Nicolette of Lorraine

Nicole de Lorraine (October 3 1608, – 2 February 1657) was Duchess of Lorraine and Bar from 1 August 1624 to 21 November 1625. She was born in Nancy, the daughter of Henry II, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Margerita Gonzaga.

Her father had no son and wanted to leave the Duchy of Lorraine to Nicolette, but a supposed testament by Rene II of Lorraine specified that the duchy could not bypass the male lineage. After negotiations with the male heirs, she married Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, the eldest son of Francis, Earl of Vaudémont on May 23 1621. They had no children.

His situation was complicated by the death of Henri II, 31 July 1624. In November 1625, Francis de Vaudémont, based on the "testament" of Rene II, claimed the duchy. The States-General of Lorraine felt it a legitimate request and François Vaudémont became Duke on November 21 1625. Five days later, he abdicated in favor of his son, who became Duke Charles IV. The latter had managed to remove his wife's power and become Duke in his own right.

Married by dynastic interest, the gap between Nicolette and her husband grew with the events of 1625. Wishing to leave his wife, Charles tried in 1631 to have his marriage annulled by passing the death penalty - without proof - for witchcraft on Melchior of the Valley, the priest who had married Nicolette. But that injustice was not corroborated by The Church and Charles IV remained officially married to Nicolette.

In 1635, Charles took the opportunity to get rid of his wife's authority, the false pretext that he had not been free to choose at the time of his marriage but did not persuade the papacy to annul the marriage. Nicolette spent the last years of her life in Paris, where she died.