Francoise of Montelimar, Princess of Arendaal

Francoise of Montelimar ("Francoise the Elegant") (1744 - 1820) was the wife of Prince Trigve of Arendaal and mother of King Karl V "the Great" of Arendaal, one of the leaders of the 1790-1800 "Revolution of Light", which saw Arendaal become established as a constitutional monarchy, a parlimentary democracy with limited suffrage and an officially secular state.

Francoise was a Princess Consort of Arendaal and the Grand Duchess Consort of Norse Burgundy, as well as a Princess of Montelimar by birth.

Princess Francoise shared her husband's taste for scholarly pursuits- Her salon in Emyn Arnen was frequented by philosophers, scientists, artists, poets, scholars, academics and writers of the highest calibre.

She was also a determined advocate for women's rights, a defender of the idea of the equality of the sexes — arging that since women, like men, had the capability of intellectual accomplishment and should be able to achieve total economic independence.

Francoise believed that with quality education, women's accomplishments were on par with those of men's. She believed women could succeed in life if two basic conditions were afforded to them: a high standard of education, and secondly, parents who raised their daughters to "reverence themselves", as she put it.

Her landmark essays on the subject influenced later femnist thinkers and the immediate content of the Declaration on the Rights of All Citizens and Peoples adopted by the government of her son,Karl V, in 1800.

Francoise also developed a wide variety of artistic interests. She produced delicate engravings by using a diamond on glass. She became expert in sculpture, wax modelling, and the carving of ivory and wood. She also painted, and a number of her portraits can be seen at the Hermitage Museum.

Family, Marriage and Children
Princess Francoise of Montelimar married Trigve, Prince of Arendaal in 1760. Their children included:
 * Karl V of Arendaal (1769 - 1839) - who succeeded his uncle Hathor III

Siblings

 * Francis III of Montelimar - brother

Other Royal Relations

 * Louis VIII of Montelimar - nephew
 * Julienne of Cambria, Queen of Arendaal - daughter-in-law
 * Beatrix I of Arendaal - mother-in-law
 * Thomas of Franken, Prince Consort of Arendaal - father-in-law
 * Edvard IV of Arendaal - brother-in-law (husband's brother)
 * Hathor III of Arendaal - brother-in-law (husband's brother)
 * Evelina of Arendaal, Empress of the Talemantine Empire - sister-in-law (husband's sister). Consort to Stefano Emanuelle IV of the Talemantine Empire
 * Adelaide of Arendaal, Queen of Anglyn - sister-in-law (husband's sister). Consort to Alfred IV of Anglyn
 * Evelynn of Anglyn, Queen of Arendaal - husband's brother's wife (Edvard IV's first wife)
 * Victoria of Breotonia, Queen of Arendaal - husband's brother's wife (Edvard IV's second wife)
 * Elisabeth of Lorraine, Queen of Arendaal - husband's brother's wife (Hathor III's wife)
 * Helene I of Arendaal - husband's niece
 * Rurik, Prince of Arendaal - husband's nephew
 * Clemence of Lorraine, Princess of Arendaal - Rurik's wife
 * Pieter II of Arendaal - grandson
 * Alexandra of Arendaal, Queen of Montelimar - granddaughter. Consort of King Henri X of Montelimar
 * Klarissa of Arendaal, Marquise d'Hennessy - granddaughter. Consort of Marquis Jas Lyon Moët-Hennessy
 * Anastasia of Arendaal, Czarina of Gorno-Altai - granddaughter. Consort of Czar Edvard II of Gorno-Altai
 * Juliette of Arendaal, Queen of Cambria - granddaughter. Consort of Morgan II of Cambria

Ancestors
's ancestors in four generations: