Catherine de Medici to Queen Elizabeth I, September 11, 1559.

The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis was essentially a concession to Spain of Italy after over 60 years of contention. In return for giving up claims upon that country King Henry II, husband of Catherine de Medici, gained several important cities for protecting his other frontiers and the end of the drain on his country's treasury and populace.

To seal the deal, recently widowed King Philip II, of Spain, would marry Henry and Catherine's 13 year old daughter, Elizabeth of Valois, A proxy wedding was celebrated, at Notre Dame Cathedral, on June 22, 1559.

A grand celebration of the treaty and marriage was held, in Paris, eight days later. It would feature one of Henry's favorite sports: jousting. On his third course, against the Scottish Earl of Montgomery, he was beaten.

His pride required that he ride another course against the Scotsman. All the members of his Court pleaded with him to retire. He refused, and, in his hurry, did not reattach his visor properly. As fate would have it, his opponents lance entered at the visor and a chunk of it went into his head above his eye. He died on the following July 10^th.

We learn in this Thank You note that the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth I, of England, sent Catherine a letter of condolences. The next son of the French Dowager Queen, Francis II, and his new wife Mary, Queen of Scots, were both too young to rule without guidance. The house of Guise was too powerful to oppose, and took control, so Catherine — the ultimate player — was biding her time.

The rest explains itself.

A TRÈS HAULTE ET EXCELLENTE PRINCESSE NOSTRE TRÈS AIMÉE BONNE SEUR ET COUSINE LA ROYNE D‘ANGLETERRE. Très haulte et très excellente princesse, nostre très chère et très amée bonne soeur et cousine, à vous tant et si affectueusement que faire pouvons nous recommandons. Nous avons receu la lettre que vous nous avez escripte par le sieur de Mewtes, vostre panetier ordinaire présent porteur, et entendu de luy les honnestes et vertueulx propoz qu’il nous a tenuz de vostre part, pleins d'une si saige et prudente consolation que vous nous donnez en nostre infortune, que nous ne voulons faillir à vous en mercier autant affectueusement qu’il nous est possible, et vous asseurer que la douleur que nous ressentons de la perte que nous avons faicte du feu Roy nostre très honoré seigneur et mary nous est si récente et si lamentable et en portons ung si extrême ennui, regret et desplaisir que nous avons bon besoing que Dieu qui nous a visité de ceste affliction nous donne la force de pouvoir supporter et la grace de nous conformer à son sainct vouloir, auquel nous nous soubzmettons, comme il est raisonable. Nous vous voulons bien dire, pour correspondance de la bonne intention que vous avez à

TO THE MOST EXALTED AND EXCELLENT PRINCESS OUR VERY LOVED GOOD SISTER AND COUSIN THE ROYNE OF ENGLAND. Most Exalted and very excellent princess, our very dear and very beloved good sister and cousin, so much and so affectionately can we commend ourselves to you. We have received the letter you wrote to us by Sir [Peter] Mewtes, your personal messenger, and heard from him the honest and virtuous remarks he made to us on your part, full of such a wise and prudent consolation which you give us in our misfortune, that we do not want to fail to thank you for it as affectionately as we can, and to assure you that the pain which we feel for the loss of the late King our most honored lord and husband to us is so recent and so lamentable and brings with it such extreme troubles, regret and displeasure that we need that God who has visited us with this affliction give the strength to be able to bear and the grace to conform to his holy will, to which we submit, as having its reasons. We want to praise you, for correspondence of the good intention that you have

l‘entreténement de l’amitié entre le Roy monsieur mon filz et vous et l‘observaüon des traitez, que nous ne ferons jamais aultres offices auprès de sa personne que ceulx que nous cognoistrons pouvoir servir, non seulement pour le confirmer de plus en plus en la parfaicte et saincte amitié que nous sçavons qu’il vous porte, mais aussi pour la perpétuer, accroistre et augmenter au commun bien, repoz et tranquillité de voz royaumes, estatz et pays, ainsi que nous l'avons déclaré plus amplement au sieur de Mewtes, sur lequel nous remectant, nous prierons Dieu, très haulte et très excellente princesse, qu‘il vous ayt en sa très saincte et digne garde. Escript à Villars Costeretz, le 11' jour de septembre 1559. Vostre bonne seur et cousine, CATERINE

in the maintenance of the friendship between the monsieur the King, my son, and you, and the observation of treaties, that we will never do other offices with his person than those we know can serve, not only to confirm more and more the perfect and holy amity that we know you bring, but also to perpetuate it, increase and strengthen the common good, repose and tranquility of your realms, estates and lands, as well as that we have stated more fully to Sir Mewtes, upon whom we rely. We will pray to God, most high and most excellent princess, that he may have you in his most holy and worthy keeping. Written at Villars-Costerets, the 11th day of September 1559. Your good sister and cousin, CATERINE

Source: Lettres de Catherine de Medicis (1880). I.125-6. 

Also at Virtual Grub Street and Tudor Topics:

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• A Triple Wedding and Surprise Visit from the King (1536). July 31, 2023. “History was rushing onward at that point toward many fateful events”

• The Decline of William Cecil, Baron of Burghley. July 22, 2023. “He found it necessary to do his work remotely more often as the years went on.”

• Queen Elizabeth’s Greatest Love, Robert Dudley, died on September 4, 1588. September 3, 2022. “Even after matters had settled down, Robert’s special treatment was the source of smoldering jealousy.”
• Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle: Sunday, July 17, 1575. July 16, 2022. “History has been particularly generous and has preserved an eyewitness letter describing the events…”.

• Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

• Check out the Queen Elizabeth I Biography Page for many other articles.