The Great Breton Bride Robbery

or

Why it is important to consummate your proxy marriage as soon as possible

Sometime in the 19^th century, Emperor Maximilian I came to be known as 'The Last Knight'. Whether or not that's an accurate nickname is another subject, but he was a knight, and as such, did his share of rescuing damsels in distress, with varying degrees of success. 

Emperor Maximilian I by Burgkmair
(1508)

Here I relate one of his less successful rescue attempts.

The province of Brittany (Bretagne) is now part of France, but it used to be an independent duchy. Anne of Brittany (born 1477) became duchess upon the death of her father.

Anne of Brittany by Bourdichon
(detail)

The first thing she needed to do was find a husband, preferably one who was not allied with France, so that Brittany could remain independent. He also needed to be powerful enough to keep France at bay, since they were very interested in absorbing the wealthy little duchy into their territory.

Anne approached Maximilian, in a kind of 15^th century speed dating. He fit both of the criteria, and had been a widower since the death of his first wife, Mary of Burgundy, in 1482. He agreed, and they were married by proxy in Rennes on December 19, 1490, with Wolfgang von Polheim, a longtime noble servant of the house of Habsburg standing in for Maximilian.

Why wasn't Maximilian present at his own wedding, you ask? Because he was busy fighting off the Hungarians back home in Austria, and had a lot on his mind. It was also sort of a habit with him: Maximilian was married three times, all three by proxy.

King Charles VIII of France was not amused by this development.

Charles VIII of France
Artist unknown

First of all, the fact that Anne had married without his consent was a treaty violation. The fact that she had married Maximilian meant that France was now hemmed in by Habsburg territories and/or allies.

So, he pounced. He sent troops to Brittany, and placed Anne under house arrest. She found herself in an impossible position; Charles would give her safe conduct to leave Brittany to join her husband in Austria, but that would essentially mean surrendering her land to France.

Anne begged Maximilian for help, but in typical Max fashion, he was too wrapped up in his own affairs (and too strapped for cash) to fight a war on two fronts, so he sent neither money nor troops to aid his wife.

Charles pounced again. He wrote to Rome for papal dispensation to have the marriage by proxy dissolved, due to non-consummation, and married Anne himself. They say he dragged her off to bed as soon as the ceremony was completed.

Charles wasn't done twisting the knife. While he was at it, he also obtained dispensation to dissolve his existing betrothal.

He had been betrothed to Maximilian's daughter, Margaret of Austria since 1483.

Margaret of Austria
c. 1500
attr. to Pieter van Coninxloo

Maximilian wasn't the type to forgive and forget. Years later he was heard to complain that no one had ever double-crossed him like Charles VIII.

He wouldn't let Charles forget it either. Years later, during some negotiations with France, the French emissary asked Maximilian if he had any special messages for the King. Max sneered, “Give the queen my regards!”

Anne and Maximilian were eventually connected in a unique way: they shared a funeral motet. When Anne died in 1514, Costanzo Festa composed this motet for her: Costanzo Festa – Quis dabit oculis.

No original funeral motet for Maximilian has survived. What has been transmitted is a reworking of Festa's motet, which is sometimes attributed to Ludwig Senfl. Manfred Cordes: Weser-Renaissance Bremen – Quis dabit oculis

History will have her little jokes.