French Queen consort as the second wife of King Henry (Henri) IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici. Following the assassination of her husband in 1610, which occurred the day after her coronation, she acted as regent for her son, King Louis XIII of France, until 1617, when he came of age. She was noted for her ceaseless political intrigues at the French court and extensive artistic patronage.
She was the daughter of Francesco I de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Joanna, an Austrian Archduchess; one of eight (five surviving) children. She became the second wife of King Henry IV on 5 October 1600 and had their son, Louis XIII, on 27 September 1601 in Fontainebleau, France. Marie was crowned Queen on 13 May 1610, the night before her husband’s assassination.
Throughout her husband’s reign, she showed little interest in politics, but when she became regent for their son Louis XIII, she developed an inherent taste for power. At the time of the nobles’ rebellion, she bought them off with court favours and monies. As her son Louis XIII came into power, he had his opponents assassinated or beheaded and had her exiled to Blois. She escaped from her exile in 1619 and let a revolt which Louis easily won.
Nonetheless, the revolt brought about a reconciliation between mother and son and he gave her a small court in Angers. In 1630, she once again became a troublemaker and was exiled, only to escape one year later. After she escaped from exile for the second time, she fled to Brussels where she intrigued in vain against Richelieu.
Marie travelled in exile to Cologne, where she died on 3 July 1642 at age 67, scheming against Richelieu to the end.
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