Anne of Brittany - Marriages and Issue

Marriages and Issue

Anne's first marriage ceremony, on 19 December 1490, was a marriage by proxy to Maximilian of Habsburg. It was dissolved by the Pope in the following year; because it was only by proxy (rather than in person), it is not generally considered a 'real' marriage.

Her second husband was Charles VIII of France, whom she married at Chateau Langeais on 6 December 1491. She was pregnant by him seven times:

• Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France. Her only healthy son, he lived 1492–1495, but died of the measles.
• A still-born son. She became pregnant in late 1492/early 1493, but travelled with her husband from castle to castle; she went into labour during a drive in the forest of Courcelles, and the child was premature and stillborn (August 1493).
• A still-born girl. Anne became pregnant again five months after her miscarriage, and avoided travel (instead residing in Amboise near the Dauphin). However, in February 1494, she accompanied the King to Lyons, where he was preparing to depart for the Italian Wars, and after arriving on 15 March, attended all the ceremonies; the stress of the occasion caused her to go into premature labour, and she gave birth to a still-born girl.
• A still-born child. She became pregnant again in August 1494, but lost the baby soon after.
• Charles, Dauphin of France. He lived from 8 September to 2 October 1496. His death prompted Anne to withdraw to Moulins temporarily in despair.
• Francis, Dauphin of France. He died several hours after his birth in July 1497.
• Anne of France. She died on the day of her birth, 20 March 1498 at Plessis les Tours.

Her third husband was Louis XII of France. She was at least seven times pregnant by him:

• Claude of France (1499–1524) became her heir and also Queen Consort of Francis I.
• Stillborn son (1500).
• Stillborn son (21 January 1503).
• Some sources cited a miscarriage by the end of 1503.
• In 1505 she suffered a miscarriage.
• Stillborn son (1508) -some sources cited this was a miscarriage-.
• Some sources cited a miscarriage in 1509.
• Renée of France (1510–1575) married Ercole II d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, and became the Duchess of Chartres.
• Stillborn son (January 1512).

Although Anne bore sixteen children, only two daughters outlived her, Claude, by ten years and Renée by sixty-one years. Renée was just three when Anne died, while Claude was nearly fifteen.