Loveless marriage, death, betrayal, courtly intrigue, personal tragedy—it sounds like the plotline of an HBO drama, but it was the real life of Anne of Brittany.
In the 1490s, Anne was the owner of this manuscript in Getty’s collection, which contains the amazing portrait of her featured above. The book was given to her by King Charles VIII of France—he’s the gentleman in black in the bottom-right corner—when she was just 14 years old.
What’s in the book? Stories of women from antiquity who were left behind by their husbands and lovers. It’s hard to picture it as a particularly inspiring wedding gift, but it was oddly prescient.
Just a few years after King Charles VIII gave Anne this gift, he hit his head on a door lintel and died. This left Anne of Brittany a widow at 21, and obligated to marry his successor: Louis XII.
Unfortunately for his first wife, Louis XII was already married. He quickly had that marriage annulled by claiming that their union had never been consummated because his “performance” was thwarted...by witchcraft.
Louis XII and Anne of Brittany were then married. They didn’t quite live happily ever after. Anne bore him 11 children before she died at the age of 37. Only two of those children survived past early childhood. However, Anne of Brittany does have the distinction of being the only woman to be crowned Queen of France twice.
So, what do you think? HBO producers, if you agree, feel free to reach out!
In the meantime, want more stories from the Middle Ages from Getty medievalist Larisa Grollemond? Head to our Instagram page.
