ANNE OF BRITTANY (1477–I514), duchess of Brittany and queen consort of France, daughter of Francis II., duke of Brittany, and Marguerite de Foix. She was scarcely 12 years old when she succeeded her father as duchess, Sept. 9 1488. Charles VIII. aimed at establishing his authority over her; Alain d'Albret wished to marry her; Jean de Rohan claimed the duchy; and her guardian, the marshal de Rieux, was soon in open revolt against his sovereign. In 1489 the French Army invaded Brittany.
In order to protect her independence, Anne concluded an alli ance with Maximilian of Austria, who married her by proxy (Dec. 1490). But Maximilian was immersed in Austrian affairs and could not defend his bride, and in 1491 the young duchess was besieged at Rennes, and compelled to treat with Charles VIII. The terms of peace included the rupture of her marriage with Maxi milian, and marriage with Charles. The two sovereigns made a reciprocal arrangement as to their rights and pretensions to the crown of Brittany, but in the event of Charles predeceasing her, Anne undertook to marry the heir to the throne. Nevertheless, in 1492, after the conspiracy of Jean de Rohan, who had endeavoured to hand over the duchy to the king of England, Charles VIII. confirmed the privileges of Brittany, and in partic ular guaranteed to the Bretons the right of paying only those taxes to which the Assembly of Estates consented.
After the death of Charles VIII. in 1498, without issue, Anne ruled in Brittany, and in Jan. 1499 she married Louis XII., who had just repudiated Joan of France. The marriage contract was ostensibly directed in favour of the independence of Brittany, for it declared that Brittany should revert to the second son or to the eldest daughter of the two sovereigns, and, failing issue, to the natural heirs of the duchess. Until her death Anne occupied her self personally with the administration of the duchy. In 1504 she made an agreement for the marriage of her daughter, Claude of France, to Charles of Austria (the future Emperor Charles V.). But this unpopular agreement was broken and the queen had to consent to the betrothal of Claude to Francis of Angouleme, who in 1515 became king of France as Francis I. Thus the way was prepared for the definitive reunion of Brittany and France.
See A. de la Borderie, Choix de documents inedits sur le regne de la duchesse Anne en Bretagne (Rennes, 1866 and 19o2)—extracts from the Memoires de la Societe Archeologique du department d'Ille-et Vilaine, vol. iv. and vi. (1866 and 1868) ; P. A. N. B. Daru, Histoire de Bretagne 0816); Leroux de Lincy, Vie de la reine Anne de Bretagne (186o--61); A. Dupuy, Histoire de La Reunion de la Bretagne d la France (188o) ; A. de la Borderie, La Bretagne aux derniers siecles du moyen age (1893) , and La Bretagne aux temps modernes (1894).
(H. S.)