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Useful Notes / Anne de Beaujeu

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Anne de Beaujeu (later Anne of France) was a princess and later regent of the kingdom of France, also known as "Madame la Grande".

Anne was born in 1461, as the daughter of Charlotte of Savoy and the Dauphin Louis of France. Shortly after her birth, her grandfather died and Louis became King Louis XI. The royal pair would have two more children: Jeanne in 1464 and Charles in 1470.

In 1473, Anne married Peter of Bourbon, one of the few noblemen her father trusted. Peter also descended from Louis IX through the male line. Their only child Suzanne would be born in 1491. Anne was trusted by her father, who jokingly called her the least foolish woman in France. After his death, she became regent of France for her still young brother Charles VIII. Her husband shared in the regency.

The long-suffering nobility rebelled. Chief among them was Louis of Orleans, the man nearest the succession of the throne as long as Charles did not father a son. However, she retained the support of the Estates General and remained regent until the majority of Charles in 1491.

During her regency, she arranged the marriage of her brother to the rich heiress of Brittany, who was also named Anne. She also supported Henry Tudor against Richard III.

At the death of her husband in 1503, Anne took up power in the Duchy of Bourbon for her daughter. She also wrote a book with instructions for her daughter.

Sadly for Anne, her daughter passed away in 1521 without offspring. Anne passed in the following year.

Though not that well-known in the English-speaking world, Anne is gaining attention in historic writings recently, often in connection with other early modern women that wielded power in Europe or France.


Portrayals of Anne de Beaujeu in fiction:

  • Florence Pernel in movie Louis XI: Shattered Power (2011)
  • Caroline Godard in series Maximilian (2017)
  • Appears in Quentin Durward by Walter Scott (1823)
  • Appears in The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (1831)
  • Appears in The Golden Porcupine by Muriel Roy Bolton (1947)

Tropes associated with Anne de Beaujeu in fiction:

  • Bring It: To Louis of Orleans and the other nobles challenging her right to rule in Louis XI: Shattered Power.

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