WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590 cover

Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590

Chapter 113: III. SFORZA.
Open in WeRead

About This Book

The biography traces the life of a Habsburg princess remembered through a famous court portrait, following her early displacement and widowhoods, a celebrated but unsuccessful royal courtship, and decades of political engagement across Italian and Low Countries courts. It chronicles her roles as duchess and regent, her diplomatic activity during French‑Habsburg conflicts culminating in the peace of Câteau‑Cambrésis, and later troubles with dynastic powers that curtailed her authority. The narrative balances archival research, contemporary memoirs, and correspondence to portray a woman admired for beauty, strong friendships, and administrative ability, whose fortunes fluctuated between prominence and exile.


GENEALOGICAL TABLES

  • I. HABSBURG.
  • II. DENMARK.
  • III. SFORZA.
  • IV. LORRAINE.
  • V. GUISE.

I. HABSBURG.

Maximilian I, d. 1519.
=(1)Mary of Burgundy.
=(2)Bianca Sforza.
+-- Philip, d. 1506.
|   =Juana of Spain, d. 1555.
|   +-- Eleanor, d. 1558.
|   |   =(1)Emanuel of Portugal.
|   |   =(2)Francis I. of France.
|   +-- Charles V, 1500-1558.
|   |   =Isabella of Portugal, d. 1539.
|   |   +-- Margaret, d. 1586.
|   |   |   =(1)Alessandro de' Medici.
|   |   |   =(2)Ottavio Farnese.
|   |   |   +-- Alessandro, Duke of Parma, d. 1592
|   |   |       =Mary of Portugal.
|   |   +-- Don John, d. 1578.
|   |   +-- Philip II. of Spain, 1527-1598.
|   |   |   =(1)Mary of Portugal, d. 1539.
|   |   |   =(2)Mary of England.
|   |   |   =(3)Elizabeth of France.
|   |   |   =(4)Anne of Austria.
|   |   |   +-- Don Carlos, d. 1568.
|   |   |   +-- Philip III, d. 1621.
|   |   |   |   =Margaret of Austria.
|   |   |   +-- Katherine.
|   |   |   |   =Charles Emanuel, Duke of Savoy.
|   |   |   +-- Isabella, d. 1633.
|   |   |       =Albert of Austria, d. 1621.
|   |   +-- Juana of Spain.
|   |   |   =John of Portugal, d. 1554.
|   |   |   +-- Sebastian of Portugal, d. 1578.
|   |   +-- Mary. (a)
|   |       =Maximilian II, d. 1576. (a)
|   |       +-- Rudolf II, d. 1612.
|   |       +-- Anne of Austria.
|   |       |   =Philip II. of Spain, 1527-1598.
|   |       +-- Albert of Austria, d. 1621. (b)
|   |       |   =Isabella, d. 1633.
|   |       +-- Elizabeth.
|   |       |   =Charles IX., King of France.
|   |       +-- Matthias, d. 1619.
|   |           =Anne.
|   +-- Isabella of Austria, 1501-1526. (See II)
|   |   =Christian II. of Denmark, dep. 1523, 1481-1559.
|   +-- Mary, d. 1558.
|   |   =Louis of Hungary, d. 1526.
|   +-- Ferdinand I, d. 1564.
|   |   =Anne of Bohemia, d. 1547.
|   |   +-- Maximilian II, d. 1576. (a)
|   |   |   =Mary. (a)
|   |   |   +-- Rudolf II. (see above)
|   |   |   +-- Anne of Austria. (see above)
|   |   |   +-- Albert of Austria. (see above) (b)
|   |   |   +-- Elizabeth. (see above)
|   |   |   +-- Matthias. (see above)
|   |   +-- Mary.
|   |   |   =William of Cleves.
|   |   +-- Ferdinand, d. 1595.
|   |   |   =Philippina Welser.
|   |   |   +-- Anne.
|   |   |       =Matthias, d. 1619.
|   |   +-- Charles.
|   |       =Anne.
|   |       +-- Ferdinand II, d. 1637.
|   |           =Maria Anna.
|   |           +-- Ferdinand III, d. 1657.
|   |               =Mary of Spain.
|   |               +-- Philip IV. of Spain.
|   |               |   =Mary.
|   |               +-- Leopold I, d. 1705.
|   |               |   =(1)Margaret of Spain.
|   |               |   =(2)Claude of Tyrol.
|   |               |   =(3)Eleanor, d. of Elector Palatine.
|   |               |   +-- Joseph I, d. 1711.
|   |               |   |   =Wilhelmina of Hanover.
|   |               |   +-- Charles VI, d. 1740.
|   |               |       =Eliz. Christina of Brunswick.
|   |               |       +-- Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary, and daughter of the Emperor Charles VI, d. 1780.
|   |               |           =Francis III., Duke of Lorraine; exchanged Lorraine for Tuscany; el. Emperor 1745, m. 1736, d. 1765.
|   |               +-- Eleanor.
|   |                   =Charles Leopold of Lorraine.
|   +-- Katherine.
|       =John III. of Portugal, d. 1557.
|       +-- John of Portugal, d. 1554.
|       |   =Juana of Spain.
|       |   +-- Sebastian of Portugal. (see above)
|       +-- Mary of Portugal, d. 1539.
|           =Philip II. of Spain, 1527-1598.
+-- Margaret, d. 1530.
    =(1)John, son of Ferdinand and Isabella.
    =(2)Philibert II. of Savoy.

II. DENMARK, 1481-1588.

Christian I., King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, d. 1481.
=Dorothea of Brandenburg, widow of Christopher, King of Denmark, d. 1448.
+-- John, d. 1513.
|   =Christina of Saxony.
|   +-- Christian II. of Denmark, dep. 1523, 1481-1559.
|   |   =Isabella of Austria, 1501-1526.
|   |   +-- John, 1516-1531.
|   |   +-- Dorothea, 1520-1562.
|   |   |   =Frederic II., Elector Palatine, 1483-1556.
|   |   +-- Christina of Denmark, 1522-1590.
|   |       =(1)Francesco II., last Duke of Milan, 1495-1535.
|   |       =(2)Francis I., Duke of Lorraine, 1517-1545.
|   +-- Elizabeth.
|       =Joachim of Brandenburg, d. 1535.
+-- Margaret.
|   =James III. of Scotland, d. 1488.
+-- Frederick I.
    =(1)Anne of Brandenburg.
    =(2)Sophia of Pomerania.
    +-- Dorothea.
    |   =Albert, Duke of Prussia, d. 1568.
    +-- Christian III, d. 1558.
    |   +-- Frederic II, d. 1588.
    |   +-- Anna.
    |   |   =Augustus, Elector of Saxony.
    |   +-- John, (branch of Glücksburg Augustenburg).
    +-- Adolf, Duke of Holstein.
        =Christina of Hesse.
        +-- John Adolf, (branch of Holstein-Gottorp).
        |   =Amelia of Denmark.
        +-- Christina.
            =Charles IX. of Sweden.
            +-- Gustavus Adolphus, d. 1632.
                +-- Christina, d. 1689.

III. SFORZA.

Francesco, Duke of Milan, 1450, 1401-1466.
=Bianca Maria Visconti, d. 1468.
+-- Galeazzo Maria, 1444-1476.
|   =Bona of Savoy.
|   +-- Gian Galeazzo, 1469-1494.
|   |   =Isabella of Aragon, d. 1524.
|   |   +-- Francesco, Abbot of Noirmoutiers, 1490-1512.
|   |   +-- Ippolita, d. 1501.
|   |   +-- Bona, d. 1557.
|   |       =Sigismund I., King of Poland, d. 1548.
|   +-- Ermes, 1470-1504.
|   +-- Caterina, d. 1509.
|   |   =(1)Girolamo Riario.
|   |   =(2)Giacomo Feo.
|   |   =(3)Giovanni de' Medici.
|   +-- Ottaviano, Bishop of Lodi.
|   +-- Carlo.
|   |   =Bianca Simonetta.
|   |   +-- Ippolita.
|   |       =Alessandro Bentivoglio.
|   +-- Anna, 1473-1497.
|       =Alfonso d'Este.
+-- Ippolita, 1446-1484.
|   =Alfonso of Calabria, afterwards King of Naples.
+-- Filippo, 1448-1492.
|   =Costanza Sforza.
+-- Sforza, Duke of Bari, 1449-1479.
+-- Lodovico Maria, 1451-1480.
|   =Beatrice d'Este, 1475-1497.
|   +-- Massimiliano abd. 1515, 1493-1530.
|   +-- Francesco II., last Duke of Milan, 1495-1535.
|   |   =Christina of Denmark, 1522-1590.
|   +-- Cesare.
|   +-- Leone, Protonotary.
|   +-- Bianca, d. 1497.
|   |   =Galeazzo di Sanseverino, d. 1525.
|   +-- Gian Paolo, 1497-1535.
|       +-- Line of Caravaggio extinct 1697.
+-- Ascanio, Cardinal, 1455-1505.
+-- Tristano, d. 1477.
    =Beatrice d'Este da Correggio.

IV. LORRAINE, 1300-1736.

Frederic IV, d. 1328.
=Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor Albert I.
+-- Raoul, killed at Crécy, d. 1346.
    +-- John, d. 1391.
        +-- Charles II, d. 1431.
        |   =Margaret, daughter of the Emperor Rupert III.
        |   +-- Isabella, d. 1453.
        |       =René I. of Anjou, d. 1480.
        |       +-- John, d. 1470.
        |       +-- Margaret.
        |       |   =Henry, VI. of England.
        |       +-- Yolande, 1428-1483.
        |           =Frederic, Count of Vaudemont, d. 1472.
        |           +-- René II., Duke of Lorraine and Bar, King of Sicily, etc, d. 1508.
        |               =Philippa of Guelders, d. 1547.
        |               +-- Anthony, 1489-1544.
        |               |   =René de Bourbon, d. 1539.
        |               |   +-- Francis I., Duke of Lorraine, 1517-1545.
        |               |   |   =Christina of Denmark, 1522-1590.
        |               |   |   +-- Charles III, 1543-1608.
        |               |   |       =Claude, de France, 1548-1575.
        |               |   |       +-- Henry, 1563-1624.
        |               |   |       |   =(1)Catherine, de Bourbon, d. 1604.
        |               |   |       |   =(2)Margaret Gonzaga.
        |               |   |       |   +-- Claude of Lorraine, d. 1648.
        |               |   |       |   |   =Nicolas-Francis, Duke of Lorraine, d. 1670.
        |               |   |       |   |   +-- Charles-Leopold, 1643-1690.
        |               |   |       |   |       =Eleanor of Austria.
        |               |   |       |   |       +-- Leopold-Joseph, 1679-1729.
        |               |   |       |   |           =Charlotte-Elizabeth of Orleans.
        |               |   |       |   |           +-- Francis III., Duke of Lorraine; exchanged Lorraine for Tuscany; el. Emperor 1745, d. 1765.
        |               |   |       |   |               =Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary, and daughter of the Emperor Charles VI., m. 1736, d. 1780.
        |               |   |       |   +-- Nicole, d. 1657.
        |               |   |       |       =Charles IV., abd. 1634, d. 1675.
        |               |   |       +-- Francis II, 1571-1632.
        |               |   |       |   =Christina of Salm.
        |               |   |       |   +-- Nicolas-Francis, Duke of Lorraine, d. 1670.
        |               |   |       |   |   =Claude of Lorraine, d. 1648.
        |               |   |       |   |   +-- Charles-Leopold. (see above)
        |               |   |       |   +-- Henrietta, 1606-1660.
        |               |   |       |   |   =(1)Count of Phalsburg.
        |               |   |       |   |   =(2)Count Carlo Guasco.
        |               |   |       |   +-- Margaret.
        |               |   |       |       =Gaston, Duke of Orleans.
        |               |   |       +-- Christina, 1565-1636.
        |               |   |       |   =Ferdinand, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
        |               |   |       +-- Antoinette, 1568-1610.
        |               |   |       |   =William, Duke of Cleves.
        |               |   |       +-- Elizabeth, 1573-1633.
        |               |   |       |   =Maximilian II., Duke of Bavaria.
        |               |   |       +-- Catherine, Abbess of Remiremont, 1570-1648.
        |               |   +-- Anne, 1522-1568.
        |               |   |   =(1)René Prince of Orange.
        |               |   |   =(2)Philip, Duke of Aerschot.
        |               |   |   +-- Charles, de Croy, Marquis of Havre, b. 1549.
        |               |   +-- Nicolas, Count of Vaudemont, 1524-1577.
        |               |       =(1)Margaret of Egmont.
        |               |       =(2)Joanna of Savoy.
        |               |       =(3)Catherine of Aumale, m. 1569.
        |               |       +-- Louise.
        |               |       |   +Henri III. of France.
        |               |       +-- Philip, d. 1612.
        |               |       +-- Charles, Cardinal, d. 1587.
        |               +-- Claude, Duke of Guise. (See Table V.)
        |               +-- John, Cardinal, 1498-1550.
        |               +-- Francis, Count of Lambesque, 1503-1525.
        |               +-- Louis, Count of Vaudemon, 1506-1527.
        +-- Frederic, killed at Agincourt, d. 1415.
            =Margaret, heiress of Joinville and Vaudemont.
            +-- Anthony.
                =heiress of Aumale and Mayenne.
                +-- Frederic, Count of Vaudemont, d. 1472.
                    =Yolande, 1428-1483.
                    +-- René II., Duke of Lorraine, etc. (see above)

V. GUISE, 1500-1600.

René II., Duke of Lorraine and Bar, King of Sicily, etc, d. 1508.
=Philippa of Guelders, d. 1547.
+-- Claude, Duke of Guise, 1496-1550.
    =Antoinette of Bourbon, 1494-1583.
    +-- Mary, 1515-1560.
    |   =(1)Louis, Duke of Longueville, d. 1537.
    |   =(2)James, V., King of Scotland, d. 1542.
    |   +-- Louis, Duke of Longueville, 1536-1551.
    |   +-- Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587.
    |       =(1)Francis II., King of France, d. 1560.
    |       =(2)Henry, Lord Darnley, d. 1567.
    |       +-- James, VI. of Scotland and I. of England (1603), 1567-1623.
    |           =Anne of Denmark, d. 1619.
    +-- Francis, Duke of Guise, 1520-1563.
    |   =Anna d'Este, 1531-1607.
    |   +-- Henri le Balafré Prince of Joinville, etc., Duke of Guise, 1549-1588.
    |       =Catherine of Cleves.
    |       +-- Charles, Duke of Guise, 1571-1640.
    |       |   =Henriette de Joyeuse, Duchess of Montpensier, d. 1656.
    |       +-- Louis, Cardinal and Archbishop of Reims, b. 1575.
    |       +-- Claude, Duke of Chevreuse, b. 1578.
    |       |   =Marie de Rohan.
    |       +-- Louise.
    |           =Francis, Prince of Conti, m. July 24, 1605.
    +-- Louise, 1521-1542.
    |   =Charles, Prince of Chimay.
    +-- René Abbess of S. Pierre, Reims, 1522-1586.
    +-- Charles, Cardinal, 1523-1574.
    +-- Claude, Duke of Aumale, 1526-1573.
    |   =Louise, de Bréze, m. 1545.
    |   +-- Catherine of Aumale.
    |   |   =Nicolas, Count of Vaudemont, b. 1524, m. 1569, d. 1577.
    |   +-- Charles, Duke of Aumale, b. 1556.
    |   |   =Marie d'Elbœuf m. 1576.
    |   +-- Claude, Abbot of Bec, b. 1563.
    |   +-- Diana, m. 1576.
    |       =Francis, Duke of Piney.
    +-- Louis, Cardinal, 1527-1578.
    +-- Antoinette, Abbess of Farmoustiers, 1531-1561.
    +-- Francis, Prior of Malta, 1534-1563.
    +-- René Marquis of Elbœuf, 1535-1576.
        =Louise, de Rieux.
        +-- Charles, Marquis of Elbœuf; created Duke 1581.
        +-- Marie d'Elbœuf, m. 1576.
            =Charles, Duke of Aumale, b. 1556.