A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Poictiers, Diana de, Duchess of Valentinois
POICTIERS, DIANA DE, DUCHESS OF VALENTINOIS,
Was born March 31st., 1500. When her father, the Count of St Vallier, was condemned to lose his head for favouring the escape of the constable Bourbon, Diana obtained his pardon by throwing herself at the feet of Francis the First. St Vallier was, however, sentenced to perpetual confinement; and the horror he experienced at this fate brought on a fever, of which he died.
Diana de Poictiers married, in 1521, Louis de Breze, grand-marshal of Normandy; by him she had two daughters, whom she married very advantageously. She must have been at least thirty-five years of age, when the Duke of Orleans, afterwards Henry the Third, of France, at the age of seventeen became deeply attached to her; and she maintained her ascendency over him till his death, in 1559. Henry seemed to delight in giving testimonies of his attachment, both in public and private. The palaces, public edifices, and his own armour, were all ornamented with "the moon, bow and arrows," the emblems and device of his mistress. Her influence, both personal and political, was carried to an unbounded extent She may be said to have divided the crown with her lover, of whose counsel she was the directing principal, and of whose attachment she was the sole object. The young queen, Catharine de Medicis, not inferior in genius, taste, and beauty, to Diana, was obliged to act a subordinate part.
Diana was made Duchess de Valentinois in 1549. In 1552, she nursed the queen in a dangerous illness, notwithstanding their bitter feeling towards each other. She preferred the interest of the state to the aggrandizement of her family; and she loved the glory of her king. Her charities were immense; and every man distinguished for genius was sure of her support. Yet she did not always make a good use of her power; for she persuaded Henry to break the truce with Spain, which was the source of many evils to France. She did this at the instigation of the Cardinal of Lorraine; but he, with the rest of the Guises, no sooner saw the result, than they leagued with Catharine de Medicis to ruin Diana, if she would consent to the marriage of their niece, Mary, Queen of Scotland, to the dauphin. This was done, and the duchess remained without support; but she did not lose her firmness; the king promised to inform her of all the plots of her enemies; but he died soon after of a wound he received in a tournament, where he had worn her colours, black and white, as usual.
Catharine sent her an order to deliver up the royal jewels, and retire to one of her castles. "Is the king dead?" asked she. "No, Madame," replied the messenger, "but he cannot live till night." "Then," said Diana, "I have as yet no master. When he shall be no more, should I be so unfortunate as to survive him long, I shall be too wretched to be sensible of their malice."
Catharine, however, was persuaded not to persecute the duchess, who, in return for being allowed to retain the superb gifts of the king, presented her with a magnificent palace. Diana retired to Anet, a palace built for her by Henry the Second; but was recalled in 1561, by Catharine, to detach the constable de Montmorency from his nephews, the Chatillons, which service her great influence over him enabled her to perform.
She died in 1566, at the age of sixty-six, retaining her beauty to the last.