Francis, Dauphin of France (1518-1536)
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Francis (French: François), Dauphin of France, also Francis III, Duke of Brittany (September 28, 1518 – August 10, 1536), was the first son and heir of King Francis I of France and Claude of France, daughter of Louis XII of France.
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[edit] Life
Francis I said of his son at birth, "a beautiful dauphin who is the most beautiful and puissant child one could imagine and who will be the easiest to bring up". His mother, Claude of France, said, "tell the King that he is even more beautiful than himself". The dauphin was christened at Amboise on April 25, 1519. Leonardo da Vinci, who had been brought to Amboise by Francis I, designed the decorations.
One of the most researched aspects of the dauphin's short life is the time he and his brother Henry (later Henry II of France) spent as hostages in Spain. The king had been badly defeated and captured at the Battle of Pavia (1525) and became a hostage of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor,initially in the Alcázar in Madrid. In order to ensure his release, the king signed the Treaty of Madrid (1526). However, in order to ensure that Francis abided by the treaty, Charles demanded that the king's two oldest sons take his place as hostages. Francis agreed.
On March 15, 1526, the exchange took place at the border between Spain and France. The eight-year-old dauphin and his younger brother Henry spent the next three years as captives of Charles V, a period that scarred them for life. The dauphin's "somber, solitary tastes" and his preference for dressing in black (like a Spaniard) were attributed to the time he spent in captivity in Madrid.
[edit] Marriage arrangements
Being the first son and heir to a king of France made the dauphin a marriage pawn to his father. He could not be wasted in marriage (as many felt his brother Henry had been with his marriage to Catherine de' Medici), and there were several betrothals to eligible princesses throughout the dauphin's life, the first, when he was an infant, to the four-year-old Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII of England and later Mary I of England); but this arrangement was abandoned around 1520.
[edit] Death
The dauphin Francis died at Touron on August 10, 1536, at the age of seventeen. The circumstances of his death seemed suspicious, and it is believed by many that he was poisoned. However, there is ample evidence that he died of natural causes, possibly tuberculosis. The dauphin had never fully recovered his health from the years spent in damp, dank cells in Madrid.
After playing a round of tennis, the dauphin asked for a cup of water, which was brought to him by his secretary, Count Montecuccoli. After drinking it, Francis fell ill and died several days later. Montecuccoli, who was brought to the court by Catherine de Medici, was accused of being in the pay of Charles V, and when his quarters were searched a book of different poisons was found. (Catherine de Medici was well known to have an interest in poisons and the occult.) Under torture, Montecuccoli confessed to poisoning the dauphin.
In an age before forensic science, poison was usually suspected whenever a young, healthy person dropped dead shortly after eating or drinking something. There was no way to pinpoint and trace the substance after death; therefore, it was considered a quick, easy and non-traceable form of homicide. There are several other suspected cases of political-murder-by-poison in the French royal family through the ages. Among other suspected poisonings are the dauphin's younger brother, Charles, and Gabrielle d'Estrée, mistress and fiancee of Henry IV of France.
[edit] Other Titles
In 1532, the dauphin was given the duchy of Brittany and invested as Duke Francis IV. His premature death made Henry his successor. Since Henry's succession to the French throne in 1547, the duchy of Brittany has always been part of France. Had the so-called "merger in crown" doctrine been not applicable to Brittany, it would have gone its separate way in 1589 when Henry III died.
[edit] Anecdotes
- Was known to prefer books to soldiering.
- Even though he died at a young age, he was known to have a mistress — Madame d'Estranges.
| Preceded by Claude of France together with Francis III (king) |
Duke of Brittany 1524 (investiture 1532)–1536 |
Succeeded by Henry (also king of France) |
| Preceded by Francis |
Dauphin of France 28 September 1518–10 August 1536 |
