Lady Willpower - Jeanne D’albret

1528–72

Jeanne was so opposed to her first wedding, she literally had to be carried to the altar. She was twelve. The marriage was arranged by her parents for political reasons, and when the political winds changed a few years later, it was easily annulled. Eight years later, she was married again, this time to a dashing prince.

The only child of Henry d’Albret, king of Navarre, and Marguerite de Valois, Jeanne was a princess herself. Their kingdom was a small one, tucked between Spain and France, but it carried some clout. And Jeanne’s second husband, Antoine de Bourbon, was a member of the French royal family.

Europe was changing in the mid-1500s, as the Protestant Reformation challenged old loyalties. Calvinism had taken root in Geneva and was spreading into France. Slowly, Jeanne became a supporter of the French Protestants (Huguenots). In 1555, she wrote, “Reform seems . . . right and . . . necessary.” She publicly announced her conversion on Christmas Day in 1560.

Though her husband remained Catholic and the French royalty exerted strong pressure, Jeanne never recanted—even when her son was taken away from her. In fact, she became one of the most important Protestant leaders in France, making her little kingdom a haven for Calvinist ministers. While living in Paris, she openly held illegal Protestant services in her home. When civil war broke out, she became a dynamo on the Huguenot side, providing financial support, inspiration, and tactical advice. Her own failing health kept her from doing more. She died in 1572.

Her son later became King Henry IV of France and, while he vacillated between Protestant and Catholic allegiance, in 1598 he issued the Edict of Nantes, granting Huguenots most of the religious freedom his mother had fought for.

It’s difficult to find inspiration in historical conflicts pitting Christian against Christian, but Jeanne d’Albret seems to have put her faith ahead of political expediency. By the power of her will, she resisted rulers and armies in order to stay true to God’s calling.

What worldly powers do you need to stand up to? Sometimes willpower can be a polite name for stubbornness, but when it conforms to the sovereign will of God, it becomes courageous conviction.

Praise the LORD, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.

Psalm 31:21