Marie de' Medici

(1573-1642) (Marie de Médicis)

   queen of France

   Born in Florence, italy, Marie de' Medici was the daughter of the grand duke of Tuscany, Francesco de'Medici, and the grand duchess Giovanna. in 1600, she married henry IV of France. They had six children, the eldest of whom became King louis x III in 1610, when his father was assassinated. As regent during her son's minority, Marie was dominated by her Italian advisers and, unlike Henry IV, pursued a pro-Spanish policy of arranging marriages both for Louis and for his sister Elisabeth into the spanish royal family. in terms of domestic policy, she was unable to control the restless French nobles and the estates general. In 1617, she went to war against her son, but her forces were defeated at Ponts-de-Cé (1620). Reconciled with him in 1621, Marie promoted the advancement of armand-jean du plessis de richelieu, using her influence to have him made a cardinal in 1622 and Louis's prime minister in 1624. When Cardinal Richelieu reversed her policy of alliance with spain, however, Marie turned against him. Concerned over her former protégé's influence, she tried to overthrow him (1630), but failing, went into permanent exile (Brussels, London, and eventually Cologne). Marie was also a patron to a number of artists, including the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens, who illustrated her life in a brilliant series of 21 tableaux (1622-24), for installation in the Luxembourg Palace (today in the louvre). See also concini, concino; galigaï, leonora.