CLAUDE OF FRANCE

born Oct. 14, 1499, Romorantin, France died July 20, 1524, Blois French Claude De France queen consort of King Francis I of France (reigned 151547), the daughter of the French king Louis XII and Anne of Brittany. In 1504 Claude's mother, eager to keep Brittany out of French hands, caused the Treaty of Blois to be concluded, which assured the hand of Claude to Charles of Austria (the future emperor Charles V) and promised him Brittany, Burgundy, and the county of Blois. This unpopular treaty was broken, however, and Claude was instead betrothed (1506) to Francis of Angoulme (the future Francis I of France). On her mother's death in January 1514, she inherited Brittany and, four months later (May 18, 1514), married Francis; on his accession to the throne the following year, Brittany was definitively joined to the crown of France.