Christine Marie of France

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Christine Marie of France, Regent of Savoy

Christine Marie of France, fr.: Christine de France, it.:Maria Cristina di Francia or Madama Reale, (Paris, February 10, 1606 - Turin December 27, 1663) was Regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1663.

[edit] Life

She was a daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second wife Marie de' Medici. Her brother was Louis XIII, king of France. Her older sister was Elisabeth, Queen of Spain and her younger sister was Henrietta Maria, Queen of England.

She married Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy, on February 10, 1619 in Paris.

Victor Amadeus became Duke after the death of his father in 1630, but died already in 1637. Christine Marie of France, a strong, confident woman assumed the Regency for her two sons, Francis Hyacinth and Carlo Emanuele.

Both Maurice of Savoy and his younger brother Tommaso disputed the power of their sister-in-law, and her French entourage. When the first heir Francis Hyacinth died in 1638, both brothers started the Piemontese Civil War, with Spanish support. The two parties were called "principisti" (supporters of the Princes) and "madamisti" (supporters of Madama Reale).

After four years of fighting, Christine Marie was victorious, thanks to French military support. Not only did she keep the Duchy for her son, she also prevented France getting too much power in the Duchy. When peace was concluded in 1642 , Maurice married his forteen-year old niece Louise Christine, abandonning the title of cardinal and asking dispensation from Pope Paul V. Maurice became governor of Nice. Christine Marie of France stayed in firm control of the Duchy of Savoy , until her son could follow in her footsteps.