Joan of Valois (1556)
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| Joan of Valois | |
|---|---|
| House | House of Valois |
| Father | Henry II of France |
| Mother | Catherine de' Medici |
| Born | 24 June 1556 |
| Died | 24 June 1556 (aged 0) |
Joan of Valois was, together with her twin sister Victoria of Valois, the last children born to King Henry II of France and his wife, Catherine de' Medici.
Catherine's confinement for this birth came on 24 June 1556. Joan did not survive and lay dead in her mother's womb for several hours. Eventually, her arm had to be broken to extricate her. Her sister Victoria survived but died a month later.
Because the twins' birth nearly cost their mother her life, the king's physician advised the king that there should be no more children; therefore, the king stopped visiting his wife's bedroom and spent all his time with his longtime mistress, Diane de Poitiers.