What did King Louis 13 die from? Favorites of the French kings

Louis XIII Bourbon - (born September 27, 1601 - death May 14, 1643) - King of France and Navarre Louis 13, nicknamed the Just, ruled from 1610 to 1643. Son of Henry IV (the first king of the Bourbon dynasty) and Marie de Medici.

Young King

After his father Henry IV was assassinated, Louis ascended the throne at the age of eight. The rule passed to the mother, Maria de' Medici as regent, and her favorite, the Italian Concino Concini, who is known in history as Marshal d'Ancre. Maria paid almost no attention to the young king and did not give him any education.

The only person who remained close to Louis for many years was his uncle Albert de Luynes. He especially pleased the Dauphin with his extensive knowledge of training dogs and training falcons for hunting. Louis became so attached to him that he did not let him go even for a minute.

End of the reign of Marie de Medici

1614 - the king was declared an adult, but even after that power remained in the hands of Maria de Medici and her favorite. The young monarch, not knowing how to get rid of the hated dAncre, on the advice of Luynes, decided to kill the marshal. The murder was entrusted to the guard captain Vitry. On the morning of April 24, 1617, Vitry and three other accomplices met the favorite in one of the Louvre corridors and shot him at point-blank range with a pistol. A legend has survived to this day that, having learned about this, the king joyfully exclaimed: “This is the first day of my real rule!”

He ordered Maria Medici to convey that, as a good son, he would continue to respect her, but from now on he would rule the country himself. The mother retired to Blois. In fact, the king had neither the mind nor the desire to engage in state affairs himself. From dAncre power passed to de Luynes. His death in 1621 opened the way to the throne, who at first was a simple member of the royal council, but then very quickly was able to advance to the position of first minister.

Reign of Cardinal Richelieu. Intrigue

In his policy, Richelieu pursued 2 main goals: he tried to crush the power of the nobility and calm the Huguenots. Both there and here he was able to achieve complete success. 1628 - La Rochelle, which for many decades was considered the support of their power, was taken from the Protestants, and other fortifications were destroyed. Thus, the separatist aspirations of the Huguenots and their dreams of creating their own republic, independent of the monarch, came to an end forever.

In the same way, the nobility received a terrible and ruthless enemy in the person of Richelieu. While fighting his enemies, he did not disdain anything: denunciations, espionage, gross forgeries, deceit unheard of in former times - everything was used. The Cardinal effortlessly destroyed conspiracies drawn up against him, while his personal intrigues usually ended in the execution of one or more of his enemies.

Many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy ended their lives on the scaffold at that time, and all pleas to Louis for their pardon remained unanswered. The king generally knew how to hate strongly, but he always loved carefully. He was cruel by nature and suffered more than many other rulers from the usual royal vice - ingratitude. The aristocracy trembled with horror and indignation, but in the end had to bow to the power of the cardinal.

The king's mother and some of his brothers plotted against Richelieu and the king himself. 1631 - Richelieu managed to uncover a conspiracy against the monarch. The goal of the conspirators was to kill Louis and seize power. After this, the monarch began to unconditionally trust the cardinal, giving him complete freedom of action.

Hobbies of Louis XIII

In private life, the king did not show much inclination towards pleasure - nature made him pious and melancholy. Like many Bourbons, he loved manual labor: he wove nets, repaired gun locks and even forged entire guns, masterfully minted medals and coins, raised early green peas in a greenhouse and sent them to sell at the market, knew how to cook some dishes and shaved perfectly ( Once, amusing himself with the barber's skill on the beards of officers on duty, he came up with the then fashionable royal beards).

Not every European monarch could say about himself: “The State is me.” However…

Women never played a big role in the life of the monarch. Back in 1612, after concluding a friendly treaty with Spain, Maria de' Medici and Philip III agreed to seal the alliance with a marriage between the two royal dynasties. Louis was then betrothed to the Infanta Anna, although both he and she were still children. 1615, November - the wedding took place. Due to the youth of the spouses, their marital duties were postponed for 2 years. Anna of Austria soon realized that her marriage would not be happy. The gloomy and silent Louis stubbornly preferred hunting and music to her company. He spent whole days either with a gun or with a lute in his hands.

The young queen, who went to Paris with the hope of a cheerful and joyful life, instead found boredom, monotony and sad loneliness. After an unsuccessful wedding night Louis only 4 years later decided to get closer to his wife again. This time his experience was successful, but several pregnancies ended in miscarriages. The king began to neglect the queen again. For some time it seemed that he would not leave an heir. However, after that almost a miracle happened, and in 1638 Anna of Austria, to the great joy of her subjects, gave birth to the Dauphin Louis (future). This important event happened at the end of the reign. Five years later, Louis began to suffer from stomach inflammation and died while still a relatively young man.

Despite the many beautiful seductive women, the king...

According to the testimony of contemporaries, from childhood Louis showed bad inclinations that were not characteristic of either his father or mother. His main shortcomings were spiritual callousness and hardness of heart. As a child, playing hunting in the palace garden, the Dauphin loved to catch butterflies to tear them into pieces, and plucked the feathers of the caught birds or broke the wings. Once, the compassionate Henry IV caught his son playing such fun and personally whipped him.

The young monarch did not fulfill his marital duties. As Robert de Montesquieu said, the king’s entourage came up with a trick, deciding to show Louis what the process of love consists of. They led the young man into a secret room, in which his sister, the Duchess of Vendôme, and her husband staged a visual demonstration. While the king watched, his doctor and confessor were next to him. After the doctor noted the physical changes in the young king’s condition caused by this performance, he immediately sent Louis to bed, where Anne of Austria was waiting for him, suitably prepared. The performance was a success, which was very strange in view of the fact that all the “conspirators” were present in the royal bedroom, observing the correctness of his actions.

He gave the most impartial portrait of King Louis XIII. This is a weak, and weak-willed, and fickle, and cold, and cruel, and stingy sovereign, who is in the shadow of the great Cardinal Richelieu. But in fact, this little-known ruler, if you look closely at him, can eclipse the glory of both his father Henry IV and his son Louis XIV.

During the 33 years of his reign, the kingdom of France changed a lot. There was a strengthening of power and administration, the development of trade relations and the navy. Subsequently, his son Louis XIV would take full advantage of these fruits.

Dauphin (1601-1610)

Louis XIII is the son of Henry IV, Navarre, and Marie de Medici. He was born in 1601. This marriage was purely dynastic, intended to maintain French influence in Italy by uniting Florence and France with an heir. It was also necessary to write off French debts from Florentine bankers. The young queen gave birth to six sons, of whom only two reached adulthood - Louis XIII and his brother Gaston, Duke of Orleans. The child grows up in the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, along with the illegitimate children of Henry IV. He is raised mainly by Albert de Luynes. It instills in the child a love of hunting, walking in the fresh air, drawing and dancing, and playing musical instruments, harpsichord and lute.

But de Luynes does not prepare a child to govern the state. The father loves Louis very much and clearly distinguishes him from his children. His mother treats him differently. She prefers Gaston. thinks Louis is slow and not very handsome. But Louis does not shy away, despite his natural shyness, he is firmly confident in his divine destiny. The father dies, killed by a fanatic, and the queen becomes regent for the young king. At this time Louis is only 8 years old. The mother, retreating from her husband's policies, seeks to get closer to Spain. Since 1612, Louis XIII has already been engaged to Anne of Austria, the daughter of the Spanish king.

Regency

The Queen cannot fully govern a state in which there is a tense situation between Protestants and Catholics. In addition, her subjects, representatives of the highest aristocratic families: Conde, Giza, Montmorency, are in a hurry to strengthen themselves. The queen is actively influenced by her favorite, the Italian Concini, Marshal d'Ancre. Greedy and greedy, he is hated by everyone who comes across him. In addition, feeling the strength behind him, he tries in every possible way to humiliate the future king. Louis XIII, trying to put Concini in his place and protect his dignity, talks to his mother, but is subjected to further insults. Around this time, he begins to suffer from stomach pains, which will only intensify in the future. However, despite the pain, in deep secret the 15-year-old shy teenager is preparing a conspiracy. The conspirators killed Concini in the Louvre. Louis, clearly agreeing with the physical necessity of eliminating him, said subduedly, “This time I am the king.”

Result of the coup

These words testified to the strength of character of Louis XIII, who boldly took responsibility for the fate of France at the age of 15. But the beginning of his reign was overshadowed by feudal unrest. Two opposing parties are created. The one who supports young Louis, and the one who relies on his mother. From 1619 to 1620 there is a “war” between mother and son. Cardinal Armand Richelieu skillfully maneuvers between parties to return peace to the kingdom.

Louis is initially wary of the peacemaker's actions, but shares his vision of royal power: to weaken the nobility and pacify the Protestants. Both had no doubts or stops when they considered something necessary. The joint work proceeded quite harmoniously and effectively.

Personal life and Anne of Austria

The dynastic marriage took place in 1615. However, despite the fact that his wife is the first beauty not only of France, Louis is always surrounded by favorites, relationships with whom he cannot at all be called platonic.

King Louis XIII maintains a distant relationship with his wife. He is distrustful of the queen. And what the young king doesn’t like most is that there are no children in the marriage. Since the king does not have an heir, he is surrounded by various conspiracies. Only fifteen years later the spouses’ relationship will begin to improve. But over the years, more than one favorite was attributed to Anne of Austria, including Buckingham. After 23 years of marriage, long-awaited children appear. First the Dauphin Louis, then

In the meantime, there are no children, Protestants go to an open uprising in La Rochelle, which is gradually supported by the French aristocrats and England, an old enemy from the Hundred Years' War, which is still alive in the hearts of both the French and the British. The internal war against the English-backed Huguenots continued until 1628, when the citadel of La Rochelle capitulated. The peace treaty is accompanied by affirmation of religious freedom. By this time, the wars had exhausted the country, the treasury was empty.

Conspiracies

It would seem that the resistance of the nobility has been broken, but the aristocrats continue to oppose the firm policy of the king and cardinal. The Duchess de Chevreuse dreams of seeing her brother as heir to the throne. The king's brother, Gaston d'Orléans, also takes part in the conspiracies. At this time, relations between spouses deteriorate. The king is informed that his military secrets are becoming known at the Spanish court. In his own home, King Louis XIII saw an enemy.

Louis XIII and Anne of Austria always maintained tension and mistrust in their relationship. The wife's chambers were searched on the king's orders. Anna's inability to give birth to a child (several miscarriages) further alienated the couple. But Richelieu, for the good of France, is making every effort to reconcile husband and wife.

Birth of an heir

This long-awaited event took place in 1638. But the tension at court and in the state does not subside. For 12 years, reforms have been underway designed to strengthen royal power, streamline the administration, destroy feudal remnants in the form of duels, and develop the navy. In this field, the king works hand in hand with the cardinal. They complement each other. Where the king seeks to take a drastic step, the cardinal suggests caution and flexibility.

They respect each other but keep their distance. This policy makes France’s position on the world stage stronger. The Thirty Years' Cold War in Italy was ending, but in 1635 war broke out between France and Spain. Spanish troops approach Paris. The king personally led the army, and the enemy was repulsed. The war is hard. Meanwhile, the king’s health is deteriorating. Neither the king nor the cardinal saw the end of the war. In 1642, Armand du Plessis dies, but leaves an heir - Cardinal Mazarin. Louis XIII died of illness a year later, in 1643, leaving an heir at the age of four.

The absolute monarchy was created by Louis XIII, and Louis XIV will always be concerned about the growth of its prestige. In the meantime, for many years, his mother, Anna of Austria, receives full power and becomes regent.

Results of the reign

Both rural areas and cities, and trade, and industrial activity suffered from the ongoing wars. But still, by 1643, France managed to become a major European force that could not be ignored. This was created by Louis XIII. The biography says that it was thanks to him that the kingdom was freed from the claims of the Habsburgs, both Austrian and Spanish. Until this time, the territory of the kingdom was not so vast. A strong monarchical state emerged. The monarchy became absolute.

Louis himself was a hypochondriac, a sick and sad man, but the people mourned him and gave him the nickname the Just.

Philippe de CHAMPAIGN (1602-1674). Portrait of Louis XIII. 1665.
Reproduction from the site http://lj.rossia.org/users/john_petrov/?skip=20

Louis XIII (27.IX.1601 - 14.V.1643) - king since 1610, from the Bourbon dynasty, son Henry IV and Maria de Medici (regent until 1614). The beginning of the reign of Louis XIII was marked by unrest among the feudal nobility, who took advantage of the king's minority. Since 1624, Cardinal Richelieu (first minister of Louis XIII in 1624-1642) became the de facto ruler of France, under whom absolutism was further strengthened in France. The weak-willed Louis XIII limited himself to supporting politics in state affairs Richelieu .

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 8, KOSSALA – MALTA. 1965.

Literature: Lyublinskaya A.D., France in the beginning. XVII century, L., 1959; Romain Gh., Louis XIII. Un grand roi méconnu (1601-1643), (p.), 1934; Tapie V., La France de Louis XIII et de Richelieu, (p.), 1952.

Louis XIII.

Louis XIII, King of France.
Louis II, King of Navarre
Louis XIII the Just
Louis XIII le Juste
Years of life: September 27, 1601 - May 14, 1643
Reign: France: 14 May 1610 - 14 May 1643
Navarre: May 14, 1610 - 1620
Father: Henry IV
Mother: Maria de Medici
Wife: Anna of Austria
Sons: Louis, Philippe

Louis was left early without his father, who died at the hands of a murderer. The mother was not at all involved in the upbringing and education of her son. The only person close to Louis was Albert de Luynes, who, however, entertained the young king more by training dogs and training falcons than by teaching him the sciences and art of government. Louis grew up pious and melancholy, loved manual labor: he wove snares, repaired gun locks and forged entire guns, knew how to cook and shaved perfectly. He is credited with the invention of a special “royal” wedge beard. At the same time, he had a callous soul, was cruel and ungrateful. Also in early childhood he tore off the wings of butterflies and plucked the feathers of birds caught in the garden. Once king, he was merciless towards his enemies and the enemies of Cardinal Richelieu, sending many French aristocrats to the scaffold.

Until Louis came of age, France was ruled by his mother Maria de Medici and her favorite Conchito Concini, also known as Marshal d'Ancre. After Louis came of age, the first thing Louis did was get rid of the hated d'Ancre by sending him a hired killer - the guards captain Vitry. All power passed to de Luynes, and after his death in 1621, Cardinal Richelieu rose very quickly.

In his policy, Richelieu pursued two main goals: to crush the power of the nobility and to pacify the Huguenots. Both there and there he achieved equal success. In 1628, La Rochelle, the main Protestant fortress, was captured, and the plans of the Huguenots to create an independent state in the south of France were finally destroyed. In the fight against the nobility, Richelieu did not disdain any methods: denunciations, espionage, outright forgeries - everything was used. Richelieu jokingly destroyed conspiracies directed against him, while many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy suffered from his intrigues.

In 1620, Lower Navarre officially became part of France, ceasing to exist as a formally independent state, although until 1830, French kings retained the title of Kings of Navarre, among other titles.

In 1612, Louis was betrothed to Infanta Anna of the Spanish-Austrian House of Habsburg. Since they were both still children, the wedding took place only three years later, and marital duties were postponed for another two years. Louis was never particularly interested in women. He was also very cold with his wife, preferring hunting and music to her company. Throughout their marriage, the king and queen were close only a few times. It is all the more surprising that after 23 years life together Anna still gave birth to an heir.

Soon after this event, Louis developed an inflammation of the stomach and died while still an old man.

Material used from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Louis XIII.
Reproduction from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Louis XIII (1601-1643) - king of France from the dynasty Bourbons , reigned 1610-1643. Son of Henry IV and Marie de' Medici.

According to contemporaries, Louis from childhood showed bad inclinations that were not characteristic of either his father or mother. His main shortcomings were spiritual callousness and hard-heartedness. In early childhood, while playing hunting in the palace garden, the Dauphin caught butterflies to tear them into pieces, and plucked the feathers of the caught birds or broke the wings. One day, the compassionate Henry IV caught his son playing like this and whipped him with his own hands.

Louis was eight years old when his father fell at the hands of an assassin. The affairs of the board passed to the mother, Maria de Medici, and her favorite, the Italian Concino Concini, known in history as Marshal d'Ancre. The mother almost did not deal with the young king and did not give him any education. The only person close to Louis remained for many His uncle Albert de Luigne especially pleased the Dauphin with his deep knowledge of training dogs and training falcons for hunting. Louis became so attached to him that he could not let go of him even for a minute. In 1614, the king was declared an adult. but even after this, power remained in the hands of Maria de Medici and her favorite. The king, not knowing how to get rid of the hated D'Ancre, decided, on the advice of Luynes, to kill the marshal. The execution of the plan was entrusted to the guards captain Vitry. On the morning of April 24, 1617, Vitry and three accomplices met the favorite in one of the Louvre corridors and shot him point-blank with a pistol. There is a legend that, having learned about this, Louis joyfully exclaimed: “This is the first day of my real dominion!” He told his mother to tell her that, as a good son, he would continue to respect her, but from now on he would rule the state himself. Marie de' Medici retired to Blois. In reality, the king had neither the mind nor the desire to deal with the affairs of government himself. From d'Ancre, power passed to de Luyne. His death in 1621 opened the way to the throne for Cardinal Richelieu, who at first was a simple member of the royal council, but then very quickly rose to the post of first minister.

In his policy, Richelieu pursued two main goals: he tried to crush the power of the nobility and calm the Huguenots. Both there and here he achieved complete success. In 1628, La Rochelle, considered the pillar of their power for many decades, was taken from the Protestants, and other fortifications were destroyed. Thus, the separatist aspirations of the Huguenots and their dreams of creating their own republic, independent of the king, came to an end forever. In the same way, the nobility found a terrible and ruthless enemy in the person of the cardinal. In the fight against his enemies, he did not disdain anything: denunciations, espionage, gross forgeries, previously unheard of deceit - everything was used. Richelieu jokingly destroyed conspiracies drawn up against him, while his own intrigues usually ended in the execution of one or more of his enemies. Many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy ended their lives on the scaffold in those years, and all pleas to the king for their pardon remained unanswered. Louis generally knew how to hate strongly, but he always loved carefully. He was cruel by nature and, more than many other monarchs, suffered from the usual royal vice - ingratitude. The aristocracy trembled with horror and indignation, but in the end had to bow before the power of the cardinal. In private life, Louis showed little inclination towards pleasure - nature made him pious and melancholy. Like many Bourbons, he loved manual labor: he wove nets, repaired gun locks and even forged entire guns, masterfully minted medals and coins, raised early green peas in a greenhouse and sent them to sell to the market, knew how to cook some dishes and shaved perfectly (once, amusing himself with the barber's skill on the beards of officers on duty, he came up with the then fashionable royal beards). Women never played a big role in his life. Back in 1612, after concluding a friendly treaty with Spain, Maria de Medici and Philip III agreed to seal the alliance with a marriage between the two royal families. Then Louis was betrothed to the Infanta Anna, although both he and she were still children. The wedding took place in November 1615. Due to the youth of the spouses, their marital duties were postponed for two years. Anna of Austria soon realized that her marriage would not be happy. The gloomy and silent Louis stubbornly preferred hunting and music to her company. He spent whole days either with a gun or with a lute in his hands. The young queen, who went to Paris with the hope of a cheerful and joyful life, instead found boredom, monotony and sad loneliness. After an unsuccessful wedding night, only four years later the king decided to get closer to his wife again. This time his experience was successful, but several pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Louis again began to neglect the queen. For some time it seemed that he would not leave an heir. But then almost a miracle happened, and in 1638 Anne of Austria, to the great joy of her subjects, gave birth to the Dauphin Louis (the future Louis XIV). This important event occurred at the end of the reign. Five years later, the king began to suffer from stomach inflammation and died while still a relatively young man.

All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999.

Read further:

France in the 17th century (chronological table).

Historical figures of France (rulers).

Literature:

Lyublinskaya A.D., France in the beginning. XVII century, L., 1959;

Romain Gh., Louis XIII. Un grand roi méconnu (1601-1643), (p.), 1934;

Tapie V., La France de Louis XIII et de Richelieu, (p.), 1952.

Juliette Benzoni

Night of submission. Louis XIII and Anne of Austria

When on May 14, 1610, the insane François Ravaillac ended the life of the “unfading lover” with a dagger in the chest, France was plunged into grief. The people, who sincerely loved the old merry fellow and red tape, were simply stunned. Merchants closed their shops, corrupt girls cried out loud, and in taverns all that was talked about was the death of the king. Paris is in mourning.

This sovereign lived bright life, full of dangers and fun adventures, and his country owed him a lot. A valiant warrior and wise ruler, he never allowed anything to interfere with his love affairs - even the need to fight the enemy. That is why, on the eve of the death of Henry IV, France was on the verge of war with Spain... But he cared about his people and wanted every peasant to have chicken boiled in a pot on Sundays. It was he who uttered the famous phrase that Paris is worth a mass, and without hesitation he accepted Catholicism when he realized that the capital would not submit to a Protestant.

France loved its king while he was alive, but when he was killed, he became almost a saint in the eyes of the people. This circumstance promised a successful reign for his heir, Louis XIII, who had just turned nine. But the experienced ministers shook their heads sadly and whispered that the king was very young and that too many of those close to the throne would lust for power.

And so it happened. Maria de Medici, surrounded by arrogant Italians and overnight becoming the ruler of France, listened only to the advice of astrologers, magicians, perfumers - and, of course, the hysterical Leonora Galigai and her handsome husband Concino Concini. The Medici regency brought untold disasters to France. Collapse and anarchy reigned in the country for a long time. And the kingdom truly owes only one thing to Mary - the appearance to the world of Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, a young bishop who, although he, among others, aspired to power, managed, however, during Concini’s lifetime not to show his talents. It didn't take long before he became Secretary of State. Thus France gained one of its greatest political leaders.

But what about the young king? Maria de Medici also played a fatal role in his fate. Preoccupied only with herself, the regent visited her son with the sole purpose of giving him a good beating. If she felt tired, she ordered one of the court ladies to slap Louis in the face. At the same time she said:

— Kings must be brought up in severity; they need to be punished much more severely than ordinary people.

For this, Louis hated his mother; it is not surprising that he rejoiced on the day when she left Paris for Blois, where she was to end her life in captivity.

During all the years of the regency, she never hugged her son, and little king lived alone in his apartment. But there was a man who very often remembered the unfortunate child. The good Queen Margot, the first wife of King Henry, visited the boy once a week, showered him with gifts, told him fairy tales and funny stories, and played with him. When she was about to leave, Louis became sad and begged not to leave him. But everything in the world ends sooner or later. In the early spring of 1615, Margot died. Louis was very sad. He realized that he had lost the only person who truly loved him. For several days he refused to leave his chambers, and the ladies, seeing him so sad, decided to cheer up the young king by reminding him that very soon he would marry the Spanish infanta. However, the upcoming marriage did not please Louis at all.

“I don’t know her at all,” he said, sighing sadly. - Without me, she was chosen as my wife, and no matter what she is - ugly or beautiful - I will still have to put her in my bed and kiss, hug and love for the rest of my life... Is this fair?

But, unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Three years have already passed since Maria de' Medici and the Spanish King Philip III signed a marriage contract, according to which Louis XIII took Doña Anna, then an eleven-year-old infanta, as his wife. It was also agreed in advance (at the insistence of the Spanish monarch) that Infanta Anna could marry Louis only if Princess Elizabeth, the sister of the French king, became the wife of the Prince of Asturias, the future Philip IV.

Queen Marie de' Medici was very pleased with the alliance with Spain and the fact that the Spaniards would no longer violate the borders of friendly France. Just then France once again found itself on the brink of civil war. The queen had to raise an army to call to order the rebellious princes - Condé, Bouillon, Longueville and Mayenne, who opposed Concino Concini, Marquis d'Ancre, the queen's favorite.

Louis, meanwhile, thought about his upcoming wedding without any enthusiasm. Sometimes he was so sad that for fun he turned into a pastry chef and personally baked his favorite marzipans, which always lifted his spirits. He also gathered a detachment of naughty boys as young as himself and organized raids on the jam pantry. The king always loved sweets, but he became a real sweet tooth after leavinghis dear sister Elizabeth.

It was at this time that the lonely Louis became friends with a certain young nobleman who knew the habits of all birds well and knew how to deal wonderfully with birds, including falcons. The king appointed him as his personal falconer, and the young people soon became inseparable. They trained birds and prepared snares for hunting. But the sovereign’s new favorite could train not only falcons. He was especially skillful in training small birds of prey - for example, gray shrikes, which in England were called executioner birds. The young nobleman's name was de Luynes. Having taken up taming birds, Louis completely ceased to be interested in preparations for the wedding.

But time passed, and in November, on the same day, a double marriage by proxy took place. In Bordeaux, in the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Cardinal de Sourdi married Elizabeth and the Prince of Asturias, who was represented by the Duke of Guise. And in Burgos, in the Augustinian Church, the archbishop united in marriage the King of France in the person of the Duke de Lerma, the first minister, and the Spanish Infanta Anna of Austria.

Almost immediately after the ceremony, both princesses set off in order to find themselves on different banks of the Bidassoa River at the same hour.

When Louis learned on November 21 that Doña Anna had gone to Bordeaux, he nevertheless decided to go out to meet her. Curiosity finally awoke in him. His gaze perked up, and he wanted to know better what his wife looked like. He, of course, was told that she was charming, but since no one could give any details, Louis headed to Bordeaux, and from there he ordered himself to be taken to Castres, where, according to the latest information, Anna stopped for the night. In order not to show himself to the Spaniards, he entered some roadside house and watched from the window as Anna got into the carriage to continue her journey.

The infanta's cortege soon disappeared from sight, and Louis, taking a place in his own carriage and still observing incognito, ordered the horses to be driven. Having caught up with the little queen’s carriage and noticing that she had stuck her pretty head out of the window, Louis, in complete delight at the delightful picture that presented itself to his gaze, smiled and began to wave her hand, and then, unexpectedly poking himself in the chest with a finger, shouted:

- I am the king of incognito!.. I am incognito! Drive, coachman, drive!

And galloped off to Bordeaux.

The young couple saw each other again that evening in the palace of the Bishop of Bordeaux, where the king was staying. Louis liked the tall, slender, blond girl. She was very young, she had beautiful hands, which she gladly showed off, and daring eyes. The young queen behaved quite confidently. At the sight of her, Louis was clearly worried, because he was thinking about his marital duties. From the very first minute of their acquaintance, he began to treat Anna in a friendly manner and even court her.

The next day, Louis came to Anna in her apartment during the dressing ceremony, introduced the princess to his tutor, Monsieur de Souvres, and the court physician, Eroard, and had a pleasant conversation with her. The infanta had a slight difficulty - she needed a scarlet feather, which, together with the white one, would decorate her hair.

Showing Anna his hat, to which feathers of both colors were attached, Louis gallantly offered to take the one she liked. The princess, smiling gratefully, took advantage of the offer, and then the king suddenly asked:

-Will you give me one of your red bows? I'll pin it to the crown...

There were no signs of trouble when on November twenty-fifth the young couple went to the wedding ceremony in the local cathedral. They were beautiful, these fourteen-year-old children: Louis, a burning brunette, and Anna, a sunny blonde. Louis was magnificent in a camisole of white satin, embroidered with gold; Anna looked wonderful in a long royal robe of purple velvet with a gold pattern of royal lilies and a shining crown on her head.

The ceremony resembled a happy one fairy tale, despite the fact that at the very last minute it was necessary to urgently look for a replacement for Cardinal de Sourdi, who was unexpectedly absent on personal matters.

The wedding took place at five o'clock in the afternoon, and since the day turned out to be difficult and exhausting, the wedding feast (contrary to tradition) was canceled. Returning to the bishop's palace, Louis immediately took Anna to her bedchamber and wished his wife Good night, kissed her and, taking his leave, left. Citing fatigue, he demanded dinner in bed.

But, as it turned out, the evening was just beginning for the king, and in vain he hoped that he would be left alone. Marie de Medici believed that Louis should immediately fulfill his marital duty, and therefore decided to set her son in a more frivolous mood. For this purpose, the queen mother sent to him several noblemen, especially experienced in matters of love, so that the young people would encourage the young man. Guise, Gramont and several other courtiers surrounded the royal box and began to tell the king all sorts of frivolous stories. It should be noted that stories about gallant adventures at that time were distinguished by an abundance of various obscenities, so the shy Louis did not find it funny at all. He just smiled politely from the corner of his lips and tried to fall asleep in order to gain strength for tomorrow's hunt.

Unfortunately for him, that was out of the question. At about eight in the evening the door opened in the bedroom, and Maria de Medici appeared on the threshold. Seeing her son in bed, she said in a stern tone:

“My son, the wedding ceremony is just a prelude to marriage.” You must go to the queen, your wife. She is waiting for you...

Accustomed to obeying his mother in everything, Louis did not dare to object.

“Madam,” he answered politely, “I was just waiting for your order.” I will go to my wife with you, if you so wish.

He was immediately put on a robe and fur-lined slippers, and Louis followed his mother through the living room to the little queen's room. Behind them, two nurses entered Anna’s bedchamber, the king’s tutor, Mr. Suvre, the life physician Héroard, the Marquis de Rambouillet, as well as the keeper of the royal wardrobe with the sovereign’s naked sword in his hand, and the senior valet Berenguien with a candlestick.

The Queen immediately went to the newlywed’s bed and said loudly:

- My daughter, I brought to you the king - your husband; I forgive you: accept him and love him.

Anna, blushing with embarrassment, answered quietly in Spanish:

“I have no other desire, madam, than to obey His Majesty, my husband, and please him in everything.”

Meanwhile, the king had already gone to bed next to his little wife.

The Queen Mother, standing in the passage between the wall and the marital bed, looked at the newlyweds with a stern look, and then, bending down, said something quietly to both of them. Straightening up, she loudly ordered her retinue:

- Now it's time for everyone to leave!

And in the bedroom, besides the young spouses, there were only two nurses left, who were ordered to make sure that the king and queen did not leave the bed.

What did the fat Florentine say to the two timid teenagers? What advice... or order did she unceremoniously give them? Tenderness, modesty and delicacy were unknown to her, her behavior always bordered on rudeness and vulgarity, and although this time - perhaps for the first time in her life - Marie de Medici was guided by good intentions, the result of her efforts was a wall of misunderstanding that grew between the king and queen of France.

Most likely, Maria, without bothering herself with the choice of words, called things by their proper names and explained in a few phrases what needed to be done.

About two hours later, the king returned to his bedchamber and announced to Eroar that he had taken a nap for an hour and had done “this” twice with his wife. The doctor doubted and asked the king to undress to examine him. As it turned out, Louis XIII at least tried to deflower his wife. In turn, the nurses who remained in the newlyweds’ bedroom assured that the king had twice confirmed his conjugal rights.

Be that as it may, the next day the young couple were embarrassed to look at each other, blushed and looked sad. On the second night, Louis did not even mention that he wanted to go to his wife. Physical intimacy with a woman disgusted him; the everyday life of marriage seemed dirty and full of humiliation to him. He must have been very awkward, and the young queen had to endure a terrible ordeal if it was even possible for Louis to take her virginity. After all, no one examined the sheets! One thing is clear: Anna did not fall in love with her husband after her wedding night. It is quite obvious that both could not forget the unsuccessful ending of this solemn day. It took a very long time for the unpleasant memories to be erased from my memory. This took four whole years...

Only in January 1619 did Louis XIII yield to the requests of those close to him and went to bed with Anne of Austria. For a long time they tried to persuade him to repeat the old, very unpleasant experience, assuring him that everything was not as scary as it seemed to him four years ago. Louis, of course, did not become a successful lover during this time and was still afraid of women, but Anna became even more beautiful, and everyone really hoped that she would be able to please her husband...

However, Louis also changed. After the captain of the guards de Vitry on the Louvre bridge put an end to the dishonorable Concini with a pistol shot, Louis became the master of his own kingdom.

He stopped stuttering and one day said loudly and clearly, in a voice filled with the greatest satisfaction:

- Finally, I am the king!

The current eighteen-year-old young man was not at all like the lively, cheerful boy who was a source of joy for Henry IV. He became a stern, virtuous and pious man. He forbade his court ladies to wear not only too daring necklines, but even dresses that were too tight, because they seemed to him an open invitation to adultery.

At the mere thought of lying with a woman, he was horrified, thereby dooming Anna of Austria to humiliating chastity.

The queen's distress soon became so noticeable that Louis's friend de Luigne decided to advise his sovereign to console his wife. In addition, the king's behavior became known in Spain, and Philip III was offended that the king of France was neglecting his daughter, and fell into a bad state of mind. In France they began to fear how this might affect the future relations of the monarchs of both countries. In general, the time has come for Louis to become a sovereign in the eyes of his own wife!

However, by the beginning of 1619 the king still continued to persist.

Everything changed when, on January 11, the king and queen signed a marriage contract between Christina of France, Louis' sister, and Prince Victor Amedee of Savoy of Piedmont.

On this occasion, the papal nuncio allowed himself to respectfully whisper in the king’s ear:

“Sire, I will not believe that you will allow your sister to give birth to a son before Your Majesty has a Dauphin.”

Louis, flushed with embarrassment, muttered in response:

- I will think about it…

In fact, he found himself in an extremely awkward position. Extremely nervous and impressionable, he was absolutely afraid of repeating the night in Bordeaux. He would be glad to have a son and would like to prove himself a brilliant lover in order to make up for his wife’s unpleasant impressions from her wedding night, when she had to close her eyes so as not to see the curious glances of her nurses. But he understood perfectly well that he couldn’t do anything and, moreover, knew almost nothing about how the female body works.

Meanwhile, the Louvre was preparing for another wedding. Louis' half-sister Catherine Henriette of Vendôme, daughter of Henry IV and Gabriel d'Estrée, was married to Charles II of Lorraine, Duke of Elbeuf. This event could hardly have had any impact on Louis’ intimate life if a rather strange thought had not occurred to him: to appear in the newlyweds’ room on their wedding night.

As tradition required, the king was present at the ceremony of putting the spouses to bed. When everyone left, he stayed in the bedroom and watched with curiosity what the newlyweds were doing until eleven o’clock in the evening. He wanted to learn some experience from the young couple, and they willingly taught him some wisdom...

Morals were still distinguished by amazing simplicity, and the daughter of the delightful Gabrieli, confident in her beauty, did not suffer from excessive modesty. She not only very openly showed everything to the king, but also, seeing his animation, sweetly advised:

- Sire, do the same with the queen, you won’t regret it...

Louis returned to his chambers in deep thought. Others, however, hoped that he would rush to the queen to immediately check whether he had learned the “lesson” correctly, but this did not happen. The king decided to carefully consider everything he had seen and therefore chose to go to bed. However, the next day he also did not visit the queen. The Duke de Luynes, angrily biting his mustache, came to Louis to find out: how long would His Majesty think about it?

We do not know whether the king shared his doubts with his best friend, but we know how de Luynes behaved. He put on a real performance: he begged, begged, conjured and even cried!

“Doesn’t His Majesty understand,” lamented the royal confidant, “that the country needs a Dauphin?” So what is the sovereign waiting for?

And de Luynes decided to move from words to deeds and force the king to be more decisive. The clock has just struck eleven. It's time to visit the queen. De Luynes wiped away his tears, mentally gave up on the fact that he might have to spend the night in the Bastille (if so, at least with the consciousness of a fulfilled duty), bent over his king, grabbed him by the chest and jerked him out of bed.

- Berengien! Take a candlestick! - he ordered loudly, pushing Louis out the bedroom door.

The senior valet, who appeared out of nowhere, reluctantly led this strange procession. The doctor Eroar brought up the rear of the procession. He rubbed his hands and chuckled into his mustache.

Louis, red with shame, resisted in every possible way, clung to the furniture and asked to be given time to think. But de Luynes did not listen, continuing to push towards the queen’s bedroom. Fortunately, the empress’s bedchamber was very close, and Louis soon found himself in his wife’s chambers and remained there.

The king left his wife only at two o'clock in the morning. He fulfilled his marital duty twice - with the tacit approval of the queen's chief chambermaid, Madame de Belliers, a secret witness to this scene.

The next day, Anna of Austria looked, although tired, but very pleased. The court ladies immediately realized that everything had happened in the best possible way.

Urgently sent dispatches notified all of Europe that the King of France had finally spent his wedding night with his wife...

The little queen was delighted with what she had experienced and asked the king to visit her more often. Louis XIII willingly obeyed and for several weeks went every evening to his wife’s chambers, becoming more and more interested in the game, which until recently had caused him terrible disgust.

His zeal, however, alarmed the court physicians. Fearing for the royal health, they forbade Louis to overwork himself.

But this advice came too late. Naturally bashful, Louis himself abandoned daily visits to the queen and returned to a chaste life.

Some time later, Anna of Austria announced that she was pregnant, but very soon she lost the child due to the fault of her reckless friend, Duchess de Chevreuse. Alas, the queen also lost the fragile love that her husband had for her after the memorable night of madness, when the Duke de Luynes so bravely played the role of Cupid.

Madame de Chevreuse, who despised the king, made sure that this love would never be resurrected again. And it took both a terrible storm and the fervent prayers of the nun, who was Louise de Lafayette in the world and the faithful mistress of Louis XIII, for Louis XIV to be born... Nineteen years later! But that is another story…

- (Louis XIII) LOUIS XIII (1601 1648), king of France, son of Henry IV and Marie de' Medici, was born at Fontainebleau on September 27, 1601. After Henry was assassinated on May 14, 1610 by a religious fanatic, Louis ascended the throne, but before he reached … … Collier's Encyclopedia

King of France (1610 1643), son of Henry IV and Marie de Medici; genus. in 1601. During his childhood, his mother, as regent, retreated from the policies of Henry IV, concluding an alliance with Spain and betrothing the king to Infanta Anna. This raised concerns...

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII portrait by Rubens, 1625 ... Wikipedia

- (Louis the Just, Louis Le Juste) (September 27, 1601, Fontainebleau May 14, 1643, Saint Germain en Le), king of France from 1610 from the Bourbon dynasty (see BOURBONS). The eldest son of Henry IV (see HENRY IV of Bourbon) of Navarre and his second wife Maria de Medici... encyclopedic Dictionary

King of France from the Bourbon dynasty, who reigned from 1610 to 1643. Son of Henry IV and Marie de' Medici. J.: from November 25, 1615 Anna, daughter of King Philip III of Spain (b. 1601, d. 1666). Genus. 27 Sep. 1601, d. May 14, 1643 According to... ... All the monarchs of the world

King of France (1610 1643), son of Henry IV and Marie de Medici, b. in 1601. During his childhood, his mother, as regent, retreated from the policies of Henry IV, concluding an alliance with Spain and betrothing the king to Infanta Anna. This raised concerns... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

Books

Louis XIV and his century. In 2 volumes, Dumas Alexander. The French king Louis XIV of the Bourbon dynasty ruled France for 72 years. These years are called the century of Louis, and the era of his reign is called the time of absolute monarchy. Nevertheless, about the person...
Cardinal Richelieu. Louis XIII, Kondraty Birkin. Kondraty Birkin is the pseudonym of the famous Russian historian of the 19th century. Pyotr Petrovich Karatygin, the author of works popular among his contemporaries, mystical and historical novels, who became...