Nicole, Duchess of Lorraine

Nicole
Duchess of Lorraine Duchess consort of Lorraine
Born	(1608-10-03)3 October 1608 Nancy, Lorraine
Died	Paris, France
Spouse	Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Full name Nicole de Lorraine
House	House of Lorraine
Father	Henry II, Duke of Lorraine
Mother	Margerita Gonzaga

Nicole de Lorraine (3 October 1608 – 2 February 1657) was Duchess of Lorraine and Bar from 1 August 1624 to 21 November 1625, and Duchess consort in 1625–1634. She was born in Nancy, the daughter of Henry II, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Margerita Gonzaga. She died in Paris.

Background

Her father had no son and wanted to leave the Duchy of Lorraine to Nicole, but a supposed testament by René II of Lorraine specified that the duchy could not bypass the male lineage. After negotiations with the male heirs, she married Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, the eldest son of Francis, Count of Vaudémont on 23 May 1621. They had no children.

Duchess of Lorraine

His situation was complicated by the death of Henry II, 31 July 1624. She thereby became duchess of Lorraine. In November 1625, Francis, Count of Vaudémont, based on the "testament" of Rene II, claimed the duchy. The States-General of Lorraine felt it a legitimate request and Francis became Duke on 21 November 1625. Five days later, he abdicated in favor of his son, who became Duke Charles IV of Lorraine. The latter had managed to remove his wife's power and become Duke in his own right.

Duchess consort

Married by dynastic interest, the gap between Nicole and her husband grew with the events of 1625. Wishing to leave his wife, Charles tried in 1631 to have his marriage annulled by passing the death penalty - without proof - for witchcraft on Melchior of the Valley, the priest who had performed their marriage ceremony. But that injustice was not corroborated by The Church and Charles IV remained officially married to Nicole.

In 1635, Charles took the opportunity to get rid of his wife's authority, the false pretext that he had not been free to choose at the time of his marriage but did not persuade the papacy to annul the marriage.

Nicole spent the last years of her life in Paris, where she died.

Ancestry

Family of Nicole, Duchess of Lorraine

16. Antoine, Duke of Lorraine               8. Francis I, Duke of Lorraine                       17. Renée of Bourbon-Montpensier               4. Charles III, Duke of Lorraine                             18. Christian II of Denmark               9. Christina of Denmark                       19. Isabella of Austria               2. Henry II, Duke of Lorraine                                   20. Francis I of France               10. Henry II of France                       21. Claude of France               5. Claude of France                             22. Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino               11. Catherine de' Medici                       23. Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne               1. Nicole of Lorraine                                         24. Federico II, Duke of Mantua               12. Guglielmo X Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua                       25. Margaret Palaeologina               6. Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua                             26. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (=#30)               13. Archduchess Eleanor of Austria                       27. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (=#31)               3. Margerita Gonzaga                                   28. Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany               14. Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany                       29. Eleanor of Toledo               7. Eleonora de' Medici                             30. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (=#26)               15. Archduchess Joanna of Austria                       31. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (=#27)

References

Regnal titles
Preceded by Henry II	Duchess of Lorraine 1624–1625	Succeeded by Francis II
French nobility
Preceded by Christina of Salm	Duchess consort of Lorraine 1625–1634	Succeeded by Claude Françoise de Lorraine