Anna Breton - Queen of France

Anna Bretonskaya lived only 36 years, but managed to become the most popular historical figure in her homeland. As the hereditary ruler of Brittany, she persistently defended her country's independence, led an independent policy, twice married to French kings. Anna Breton was known as an educated and sophisticated woman in public affairs, patroness of arts and music. According to legend, she laid the tradition for brides to wear a white wedding dress. In France, the castle of Anna Breton is called the former residence of the Dukes. This is due to the deep trail that her life left in history.

Early life and education

Anna was born in 1477 in Nantes, her father was the Duke of Brittany, Francis II. In the family there were no heirs of a male. The younger sister Isabella died before her adulthood. Anna since childhood was preparing for the role of full-fledged ruler of the duchy. The governesses taught her to speak, read and write in French and Latin.

When Anna was 12 years old, her father and mother were no longer alive. She became a round orphan and the only heiress. In those days France sought to make Brittany its vassal. According to legend, on his deathbed his father made Anna promise to preserve the independence of the duchy.

Heiress of Brittany

Since Francis II was the last man in the family and did not leave his sons behind him, there was a threat of a dynastic crisis. In that era there was no clear order of inheritance of the throne, but in part the so-called Salic law operated. According to him, the power could pass to the woman in the event that the male line was completely suppressed. Even during his lifetime, Francis II forced the aristocratic estate to recognize the future duchess Anna of Breton.

Engagement and First Marriage

The selection of the applicant for the hand and heart of the heir to the throne was of immense political and diplomatic significance. For the Duke of Francis II, the priority was to save Brittany from foreign domination. The threat of annexation came from France, and he was looking for strong allies who could help in countering her intentions. The most logical solution in this situation was the rapprochement with England. Based on these considerations, Anna, at the age of 4, was officially promised in wives to the same young prince of Wales Edward. But the fate of the potential spouse was sad: he disappeared without a trace. Against the background of the flaring Breton-French war, it was necessary to find a new candidate urgently. The choice fell on the King of Germany Maximilian Habsburg. Between him and 14-year-old Anna was married in absentia.

Queen

France responded to this step by using military force. The marriage of Anna and the King of Germany destroyed plans for the annexation of Brittany. The French army besieged the city of Rennes, in which was the young duchess. King Maximilian could not come to the rescue, and the Britons capitulated.

The winners demanded that Anna terminate the correspondence marriage and become the wife of the French King Charles VIII. She was forced to agree and went to the castle Lange, chosen for the wedding. Marriage was concluded, and his legality was confirmed by the Pope. In accordance with the treaty, in the event of the death of Charles VIII, Anna was to marry his successor. This circumstance made the absorption of Brittany by France inevitable . Anna was crowned and anointed, but her husband did not allow her to participate in politics and government. In addition, he forbade the new queen to wear the title of Duchess of Brittany.

Second marriage

Charles VIII died suddenly in 1498 as a result of an accident. Anne of Brittany had seven pregnancies from the king, but each time either a miscarriage occurred or the child died in infancy. Due to the lack of heirs, the throne passed to the Duke of Louis of Orleans. Under the terms of the contract, Anna was to become his wife. The difficulty was that the new king, Louis XII, was already married. For the divorce was required to obtain permission from the pope. Waiting for the sanction of the pontiff took several months, which Anna used to return to Brittany and restore her direct power over the duchy. Marriage with Louis took place in 1499. During the wedding ceremonies, Anna wore a white dress, which in medieval Europe was considered a mourning dress. Subsequently, this outfit of the bride became a universal tradition.

Political struggle

Being the queen of France, Anna Bretonsky in marriage with Charles VIII had no real power. Having received the crown for the second time, she was determined to achieve her independence in making decisions. In addition, Anna did not abandon the hope to rid Brittany of French domination. Louis XII differed from Karl in that he was a flexible politician, capable of making compromises. He allowed Anna to directly control Brittany and recognized her duchess' title. However, this did not mean the cessation of the country's vassal subordination towards France.

In the marriage of Anna and Louis, two daughters were born, Claude and René. Besides them, the duchess had no surviving children. Anna tried to arrange the future marriage of her eldest daughter with one of the Habsburgs to weaken the power of France over Brittany, but met strong opposition from her husband.

Death and memory of descendants

The Queen died in 1514 from kidney stones. Numerous pregnancies and miscarriages depleted her body. The body of Anna of Brittany was buried with extraordinary honors in the royal tomb of the Saint-Denis Basilica. Fulfilling the last will of the deceased, her heart in a golden vessel was delivered to her native city of Nantes. Biography of Anne of Brittany evoked equal admiration among the fighters for the independence of the duchy and supporters of indivisible France. For the former, it became a symbol of the desire for independence, for the latter - the embodiment of a peaceful union.