United States or Anguilla ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"L'hanno ammazzato" was shouted to his wife, Eleanora Galigai, the supposed sorceress. They were the words in which Concini had communicated to the Queen the murder of her husband seven years before. Eleanora, too, was burned after having been beheaded. Thus the Marshal d'Ancre and wife ceased to reign in France.
Madame de Verneuil, whose pride was piqued by her exclusion from the royal circle, was desirous to gain at any price the countenance of Marie, and to be admitted to her private assemblies, where alone she could carry out her more extended plan of ambition; while the wily Italian, rendered only the more pertinacious by difficulty, and anxious moreover to secure a post which would at all times enable her to remain about the person of the Queen, thought no price too great, even the dishonour of her royal foster-sister, to obtain her object, and thus a mutual promise was made; the Marquise pledging herself that, in the event of the Queen recognizing her right to attend her receptions, and treating her with the courtesy and consideration due to the rank conferred upon her by the King, she would effect the appointment courted by Leonora; while the Signora Galigaï, with equal confidence, promised in her turn that she would without delay cause Madame de Verneuil to receive a summons to the Queen's presence.
The husband of Leonora Galigai, Concini, had amassed a great deal of money and purchased the Marquisate of Ancre; nay, more, he had been created Marshal of France, and he said to the Count of Bassompiere, "I have learned to know the world, and I am aware that a man, when he has arrived at a certain pitch of prosperity, comes down with a greater run the higher he has mounted.
"I will present him to your Majesty within an hour, Sire." "So be it, M. le Maréchal," said Louis as he turned away. "My mother had the courage to provide a lodging for the first Prince of the Blood in the same prison, and I do not see why I should shrink from compelling him to share his dungeon with the husband of Leonora Galigaï."
Mézeray, vol. x. p. 124. Sully resolves to hasten the King's marriage Ambassadors are sent to Florence to demand the hand of Marie de Medicis The marriage articles are signed Indignation of Madame de Verneuil Revenge of her brother, the Comte d'Auvergne The Duke of Savoy visits Paris His reception His profusion His mission fails Court poets Marie de Medicis is married to the French King by procuration at Florence Hostile demonstrations of the Duke of Savoy Infatuation of the King for the favourite Her pretensions A well-timed tempest Diplomacy of Madame de Verneuil Her reception at Lyons War in Savoy Marie de Medicis lands at Marseilles Madame de Verneuil returns to Paris The Due de Bellegarde is proxy for the King at Florence He escorts the new Queen to France Portrait of Marie de Medicis Her state-galley Her voyage Her reception Henry reaches Lyons The royal interview Public rejoicings The royal marriage Henry returns to Paris The Queen's jealousy is awakened Profligate habits of the King Marie's Italian attendants embitter her mind against her husband Marie reaches Paris She holds a court Presentation of Madame de Verneuil to the Queen Indignation of Marie Disgrace of the Duchesse de Nemours Self-possession of Madame de Verneuil Marie takes possession of the Louvre She adopts the French costume Splendour of the Court Festival given by Sully A practical joke Court festivities Excessive gambling Royal play debts The Queen's favourite A petticoat intrigue Leonora Galigaï appointed Mistress of the Robes Reconciliation between the Queen and Madame de Verneuil The King gives the Marquise a suite of apartments in the Louvre Her rivalry of the Queen Indignation of Marie Domestic dissensions The Queen and the favourite are again at war Madame de Verneuil effects the marriage of Concini and Leonora Gratitude of the Queen Birth of the Dauphin Joy of the King Public rejoicings Birth of Anne of Austria Superstitions of the period Belief in astrology A royal anecdote Horoscope of the Dauphin The sovereign and the surgeon Birth of Gaston Henri, son of Madame de Verneuil Public entry of the Dauphin into Paris Exultation of Marie de Medicis.
It appears extraordinary that of all the ladies about the Queen, Madame de Villars should have selected the sister of the Prince de Joinville to enable her to effect her purpose; but let her have acted from whatever motive she might, it is certain that day by day her favour became more marked; and the circumstance which most excited the surprise of Madame de Conti, was the fact that her protégée was often closeted with the Queen when, for reasons sufficiently obvious, she herself and even Leonora Galigaï were excluded.
M. de Souvré was the governor of Louis XIII. L'Etoile, vol. iv. pp. 97, 98. Stefano Galigaï, known from his extreme ugliness as "the baboon of the Court."
Eventually, he became the Maréchal d'Ancre, and his wife was spoken of as la Maréchale or la Galigaï, for so great was the extent of Eleanora's control over the queen that she was one of the most conspicuous women in all Europe at that time.
Trouble followed fast. Not only did Conde perceive at last precisely what was expected of him, and indignantly rebel against it, but the Queen, too, was carefully instructed in the matter by Concino Concini and his wife Leonora Galigai, the ambitious adventurers who had come from Florence in her train, and who saw in the King's weakness their own opportunity.
Strong minds have undoubtedly an ascendant over weak ones, as Galigai Marachale d'Ancre very justly observed, when, to the disgrace and reproach of those times, she was executed for having governed Mary of Medicis by the arts of witchcraft and magic.
Word Of The Day