Birth of Elisabeth of Austria, Queen consort of France

 

 On this day ~ 5th July 1554 
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 Birth of Elisabeth of Austria, Queen consort of France 

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 Elisabeth of Austria was born on 5th July 1554, in Vienna.
She was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II, and Maria of Spain.

Raised as Roman Catholic, Elisabeth lived a sheltered and privileged life with her older sister Anna and her younger brother Matthias.


 Elisabeth was very intelligent.
She grew up speaking German and Spanish, and excelled at all her studies.

Blonde and pale-skinned with a flawless figure, Elisabeth was considered a great beauty.

She was regarded as demure, pious, and warmhearted.
However, she could also be naïve, because of her sheltered upbringing.

 Around 1559, a match was approved between Elisabeth and Charles IX.
Charles was the son of King Henri II and Catherine de' Medici.

Although the French treasury was empty, Catherine de' Medici was determined to give her son a splendid wedding.

She raised the money needed from the clergy and by levying a special tax on cloth sales.

 Elisabeth arrived on 25th November 1570, in a gilded pink and white coach, accompanied by a huge entourage of German nobles.

The formal wedding ceremony was celebrated the next day.

As Charles observed his bride approach the altar, he was completely struck by her beauty.

Elisabeth looked every inch, a Royal beauty.
She was wearing a silver gown embroidered with pearls, a purple cloak decorated with fleur-de-lis, and a crown studded with rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds.

 Elisabeth spoke little French and seemed completely smitten with her husband.
She devoted herself to his happiness.

She was conscientious and extremely devout, hearing Mass twice a day and spending hours in prayer.

Charles found her fresh and unspoiled and wanted to preserve her sweetness.
He taught her French ways and manners.

 Catherine de' Medici took great pains to shield the sweet Elisabeth from the wantonness and malevolence, of the French court.

Elisabeth, shocked with the licentious ways of the court, dedicated her time to embroidery work, reading and especially the practice of charitable and pious works.

 Elisabeth gave birth to her first and only child, a daughter Marie-Elisabeth on 27th October 1572.

One of the child's godmothers, was Queen Elizabeth I of England.

By this time, Elisabeth's husband King Charles, was extremely ill with what was diagnosed as tuberculosis.

He was suffering from serious fevers and coughing up blood.
By May of 1574, Charles was growing weaker by the day, and suffering pitifully.

 By the end of the month, Charles could no longer leave his bed.
He was sweating profusely and struggling to breathe.
His sheets were blood-soaked and had to be constantly changed.

Elisabeth remained in his chamber, sitting opposite her husband's bed - gazing lovingly at him and rarely speaking.

He gazed at her as Elisabeth wept many tears, drying her eyes frequently.
Charles died on 30th May 1574.

 Elisabeth, not quite twenty-years-old was now a widow.
As the mother of a mere daughter, she was not recognised or rewarded as a dowager queen.
Elisabeth became determined to return to Vienna.

Her daughter Marie-Elisabeth was a Daughter of France, and therefore could not leave the country.

Forced to leave her daughter behind, Elisabeth made one last visit to kiss her child goodbye, and departed on 25th November 1575.

 Back in Vienna, Elisabeth lived at first in the residence of her childhood, Stallburg.

In early 1580, Elisabeth bought some lands near Stallburg and founded the Convent of Poor Clares Mary, Queen of Angels, also known as the Queen's Monastery.

Elisabeth then devoted her life to piety, relief of the poor, and health care.

 Elisabeth died on 22nd January 1592 of pleurisy.

She was buried under a simple marble slab in the church of her convent.
She was just 37 years old.

The Tudor Intruders (and more)

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 Sources - wiki/Elisabeth_of_Austria,_Queen_of_France
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thefreelancehistorywriter. com/elisabeth-of-austria-queen-of-france
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 Elisabeth of Austria Queen of France by Jooris van der Straaten - c.1573