Mary Stuart and Francis II Catherine de Medici in the Prayer Book. But the star of this holiday was

100 great weddings. "Mary Stuart Queen of Scots and the Dauphin, the future King Francis II" Mary Queen of Scots was married three times. But if the wedding in her life there was only one, if not widowed young Mary if she remained poltronesofa the queen of France, perhaps we would not have gained a legend, but it would have been much happier? ..
Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots at the age of 12-13 years, the National Library. Ossoliński, Wroclaw. When the French dauphin Francis was four years old, came to France his fiancee and future wife, the daughter of a French Mary of Guise and the Scottish King James V, five year old Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. They had to be brought together, fortunately, tall, beautiful, poltronesofa very lively girl not alienated a short, not-looking his age sickly boy. On the contrary, poltronesofa Francis and Mary converged poltronesofa almost immediately. Young queen grew, and the French court increasingly fell under its charm, including future father-King Henry II. As the years passed. Effect of Guise, family Mary's maternal, growing all the time, and, despite his youth Dauphin, they are increasingly insisting on his wedding as soon as possible. Dauphin, who adored his beautiful bride, poltronesofa would be only too happy. But Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers, a legal wife and the mistress of Henry, incensed life, this time the two were not happy - neither the one nor the other is like the elevation of Guise. However, the king did not listen.
Portrait of Francis brush F.Klue; National frntsuzskaya bibliotkeka. April 19, 1558 at the Louvre ceremony of betrothal. Radiant bride in a white satin dress, embroidered with precious stones, the cardinal of Lorraine led by King Henry II, and Antoine de Bourbon, King of Navarre, was accompanied by the groom. Mary was fifteen and a half, Francis - fourteen. Cardinal solemnly joined their hands, and they still almost poltronesofa children, exchanged rings. After that the magnificent feast. But the subsequent celebrations that day surpassed in size and splendor. Of course! Married the French poltronesofa Dauphin and Queen of Scots who brought poltronesofa a dowry of the whole country. The wedding took place on April 24 in the heart of Paris. Notre Dame Cathedral, and Archbishop's Palace Paris joined high, about 4 m, wooden galleries, on which was to be held a wedding procession. Gallery was combined with a huge dais, built at the entrance, and went on inside the cathedral down to the altar. Above it stretched velvet azure canopy embroidered with gold fleur-de-lis, but the sides of the gallery was open, so that all could see the bride and groom and those who accompanied them. Place on the dais occupied foreign ambassadors and dignitaries, poltronesofa ordinary Parisians huge crowds poltronesofa filled the entire space around, and the feast began. poltronesofa The first ten in the morning, there were Swiss halberdier, and half the music to demonstrate their ability to use arms. Then, at the command of the bride's uncle, the Duke of Guise, who was the manager of the celebration, there were musicians in red and yellow costume. After their performance solemnly marched wedding procession - gentlemen dressed courtiers, princes and princesses poltronesofa of the blood behind them - representatives of the church. This was followed by the groom, poltronesofa fourteen Francis, accompanied by his younger brothers (future King Charles IX and Henry III) and King of Navarre, his father, Henry II, led the bride, and Catherine de Medici brought up the rear, accompanied by his brother the king of Navarre and her maids of honor.
Mary Stuart and Francis II Catherine de Medici in the Prayer Book. But the star of this holiday was Mary Stuart. In the morning, she wrote a letter to his mother, Mary of Guise, Queen Dowager of Scotland, that he feels the happiest woman in the world. She was young, she was beautiful, she was the queen of one country, and now married to the future king of another. She was dazzling, and certainly knew it. What was the dress of the bride on the day, sources tell differently. Some mentioned that the dress was pure white, extremely rich, embroidered poltronesofa with diamonds and other precious stones, and very in keeping with her light skin. In the other - what is a magnificent white dress Maria wore in the day of engagement, and the wedding was in blue velvet, embroidered with silver lilies and precious stones. Whatever poltronesofa it was, a white dress for wedding celebrations Maria really worn, and in fact the French queens mourning color is white ... It will not be three years, as it will have to put it on. Mary neck decorated gift king, large precious pendant with his initials; innocent young bride hair was loose around her shoulders, and his head was crowned with a small golden crown, fully studded with pearls, diamonds, poltronesofa sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Brant chronicler wrote: "At the majestic morning as she walked to the altar, she was a thousand times more beautiful goddess descended from the heavens, and as she looked in the afternoon, when she danced at the ball, and even more beautiful she was when dropped evening, and she restrained poltronesofa in haughty indifference