On This Day

Francis, Duke of Valois, later Francis I, King of France, marries Claude, Duchess of Brittany

Anne of Brittany (Breton: Anna; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death.

Anne of Brittany (Breton: Anna; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She was the only woman to have been queen consort of France twice. During the Italian Wars, Anne also became Queen of Naples, from 1501 to 1504, and Duchess of Milan, in 1499–1500 and from 1500 to 1512.

Anne was raised in Nantes during a series of conflicts in which the King of France sought to assert his suzerainty over Brittany. Her father, Francis II, Duke of Brittany, was the last male heir of the House of Montfort. Upon his death in 1488, Anne became duchess regnant of Brittany, countess of Nantes, Montfort, and Richmond, and viscountess of Limoges.

Historical Significance

Anne of Brittany (Breton: Anna; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death.

Key People

Francis I of France

Events Before

  1. Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sight Florida

    Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

  2. Explorer Juan Ponce de León claims Florida for Spain as the first known European to reach it

    Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

  3. Battle of the Spurs at Guinegate (now Enguinegatte): King Henry VIII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I defe

    Battle of the Spurs at Guinegate (now Enguinegatte): King Henry VIII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I defeat French forces, capturing the town and routing the French cavalry

  4. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama, becoming the first European to see the Pacific Oce

    Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama, becoming the first European to see the Pacific Ocean

  5. Battle of Novara, the War of the League of Cambrai: the Swiss Confederacy defeat the French

    The Battle of Novara was a battle of the War of the League of Cambrai fought on 6 June 1513, near Novara, in Northern Italy. A French attacking force was routed by allied Milanese–Swiss troops.

Events After

  1. Louis XII dies

    Louis XII dies

  2. First Congress of Vienna settles issues between Poland and the Holy Roman Empire, demonstrating the Habsburgs' growing i

    First Congress of Vienna settles issues between Poland and the Holy Roman Empire, demonstrating the Habsburgs' growing influence

  3. Double wedding as agreed in the First Congress of Vienna weds Anna of Bohemia (11) to Ferdinand of Austria (11) and gran

    Double wedding as agreed in the First Congress of Vienna weds Anna of Bohemia (11) to Ferdinand of Austria (11) and granddaughter of Maximilian I Mary (9) marrys Louis (9) son of the King of Hungary

  4. Marriage of King Christian II of Denmark to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is rat

    Marriage of King Christian II of Denmark to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is ratified at Copenhagen Castle (married by proxy 1514)

  5. Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana in modern-day Cuba on the southern coast of the island; it is move

    Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana in modern-day Cuba on the southern coast of the island; it is moved to its current location in 1519

More from the 1510s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 18, 1514?
Anne of Brittany (Breton: Anna; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She was the only woman to have been queen consort of France twice. During the Italian Wars, Anne also became Queen of Naples, from 1501 to 1504, and Duchess of Milan, in 1499–1500 and from 1500 to 1512.
Why is Francis, Duke of Valois, later Francis I, King of France, marries Claude, Duc... significant?
Anne of Brittany (Breton: Anna; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death.
Who was involved in Francis, Duke of Valois, later Francis I, King of France, marries Claude, Duc...?
Key figures include Francis I of France.

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