Louise of Lorraine (French: Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont; 30 April 1553 – 29 January 1601) was Queen of France as the wife of King Henry III from their marriage on 15 February 1575 until his death on 2 August 1589. During the first three months of their marriage, she was also Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. As a dowager queen, Louise held the title of Duchess of Berry.
Louise was born in Nomeny in the Duchy of Bar, she was the third daughter and youngest child born to Nicholas of Lorraine, Duke of Mercœur, and his first wife, Countess Margaret of Egmont (1517–1554). Louise was the only surviving child of her parents; her older siblings, two sisters and one brother, having died in infancy.
A few days after her birth Louise was baptized in the chapel at Nomeny, her godparents were Toussaint d´Hocedy, bishop of Toul and Louise de Stainville, comtesse de Salins and wife of Jean VIII, maréchal of Lorraine. Louise's mother died shortly before her first birthday in 1554, and her father quickly remarried, in 1555, to Princess Joanna of Savoy-Nemours (1532–1568), a second cousin to Henry II. Louise was given a classical education and her step-mother Joanna introduced her to Nancy's court at the age of ten. Her education was also overseen by a governess, Mme de Changy (or de Changi or de Champi), whose daughter Gillette de Changy became one of Louise´s companions. Later an additional governess Mlle de Montvert joined Louise´s household.
In 1568, at the age of 15 years, Louise was chosen to accompany her cousin Renata of Lorraine to Munich, where Renata was to marry William V, Duke of Bavaria.
The same year, Louise step-mother, Joanna of Savoy-Nemours died and Louise's father contracted his third and last marriage in 1569 with Princess Catherine of Lorraine-Aumale (1550–1606). Like her predecessor Joanna, Catherine was a close relative of the French royal family. Furthermore, Catherine was only three years older than her step-daughter and contrary to her predecessor seems to have treated Louise and her siblings with coldness and indifference; due to her unhappiness at both her marriage and having had to leave the French court.
At the age of 20, Louise was described as a "remarkably beautiful", and as a delicate tall, blonde girl with a white complexion, light brown eyes (veiled by a slight myopia), with a slender and refined silhouette. Her upbringing reportedly resulted in her personality being quiet, dutiful and pious.
Louise was the subject of several marriage schemes which all failed, such as with the son of her godmother, Paul, count of Salm whom she is said to have held an affection for, but he was seen as unsuitable because his rank was inferior to that of Louise.
Then there was Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, who is said to have declined, due to his uncle Guillaume de Montmorency-Thoré had expressed an interest in marrying Louise, but another reason was he saw it as political ploy to persuade Henri to ally with the Lorraines and alienate his Montmorency relatives.
François, Duke of Piney, a wealthy neighbour to the Lorraine ducal family also showed interest in marrying Louise in 1574, but lost out to Henry. In 1559 Louise´s cousin, Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, finally allowed to return to Lorraine had married Claude of Valois, sister of Henry III.This closer connection to the ruling house opened up for new marital prospects for the young Louise. Henry wrote a letter to François to explain that, as he had taken the duke's mistress, in return Henry offered his own mistress Renée de Rieux; an offer which François declined.
François would later marry Louise´s step-aunt (sister of her stepmother Catherine), Diane and after her death, he married Louise´s half-sister, Marguerite of Lorraine.
The marriage proposal of Henry III
Despite her cousins marriage to Henry's sister; Louise first saw Henry, Duke of Anjou, in the autumn of 1573, when he was on his way to Kraków, the capital of his new kingdom, Poland-Lithuania. She attracted Henry's interest during a celebration in honor of Henry's election as King of Poland-Lithuania.
In November of the same year Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, a diplomat in the employ of the Holy Roman Empire was reporting that;
Some think that he [Henry] has set his heart on Monsieur de Vaudemont's daughter, who is a very handsome girl. Besides, the King is devoted to the House and party of Lorraine. and most anxious for its advancement. However, if he marries her he will cause tongues to wag, and give offence to those who from interest or jealousy are opposed to the party of Lorraine. Amongst these must be numbered Vendôme, Condé, and possibly Alençon himself, who will suspect-not without reason perhaps-that this marriage is only the thin end of the wedge.
Henry's mother Catherine is said to have dismayed at the news, not only with not being told about it but also that she saw as a mesalliance and worse; Louise was a member of the Lorraine family and related to the Guise.
Following the death of Charles IX of France, Henry of Poland-Lithuania succeeded him under the name of Henry III of France and returned clandestinely to France. Louise was with her family traveling to Reims for Henry's coronation, when Philippe Hurault de Cheverny and Michel Du Guast arrived to make Henry's marriage proposal.
Louise and Henry's wedding took place at the Cathedral of Reims in a ceremony celebrated by Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon two days after Henry's coronation, 15 February 1575. At the end of the month, the new Queen of France made her official entry to Paris with her husband.
Described as a "sweet and virtuous" young woman, Louise reportedly immediately and deeply fell in love with her husband, a feeling that never changed, despite the difficulties, tragedies, his infidelities and finally death. Being a pious and very simple person, she is said to have suffered terribly because of the conflicts between her family (the Houses of Guise and Lorraine and in particular between her brother Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur) and her husband during the Wars of Religion.