Margaret Stewart Marries Louis The Dauphin Of France

 

 On this day ~ 25th June 1436 
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 Margaret Stewart Marries Louis The Dauphin Of France 

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 Margaret Stewart was born on 25th December 1424 in Perth, Scotland.

Margaret was the first of six daughters and twin sons, born to her parents James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort ~ cousin to Henry V of England.

 There’s little information about Margaret’s early years, but as the eldest daughter of a Scottish King, she was a sought after wife for both European royal families, and Scottish and English noblemen.

Margaret was considered lovely, gracious and very beautiful.

 In 1436 Margaret was given in marriage to the French Dauphin, Louis.
Royal marriages in the 15th century were always political, and this one was no exception.

Margaret sailed for France in March 1436, escorted by some of the greatest Scottish nobles.

She entered Poitiers, where a child dressed as an angel crowned her with a wreath of flowers.

 The marriage took place on 25th June 1436 in the chapel of the castle of Tours.
By the standards of the time, it was a very plain wedding.

Louis, nearly thirteen, looked clearly more mature than his bride, who was just eleven.
Margaret, just 11, looked like a beautiful doll

Charles wore grey riding pants and did not even bother to remove his spurs.

 The Scottish guests were quickly hustled out after the wedding reception.
This was seen as something of a scandal by the Scots ~ the speed with which the guests were hustled out was considered an insult.

However, with the impoverished nature of the French court at this time, they simply could not afford an extravagant ceremony, or to host their Scottish guests for any longer than they had to.

 Following the ceremony, because of the young age of the bride and groom, doctors advised against consummation.

Margaret was taken into the household of the French Queen, Marie of Anjou, where she reportedly saw very little of her husband.

Margaret continued her studies, and Louis went on tour with King Charles around the kingdom.

 The marriage of these two young people was unhappy.
Margaret was a favourite of her father-in-law King Charles, and popular among the courtiers.

Louis hated his father, and detested his wife's good relationship with him.

Louis was cold to Margaret, and hardly spent any time with her.

 Her unhappy marriage sent Margaret into a deep depression.

Margaret also had a fear of becoming pregnant.
She took to wearing a strongly-tied corset, ate green apples and drank apple vinegar.

 On Saturday, 7th August 1445, Margaret and her ladies joined the court on a short pilgrimage.
It was very hot, and when she returned, she undressed in her chamber.

The next morning she was feverish, the doctor diagnosed an inflammation of the lungs.

 Just over a week later, on 16th August 1445, she passed away, at the age of 20.

She was buried in the Saint-Laon church in Thouars, France.

A canopy over her tomb is all that remains after the destruction during the French Revolution.

The Tudor Intruders (and more)
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 Source - historyofroyalwomen/margaret-stewart-dauphine-france/wiki



 Margaret arrives in Tours for her wedding, from a 15th-century work by Jean Chartier.