King of Navarre consort of Henry II Queen Marguerite

Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549), also known as Marguerite of Angoulême, was a French princess, Duchess of Alençon and Berry, and the elder sister of King Francis I. After the death of her first husband, Charles IV, Duke of Alençon, she married Henry II of Navarre in 1527 and became queen consort.

A major literary and intellectual figure of the French Renaissance, Marguerite wrote poetry, plays, religious works, and prose. Her best-known work, The Heptaméron, presents a group of travelers telling stories while reflecting on love, morality, faith, and human behavior.

Marguerite also supported writers, scholars, and religious reformers, offering protection to people whose ideas challenged established institutions. Her court became an important center of Renaissance culture, and her influence continued through her daughter Jeanne d’Albret, mother of King Henry IV of France.