2. Marriage Negotiations with France – Part I, 1564-71

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we think about the marriage negotiations between England and France that took place in the early part of Elizabeth’s reign, between 1564-71, focusing in particular on: (i) the extent to which the French court was interested in Elizabeth’s marital status; (ii) the extent to which Elizabeth was willing to get married; (iii) the possibility of Elizabeth’s marriage to Charles IX of France, the French ambassador’s flattery, and Elizabeth’s reasons for refusing the marriage; (iv) another set of negotiations – this time to Charles’ younger brother, Henry, Duke of Anjou; and (v) Elizabeth’s entertainment of the notion of marriage to Henry, but the ultimate failure of negotiations in 1570.

Course

In this course, Dr Estelle Paranque (New College of the Humanities) explores the reign of Elizabeth I through the eyes of the French monarchy. In the first module, we think about the French perception of Elizabeth at the very beginning of her reign, before turning into the second and third modules to explore the various marriage negotiations that took place between France and England in the period 1564-81. In the fourth module, we think about the relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de’ Medici, before turning in the fifth module to explore the unexpected friendship that arose between Elizabeth and Henry III of France. Finally, in the sixth module, we explore French perceptions of Elizabeth’s support for Protestants on the Continent, and the extent to which this undermined relations with the (Catholic) French monarchy.

Lecturer

Dr Estelle Paranque is Lecturer in Early Modern History at the New College of the Humanities in London. The main focus of her research is Elizabeth I and her relations with France, though she also has a more general interest in Anglo-French relations during the sixteenth century, monarchical representations in Europe, and the Valois kings. Her most recent book, Elizabeth I of England Through Valois Eyes: Power, Representation and Diplomacy in the Reign of the Queen, 1558-1588 (2019) focuses on the perception of Elizabeth I of England by the French royal family and their ambassadors from 1568 to 1588.