Catherine de Bourbon
Catherine de Bourbon ( * February 7, 1559 in Paris, † February 13, 1604 in Nancy) was the wife of Henry II, later Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1577 to 1592 she acted as regent of her brother, the French King Henry IV, in the Kingdom of Navarre.
Life
Catherine was the daughter of Antoine de Bourbon, Titularkönigs of Navarre, Jeanne d' Albret and so a younger sister of the French king Henry IV She was a princess highly educated, but in poor health. If no disease handcuffed her to the bed, she often accompanied her mother on their numerous trips through Navarre. She was influenced by the religious fervor of her mother, whom she already lost a 13 -year-old on June 9, 1572 and remained a lifelong die-hard Calvinist. She went on the occasion of the marriage of Henry ( IV ) with Margaret of Valois to Paris and had as her brother after the St. Bartholomew's Day on August 24, 1572 to accept the Catholic faith. After her brother's escape she left the French court and meet again Heinrich ( IV ) in Béarn. They immediately took back their old faith in ( 1576 ). 1577, she was named by her brother as regent of Navarre and remained until 1592 in this position. For the defense of their country during the war against the Holy League wore comprehensive care, as their correspondence with the officers of Henry ( IV ) occupied.
Because of Catherine's adherence to their religion failed a number of projects Marriage: How campaigned about the Duke of Alencon in vain for them. Moreover, stood her marriage to King Philip II of Spain ( 1580), Duke Charles III. of Lorraine ( 1581) and Duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy ( 1583 ) in the room. She lived at that time alternately in Pau and Nerac, and often accompanied her brother. Due to the preparations for war against the Catholic League in 1585 Catherine had to Navarrenx, issued the only fortified place of the Principality. Since the spring of 1588 but almost constantly lived in Pau. After Henry IV had ascended the French throne in 1589, Catherine was named the Duchess of Albret and Countess of Armagnac. Since about 1587 she was in her cousin Charles de Bourbon- Condé, comte de Soissons, in love and gave him a secret promise of marriage; and wooed apparently returned her love. In 1592 he arrived in Pau, undoubtedly to marry or take to Catherine. But Henry IV refused to give his consent because he doubted the loyalty of the Count of Soissons and let this arrest on 6 April 1592 Castle of Pau. Before Catherine had the marriage proposals of the Scottish king James VI. ( 1588) and Duke Christian of Anhalt ( 1591 ) rejected. In 1596 they had the hands of the duke Henri de Bourbon, duc de Montpensier, back.
Henry IV had his sister Catherine sincerely liked and lent her money or demanded jewelry as collateral for other loans. She remained a staunch Calvinist and entered against the passage of her brother Henry IV to Catholicism ( 1593). Yet she was a good friend of her brother's mistress, the Catholic Gabrielle d' Estrées, and surprisingly advocated a marriage of the couple. The efforts of Catherine and Gabrielle d' Estrées contributed to the adoption of the Edict of Nantes of 1598, which recognized the religious freedom of the Huguenots in France.
1594 Henry IV had let his sister Catherine call to Paris to tell her that he had, destined for the wife of the heir to the throne of Lorraine, Henry II of Lorraine. As part of the Peace of Saint- Germain -en- Laye between Henry IV and Duke Charles III. of Lorraine marriage had been agreed by the eldest son Henry ( II ) with Catherine namely. The marriage contract was signed on July 13, 1598. But Catherine did her Calvinist faith faithful and rejected a conversion to Catholicism, while her husband was a fundamentalist Catholic. Therefore, to permit the marriage because of the different creeds of the spouse a papal dispensation was necessary to Clement VIII, however, expressly refused on 29 December, 1598. The Angry French king intimidated the Archbishop of Reims, but so that authorized the marriage. So the wedding on January 30, 1599 was held in Saint- Germain -en- Laye. Catherine was about their marriage but not happy and often sick. Her brother intensified the pressure on the Pope to obtain a dispensation, but also to his sister, to convert to Catholicism. But Catherine made the king sent by Cardinal Jacques- Davy Duperron resistance and fought so well with her brother. You could even bring Calvinist minister to himself. After five years of childless marriage, she died shortly after the Pope had granted the dispensation.