DIANE DE POITIERS

The remarkable Diane de Poitiers was born at the very end of the 15th century. She married a grandson of Charles VII and thus gained entry to the court of François I, France's great Renaissance king and the creator of Fontainebleau. She stayed at court after becoming a widow, and became the mistress of Henri d'Orléans, later to be King Henri II, shortly before his marriage to Catherine de Medici. Catherine seemed unable to conceive and, as Diane realised that an annulment of the marriage and the arrival of a new queen might pose a greater threat to her own position, she resolved to help her. She gave her some practical advice and then, on designated evenings, Henri would spend the first part of the night in bed with Diane as usual, until she sent him upstairs to Catherine. Once his marital duty was accomplished, Henri would return to Diane.

In matters of state the King trusted only his mistress, and many official letters were written in her hand and signed jointly with the one name: HenriDiane. Diane kept her good looks and figure well into her fifties, bathing every day (unusual at the time) and taking regular exercise. She was dedicated to Henri and seemed able to love wisely and well.

Catherine attained her victory when Henri was fatally wounded in a tournament. As he lay dying, Catherine resumed control of him and was in charge of access to him. He called out repeatedly for Diane, but she was not summoned. She was also uninvited to the funeral. She died at Anet in 1566, six years after Henri's death.

Diane de Poitiers is one of the royal mistresses discussed in The Mistress.

©Victoria Griffin, 2000

Links to other websites featuring Diane de Poitiers:

Website of Patrick Pochon: a gardener at Anet, the château which used to belong to Diane & where she died.
Chenonceaux: another of Diane's castles.
Chaumont: where Catherine de Medici sent Diane after Henri's death.

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