The Albrets

February 16, 1484, after long deliberations, the united Béarn States to the castle of Pau decided to get married Catherine queen of Navarre, sovereign lady of Béarn, countess of Bigorre and Foix with Jean of Albret heir of a powerful lineage. Their Henri sons him of Albret (1517-1555) was the grandfather of Henri IV and Catherine of Bourbon sister unique of this last. Catherine of Bourbon (1559-1604) is one of the big forgotten of history whereas she played a very important role, and can sustain the comparison with her grandmother Marguerite of Navarre and her Jeanne mother of Albret.

With regent's title, she governed her brother's States in the phase so difficult of years 1580 that drove it until the throne of France. Soon to Navarrenx when the league threatened, the most often to the castle of Pau where it knew to procure him financial resources, men and restocking. Convinced Calviniste, she came to get settled in Paris in the ancient palace of Catherine of Médicis but was forced by her brother to get married with a Catholic, one Manner of addition, the duke of Bar and finished her life in the very Catholic Lorraine as having served until the tip her brother's reason that used him like a pawn on the political scene of the time, to the point to make the castle of Pau stop the count of Soissons with that Catherine wished to get married.

Written by Pierre TUCOO-CHALA