Marriage Of Mary Queen of Scots & François II of France
On 24th April 1558, Mary Queen of Scots Married François, Dauphin of France.
Mary was fifteen, and François fourteen, when they were married with spectacular pageantry and magnificence, in the cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.
The fourteen year old groom was the eldest son of Henri II and Catherine de’ Medici.
Adored by his parents and grandfather, François nonetheless, grew up timid, stammering, sickly and undersized.
In bleak comparison, his fifteen year old bride was tall for her age ~ gorgeous with long auburn hair and sparkling hazel eyes.
Mary had been blessed with splendid health, she was full of vivacity, confidence and good humour.
Mary and François, were married by the Cardinal Archbishop of Rouen, in the presence of Henry II, Queen Catherine de’ Medici, the princes and princesses of the blood, and a glittering throng of cardinals and nobles.
Their wedding was an opulent affair, with preparations going on for months in advance for the big day.
All of Paris was expected to turn out to celebrate with the royal family.
The route between the Palais de Louvre and Notre Dame, would have been cleaned and decorated with flowers and banners, richly decorated with the fleur de lys of France, and the bride’s personal emblem, the marigold.
Temporary theatres were constructed to host plays.
Food and drink vendors were preparing for a busy and lucrative day, as they catered for the thousands who would line the procession, and then throng in the square in front of Notre Dame.
According to an eyewitness, Mary was –
“Dressed in clothing as white as lilies, made so sumptuously and
richly it would be impossible to describe.
Two young ladies carried the marvellously long train’ while
around her neck was a pendant of inestimable value, with
chokers, gems, and other magnificent riches.
On her head she wore a gold crown ornamented with pearls,
diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds.
In the middle of the crown was a fine red jewel, valued at
500,000 écus or more”
Mary’s choice of a white wedding dress was an unusual one, particularly as white was more traditionally worn by royal ladies when they were in mourning.
The strong willed Mary was keen to impress upon the people, her own taste on her wedding day.
It would also emphasise her famously pale skin and red hair ~ which would have been accentuated by a pure white dress.
After the wedding, there was another grand procession back to the palace for the start of the official wedding celebrations.
These were to last for fifteen days, and included all manner of balls, banquets, parades, ending with a huge tournament at the Palais de Tournelles.
💐 Mary and Francis in Catherine de’ Medici’s book of hours. c.1574.
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.
