French nobility fashion 16th century. Renaissance costumes.

On the history of costumes. Eighty-eighth sheet. France. XVIth century. Münchener Bilderbogen No. 1083. Illustration by Karl Häberlin.

French nobility fashion in the XVI. century.

Top row left to right:

• Francis II. (1544–1560) was the eldest son of Henri II of France and his wife Catherine de’ Medici. Suffering from a weak constitution from childhood, he was considered to be of little intelligence and easily distracted. First husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.
• Elisabeth of Valois (1545–1568) in wedding dress, was the eldest daughter of Henri II of France of the House of Valois-Angoulême and his wife Catherine de’ Medici. In the course of her short life, Elisabeth of Valois transformed herself from a French princess into a Spanish queen whose political intelligence, mildness and beauty were praised throughout Europe. Elisabeth tried to fulfil her duties as Spanish queen perfectly. She died giving birth to a child.
• Francis II as Dauphin. When his father died on 10 July 1559, the only 15-year-old Francis took over the government of France.
• Antoine de Bourbon, roi de Navarre (1518–1562) father of Henri IV of France.
• Charles IX. in the king-ornat. Charles was the third son of Henri II of France of the House of Valois-Angoulême and his wife Catherine de’ Medici.
• Francis II

Bottom row left to right:

• Charles IX. of France (Charles Maximilien; 1550–1574). Charles was the third son of Henry II of France of the House of Valois-Angoulême and his wife Catherine de Medici. He succeeded his brother Francis II on the throne on 5 December 1560.
• Eleonora of Austria (1498–1558), wife of Charles IX. Eleanor of Castile (Spanish: Leonor de Austria) was Archduchess of Austria and Infanta of Spain from the House of Habsburg, by marriage first Queen of Portugal from 7 March 1519 to 13 December 1521, later Queen of France from 4 July 1530 to 31 March 1547.
• Henri II, called Henri d’Albret, King of Navarre. Married to Marguerite de Valois-Angoulême in 1527 who became known as Marguerite de Navarre, he was the brother-in-law of François I, the father of Jeanne d’Albret and the grandfather of Henri IV (Henri III of Navarre).
• Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Aumale (1526-1573) was the third son of Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Aumale, and Antoinette de Bourbon. From 1548 he was colonel général of the French cavalry.

Source: Münchener Bilderbogen 1848 bis 1898. On the history of costumes. Published by Braun & Schneider. Kgl. Court and University Printing Office of Dr. C. Wolf & Sohn in Munich.

Continuing