Joan of Valois

Who was Joan of Valois?

Joan of Valois was the twin sister of Victoria of Valois, the last child born to King Henry II of France and his wife, Catherine de' Medici.

Catherine's confinement for this birth came on 24 June 1556. Joan did not survive and lay dead in her mother's womb for several hours. Eventually, her arm had to be broken to extricate her. Her sister Victoria survived but died a month later.

Because the twins' birth nearly cost their mother her life, the king's physician advised the king that there should be no more children; therefore, the king stopped visiting his wife's bedroom and spent all his time with his longtime mistress, Diane de Poitiers.