Descendants of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici

The Praying figures of Henry II of France and his wife, Catherine De'Medici, Funerary Monument, created by Francesco Primaticcio who appointed Germain Pilon as sculptor, commissionned by Catherine de' Medici at the death of Henry II, completed in 1570, in Saint-Denis

Statues gisants of Henry and Catherine in coronation vestments, marble, by Germain Pilon, commissionned by Catherine de' Medici in 1583, in Saint-Denis

Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici were married on October 28, 1533, and their marriage produced ten children. Henry and Catherine became the ancestors of monarchs of several countries. Some of their descendants were doomed historical figures, like Marie Antoinette, the hated Queen of France and her loyal companion and friend, the Madame de Lamballe, brilliant military commanders like Prince Eugene of Savoy and Louis William of Baden, later Kings of France, like Louis XV of France and Louis XVI of France and famous personalities such as actress Brooke Shields, among many others. This article elaborates on the descent of Henry and Catherine, and how it can still be traced till today.

Background, pedigree and family ties

Both Henry and Catherine were from illustrious families and had notable people in their respective family trees.

Henry II of France

Henry II of France

Henry's father was Francis I of France, the patron of Leonardo da Vinci and a member of the Valois-Angoulême branch of the House of Valois. His maternal grandfather was Louis XII of France, the conqueror of the Neapolitan Kingdom of Naples and the Duchy of Milan. Both Kings of France were descendants (in the male line) of Charles V, King of France, and as such represented, as the only extant line of the House of Valois, the descent of Charles, Count of Valois, fourth son of King Philip III of France, from the House of Capet.

Henry's maternal grandmother was Anne of Brittany, the defiant Duchess Regnant of Brittany and Queen of France twice over. Her grandmother was Eleanor of Navarre, the daughter of John II of Aragon and half-sister of Ferdinand II of Aragon. Therefore, this made Henry a distant half-cousin of his son-in-law Philip II of Spain. This also made him a second cousin once-removed of his other son-in-law, Henry IV of France, who was also his 7th cousin, 4 times removed, through their common male-line ancestor, St. Louis of France. Also, Henry was a direct matrilineal descendant of Blanca Núñez de Lara.

Catherine de' Medici

Catherine de' Medici

Catherine's father and grandfather were Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino and Piero the Unfortunate respectively. The latter was a son of Lorenzo il Magnifico, the great Renaissance ruler of Florence. This made Catherine a scion of the illustrious House of Medici. Also her guardian till her marriage was Pope Clement VII, formerly Giulio De'Medici, illegitimate son of Giuliano De'Medici, brother of Lorenzo il Magnifico. Therefore from her father's side, Catherine had high Italian ancestry.

Her mother was from the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, her father being the last Count of Boulogne from the aforementioned House. Through her mother, Catherine's ancestry stretched back to Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, who was part of the invading army of William, the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings. Interestingly, Catherine was also a descendant of William the Conqueror himself, through his grandson, Stephen of England, whose daughter Marie of Boulogne was a direct ancestor of Catherine. Her maternal grandmother Jeanne de Bourbon-Vendôme was a direct patrilineal descendant of Louis, the first duke of Bourbon. This made Catherine a direct descendant of Louis IX of France, and of the House of Capet, albeit through a female line. Also this made her a 7th cousin, once removed of her husband Henry and a 6th cousin, 3 times removed of Henri of Navarre, her son-in-law.

Children

During their marriage, the royal couple faced health problems with their children: their fourth child, Louis, died when he was a baby and Catherine almost died giving birth to her youngest children who were the twins, Joan and Victoria. After their birth the doctors told Henry and Catherine that their marriage should not produce more children.

The following table lists all the surviving children of Henry and Catherine. The ones not included are:

• Louis of France (February 3, 1549 - October 1549)
• Joan, Princess of France (born and died on June 24, 1556)
• Victoria, Princess of France, (June 24, 1556 - August 1556) lived 3 months more than her twin sister Joan, Princess of France.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Death	Marriages and Issue/Notes
Francis II, King of France		January 19, 1544	December 5, 1560	Married Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) in 1558. Had no issue.
Elizabeth, Princess of France		April 2, 1545	October 3, 1568	Married Philip II, King of Spain (1527–1598) in 1559. Had issue.
Claude, Princess of France		November 12, 1547	February 21, 1575	Married Charles III, Duke of Lorraine (1543–1608). Had issue.
Charles IX, King of France		June 27, 1550	May 30, 1574	Married Elizabeth of Austria (1554–1592) in 1570. Had one legitimate daughter who died young.
Henry III, King of France		September 19, 1551	August 2, 1589	Married Louise of Lorraine in 1575. Had no issue. Briefly King of Poland in 1574.
Margaret, Princess of France		May 14, 1553	March 27, 1615	Known as "Queen Margot". Married Henry IV, King of France. Divorced and had no issue.
Hercules, Prince of France		March 18, 1555	June 19, 1584	Later known as Francis, Duke of Alençon and Anjou, no issue.

Descendants of Elizabeth of Valois

Progeny of Isabella Clara Eugina of Spain

Name of Descendant	Portrait	Birth	Marriages and Issue	Death	Miscellaneous
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain		12 August 1566, Elisabeth of Valois and Philip II of Spain	Albert VII, Archduke of Austria No Issue	December 1, 1633	co-governor of the Spanish Netherlands

Progeny of Catherine Michelle of Spain

Name of Descendant	Portrait	Birth	Marriages and Issue	Death	Miscellaneous
Catherine Michelle of Spain		October 10, 1567, Elisabeth of Valois and Philip II of Spain	Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy 4 children	November 6, 1597
Isabella of Savoy		11 March 1591, Daughter of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Catherine Michelle of Spain	Alfonso III d'Este 7 children	28 August 1626
Francesco I d'Este		September 6, 1610, Son of Alfonso III d'Este and Isabella of Savoy	[[]] [[]]	October 14, 1658
Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy		8 May 1587, Son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and Catherine Michelle of Spain	Christine Marie of France 8 children	7 October 1637
Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy		20 June 1634, Son of Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy and Christine Marie of France	Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans Marie Jeanne of Savoy 1 child	12 June 1675
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia		14 May 1666, Son of Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy and Marie Jeanne of Savoy	Anne Marie d'Orléans Anna Teresa Canalis di Cumiana 5 children	31 October 1732
Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy		6 November 1636, Daughter of Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy and Christine Marie of France	Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria 4 children	18 March 1676
Duchess Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria		28 November 1660, Daughter of Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy and Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria	Louis, Dauphin of France 3 children	20 April 1690
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria		July 11, 1662, Son of Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy and Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria	Maria Antonia of Austria Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska 5 children	February 26, 1726
Margaret of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal		28 April 1589, Daughter of Catherine Michelle of Spain and Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy	Francesco IV Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua 1 child	26 June 1655
Maria Gonzaga, Duchess of Montferrat		29 July 1609, Daughter of Margaret of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal and Francesco IV Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua	Charles II Gonzaga 2 children	14 August 1660
Eleanor Gonzaga		18 November 1630, Daughter Maria Gonzaga, Duchess of Montferrat and Charles II Gonzaga	Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor 2 children	6 December 1686
Eleonora Maria of Austria		31 May 1653, Daughter of Eleanor Gonzagaand Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor	Michael Korybut Charles V, Duke of Lorraine 2 children	17 Dec 1697
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano		December 21, 1596, Son of Catherine Michelle of Spain and Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy	Marie de Bourbon, Countess of Soissons 3 children	January 22, 1656

Descendants of Claude of Valois

Progeny of Henry II, Duke of Lorraine

Name	Portrait	Birth and Parents	Marriages and Issue	Death	Miscellaneous
Henry II, Duke of Lorraine		November 8, 1563, Claude of Valois and Charles III, Duke of Lorraine	Catherine of Navarre, Duchess of Lorraine Margerita Gonzaga 2 children	July 31, 1621
Nicolette of Lorraine		October 3, 1608, Daughter of Henry II, Duke of Lorraine and Margerita Gonzaga	Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine No Issue	February 2, 1657
Claude of Lorraine		6 October 1612, Daughter of Henry II, Duke of Lorraine and Margerita Gonzaga	Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine 1 child	2 August 1648

Progeny of Christine of Lorraine

Name of Descendant	Portrait	Birth	Marriages and Issue	Death	Miscellaneous
Christina of Lorraine		16 August 1565, Daughter of Claude of Valois and Charles III, Duke of Lorraine	Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany 5 children	19 December 1637
Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany		12 May 1590, Son of Ferdinando I de' Medici and Christina of Lorraine	Maria Maddalena of Austria 8 children	28 February 1621
Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany		14 July 1610, Son of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Maria Maddalena of Austria	Vittoria della Rovere 2 children	23 May 1670
Margherita de' Medici		May 31, 1612, Daughter of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Maria Maddalena of Austria	Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma 5 children	February 6 , 1679
Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma		17 September 1630 , Son of Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma, and Margherita de' Medici	Marguerite Yolande of Savoy Isabella d’Este Maria d'Este 3 children	11 December , 1694
Elisabeth of Parma		22 October 1692, Daughter of Odoardo II Farnese and Dorothea Sophie of the Palatinate-Neuburg Granddaughter of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma	Philip V of Spain 7 children	11 July 1766
Anna de’Medici		21 July 1616, Daughter of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Maria Maddalena of Austria	Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria 1 child	11 September 1676
Claudia Felicitas of Austria		30 May 1653, daughter of Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria and Anna de’Medici	Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor 2 children	8 April 1676
Claudia de' Medici		June 4, 1604, Daughter of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Christina of Lorraine	Federico della Rovere Leopold V, Archduke of Austria 5 children	December 25, 1648
Vittoria della Rovere		7 February 1622, Daughter of Claudia de' Medici and Federico della Rovere	Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany 2 children	5 March 1694
Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria		May 17, 1628, Son of Claudia de' Medici and Leopold V, Archduke of Austria	Anna de’Medici 1 child	December 30, 1662
Archduchess Isabella Clara of Austria		c. 1629, Daughter of Claudia de' Medici and Leopold V, Archduke of Austria	Charles III, Duke of Mantua 1 child	c. 1685
Ferdinand Charles, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat		August 31, 1652, Son of Archduchess Isabella Clara of Austria and Charles III, Duke of Mantua	Anna Isabella Gonzaga Susanne de Lorraine No Issue	July 5, 1708
Sigismund Francis, Archduke of Further Austria		27 November 1630 , Son of Claudia de' Medici and Leopold V, Archduke of Austria	Never married No Issue	25 June 1665
Maria Leopoldine of Austria		6 April 1632, Daughter of Claudia de' Medici and Leopold V, Archduke of Austria	Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor 1 child	7 August 1649

Progeny of Francis II, Duke of Lorraine

Name of Descendant	Portrait	Birth and Parents	Marriages and Issue	Death	Miscellaneous
Francis II, Duke of Lorraine		February 27, 1572, Claude of Valois and Charles III, Duke of Lorraine	Christina of Salm 3 chilkdren	October 14, 1632
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine		April 5, 1604, Son of Claude of Valois and Charles III, Duke of Lorraine	Nicolette of Lorraine Béatrice de Cusance 3 children	September 18, 1675
Anne of Lorraine		c. 1639, Daughter of Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine and Béatrice de Cusance	François Marie, Prince of Lillebonne 3 children	c. 1720
Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine		5 April 1664 , Daughter of Anne de Lorraine and François Marie, Prince of Lillebonne	Louis de Melun 2 children	7 March 1748
Anne Julie de Melun		c. 1698, Daughter of Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine and Louis de Melun	Jules, Prince of Soubise 3 children	18 May 1724
Charles, Prince of Soubise		16 July 1715, Son of Anne Julie de Melun and Jules, Prince of Soubise	Anne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne Princess Anna Teresa of Savoy Landgravine Anna Viktoria of Hesse-Rotenburg 2 children	4 July 1787
Charlotte de Rohan		7 October 1737, Daughter of Charles, Prince of Soubise and Anne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne	Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé 2 children	4 March 1760
Louis Henri, Prince of Condé		13 April 1756, Son of Charlotte de Rohan and Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé	Bathilde d'Orléans 1 child	30 August 1830
Victoire de Rohan		28 December 1743, Daughter of Charles, Prince of Soubise and Princess Anna Teresa of Savoy	Henri Louis, Prince of Guéméné 3children	20 September 1807
Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine		December 12, 1612, Son of Francis II, Duke of Lorraine and Christina Salm	Claude of Lorraine 1 child	January 25, 1670
Charles V of Lorraine		April 3, 1643, Son of Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Lorraine	Eleonora Maria of Austria 2 children	April 18, 1690
Leopold, Duke of Lorraine		11 September 1679, Son of Charles V of Lorraine and Eleonora Maria of Austria	Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans 5 children	27 March 1729
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor		8 December 1708, Son of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans	Maria Theresa of Austria 16 children	18 August 1765
Marguerite of Lorraine		22 July 1615, Francis II, Duke of Lorraine and Countess Christine of Salm	Gaston, Duke of Orléans 5 children	13 April 1672 (aged 56)
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans		28 July 1645, Daughter of Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans and Marguerite of Lorraine	Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany 3 children	17 September 1721 (aged 76)
Élisabeth Marguerite d'Orléans		26 December 1646, Daughter of Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans and Marguerite of Lorraine	Louis Joseph, Duke of Guise 1 child	17 March 1696 (aged 49)
Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans		13 October 1648, Daughter of Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans and Marguerite of Lorraine	Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy No Issue	14 January 1664

Name	Portrait	Birth and parents	Death	Marriages and issue/notes
Elisabeth of Lorraine		1574 Claude of Valois Charles III, Duke of Lorraine	1635	Married Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria; had no issue
Marie Elisabeth of Valois		October 27, 1572 Elisabeth of Austria Charles IX of France	April 9, 1578	Died young; no issue

See also

• Descendants of Louis XIV of France
• Descendants of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
• Descendants of Philip V of Spain
• Descendants of Charles III of Spain
• Descendants of Charles I of England