In this series:
- Mary Queen-Dowager of France to her Brother, Henry VIII. February 15, 1515.
- Mary Queen-Dowager of France to her Brother, Henry VIII. Late January, 1515.
- Henry VIII. to the French Minister. January 14, 1515.
From Mary’s perspective, she had agreed upon the marriage
to a much older man in exchange for her brother Henry VIII’s pledge that she
could marry who ever she chose after Louis’ death. Only a month or so before Louis’ final breath,
Mary’s true love, the Duke of Suffolk, returned to England from her marriage party,
apparently informing Cardinal Wolsey, upon his return, that the French king did
not have long to live.
Louis died on January 1, 1515 (N.S.), apparently of the
gout. Having been married so short a time and not had the opportunity to
establish allies or bear children to the king, and her French not being of the
best, a distraught 18-year-old Mary[1]
contacted her brother pleading for support.
Henry soon contacted an unspecified French minister
informing him that Suffolk, Nicholas West and Richard Wingfield would arrive
shortly to manage the dowager queen’s affairs. He and Wolsey cautioned Mary
against precipitously giving any marriage pledges, apparently hoping to head
off the ambitious Suffolk. Their hopes were soon to come to naught.
It happened that the new Venetian ambassador to England, Sebastian
Giustinian, was passing through the neighborhood on the way to his new post. He
had been instructed to visit the new French Queen to give her hearty
congratulations from the Republic and fine gifts that had been placed in his
care. Hearing of Louis death, the council sent updated orders to visit her in
order to offer condolences and to hold onto the gift until a new use should come
to hand.
…you will visit the most serene queen widow,
condoling with her on the death of her most Christian consort, in the usual
terms of respect.
*
The presents now in your hands, you will keep thus
until further orders from us; and, on your departure for England, you will
leave them with your predecessor until the return from thence of you, Piero Pasqualigo,
not giving it to be understood to any one that you have any presents with you;…[2]
It was a cold world for a childless, dowager queen.
14th January, 1515.
Very dear and good friend,
By the letters which the king, our good brother and cousin,
has lately written to us, with sorrow we are advertised of the demise of our
good brother, cousin, and compeer, the late king[3]
your master, whom God assoil! This has been to us news very unwelcome to hear
on account of the kind love, very cordial affection and endearment that we bore
him, and knowing of a certainty that he was of the same kind will and
disposition towards ourself. But we have conceived very great joy and pleasure,
in that he has left a prince so good, virtuous, and prudent, as his successor,
and that he is desirous to live with us in all good and perfect love and
endearment; and in that he comforts and consoles our good sister, who is, for
the present, very deeply afflicted; likewise, that he is determined to hold and
account her as a mother, and to consider her concerns as his own, to whom, for
his goodness of heart, we have sent thanks by our letters, and we feel ourself
greatly obliged to him for it.
And inasmuch as it appears to us necessary and expedient,
and also binding on our natural affections, to send certain of our trusty
familiars and private servants to her, to console and comfort her on our part
on this occasion, and also to say and propound certain matters on our behalf to
our good brother and cousin, we have, at this time, despatched our cousin and
councillor, the duke of Suffolk, and in his company, Master Nicolas West,
Doctor in Laws, and Master Richard Wingfield, our first Gentleman Usher, (who
are also our councillors.)
And as your advice and counsel will be necessary to them, to
further their suit, we have commanded them to apply themselves to you, as to
one whom we have ever found disposed to the maintaining of kind love and amity
between the late king your master and ourself, and also between our good brother
and cousin, the king, your present master. And, nevertheless, we pray you, very
dear and good friend, to be willing to further their suit, and take in hand
these matters, for which we now send them to the other side.
And you will do us a very singular and acceptable service,
for which we will make you a grateful return in what way you think proper, or
we shall be able to do for you, with the help of our Lord, who, my very dear
and good friend, have you in his good keeping.
Written at our manor of Eltham, the 14th day of
January, 1515.
Source: Halliwell, James Orchard. Letters of the Kings of England (1846). I.230-1.
[1]
The date of Mary’s birth is not an established fact. She was somewhere between 16-19 years of age
at the time of her marriage.
[2] Four
Years at the Court of Henry VIII (1854). I.43, 44. Translated from the
Italian.
[3]
Louis XII died on January 1, 1515.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
No comments:
Post a Comment