Ok so, here's the scenario:
Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre, found herself in a difficult situation in 1592. Almost 40, childless and poverty stricken, she was forced to her husband's side again for one reason: he wanted her gone. So she joined him, agreeing to the annulment proceedings so that she might be lifted out from poverty and enjoy her years in France. However something happened to the Queen that had never happened before. She missed her cycle, but, thinking it was "The Change", said nothing of it. Then, she began to be sick in the mornings, and she thought little of it. But it was when she began to grow very fat that she looked to a doctor.
Thus, in the middle of annulment proceedings, with her replacement already decided to be her husband's mistress, the Queen of Navarre discovered herself to be pregnant with her husband's child. It seems that, in the old traditions of "for old times sake", Henry IV of France had shared Marguerite's bed one time early in her return to France, and that had taken hold where other times had not. Thus, proceedings had to be halted, and Henry bitterly awaited what he imagined would be a disappointing miscarriage, or at best a daughter. However, he was proved wrong. On the 7th of August, 1593, the Queen of Navarre went into labour for the first time, and in the early hours of the 8th of August, finally gave birth to Louis de Bourbon, Dauphin de France.
The court was aghast. The Queen had been thought barren, and at 40 years old was thought to be too old to conceive anyway. She had tried 20 years prior for a child by the King, had failed, and had not once fallen pregnant by any lover she had had. Yet the Prince was there, witnessed by over 100 noblemen of the court, and having the appearance of his father as much as a baby can do so. Thus, Henry IV of France reluctantly accepted his son, and his wife. He hoped that this new found fertility would not be a fluke, and continually referred to the sudden fertility of her mother at a late age. But Catherine de Medici had been in her late 20's when he first son was born, and Marguerite was much older. Thus, no children would follow Louis, Dauphin de France.
The first act of business Marguerite de France demanded was her coronation. The daughter of a King of France, the sister to three Kings of France, she was now the wife of a King of France and demanded the appropriate ceremony. Thus, in 1597, she was crowned, and all looked upon the formerly impoverish Marguerite with awe, as she was anointed and given the respect she had so yearned for previously. It was a moment of pure triumph for the new Queen of France, without the sneaking ways of her mother or the consistent betrayal of her brothers. It was all for her.
But the triumph did not come with domestic bliss. Henry IV of France remained Henry IV of France, arrogant, uncultured to her tastes and prone to infidelity. While they had renewed their sexual relationship from 1594 onwards, it was once again over by 1598, and by 1602 she wrote to a friend that she had not shared a room with her husband, let alone a bed, in many years. However, physical intimacy had not been the goal this time, but political power. And Marguerite began through her son.
Fiercely proud of Louis de Bourbon, the Queen had important plans for him. Marguerite would not stand for the Spanish match for her son her husband envisioned initially, and shot down a match with an Italian Noblewomen. Instead, she looked to Scotland, where James VI of Scotland was the primary heir to the English throne. And he had a daughter only 3 years her son's junior. Thus, Marguerite bullied her husband into allowing a betrothal between Louis, Dauphin de France and Elizabeth Stuart, Princess of Scotland. This was not a match met with confusion, the Auld Alliance was a historical fact, and James VI of France was the future King of England and Ireland.
The reason for Marguerite's distaste for a Spanish match came from two different sources. The first was a lack of actual Spanish Infantas at the time, to be remedied by the birth of the Infanta Anna of Austria in 1601. But the other, more crucial reason to her was the lack of support that had been promised to her many years prior, when Philip II of Spain had failed to send money. She also had seen the issues with Italians, and feared saddling her son with another woman like her mother. Thus, the Scottish match was agreed to.
The lack of any following children from the royal couple was a continual annoyance to the King of France. Having hoped for multiple sons and daughters, instead he was left with a young boy undoubtedly his but only a child. Thus, all the hopes for the future were placed squarely on the Dauphin. While Marguerite doted on Louis, Henry was highly critical of the young boy.
Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre, found herself in a difficult situation in 1592. Almost 40, childless and poverty stricken, she was forced to her husband's side again for one reason: he wanted her gone. So she joined him, agreeing to the annulment proceedings so that she might be lifted out from poverty and enjoy her years in France. However something happened to the Queen that had never happened before. She missed her cycle, but, thinking it was "The Change", said nothing of it. Then, she began to be sick in the mornings, and she thought little of it. But it was when she began to grow very fat that she looked to a doctor.
Thus, in the middle of annulment proceedings, with her replacement already decided to be her husband's mistress, the Queen of Navarre discovered herself to be pregnant with her husband's child. It seems that, in the old traditions of "for old times sake", Henry IV of France had shared Marguerite's bed one time early in her return to France, and that had taken hold where other times had not. Thus, proceedings had to be halted, and Henry bitterly awaited what he imagined would be a disappointing miscarriage, or at best a daughter. However, he was proved wrong. On the 7th of August, 1593, the Queen of Navarre went into labour for the first time, and in the early hours of the 8th of August, finally gave birth to Louis de Bourbon, Dauphin de France.
The court was aghast. The Queen had been thought barren, and at 40 years old was thought to be too old to conceive anyway. She had tried 20 years prior for a child by the King, had failed, and had not once fallen pregnant by any lover she had had. Yet the Prince was there, witnessed by over 100 noblemen of the court, and having the appearance of his father as much as a baby can do so. Thus, Henry IV of France reluctantly accepted his son, and his wife. He hoped that this new found fertility would not be a fluke, and continually referred to the sudden fertility of her mother at a late age. But Catherine de Medici had been in her late 20's when he first son was born, and Marguerite was much older. Thus, no children would follow Louis, Dauphin de France.
The first act of business Marguerite de France demanded was her coronation. The daughter of a King of France, the sister to three Kings of France, she was now the wife of a King of France and demanded the appropriate ceremony. Thus, in 1597, she was crowned, and all looked upon the formerly impoverish Marguerite with awe, as she was anointed and given the respect she had so yearned for previously. It was a moment of pure triumph for the new Queen of France, without the sneaking ways of her mother or the consistent betrayal of her brothers. It was all for her.
But the triumph did not come with domestic bliss. Henry IV of France remained Henry IV of France, arrogant, uncultured to her tastes and prone to infidelity. While they had renewed their sexual relationship from 1594 onwards, it was once again over by 1598, and by 1602 she wrote to a friend that she had not shared a room with her husband, let alone a bed, in many years. However, physical intimacy had not been the goal this time, but political power. And Marguerite began through her son.
Fiercely proud of Louis de Bourbon, the Queen had important plans for him. Marguerite would not stand for the Spanish match for her son her husband envisioned initially, and shot down a match with an Italian Noblewomen. Instead, she looked to Scotland, where James VI of Scotland was the primary heir to the English throne. And he had a daughter only 3 years her son's junior. Thus, Marguerite bullied her husband into allowing a betrothal between Louis, Dauphin de France and Elizabeth Stuart, Princess of Scotland. This was not a match met with confusion, the Auld Alliance was a historical fact, and James VI of France was the future King of England and Ireland.
The reason for Marguerite's distaste for a Spanish match came from two different sources. The first was a lack of actual Spanish Infantas at the time, to be remedied by the birth of the Infanta Anna of Austria in 1601. But the other, more crucial reason to her was the lack of support that had been promised to her many years prior, when Philip II of Spain had failed to send money. She also had seen the issues with Italians, and feared saddling her son with another woman like her mother. Thus, the Scottish match was agreed to.
The lack of any following children from the royal couple was a continual annoyance to the King of France. Having hoped for multiple sons and daughters, instead he was left with a young boy undoubtedly his but only a child. Thus, all the hopes for the future were placed squarely on the Dauphin. While Marguerite doted on Louis, Henry was highly critical of the young boy.