Filippa Duci
Filippa Duci | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1520 |
| Died | before October 1586 (aged 65–66) |
| Other names | Filippa Ducci |
| Occupation | Courtesan |
| Title | Dame de Couy |
| Spouse |
Jean Bernardin de Saint-Severin
(m. 1546) |
| Partner | Henry II of France |
| Children | Diane de France |
Filippa Duci (or Ducci), dame de Couy (French: Philippe Desducs; 1520 – before October 1586) was an Italian-born French noblewoman, the mistress of Henry II and the mother of Diane de France.[2]
Life
Born in Moncalieri, Filippa's father was Gian Antonio Duci, member of a minor Italian noble family.[3] During the Italian Wars in 1537,[4] the French dauphin Henry (later Henry II of France) stayed with a squire, Filippa's brother, also named Gian Antonio Duci.[5] Henry was seduced by Filippa on first sight, and she became his mistress.[6] When Henri heard Duci was pregnant, he arranged for her to be maintained until she gave birth.[7] Duci gave birth to their daughter, Diane de France, in Paris in 1538.[2] This proved that Henry was not sterile;[8] he had been married to Catherine de Médici, yet had still not produced an heir due to urological problems.[9] The baby was named Diane after Henry's love, his mistress Diane de Poitiers,[10] who raised the child along with her own two children.[11]
In 1541, Filippa was granted 400 livres tournois a year for life in an Ordinaire de Touraine and was allowed to retire to a Piedmontese convent by Francis I of France.[6] She married the Italian gentleman and privy councillor Jean Bernardin de Saint-Severin in 1546.[1] After Diane was legitimized, Filippa was known as dame de Bléré en Touraine.[1] In 1582, she became a lady in waiting to queen dowager Catherine de Médici.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "Filippa Duci, première maitresse d'Henri II - Les Favorites Royales". favoritesroyales (in French). 20 May 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ a b Kent 2005, pp. 182–183.
- ^ "FAMIGLIE NOBILI ITALIANE" (PDF). collegio-araldico.it. Retrieved 26 Oct 2025.
- ^ "Filippa Duci et autres "amourettes" de Henri II". roisetreines.e-monsite.com (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ Kent 2005, p. 181.
- ^ a b Marshall 2006, p. 74.
- ^ "Les Valois". chrisagde.free.fr (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ Kent 2005, p. 182.
- ^ Jennifer Gordtesky; Ronald Rabinowitz; Jeanne O'Brien. "The "infertility" of Catherine de Medici and its influence on 16th century France" (PDF). Department of Urology - University of Rochester. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ Stedall 2012, p. 52.
- ^ Carroll 2010.
Bibliography
- Carroll, Leslie (2010). Notorious Royal Marriages: A Juicy Journey Through Nine Centuries of Dynasty, Destiny, and Desire. Penguin. ISBN 9781101159774.
- Frieda, Leonie (2018). Francis I: The Maker of Modern France. Orion. ISBN 9781474605588.
- Kent, Princess Michael of (2005). The Serpent and the Moon: Two Rivals for the Love of a Renaissance King. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743251068.
- Marshall, Rosalind Kay (2006). Queen Mary's Women: Female Relatives, Servants, Friends and Enemies of Mary, Queen of Scots. John Donald. ISBN 9780859766678.
- Stedall, Robert (2012). The Challenge to the Crown: Volume I: The Struggle for Influence in the Reign of Mary Queen of Scots 1542-1567. Book Guild Publishing. ISBN 9781846246463.