Anne de Laval, Viscountess of Thouars

Anne de Laval
Born(1505-09-23)23 September 1505
Vitré
Died1554 (aged 48–49)
Craon
Noble familyLaval
Spouse(s)François de la Trémoïlle
IssueLouis de La Trémoille, 1st Duke of Thouars
FatherGuy XVI de Laval
MotherCharlotte of Aragon

Anne de Laval (23 September 1505 – 1554), Princess of Taranto, was a French noblewoman and nominal pretender to the Kingdom of Naples. She was born at Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine, the daughter of Guy XVI de Laval, count of Laval, and of Charlotte of Aragon, Princess of Taranto.[1]

She was the only child of Charlotte to marry and leave heirs, thereby continuing the line of descent of Frederick of Naples. On 23 January 1521 she married François de la Trémoïlle, vicomte de Thouars.[1] The marriage not only brought the La Trémoïlles the countship of Laval and the Neapolitan claim in 1521, but also the rank of princes étrangers at the French court.[2] It is also said that she inherited the barony of Laz, as well, although Père Anselme's genealogy of her family makes no mention of it.[1] She died at Craon, aged 48 or 49.

Her eldest son, Louis III de La Trémoille, became the first duc de Thouars in 1599, while her second son, Georges, and third son, Claude, founded the cadet branches of the marquises de Royan and the ducs de Noirmoutier, respectively.[3]

  1. ^ a b c Villari 1911.
  2. ^ Spanheim, Ézéchiel (1973). Emile Bourgeois (ed.). Relation de la Cour de France. le Temps retrouvé (in French). Paris: Mercure de France. pp. 121, 344–345.
  3. ^ Père Anselme (1967) [1728]. "Des Pairs de France - Thouars: Généalogie de la Maison de La Tremoille". Histoire Genealogique et Chronologique de la Maison Royale de France, des Pairs, Grands Officiers de la Couronne (in French). Paris: Compagnie des Libraires. pp. 169, 174, 176.