Birth of François of Anjou

François was born as Hercule François on18th March 1555.
François’ mother was the famous queen Catherine de’ Medici, a member of the powerful Florentine Medici family.
His father was King Henry II, who died tragically in a jousting accident, when little François was only four years old.

All three of François’ older brothers became Kings of France, one after the other.
This was the result of the fact that all of them died young, and without and male heirs.
When the third brother became King Henry III, François became the designated heir to the throne.

François had been an attractive child, sadly he was scarred by smallpox at the age of eight
His pitted face and slightly deformed spine did not suit his birth name of Hercule.
He changed his name to François, in honour of his late brother Francis II of France.

In 1579, negotiations commenced for marrying to Elizabeth I of England.
For over twenty years, Elizabeth had been courted by the most eligible men in Europe.
The “marriage game” was an important part of foreign relations.

When it seemed that England was losing friends, or in times when England needed friends, all England had to do was suggest marriage to the respective countries, and Elizabeth could be assured of their support for the foreseeable future.
Whether she intended to marry them or not……

On 17th August 1579, 24 year old François, came to visit Elizabeth.
He would be the only one of Elizabeth’s foreign suitors to court her in person.
This was by far the most serious foreign courtship of Elizabeth’s reign, and it seemed certain for a while that Elizabeth would indeed marry him.

Despite the fact that he was not as good looking as some of her suitors had been, the Queen was quite taken with François, who she called her “frog”.
Elizabeth announced before some of her courtiers that she would marry him, kissed him, and gave him a ring.
This pleased those eager for her marriage, but alarmed those who did not want their Queen married to a French Catholic.

Elizabeth was in a difficult situation.
If she married, then she risked her popularity and support for her regime.
But she was now in her late forties, and if she did not marry François, this could be her last chance at marriage – and having a child to succeed her to the throne.

With her decision not to marry François, she bade him farewell in 1581.
On his departure she penned a poem, ‘ On Monsieur’s Departure’, which, taken at face value, has lent credence to the notion that she may really have been prepared to go through with the match.
After Alençon left on August 27th, he sent her letters “ardent enough to set fire to water.”
The letters are in the Hatfield collection, and include passionate protestations of eternal love, with florid lines like “on the brink of this troublesome sea, I kiss your feet.”

François returned to the Netherlands, where he was named Duke of Brabant.
In 1583, after several less than successful campaigns, François withdrew to France.
During his campaigns he had contracted a “tertian ague” ~ Malaria.
The illness slowly made him waste away, and he died of a fever on June 10th 1584, just 29 years old.
François Duke of Alençon and later of Anjou, was interred in The Basilica Catherdral of Saint-Denis in France.

Everyone back in the English Court, feared to tell Queen Elizabeth the news.
When she was finally told, she wore black for mourning and wept openly every day for three weeks.
Elizabeth would continue to observe the anniversary of his death, every year.