Second Marriage
After the death of Francis in 1547 and the accession of Henry II to the French throne, Jeanne married Antoine de Bourbon, "first prince of the blood", at Moulins in the Bourbonnaise on 20 October 1548. The marriage was intended to consolidate territorial possessions in the north and south of France.
Jeanne's marriage to Antoine was described by author Mark Strage as having been a "romantic match". A contemporary of Jeanne said of her that she had
"no pleasure or occupation except in talking about or writing to . She does it in company and in private . . . the waters cannot quench the flame of her love".
Despite Jeanne's open show of affection towards Antoine, he was a notorious philanderer. In 1554, he fathered an illegitimate son, Charles, by Louise de La Béraudière de l'Isle Rouhet, a court beauty known as "la belle Rouet". Antoine's frequent absences left Jeanne in Béarn to rule alone, and in complete charge of a household which she managed with a firm and resolute hand.
The couple had five children, of whom only two, Henry, king of France from 1589 to 1610 and king of Navarre from 1572 to 1610, and Catherine, duchess of Lorraine, lived to adulthood.
Read more about this topic: Jeanne D'Albret
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