Born: 22 September 1601, Spain
Died: 20 January 1666
Country most active: Spain
Also known as: NA
This biography was originally published in the World History Encyclopedia and was written by Alexa Galue. It is shared in line with the Encyclopedia’s policies under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Anne of Austria (1601-1666), as the wife of King Louis XIII of France (r. 1610-1643), was queen consort of France and of Navarre when the Kingdom of Navarre was annexed by the French Crown. She also acted as regent for her son, King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), during the early years of his reign.
Early Life
Anne was born in Valladolid, Spain, on 22 September 1601 to King Philip III of Spain (r. 1598-1621) and Margaret of Austria (l. 1584-1611). Her childhood was spent at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain. Growing up, Anne was constantly visiting monasteries and would soon follow in her parents’ footsteps and become very religious. In 1611, Anne’s mother died in childbirth, and so the responsibility of raising her younger siblings was passed down to Anne.
While a Spaniard, Anne had Austrian ancestry and was considered an Austrian Archduchess as well as a Princess of Spain and Portugal, which is why she is referred to as ‘of Austria’. Anne was described to be a very beautiful girl, even at a young age, with fair hair that could often be found in large curls, greenish-blue eyes, and an oval face. Her beauty and political position would help Anne gain the attention of many suitors.
The most successful of Anne’s suitors was none other than King Louis XIII of France (l. 1601-1643), and when their betrothal was announced to the people of Paris on 18 March 1612, there were celebrations throughout the city. There were balls, banquets, and celebratory parties being hosted in the Louvre (the residence of French royalty), Fontainebleau Palace, and St. Germain. This was a political marriage, and Anne’s father thought this would be a good chance to bring France into the Habsburg world; the couple married in 1615 when Anne was 14 years old.
As it would turn out, the union between Anne and Louis was very cold. Louis prioritized activities common for young men of high status, such as hunting rabbits in the garden of the Tuileries Palace, and would allow himself to fully listen and be governed by his favorite advisors in court; as such, he had almost no relationship with Anne.
Queen Consort of France
Anne’s life as queen consort was filled with trials and tribulations; French court life was not peaceful, and her transition to living in France was not a smooth one. Anne arrived in France with her Spanish ladies-in-waiting, and they were really the only people she interacted with. Since she did not expand her circle and mainly followed the Spanish customs she was comfortable with, she was not able to get a fluent grasp of the French language, and as a result, she was perceived and ridiculed as the “Foreign Queen.” Charles d’Albert (1578-1621), the Duke of Luynes and one of the king’s advisors, saw the cold relationship between Louis and Anne and took the initiative to assimilate Anne with French culture. First, he sent away all of the Spanish ladies-in-waiting and replaced them with French women. He then began to dictate how she would dress and behave so she could leave behind any Spanish mannerisms.
Although the duke’s actions helped to bring Anne and Louis together, Anne’s reputation throughout the court was tarnished due to her several miscarriages and stillbirths. Louis was especially angry when Anne miscarried after she fell while running with two friends in 1622. It was not until more than 15 years later that Anne was finally able to give birth to two sons: the future King Louis XIV and Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (1640-1701).
One of Anne’s greatest adversaries in court was Armand Jean du Plessis or Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), Louis’ Chief Minister and most trusted advisor after the death of the Duke of Luynes. Richelieu was a firm believer that a monarchy was the most natural form of government, and he saw Habsburg dominance in Europe as a threat to the power of the French king. France was surrounded by Habsburg territories while also facing internal challenges, so instead of engaging in direct conflict, Richelieu built alliances with other states in an attempt to diminish Habsburg power. In his quest to make France a global power, Richelieu also began to build a navy. Through his efforts, by 1635, French naval power surpassed that of the English and was on par with the Spanish.
While Richelieu held immense power and the king’s favor, Anne, as a Habsburg, was neglected, isolated, & distrusted in court.
Richelieu’s attempt to increase the authority of the French Crown was often at the expense of Huguenots, the French Protestants, especially in La Rochelle, a Protestant stronghold of the French Reformation. The Siege of La Rochelle (1627-1628) ended Huguenot political power and signaled a shift to a stronger monarchy. Despite the tensions between the French government and the Huguenots, Richelieu created alliances with Protestant states during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) in order to weaken the Catholic Habsburgs, and thereby build French authority.
While Richelieu held immense power and the king’s favor, Anne, as a Habsburg, was neglected, isolated, and distrusted in court. In an effort to keep an eye on her, Richelieu sent Madeline du Fargis to spy on Anne as a lady in her circle. His plan, however, backfired as the two became close friends. In 1630, Anne plotted with her mother-in-law, Marie de’ Medici (1575-1642), to get Louis to dismiss Richelieu from the French court but their plan failed; Richelieu remained, and Louis never truly trusted Anne again after this event. As punishment, Louis reduced the number of ladies Anne had in her circle to half of what she had originally and removed du Fargis, her favorite.
There were also rumors that Anne was working with Henri de Talleyrand-Périgord, Comte de Chalais (1599-1626) to overthrow Richelieu when, in 1632, letters were found from du Fargis to different people in Paris, which described plans to marry Anne to Louis’ younger brother Gaston, after Louis’ death. When questioned, Anne denied knowing anything about the content of the letters. Chalais was executed, and although Anne remained unharmed, the affair did nothing to improve her relationship with Louis or Richelieu.
Anne spent a lot of time at the convent of Val de Grace, so Richelieu placed a monk in the sisterhood in hopes that he would be able to relay any information about Anne’s correspondence with her Spanish relatives, France’s enemy. It was discovered that Anne always left and picked up her letters at the convent of Val de Grace. In 1637, when he had enough evidence, Richelieu decided to reveal that she was communicating with her brother, Philip IV of Spain (r. 1621-1665). France had been at war with Spain for two years and so she was committing treason. During questioning, Anne initially denied all accusations, but she eventually gave in. From this point forward, everything she wrote had to be inspected by Richelieu, she was no longer to visit convents without permission, and she was always surrounded by those who were loyal to Louis or Richelieu.
Queen Regent
After many years of misfortune, Anne finally carried a pregnancy to full term, and on 5 September 1638, Louis XIV was born. It was regarded as a miracle, and France rejoiced at the birth of an heir. It was even more surprising when 15 months later, Anne conceived another child. On 21 September 1640, Philippe I was born. Even though Anne had finally given him children, Louis still treated Anne with a cold demeanor because of her past actions, Anne, so she spent much of her time with her sons.
On 14 May 1643, Louis XIII died of tuberculosis. In his final will, Louis included a provision that would prevent Anne from becoming the regent for Louis XIV, but Anne was able to convince the Parlement of Paris to annul the will. Anne was aware that she did not have the skills to run France on her own, so she made Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino or Jules Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661) her Chief Minister. Surprisingly, Anne did not just undo everything the late Richelieu and her husband had done, but rather, she continued their policies, including the war against Spain, and focused on securing her son’s rights and his throne.
One of the biggest threats that Anne faced as queen regent was the Fronde, a series of civil wars and aristocratic rebellions in France from 1648 to 1653. In order to strengthen the monarchy, Richelieu had ordered the destruction of the castles or fortresses of the nobles who were participating in the planning of a revolt or of those who failed to provide the expected loyalty and services to the kingdom. Richelieu had also convinced the king to introduce a harsh punishment for dueling. The punishment included loss of public function and pension and possibly a three-year banishment. If someone were to perish in the duel or ask for others to join in, then there would be a death penalty. During his administration, Richelieu had even upset the judiciary; many of the regional parlements complained of the reduction and retention of pay and circumventing the way the courts reviewed the law. In essence, Richelieu’s policies had stripped the nobles of their privileges, relegated them back to their specific realms, and placed them further under the authority of the king. The reaction to these policies revealed themselves during the regency of Anne.
The first half, the Fronde of the Parlement, saw the nobles demanding to put a limit on the power of the monarchy; after much violence, the French government established the Peace of Rueil (1649), which temporarily ended the conflict but left France in a state of fragile peace. During the second half, the Fronde of the Princes, the Mazarinade pamphlets were published criticizing both Mazarin and Anne. The pamphlets criticized Anne’s governance and the way she was raising her sons and began to discuss how she was corrupted by Mazarin through some supernatural force and was therefore corrupting the government. There were rumors that she loved Mazarin more than her own children, and some speculated that the two may have married. After many battles, several of the nobles being exiled, attempts to permanently remove Mazarin, and the Parlements having no control over the crown, the Fronde was over, and Anne and Mazarin were victorious in 1653.
Although Anne’s regency ended in 1651 when Louis XIV was announced of age to rule, Anne continued to work with her son and Mazarin. With Louis XIV’s power consolidated, Anne took the initiative to get back into contact with her Spanish relatives. After retiring from politics, Anne moved to the convent of Val de Grace, where she remained until she died of breast cancer in 1666.
The following is excerpted from Famous Women: An Outline of Feminine Achievement Through the Ages With Life Stories of Five Hundred Noted Women, written by Joseph Adelman, published 1926 by Ellis M Lonow Company.
Queen of France, daughter of Philip III, King of Spain. She was married in 1615 to Louis XIII, and in 1638, twenty-three years after her marriage, became the mother of Louis XIV. At the death ot Louis XIII, in 1643, the parliament appointed her regent during the minority of Louis XIV, but she permitted Cardinal Mazarin, who is supposed to have been secretly married to her, to rule in her name. When Louis XIV became king in 1661 she continued to exercise a powerful influence at his court until her death, five years later.
The following is excerpted from Woman: Her Position, Influence and Achievement Throughout the Civilized World. Designed and Arranged by William C. King. Published in 1900 by The King-Richardson Co. Copyright 1903 The King-Richardson Co.
Anne of Austria, Queen Mother of Louis XIV of France, 1602 – 1666
Anne of Austria, queen of France, daughter of Phillip III king of Spain was born in 1602, and died January 20, 1666. She was married December 25, 1615, to Louis XIII and was the mother of Louis XIV. Hardly any queen of France was so much calumniated, or so undeservedly unhappy.
Cardinal Richelieu, the all-powerful minister of the weak Louis XIII, dreading the influence of the wife, or, as others pretend, having been refused by her as a lover, succeeded in prejudicing the mind of the king until he allowed Anne to be continually persecuted, exiled, and, at times, left to suffer the greatest penury. Richelieu associated her of conspiracy with the Dukes of Lorraine, with England, with her own brother, the king of Spain, with all the enemies of France, and with the conspirators at the court, against his own supremacy.
When Richelieu represented her as wishing to get rid of Louis to marry Gaston, and Anne was compelled to appear before the king’s counsel to answer this grave charge, her dignity here came to her aid and she scorned to make a direct reply. She merely observed, contemptuously, that too little was to be gained by the change, to render such a design on her part probable.
At the death of Louis XIII, the parliament in 1643 appointed her regent during the minority of Louis XIV. The Cardinal Mazarin, who, likewise, was said to have been her lover, ruled in her name, and this occasioned the revolt of some of the princes of the blood and other French grandees – a rising known in French history under the name of the Fronde.
She possessed a peculiar and extremely delicate sense of feeling over the whole body; scarcely any linen or cambric was fine enough for her use. It was another peculiarity of hers, that, though she loved flowers passionately, she could not bear the view of natural or even painted roses.
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
No reader of Dumas’s Three Musketeers fails to fall in love with that admirable daughter of Spain, who married Louis XIII, King of France. She was so admired by the Duke of Buckingham, that he did not hesitate to create discords between England and France that he might return to Paris as Ambassador. While Queen-regent of the kingdom during the minority of Louis XIV she entrusted his education to the prime minister, Mazarin. She was always willing to sanction all good things, once convinced that they were right. Anne d’Austriche prepared the way for the reign of the great King Louis XIV by her intelligence, and was, to a large extent, responsible for the glory of her son, who, undoubtedly, became the most powerful and the most famous King of France. She was buried at St. Denis and this epigraph preserves the memory of this exceptional woman: “Sister, Wife, Mother, Daughter of Kings.”
The following is excerpted from A Cyclopædia of Female Biography, published 1857 by Groomsbridge and Sons and edited by Henry Gardiner Adams.
ANNE OF AUSTRIA, Queen of Louis the Thirteenth of France, and regent during the minority of Louis the Fourteenth, was daughter of Philip the Second of Spain. She was born September 22nd., 1601, and was married to Louis the Thirteenth, in 1615. Anne found a powerful enemy in cardinal Richelieu, who had great influence over the king, and she was compelled to yield, as long as he lived, to the great minister.
Had Anne possessed greater talents, or been more agreeable, the case might have been different; but her coldness and gravity of demeanor, which only covered frivolity, alienated Louis the Thirteenth. Her attachment to her native country was also represented as a crime by the cardinal, and his whispers as to her betraying intelligence, brought upon Anne the ignominy of having her person searched, and her papers seized.
When it was known that the queen was in disgrace, the malcontent nobles, with Gaston, the king’s brother, at their head, rallied around her, and she was implicated in a conspiracy against Louis the Thirteenth. Richelieu took advantage of this, to represent her as wishing to get rid of Louis to marry Gaston; and Anne was compelled to appear before the king’s counsel to answer this grave chaise. Her dignity here came to her aid, and, scorning to make a direct reply, she merely observed, contemptuously, “That too little was to be gained by the change, to render such a design on her part probable.” The duke of Buckingham’s open court to the neglected queen, also gave rise to malicious reports.
On the death of Louis the Thirteenth, Anne, as mother of the infant king, held the undisputed reins; and she gave one great proof of wisdom in her choice of cardinal Mazarin as a minister. However, some oppressive acts of Mazarin gave birth to a popular insurrection, which terminated in a civil war, called the war of the Fronde, in which Anne, her minister, and their adherents, were opposed to the nobility, the citizens, and the people of Paris. But Anne and Mazarin came off triumphant. The result of this rebellion, and of Anne of Austria’s administration, was, that the nobles and middle classes, vanquished in the field, were never afterwards able to resist the royal power, up to the great revolution. Anne’s influence over the court of France continued a long time; her Spanish haughtiness, her love of ceremonial, and of power, were impressed on the mind of her son, Louis the Fourteenth. Some modern French writers have pretended to find reasons for believing this proud queen was secretly married to cardinal Mazarin, her favourite adviser and friend. But no sufficient testimony, to establish the fact of such a strange union,has been adduced. The queen died in 1666, aged sixty-five. She was a very handsome woman, and celebrated for the beauty of her hands and arms.
Anne of Austria appears to have been estimable for the goodness and kindness of her heart, rather than for extraordinary capacity; for the attractions of the woman rather than the virtues of the queen; a propensity to personal attachments, and an amiable and forgiving temper, were her distinguishing characteristics.
Her life had been marked with vicissitude, and clouded by disquiet. At one period, subjected by an imperious minister, whose yoke she had not the resolution to throw off, she became an object of compassion even to those who caballed and revolted against her; yet her affections were never alienated from France, in favour of which she interested herself, with spirit and zeal, in the war against her native country. The French, at length, relinquished their prejudices, and did her justice. The latter years of her lift were passed in tranquillity, in retirement, and in the exercise of benevolence.
Anne of Austria was interred at St Denis; her heart was carried to Le Vol de Grace, of which she had been the foundress; and the following epitaph was made on her:—
“Sister, wife, mother, daughter of kings! Never was any more worthy of these illustrious titles.”