Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590Cartwright, Julia
History
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590
Cartwright, Julia
Christine, Duchess, consort of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, 1521-1590; Europe -- History -- 1517-1648
The Duke of Guise and his family now stood higher than ever in the
King's favour. His eldest son, Aumale, was dangerously wounded in the
siege of Boulogne by an English spear, which penetrated so deeply into
his forehead that the surgeon could only extract the steel by planting
his foot on the patient's head. After this ordeal the Count lay between
life and death for several weeks, and owed his recovery to the tender
nursing of his mother, who preserved as a trophy at Joinville the
English spearhead which so nearly ended her son's career.[382] As soon
as he was able to move, the King sent for Antoinette, and insisted
on taking her to hunt at St. Germain, and consulting her as to his
latest improvements in this palace. Her grandson, the young Duke of
Longueville, was also a great favourite at Court, and when peace was
at length concluded, the King gave him a copy of the new treaty with
England to send to the Queen of Scotland. The boy enclosed it in a
merry letter, sending his love to the little Queen his sister, and
telling his mother that if she would not come to France he meant to
come and see her, and was old and strong enough to face the roughest
sea-voyage.[383]
The Cardinal now announced his intention of taking the whole family
back to Joinville, to attend the ducal funeral; but once more the King
interfered, and kept them at Court for the christening of the Dauphin's
daughter, which was celebrated with great pomp at Fontainebleau. Henry
VIII. stood godfather, and the little Princess was named Elizabeth,
after the King's mother, "as good and virtuous a woman as ever lived,"
said the English Ambassador, Sir Thomas Cheyney; while the Imperialists
declared that the name was chosen because of its popularity in Spain
and of the hopes of the French that the child might one day wed Don
Carlos.[384]
Meanwhile the arrival of the Guises was anxiously awaited at Nancy. On
the 17th of July Christina wrote to inform Abbot Bonvalot that she had
at length been able to fix the date of her husband's funeral:
"MONSIEUR DE LUXEUIL,
[Sidenote: AUG., 1546] FUNERAL OF DUKE FRANCIS]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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