The Serpent and the Moon: Two Rivals for the Love of a Renaissance King by HRH Princess Michael of Kent Read Free Book Online Page A

couple represented a formidable challenge to the crown. Further, Louis even allowed the bride and groom to bestow their worldly goods upon one another by law. As eighth duc de Bourbon (he would drop the Montpensier), Charles would become Constable of France, the highest office in the land. Among his titles was dauphin d’Auvergne, and sovereign prince of the Dombes area of eastern France, where he was a vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.
    The wedding was as grand as that of royalty, with dukes and princes all wearing their crowns. For the first time, instead of ladies wiping
(se moucher)
their noses with their fingers, they used a square of fine fabric, which became known as a
mouchoir
(handkerchief).

    T ALL, dark, with flashing black eyes, a large nose, humorous mouth, and ready laugh, François I was as heartily impressive as his contemporary, Henry VIII of England. The French king was extravagant, spoiled, generous to a fault, ebullient, brave, and courteous, a scholar and a lover of women: in a word, a true
Renaissance
gentleman. Always the center of attention, François enjoyed jousting, dancing, and riding to hounds until he dropped with exhaustion. He wore a beard—all his companions did the same. His spurs were made of gold, as were the buttons on his clothes. His scented linen was the finest, and his brushes, goblets, and even his
rebec
, a type of mandolin, were made of silver.
    Among François’ young companions was Robert III de La Marck, seigneur de Fleurange. Since childhood, Fleurange had called himself “
Le Jeune Aventureux
,” and at the age of ten he offered Louis XII his sword, pleading to serve in Italy. The king was charmed, but in view of the extreme youth of the “Adventurer,” he sent him to join the group at Amboise growing up with his heir, François. He became an amiable soldier, close friend, and confidant of the young king, who made him Captain of the Swiss Guard. Another of François’ youthful friends in his suite at Amboise was Anne de Montmorency, future Constable of France, who was totally devoted to his prince but quick to make enemies by his rough and overbearing ways.
    The coronation, or
sacre
, took place on January 25, 1515 at Rheims. François entered the cathedral wearing a long tunic of white damask, edged in ermine, over a white silk shirt and shift. After swearing the oath of office, he replaced the white damask tunic with the coronation robe, a long hyacinth blue cloak covered with golden
fleur-de-lys
, and put on red boots and golden spurs. Then he was anointed with sacred oil from the Holy Ampulla said to have been brought by a dove to the baptism of the Frankish King Clovis in A.D. 497. Anointment with this holy oil ensured that the French king was spiritually superiorto all other Christian monarchs and was the origin of his title “The Most Christian King.” The archbishop, Robert de Lenoncourt, presented François with the sword of Charlemagne, the ring, the royal scepter, and the “hand of justice”—a rod of gold, topped by a carved hand of ivory with the first two fingers and thumb pointing upward as if in benediction, the others curled under. He then placed on the king’s head the heavy golden crown of Charlemagne, made of four large golden
fleur-de-lys
covered in rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.
    The château d’Amboise was traditionally the seat of the French dauphin, and also of the royal nursery. It was François I’s favorite château on the Loire.
    Thus bedecked, François I was led to his throne on a dais in the cathedral, where he turned and faced the congregation in his majesty. Standing, he made a solemn oath on the gospels to give his people peace, to guard them from greed and iniquity, to give them justice and mercy, and to extirpate heresy. At the sound of trumpets, the dignitaries within and the populace outside the cathedral all shouted: “
Vive le Roi!
” Queen Claude watched the ceremony with her imperious mother-in-law,