Description:

Catherine de' Medici MDS as Regent While Henri III Rushed from Poland To Assume French Throne

A sixteenth-century document in French signed by Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589), former Queen Consort of France, then in her capacity as Regent for her fourth son, the future French King Henri III (1551-1589). The document was signed in Paris on August 1, 1574 and is unusual because it dates from Catherine's extremely short regency. Catherine administered affairs on behalf of her son for only a 3-month-period, from the death of Charles IX, Henri III's older brother and the previous French monarch, on May 30th, to Henri III's return to French soil on September 2, 1574.

The document is signed by Catherine de' Medici as "Catherine" near lower left, and is co-signed by an unidentified official who has also inscribed, "Par la Reyne mere du Roy regente" ["By the Queen mother of the King regent"] below Catherine's signature. The document consists of seventeen lines of text, beautifully inscribed in a secretarial hand on vellum. The reverse is blank. Expected wear including light soiling, isolated stains, gentle warping, and wrinkles. The bottom edge is slightly chipped and there is a large closed tear extending about 7" from the lower right corner. Incised marks near the center indicate the former presence of a royal seal, now missing. Else near fine. 19" x 10.5."

The document reads, translated in part, as:

"Catherine by the grace of god Queen of france, mother of the King, Regent To our beloved and loyal [illegible] of accounts at Paris of the king our well honored Ld and son greetings and kind regards Our dear and beloved Mr Claude Boucahu…"

Claude Boucahu served as the secretary of the "Duc de buillon." The document relates to the "Duc de buillon," the domain of "Chānthuvry et Chastillon," and the sum of "300 livres tournois." It also refers to a law or pact decreed at Amboise on December 28, 1572. The Duchy of Bouillon was a region located in modern day Belgium whose leaders styled themselves as Dukes of Bouillon from the 11th century to the present day, almost without interruption. The Duchy of Bouillon was controlled by the House of La Marck from around 1492 to 1588, so the "Duc de buillon" mentioned here may refer to Henri-Robert de la Marck, Duke de Bouillon (died December 1574). It should reveal fascinating new information once fully transcribed and translated!

Catherine de' Medici was unfortunately very accustomed to acting as Regent. After her husband Henri II had been killed in a jousting tournament in 1559, the throne was assumed by her eldest son François II. Catherine's first regency occurred between the death of François II in December 1560 and the declaration of the legal majority of her third son, Charles IX, in August 1563 at the age of 13. Charles IX had died on May 30, 1574 at age 23 of tuberculosis, leaving the throne again vacant.

Charles IX's successor was his younger brother Henri III, who had been elected as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in May 1573. Henri III was informed of the death of Charles IX in mid-June 1574. He temporarily renounced the throne of Poland in order to hurry back to France to assume his rights there (he would never return, thereby forfeiting his rights to the Polish throne by May 1575.) Henri III returned to France by way of Vienna, Venice, Padua, Ferrara, Mantua, Monza, and Turin, arriving in Chambéry on September 2, 1574. He was coronated at Reims Cathedral in February 1575 and reigned until his assassination by a Catholic fanatic in August 1589. Catherine de' Medicis had died eight months before.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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