#I hate how Anne is dismissed and deemed irrelevant after Francis I's death | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

wonder-worker · 10 months ago

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Anne de Pisseleu had exercised a form of power that was intrinsically extra-institutional and dependent entirely of the king’s favor; her role was clearly understood by political insiders. Criticism took the form of conventional hostility to the role of women in power, yet in the king’s lifetime had to be circumspect and oblique. However, she lived more than half her life after the death of the king whose love had given her power and wealth. In this, she weathered the storm of disgrace remarkably effectively, carved for herself a new role and ended her life a moderately wealthy woman whose assets became a matter for ferocious competition among her relatives.

-David Potter, "The Life and After-Life of a Royal Mistress: Anne de Pisseleu, Duchess of Étampes"

#historicwomendaily #Context: She lived for over 70 years and was a royal mistress for only 20 of them (till Francis's death)#anne de pisseleu #french history #16th century #my post #Francis I #queue #I hate how Anne is dismissed and deemed irrelevant after Francis I's death #Most historians merely claim that she was exiled; fell into disgrace and humiliation; and died in obscurity #Kathleen Wellman even goes to say that Anne was shut up by her husband in a gloomy castle for the rest of her life #(And there's always a distasteful tone of wry satisfaction as they say this - as if she was finally 'getting what she 'deserved')#Suffice to say: this idea is objectively incorrect and I hate it #yes Anne DOES seem to have had an incredibly harrowing and horrible experience for a few years after; that should never be overlooked #But as this article says: Anne managed to weather her 'fall' and carve a new role for herself extraordinarily well #It's one of the most interesting things about her life to me #She still had wealth and property which she rigorously administered and expanded; she headed family affairs and arranged marriages;#She and her terrible husband appear to have informally separated (with a formal separation of property) and in his own last will he #flat-out wrote that Anne 'would never take her place as my wife'. She outlived him by around 15 years and 100% got the last laugh.#She also openly embraced Protestantism in the height of the Wars of Religion which was such a major bad bitch move #guaranteeing her both personal protection and material gratification #In fact one of the last known references of her was in 1576 where she hosted a meeting of Protestant leaders in her castle of Challuau #As you can see: Anne transitioned public royal influence to private personal power #But she clearly remained at the heart of politics and war throughout it all and was always relevant

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