Book Review: “The Great Regent: Louise of Savoy, 1476-1531” by Dorothy Moulton Mayer

The difficult thing about researching and writing about French history can sometimes be finding sources when you don’t read the language.  Completely by chance, I found this biography of Louise of Savoy in English and was thrilled.  This book was written in 1966 and published by Funk and Wagnalls.  The author herself has an interesting story.  

Dorothy Moulton Mayer was an accomplished English singer.  She married a German born philanthropist, Robert Mayer who was one of the founders of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  From the 1950’s on, Dorothy wrote several biographies including on Queen Marie Antoinette, painter Angelica Kaufman, violinist and composer Louis Spohr and this one on Louise of Savoy.  I really have to admire her determination in writing these biographies.

Louise of Savoy was the mother of King François I of France.  This in and of itself is not remarkable.  What is significant is the fact that François trusted and relied on his mother so much that she basically ruled France from the time he took the throne in 1515 until her death in 1531.  This served two purposes.  François could continue to pursue his passions and pleasures such as hunting, conquering Italy and women.  And secondly, Louise did an outstanding job when she was in charge of the government.

This can particularly be seen when François and his troops lost the Battle of Pavia in 1525 to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V during the Italian Wars.  François was taken prisoner and kept incarcerated in Spain until March of 1526.  Louise was completely in charge in France and worked diligently to release the King.  The Treaty of Madrid was brokered and François was released.  However, in return he had to give up his two sons as hostages to Charles.  Thereafter, Louise had to work even harder to get her grandsons released.  She brokered the Treaty of Cambrai in 1529 along with her sister-in-law, Margaret of Austria who was acting on behalf of her nephew Charles V.  This was called the Ladies Peace and Mayer gives a detailed description of the proceedings which is fascinating.

I really loved this book.  Mayer’s writing is fluid and comprehensive.  She gives lots of detail about the life of this remarkable lady including her upbringing under Anne de Beaujeu where she learned her craft and tidbits about her health.  Her descriptions of her accomplishments are fair and balanced.  Mayer talks about how historians have denigrated Louise’s actions and reputation.  Mayer gives her own interpretations.

The book has a comprehensive bibliography of primary sources and there are some outstanding photos of contemporary art depicting Louise.  And in the end there is a fascinating appendix.  Mayer sent Louise’s handwritten letter to the Emperor Charles V after her beloved son King François was taken prisoner to a handwriting expert.  She includes the expert’s interpretation of the writer’s personality.  I think you will find the essence of Louise’s character it what he has written.  Louise is a lady to admire and I highly recommend this book.