| Diane de Poitiers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Biographical Information | |
| In History: | Diane de Poitiers |
| Title: | Mistress to the King of France |
| Height: | 5'11 |
| Gender: | Female
|
| Nationality: | French 
|
| Status: | Deceased |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic Pagan (Formerly) |
| Originally From: | Saint-Vallier, Drôme, France |
| Affiliations: | Kingdom of France |
| Relationship Information | |
| Children: | Sebastian (Son) |
| Family: | Isobel Derant † (Niece) Jonathan Derant † (Brother) |
| Interests: | King Henry † |
| Character Information | |
| First Appearance: | Pilot |
| Last Appearance: | Banished |
| Portrayed By: | Anna Walton |
| GALLERY | |
- "Take care, my brave son, or you will bleed for a girl who will never be yours."
- —Diane to Sebastian
Diane de Poitiers was the French mistress of the late King Henry of France and had been such for the past 20 years. They had a son together named Sebastian, who was always the king's favorite. After his death, Queen Catherine banished her from court forever. However, she returned once more to settle her scores.
Personality[]
Diane de Poitiers has the ability to be a sweet kind woman and mother. However, Diane seems be ruthless when it comes on managing her son like Queen Catherine.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Diane de Poitiers and a younger Prince Henry met and became intimate before his arranged marriage to Catherine de' Medici. Not long after Henry's wedding did Diane became his mistress.
Less than 10 years later, Diane gave birth to the King's first child, a son she named Sebastian, much to Catherine's dismay. However, it was not long before his wife, Catherine, gave birth to their first male heir, followed by a daughter the next year.
Two years later, Henry's father died, and he became the new King of France, making Prince Francis the new Dauphin of France. Years later, Catherine and Henry had two more sons. However, despite that, Diane and Henry still grew closer. She and Henry would occasionally drift apart, but eventually, they result in getting back together.
Season 1[]
Pilot That night at Princess Elizabeth and King Philip's wedding, Diane realizes that Henry may begin to stray again, as he intently watches Kenna, one of Mary's Ladies-in-Waiting, dancing in the middle of the ballroom. The next day, Diane overhears her son's conversation with Mary. She detects a hint of flirtation in his voice and shoots him a sharp glance, which he notices and immediately goes back to being formal with Mary. When Mary leaves, Diane approaches her son and warns him not to get involved with the Scottish Queen as she is betrothed to his half-brother, the future King of France.
Snakes in the Garden - (Mentioned) Both Greer and King Henry mention that Diane is away in Paris at her country house for a couple weeks, respectively. Hearts and Minds - (Mentioned) Weeks later, Diane returns to court. She steps out of her carriage and is soon followed by Henry. She makes sure to cast a look at Kenna, so that Kenna knew that Diane knew about her affair with the king.  A couple days later, Diane was talking with her son, Sebastian and tried to caution him against liking someone who is betrothed to the Future King of France. She tries to remind him that, when Henry dies, they will only be allowed at court if they stay in Francis' good favour. Weeks later, Diane inside her chambers talking with her son, Sebastian. She wanted to know why he did not go with his father that morning. He informs her that he didn't want to, and the subject of the Scottish Queen is brought up once again. She again cautions her son.   Mother, you can't! The next morning after the raid on the castle, Sebastian demands to know why he was treated so well while he was held in captivity by the Italians. He eventually comes to the conclusion his mother had something to do with it. She admits she had been writing to Count Vincent who had been camped out in the woods for weeks. This upses Bash deeply as he loves his older brother and didn't want to see him dead. She then lets him in on her secret that she is trying to get him legitimized, and used the case of Princess Elizabeth as an example of a bastard child being declared legitimate, saying that many Kings in Europe were doing the same.   Let me help you! Another week goes by and Diane and Sebastian are talking outside the thrown room. A member from The Vatican Church arrived with news. Bash asks his mother if this is about her trying to legitimize him and she tells him she would already know if it was. Bash still does not want the Crown but Diane reminds him if he does, then he will get wed Mary Later Diane tells her son he will not be legitimized. She apologizes to him and says it was wrong of her to dangle Mary in front of him like that.   I won't help you! Diane and King Henry are making love in his chamber. Once they finish, Henry leaves to fetch her dessert. Catherine takes advantage of Diane's absence and enters his chamber. Catherine tells her that she will expose her for trying to have Bash legitimized if she does not immediately leave French Court. However, before she goes, she asks her to poison Kenna for her. When Catherine leaves, Diane throws the vile against the wall. Not wanting to be found out by the King, Diane makes her escape. She begs Sebastian to come with her, but he declines. She promise's him she will make Henry understand as she always does. But she needs time for her plans to work. Bash promises to follow that night.
King Henry told Mary Stuart that she would lay claim to England once the English Queen, Mary I was dead. The Vatican support Mary Stuart's claim to the English throne. However, Mary Stuart would only agree if Sebastian was named King Henry's heir. Mary and Sebastian's ascent to the throne would not be official until The Pope agreed. King Henry decided to go to Rome himself, to ensure the marriage of future King and Queen of France, Scotland and England. Unfortunitly, Queen Catherine would never agree to an annulment, thus her exicution was schedualed, and Henry was preparing to mary Diane de Poitiers. When King Henry dies, Bash would become Wing. If Bash is survived by King Henry and Queen Catherine's children, the line of succession will revert back to King Henry's sons by Catherine.
Bash tells Mary that his mother and himself both used to practice certain Pagan traditions.
Queen Catherine outed Diane for practicing Pagan rituals to King Henry and was going to use that leverage against him so he could not legitimize their son, Sebastian.
Queen Catherine confronts Mary, reminding her that she warned her of the unrest that would result from changing the line of succession. Once the Vatican legitimizes Bash, Henry will take off her head, and her other son boys will be orphans. Mary reminds her,t ey have a father. Catherine asks how much attention does she think they'll get from him as he cavorts with his new bride Diane? As for Bash, as soon as he takes power, he will face unrelenting pressure to do away with them, Mary promises to never let that happen.
Queen Catherine convinced King Henry to give her Château de Chenonceau, the summer home Henry previously gave to Diane in exchange for Catherine's help.
Henry told Catherine that he was sick of being used by her, Diane and Mary.
On Henry's death bed, he pleads with Catherine to befriend Diane. |
Season 2[]
After leaving court almost a year ago, Diane returned at the request of her son Sebastian. His brother Francis, and had given him more lands and the title. He wished to bestow some of this land on his mother, who wasn't doing as well since his father had passed. Diane was not at all pleased with her son's marriage to Kenna, for she had been her competition in the past for Henry's affection. Diane made sure to interrupt her son when he was with Kenna in their chambers. She made sure Kenna knew she wasn't going to be Duchess, instead a Baron’s wife. Later she ran into Queen Catherine in the hallway, and they of course, exchanged some snide remarks to each other. She asked if she liked to new daughter-in-law, and Diane reminded her that her own daughter, liked her more. She then left to go talk with Princess Claude and Sebastian to prove her point. A few days later, Diane was confronted by her son Sebastian. He had found out that it had been her who had murdered the twin baby princesses years ago. She had done it out of spite, because she was angry at King Henry for sleeping with Catherine, and thus producing the two children. So she had opened the windows in their room, knowing they would die from the cold. This infuriated Sebastian, he couldn't believe she would murder to babies to get revenge on his father. Sebastian could no longer stand to look at his mother, and rescinded his offer and told her to go back to Paris. He didn't want to see her dead for her crimes, but he couldn't look at her anymore. Desperate for her son's forgiveness, and angry at her own actions, Diane made sure to throw Kenna out in the cold with her. She told her son, that Kenna had tried to stop his legitimization, by telling Queen Catherine a year ago. Her son was now angry at both women in his life, and abruptly left her room, and reminded her never to come back. Hours later while packing to go, Diane was struck in the back of the head. She turned around to see Catherine standing above. She had discovered what she had done to her children 9 years ago. She'd put all the pieces together, and was sure when she found out Sebastian was sending his mother away. Diane even admitted it and took one more jab at Catherine. Catherine herself was so infuriated with Diane, she got down on the ground beside her and choked her with her own necklace. Diane tried to tell her she did it for Henry, and Catherine laughed because her husband had done it for himself too. She didn't stop choking Diane until she stopped moving. She died at the hands of Catherine.
Diane de Poitiers is pressumed to have returned to Paris.
Princess Claude says her mother is mad because Diane had recently visited unaware she was the one who killed her twin sisters. She asked Bash if she is back in Paris. Bash says he believes she has returned there. |
Season 3[]
Safe Passage - (Mentioned)
Sebastian finds out that Catherine murdered his mother and had her body thrown into the sea, after which he nearly chokes Catherine to death in a fit of rage.
Season 4[]
Leaps of Faith - (Mentioned)
King Henry and Diane de Poitiers' very famous and public relationship is brought up.
Love & Death - (Mentioned)
Queen Catherine compares the situation with Leith Bayard and Claude and Luc to her three way-marriage with King Henry and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers.
Notes and Trivia[]
- Although Diane only appeared in four episodes, the character's presence was a big part of Season One.
- She hated Lady Kenna.
- Henry and Diane had sexual relations while Kenna was together with Henry. [1][2]
- Catherine convinced Henry to give her Château de Chenonceau from Diane in exchange for her help. [3]
In History[]
- In 1557, Diane de Poitiers would have actually been 58 years old. [4]
- Diane de Poitiers and King Henry II knew each other before the latter married Catherine de' Medici. They'd began their relationship when Henry was 16.
- Diane de Poitiers had two daughters, but neither were fathered by King Henry II.
- Catherine de' Medici and Diane were cousins.
- Diane encouraged Henry to share Catherine's bed more often to produce children.
- Diane stayed with Catherine when she was sick with Scarlett Fever and nursed her back to health.
- Catherine does take Château de Chenonceau from Diane, but not until after King Henry's death in 1559. [3]
- Her daughter, Louise de Brézé. married Claude de Guise, who was Mary, Queen of Scots' uncle and they had 11 children.
Appearances[]
| Season One | ||||||||||
| Pilot | Snakes in the Garden | Kissed | Hearts and Minds | A Chill in the Air | Chosen | Left Behind | Fated | For King and Country | Sacrifice | Inquisition |
| Royal Blood | Consummation | Dirty Laundry | The Darkness | Monsters | Liege Lord | No Exit | Toy Soldiers | Higher Ground | Long Live the King | Slaughter of Innocence |
| Season Two | ||||||||||
| The Plague | Drawn and Quartered | Coronation | The Lamb and the Slaughter | Blood for Blood | Three Queens | The Prince of the Blood | Terror of the Faithful | Acts of War | Mercy | Getaway |
| Banished | Sins of the Past | The End of Mourning | Forbidden | Tasting Revenge | Tempting Fate | Reversal of Fortune | Abandoned | Fugitive | The Siege | Burn |
Related Pages[]
Pages related to Diane de Poitiers are the following:
• Diane de Poitiers
• Diane and Henry • Diane and Sebastian • Diane and Catherine
• House of Poitiers • Pagan • Catherine's Kill Count
• Anna Walton