December 27, 1663 death of Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy.
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She was born in Paris at the Palace of the Louvre on February 10, 1606. Her father was Henry IV (Henry III of Navarre). Her mother was Henry's second wife Marie de Medici. Her mother was the daughter of Franceso I, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Archduchess Joanna of Austria. Her father had first been married to Margaret of Valois (daughter of Henry II and sister of Henry III) but the marriage had been annulled. She was the third of her parents' six children, all but one of whom made it to adulthood (Nicholas died at 4). Her siblings were Louis XIII, Queen Elisabeth of Spain (wife of Philip IV), Gaston Duke of Orleans and Henrietta Marie of England (wife of Charles I). In 1615 when Elisabeth married, she became known as Madame Royale, as the senior unmarried daughter of the king.
February 10, 1619 she was married to Victor Amadeus of Savoy. The bride had just turned 13. Her groom was 32. Victor was the son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Catherine Michaela of Spain. She and her husband were the Prince and Princess of Piedemont until 1630 when her father in law died and her husband succeeded to the Dukedom.
Having grown up at the French court she was said to be very frivelous and spoiled. She brought French culture to the court of her new home, and tried to have the court rival that of her sister in England. She had the Palazzo Madama restored and it would be her personal residence.
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In 1637, 7 years after her husband became Duke, he died. He had fallen ill at a banquet September 25, and died on October 7. Christine was named regent for their eldest son Francis who was only 5 at the time. Francis died a year later but as her next son Charles Emmanuel II succeeded, she remained regent. Charles was only 4 at the time.
Unfortunately it was not easy. Two of her husband's brothers, Thomas and Maurice contested her power and French influence, and a civil war ensued. It took 4 years but with the aid of the French armies, Christine was victorious.
Though her regency officially ended in 1648 when her son came of age, he invited her to remain in her position after. She did until her own death.
Though she had a number of lovers including her brother in law Maurice, she never remarried.
She died at her palazzo at the age of 57, having out lived 4 of her 7 children. She was buried at the Basilica of San Andrea.
Her and her husband had 7 children (and a stillbirth first). 4 of her children reached adulthood. Of the 4 who made it to adulthood, one died the same year that she died.
-Louis Ammadeus: died at the age of 6
-Luisa Christina: married her Uncle Prince Maurice of Savoy after he gave up being a cardinal. The couple had no children and her husband died when she was 27. She never remarried. One of 3 who outlived her mother.
-Francis Hyacinth: succeeded his father as Duke of Savoy at the age of 5. He died of a fever in the following year days before his 6th birthday.
-Charles Emmanuel: succeeded Francis as Duke at the age of 4. Like his older sister, he outlived his mother. He first married his maternal cousin Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans but they had no children. His second marriage was to his original choice of wife Marie Jeanne of Savoy (his mother had vetoed their marriage wanting her niece Francoise instead). He and Marie had one son who succeeded him as Victor Amadeus II.
-Margaret Yolande: She married Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma. She died giving birth to her only son who died a day after his birth. Her husband would go on to marry twice more. She died at 27, almost 10 months before the death of her mother (April 29, 1663).
-Henriette Adelaide: Married Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria. They had 7 children, 4 of whom reached adulthood (as well as a stillbirth and miscarriages). She was the last child to outlive Christine.
-Catherine Beatrice: She was a twin of Henriette. She died just short of 10 months old. One of two children who died before their father, dying less then 2 months before her father died.
