Catherine Marguerite de Bretagne

Catherine, Duchesse de Bretagne (Catherine Marguerite de Bretagne; 19th January 1638 - present) was the sovereign of the Duché de Bretagne and the wife of the late Louis, Dauphin de France. As such, she was the mother of Élisabeth II, Impératrice de France et des Romaines. Following the death of her father, François IV de Bretagne, in 1653, Catherine was the Duchesse-Souveraine de Bretagne. Upon the ascension of her daughter, Élisabeth II, she was granted the honourific style of Impératrice-Mère.

From a young age, it was known that Catherine would be the heiress to her father's realm, as her mother conceived all female children. She was groomed and educated to be the proper sovereign, and was beloved by the Breton people. By the time of her ascension in 1653, Bretagne was extremely close to its looming neighbour, France, and had adopted some of the French culture. While she promoted the Breton identity, Catherine did make an effort to slowly ease her subjects into a French lifestyle. She was a staple at the French court and was an authoritative yet matronly presence.

In 1653, shortly after her ascension, Catherine was married to Louis, Dauphin de France and heir of the famed Philippe XI. The marriage was one of love, to an extent, but there was a very formal manner to the way the Dauphin and his wife interacted (even in privacy). In 1687, the Dauphin suddenly died and left his and Catherine's daughter, Élisabeth, as the heiress to the realm. She eventually succeeded her grandfather and was proclaimed Impératrice de France et des Romaines in 1693.

Birth and Adolescence
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Education
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Inheritance
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Engagement
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Handover and Marriage
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Dauphine de France
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Death of the Duc d'Anjou
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Courtly Endeavours
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Death of the Dauphin
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State Affairs of Bretagne
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Death of Philippe XI
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Ascension and Coronation of Élisabeth II
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Court Engagements
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Issue
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Personality
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Appearance
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Titles & Styles
19th January 1638 - 5th February 1653 Sa Grâce Sérénissime, Demoiselle Catherine de Bretagne

5th February 1653 - present Sa Grâce Sérénissime, Duchesse-Souveraine de Bretagne
 * 7th April 1653 - 15th August 1683 Son Altesse Impériale, Madame la Dauphine de France et Madame la Princesse-Impériale des Romains
 * 15th August 1683 - 12th January 1693 Son Altesse Impériale, Madame la Dauphine-Douairière de France et Duchesse Douairière d'Aquitaine
 * 12th January 1693 - present Sa Majesté, Impératrice-Mère de France et des Romaines

Honours

 * Grande Maîtresse de l'Ordre de l'Hermine