Swear! (St-Germain-des-Près)

I'm always on the hunt for Queen Marguérite of France - born Marguérite de Provence - one of four sisters from medieval Provence who all become queens about whome I'm writing a musical.

There is lots about her husband everywhere. Louis IX was one of the most admired kings of France. He ruled from 1226-1270 - for 43 years.

Louis XIV wins with 72 years. He outlived his son AND grandson.

In Notre-Dame

But my Louis - Marguérite's Louis - went on to be named a saint. The only king who won that race.

That's Louis, in "royal "blue (ha!)

So indeed, there is a mural painting of Louis IX on a wall of the fascinating Eglise de St-Germain-des-Près.

Gemini was confused at first - thought this was Marguérite. Hope, the queen of Childebert - Ultragoth. Great name!

But there is nothing to commemorate the nightmare moment Marguérite had here.

More on that later.

From the nave, the oldest remaining part.

This église is considered the oldest church in Paris. Childebert, the son of Clovis, first king of France (he was actually a Frank, aka German, sort of) built an abbey here in 558. It was torched by the Normans, rebuilt a couple of times over the centuries. It received the earliest flying buttresses in Paris (12th century).

Very recent color - but love it anyway.

It was a huge complex - the bakery was on what is now Rue du Four - that was mostly destroyed during the French Revolution. The first kings were buried here - until they started to take up residence at the Basilique de Saint-Denis.

For me, I love the Fun Fact that the restoration that was done in the 13th was by the dude who built Ste-Chapelle for my Louis. Pierre de Montreuil.

But back to Marguérite. Life was tricky for her. Her husband adored her - but her mother-in-law Blanche de Castille was legendarily jealous of her. Blanche had been everything to Louis since he took the throne at age 12 - and she had done an amazing job, raising him and co-ruling the country.

But man. She excluded Marguérite as much as she could. She forbid them having sex during the day (it was a bit more delicately stated than that). And getting involved with affairs of state? No way! That was her turf.

Aside: some say Blanche would have been made a saint if it weren't for how atrocious a belle-mère she was.

Another aside: don't you just love the IRONY in the name "beautiful mother"? Confusingly, it also means step-mother. But it's not so ironice to the French perhaps - there is another word for the Evil Step Mother. "Marâtre." Phased out about 500 years ago.

Aliénor de Provence - queen of England

So - Marguérite's sister was married to the king of England. Which posed a bit of a conflict of interest when he - Henry III - basically went to war with France. Though her sister Aliénor come over to France for that - and gave birth here - Marguérite stayed well away.

See, she was already disliked and mistrusted because she was foreign. Yes, Provence was a different country and than France back then - which was basically only Paris, Reims and a bit further afield.

But after this war, Blanche was very concerned about Marguérite doing France damage. So she had the Archbishop of St-Germain-des-Prè call the young girl in and force her to swear on a bible, in front of other Men in Mitres, that she would never meddle in affairs of state.

Never. Ever.

Ok, it's a new altar - but the swearing would have happened here.

Well, Marguérite's mother and father were a team. Béatrice de Savoie, as a girl, went with her father to meetings with the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor. She knew politics. Trained her daughters in it.

So that "swear" must has stuck in her craw. What went through her head?

This scene, as I imagined in my musical Four Queens:

ARCHBISHOP (Troubadour)

The Archbishop of Paris summons Marguérite to the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Près -

TROUBADOUR

 - across from what is now Les Deux Magots, the famous café frequented by Picasso, Sartre –

SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

N’oubliez-pas Simone de Beauvoir.

TROUBADOUR

Jamais. The equal -

SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

- or better –

TROUBADOUR

of all of them. But I digress.

Before a large gathering of bishops, advisors –

BLANCHE

- and Blanche -

TROUBADOUR

- but not Louis, who is deathly ill – or he might have prevented all this. Or not.

(HE again becomes ARCHBISHOP, extends a Bible to Marguérite.)

ARCHBISHOP (Troubadour)

Do you swear on this Holy Bible that you have had no part in any political enterprise, and never will, under any circumstances?

TROUBADOUR

Is Marguérite guilty of intriguing? Does it matter?

ARCHBISHOP (Troubadour)

(to her) Swear.

MARGUÉRITE

(singing to herself) NEVER TO BE BY HIS SIDE

NEVER TO EARN HIS PRIDE

ALWAYS OUTSIDE, DOWN THE HALL.

ARCHBISHOP (Troubadour)

(to her) Swear.

MARGUÉRITE

(singing to herself) DO I HAVE A CHOICE?

BLANCHE WOULD REJOICE

WERE I TO SLIP AND FALL…

ARCHBISHOP (Troubadour)

(to her) Swear!

(SHE puts her hand on the Bible.)

MARGUÉRITE

Of course I swear! I swear.

(singing to herself) THIS IS OUT OF MY HANDS

IT IS NOT IN GOD’S PLANS

THAT IS ALL.

I could see her there. Trembling. Pausing. Swearing, at last. Even if it was only Louis who got the portrait on the wall.

Then the organ lit into a 12-minute voyage through horror film, metaphysical flight and baroque beauty.

I'd like to think, in her honor.

Last Fun Facts:

1) René Descartes is buried here. The statue nearby features graffiti dedicated to him

2) St Peter's right foot brings good luck. Hence the shiny - decades (centuries?) of rubbing.

3) I love who the square outside celebrates! She wanted to marry jazzer Miles Davis - not sure the church would have smiled on that union.