragraphs relating the death of Louis XIII are taken from the book by Pierre Chevalier, which deals with the illness of the king in Lyon and which I have modified slightly. Take advantage of this passage, the work of which has never been published in English, too bad for such a work of 650 pages, very instructive.

The next subject will be on the arrest of Richelieu or the first conspiracy of the reign of Gaston I, linked to his remarriage.

 

[Dragonboy]

@SunZi ! great work! wish him luck and also the ebst of luck to the habsburgs both spanish and austrians.

 

[SunZi]

Added events of 1631.

 

[SunZi]

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Chateauneuf conspiracy (September—December 1631)​

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“ The irresistible fall​

Puylaurens​

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Antoine de l'Age (or Laage) de Puylaurens is undoubtedly the first major adversary to stand before Marie de' Medicis after the fall of Richelieu. Born in 1602, he was 28 years old when Gaston I became king of France but it was since 1612 that he had been around the prince. Coming from the Languedoc nobility, his father was squire of the King Henri IV and deputy governor of Monsieur. Puylaurens is the childhood friend, eminent member of the "Council of Scoundrels" and first chamberlain of Gaston of France.​

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A favorite succeeds the minister. The friendship between Gaston I and Puylaurens is total. [...] The Ambassador of Venice observes that there is in the King "total confidence", "natural complicity" towards Sir of Puylaurens [...] Queen Anne Marie Louise seemed to condemn him by declaring "he is the only favorite of the King, my father, who has ever given me reason to wish him well." While following, just afterwards, that he "won my friendship" explaining the return to relative favor of Puylaurens under Louis XIV.​

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“Ambitious”, “lustful”, “presumptuous”, “false”, “stingy”, “liar”, “vindictive” : these are the adjectives describing Puylaurens taken from the pamphlet The blessed spirit of the Chancelor of Marillac, to the unhappy spirit of the Duke of Puylaurens, written by Mathieu de Morgues in 1635. The literary genius and the acerbic pen of the bishop-pamphleteer put at the service of the Marie de' Medici is obviously drawing and inflating certain features of the royal favorite. But just hit others. Ambition is known to everyone, it is even what inspires the favorites but does not shape them. We will see later that it is one of the compasses of Puylaurens. The lewdness is certified, although subject to debate, the "rascals" of young Gaston fell in love with Mademoiselle de Pontchâteau aged 12 while his wife was 27. This relationship was blessed bread for the favorite's adversaries , mostly coming from the “Dévot party”. [...] „​

Michel Carmona, Marie de Médicis, Fayard, 1981​

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“ “ Freedom of peoples ” and “ authority of the Prince ”​

Chateauneuf, a magnanimous revenge​

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The conclusion of this Chateauneuf affair reveals the "character" of the reign of Gaston I. On 16 December 1631, he was exiled to his abbey of Noirlac, in Berry, his death sentence having been passed by the king. The Marquis de Chateauneuf, an old royal advisor, can then consider himself happy with the pardon but he does not seem to have really believed in the application of the execution. His excessive ambition, his misplaced confidence and his love for a precious intriguer led him to displease a king known for his excessive tolerance, by threatening the life of the king's favorite. Chateauneuf is the joke in this story. It's hard to believe it when they were one of Richelieu's "creatures", so they passed a good school when it came to the unfolding of intrigues. [...]​

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The affair is similar in many aspects to the Chalais affair which we have already dealt with. Like this one, you have to enter to understand the importance it had in the reign of Gaston I, illustrating his full desire to freely govern in the face of interested parties. But like that of Chalais, the Chateauneuf affair is as complex as it is not very transparent. [...] Let us first pose the issues leading to such an event: the celibacy of the king.​

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For four years, Gaston I has been the widower of the Duchess of Montpensier. But a king without a wife and without an heir son puts his dynasty in jeopardy. The main person this bothers is Marie de' Medici because thus her son preferring without a queen is a sad picture that such a mother cannot leave like this. Especially when the throne risks passing to one of the men the queen mother hates the most, the Prince de Condé. Thus, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Cherasco in April 1631, Marie de' Medici sent the princess of Mantua, Marie Louise Gonzaga, to this northern Italy in peace, to her father the Duke of Mantua. This does not formally start the affair but begins the bidding of the princesses, because now the "precious" that Gaston I seemed to covet was out of the game. Those who years before had supported the "freedom" of the Duke of Orléans by constituting a "party for the aversion to marriage" now form a "party for the marriage" of the King of France. Or should we say two parties. The most important, by its presence in the council and its proximity to the king, is that led by Marie de' Medici. Proposing his cousin Anne, sister of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, then aged 14 [...]. The "minority" party is that of the Dowager Queen Anne of Austria who proposes her own candidacy but whose instigator and mastermind of the operation is other than her confidante Madame de Chevreuse.​

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[...] Chateauneuf, losing his diplomatic functions because of his zealous services rendered to Richelieu, seeks to return to favor. Thinking of using Anne of Austria's confidante to his advantage, it is ultimately he who falls under the spell of the Duchess of Chevreuse. Seeking to strengthen the weight of the “Austrian marriage” against the “Tuscan marriage” at court, the objective quickly became political. The fall of the Duke of Puylaurens becomes the new goal to achieve. Because the favorite is perceived as the main opponent of the project. [...] The Duke of Vendôme is taken into the confidence, around September 1631, but he rules out any participation, despite his antipathy towards Puylaurens. He informs Gaston I who seems quite skeptical and he himself entrusts the information to his favorite. [...] Chateauneuf was arrested on 14 November by the king's musketeers. [...] La Rochefoucauld, in his Memoirs, puts forward jealousy as the reason for the affair and for Chateauneuf's arrest:​

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Monsieur the Grand Master was linked to Madame de Chevreuse since the intrigues surrounding the king's first marriage [...] The affection that the duchess had for the Marquis de Chateauneuf could only provoke the anger of the Duke of Puylaurens and the loss of the lover became his first obsession. Without the clairvoyance and magnanimity of the king, Chateauneuf would have obtained death.​

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This explanation is obviously not sufficient but it makes clear Puylaurens' determination. Above all, La Rochefoucauld completely eclipses the accusations of murder brought against the favorite. Probably so as not to tarnish the memory of his father, said those involved in the Anne of Austria camp. Finally, the involvement of Marie de' Medici in the affair seems more ambiguous. Because the queen mother's jealousy towards Puylaurens already dates back and to bring him down or even kill him would not have displeased her. Especially since at this time it recovered all its power of which it is at the peak, clearly more than under Louis XIII or even under his regency, say contemporaries. Puylaurens is fully aware of this, and he will act precisely to obtain the support of Marie de' Medici and he obtains it by supporting the queen mother's clients. [...] The favorite to show ingenuity to divide the opposition, flattering the king's pride against those wishing to dictate his conduct and allaying the fears of the queen mother who sees in him a second "Luynes". „​

Jean-Marie Constant, Gaston Ier, Roi de la Liberté, Perrin, 2013​

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“ ANNE of Austria, queen​

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The enmity which, under Henry IV, reigned between France and Spain, made any alliance between these two powers impossible; but, at the death of this monarch, the regent Marie de' Medicis, advised by the Concini couple, resolved the double marriage that Spain wanted between Louis XIII and the Infanta Anne, and that of Elisabeth of France with the prince royal Philip IV.​

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[...]​

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Relations between Anne and her brother-in-law Gaston I were more than cordial, and neither hoped to organize a marriage which would become the central element of the conspiracy of the Marquis de Chateauneuf [...] The supporters argued for the non-consummation of the marriage between the dowager queen and Louis XIII, in order to make possible the union with Gaston I [...]​

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Anne of Austria was to follow the exile of the Duchess of Chevreuse [...] surprisingly her departure was untied each time and this for more than three years [...] The affection of Gaston I for his sister-in-law surely explained it, as the desire not to quarrel with neighboring Spain [...] The relationship attributed to the queen-dowager with the Pope's nuncio in France and advisor to Marie de' Medici, the future Cardinal Jules Mazarin may also have repercussions on Anne's departure to the Spanish Netherlands. [....] The death of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, on 1 December 1633, made the government of the Catholic Netherlands vacant and in Madrid, those who wished to prevent the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand from obtaining this function did pressure to name Anne of Austria. On 16 December, she entered Artois, leaving to never return to France, which for 16 years was more of a prison than a kingdom for the eldest of the Habsburgs of Spain. [...] „​

Jules Du Bern de Boislandry, Histoire des reines et régentes de France et des favorites des rois, A. Pougin, 1837​

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[Dragonboy]

Great work!

 

[SunZi]

Here is the second article. Dealing with the first conspiracy of the reign of Gaston I. The content and scope are very light compared to the brutality of the cabals and plots (objectives and repression) of OTL, but it is obviously missing the Red Eminence which in many aspects has enormously amplified the level of affairs targeting it. .

The next topic will deal with diplomacy and foreign policy. Particularly French drawings in the Thirty Years' War and its search for allies among the Catholic League.

Updated chronology, around the Chateauneuf affair and the year 1632.

 

[ArthurS]

and its search for allies among the Catholic League.

France joining the Imperial side of the Thirty Years' War can only have enormous butterflies over European history.

Great job with this TL, I'll follow it with the greatest attention !