iane de Poitiers as a Role Model For Today's Women

Despite the fact that Diane was the King's mistress for many years, she was actually a devout Catholic, and was even praised by the Pope for her stand against heretics. It was normal for kings to have mistresses in those days, and Henri and Diane were products of their culture. Adultry was not condoned in Henri's reign, as it had been with his father's. Diane was seen more as his "Lady".After Henri's death, Diane devoted herself to the work of the church and the plight of the poor. She repented for the sin of being the King's mistress and received the full pardon of the church.

Diane was the model wife and mother. Her husband was able to depend upon her for sound advice, and when he was ill, she nursed him lovingly. She sincerely loved him, despite the vast difference in their ages. She then took on the same role with Henri II, who was much younger than she. Historians credit Diane's wisdom for the success of Henri's reign. Diane made sure that her two daughters from her marriage received good educations and married into influencial families. She took an active role in their upbringing (uncommon for women of her class in those days), and remained close to them in their adult years.

Diane took great pride in her households. As the most wealthy woman in France, she owned several magnificent homes and chateaux. She commissioned great works of art to fill these homes, and oversaw the decoration and mangagement of all of them.

Diane was an entrepreneur. She ran wineries from her estates, and each made a profit.

Diane cared about those less fortunate than herself. She built hospitals, as well as homes for widows, the destitute, and unwed mothers. At her funeral, a hundred of the poor for surrounding villages carried candles and followed her coffin.

Diane took time for herself. In the days when a bath was a once-a-month luxury, she bathed daily in the river beside her chateaux. She also took great care in her clothing, only wearing silk. From the time her husband died, Diane wore black, but she combined it with white, and it became her trademark.