duchess de valentinois diane de poitiers

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Definition of duchess de valentinois diane de poitiers in English English dictionary

born Sept. 3, 1499 died April 22, 1566, Anet, France Mistress of King Henry II of France. Diane came to the French court as a lady-in-waiting, where Henry, 20 years her junior, fell violently in love with her. After the death of her husband, Diane became Henry's mistress from 1536. Throughout his reign (1547-59) she held court as queen of France in all but name, while the real queen, Catherine de Médicis, was forced to live in comparative obscurity. Beautiful and cultivated, Diane was a patron of poets and artists

Hyphenation

duch·ess de valentinois Di·ane de Poi·tiers