For Women’s History Month, I could have chosen any number of consorts to explore. There are so many royal women who deserve more attention. However, this month I have chosen a woman whose life gets passed over for several of her contemporaries: Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I all pull far more attention. This consort was the daughter of one king, the sister of three kings, and the sister-in-law of one queen. For our March Consort of the Month: Elisabeth de Valois. 
Consort of the Month: Elisabeth de Valois Fast Facts
Birth Date: 2 April 1545
Death Date: 3 October 1568
Tenure : 22 June 1559 – 3 October 1586
Birth Name: Elisabeth de Valois
Spouse: King Philip II of Spain
House: Valois-Angoulême
Father: King Henry II of France
Mother: Catherine de Medici
Why Do We Know Elisabeth de Valois
Unfortunately, Elisabeth de Valois is not a known historical figure outside of a very small group of people interested in the sixteenth century beyond England and Scotland. She theoretically could have been a substantial character on Reign but they went with Claude of France instead. (Not that Claude wasn’t entertaining.) So, today we are going to hopefully change that!
Elisabeth de Valois’s Early Life
Elisabeth de Valois was born to King Henry II of France and Queen Catherine de Medici on 2 April 1546, following three years after her brother Francis. Eight siblings followed with five living to adulthood.
The young princess was raised by Jean and Francoise d’Humières, the governor and governess of the royal children, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Mary Stuart, the young Scottish queen, arrived at the French court in August 1548 after being engaged to Francis. The five year old Mary and two year Elisabeth were quickly friends and would remain so for the rest of their lives.
In 1550, Elisabeth’s father proposed that she marry King Edward VI of England; Edward’s death in 1553 ended the possible alliance.
A Teenage Bride
Henry and Catherine continued to look for a husband for their daughter, and settled on the recently widowed King Philip II of Spain. His second wife, Queen Mary I of England and Ireland, had died in November 1558, and Philip needed to ensure the line of succession. (He had no children with Mary and one son with his first wife.)
A fourteen year old Elisabeth travelled to Spain to meet her thirty-two year old husband. The journey took quite a bit of time, as she was sick during the journey. While she and her ladies specifically chose to dress in the Spanish style in honour of her new life, it was not a smooth transition- the French and Spanish groups in her entourage fought about various things. However, once the couple met in Spain, her new life began.
Elisabeth and Philip married in Guadalajara at their first meeting; both were happy with their new spouse despite the large age gap.
Artistic Talent
Italian artist Sofonisba Anguissola was appointed as one of Elisabeth’s ladies in waiting, and it would be a significant relationship for the new queen. In some ways, Elisabeth was a normal teenager- she liked sleeping in, buying clothing, and hosting various social events. She liked attending balls and acted as a patron for several musicians and performers. (Elisabeth would spend extremely large sums of money on her socialising and wardrobe, but Philip continued to pay for them.)
However, these were not her only interests. Anguissola tutored her in painting and Elisabeth developed a talent for painting. The women remained close and the artist was named as court painter to the Spanish court.
An Early Death
Elisabeth’s first pregnancy in 1560 was a stillborn son, and her next pregnancy in 1564 resulted in two stillborn twin girls. However, Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia was born in August 1566; Infanta Catalina Michaela was born in October 1567. The family of four was quite happy and Philip and Elisabeth were said to be loving parents.
On 3 October 1568, Elisabeth suffered a miscarriage and passed away that day. She had been ill, with numbness and fainting in the days before. As was common at the time, she was bled and given clysters (what we now know as enemas), which most likely contributed to her death.
Philip was said to be heartbroken over Elisabeth’s death. He did remarry again- in May 1570, he married his niece, Anna of Austria.
Elisabeth de Valois: Interesting Facts
– Elisabeth’s first official appearance was at the wedding of her brother, the Dauphin and Mary, Queen of Scots in 1558.
– Much like her mother, she loved court entertainments such as plays and musical performances.
– Elisabeth sadly witnessed the jousting accident where her father’s eye was pierced with a splinter, an injury that he would die from the resulting complications.
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Further Readings/Listenings on Elisabeth de Valois
Chang, Leah Redmond. Young queens: Three renaissance women and the price of Power. S.l.: Picador, 2023.
Not Just the Tudors podcast. “Mary Queen of Scots, Catherine de Medici & Elisabeth de Valois” episode.
Looking for my earlier Consort of the Month posts? Read about:
Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Queen Marie Antoinette
Catherine de Medici
Queen Adelaide
Catherine de Valois
Marie de Guise
Queen Alexandra of Denmark
Empress Josephine of France
Queen Elizabeth of York
I hope you have enjoyed Consort of the Month: Elisabeth de Valois!
Cheers,
The Historian
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