After the death of her husband the Dowager Duchess was exiled by her son, Alfonso, to Montargis,[105] and there she was visited by the Cardinal—who, in spite of her heretical leanings, had never ceased to be on good terms with her. According to Brantôme she here provided shelter and food for 300 Huguenots who had been despoiled of their goods; and she even went so far as to remonstrate with her son-in-law, François de Guise, for his cruel treatment of the Prince de Condé; saying that “whoever had advised the King to take this course of action had done a great wrong.” Notwithstanding her Calvinistic views she was always reckoned by the Royal Family as a true Daughter of France and was held in high honour by them. Her portraits, like those of her sister Queen Claude, are extremely rare.
Plate LIX.
MADAME DE VENDÔME D’ALENÇON. JEANNE BOUCAULT.
Photo. Giraudon.
Jean Clouet.
Musée Condé.