The Summer Queen of Scots: Madeleine de Valois
Madeleine de Valois was
the daughter and fifth child of King Francis I of France and his consort, Queen
Claude. Queen Claude gave birth to Madeleine at the Chateau de Saint-
Germain-en-Laye on 10 August 1520. Madeleine had a frail disposition and by the
age of sixteen it was documented that she had contracted tuberculosis. Because
of this, Madeleine spent her youth in the Loire Valley in France, known for its
warm and temperate weather.
In April 1530, at the age
of about 10 years old, negotiations began for her marriage to King James V of
Scotland. John Stewart, Duke of Albany, reported Madeleine’s ill health to James
V. Scotland attempted to find another French bride, and Mary of Bourbon was
proposed. In 1536, James V traveled to France to meet Mary of Bourbon and
discovered he was quite taken with Madeleine de Valois. James V asked Francis I
for his daughter’s hand in marriage and Francis I initially refused, worried the
ordeal of marriage and the travel to and the harsh climate in Scotland would
exacerbate Madeleine’s illness.
Madeleine’s attachment to
James V was obvious. Ever the doting father, Francis I eventually gave in and
allowed the marriage to go ahead. The marriage contract was signed on 26
November 1536.
On 1 January 1537,
Madeleine de Valois married King James V of Scotland at Notre-Dame Cathedral. The
next months followed with lavish banquets, tournaments and decadent
celebrations. In May, Madeleine de Valois travelled to
Scotland with her husband. The trip proved perilous for Madeleine, as she was
severely ill when they landed on 19 May 1537.
On 8 June, Madeleine wrote
to Francis I that her health was improving. Perhaps this was true, or perhaps
it was the writing of a dutiful daughter attempting to put her father at ease. James
V, on the other hand, wrote to Francis I and requested he send over a
physician.
Just six months after
their wedding, on 7 July 1537, at the age of 16, Madeleine died at Holyrood
Palace, wrapped in her husband’s arms. She
was laid to rest, next to King James II, at Holyrood Abbey. Madeleine de Valois,
Queen of Scots, was given the moniker “The Summer Queen”- she came to Scotland
just as the months were getting warmer and left this world a respected reigning
queen, just a few short months later.
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