Early life Louise was born in
Nomeny in the
Duchy of Bar, she was the third daughter and youngest child born to
Nicholas of Lorraine, Duke of Mercœur, and his first wife, Countess Margaret of
Egmont (1517–1554). Louise was the only surviving child of her parents; her older siblings, two sisters and one brother, having died in infancy. became one of Louise´s
companions. Later an additional governess Mlle de Montvert joined Louise´s household. In 1568, at the age of 15 years, Louise was chosen to accompany her cousin
Renata of Lorraine to
Munich, where Renata was to marry
William V, Duke of Bavaria. The same year, Louise step-mother, Joanna of Savoy-Nemours died and Louise's father contracted his third and last marriage in 1569 with Princess Catherine of
Lorraine-Aumale (1550–1606). Like her predecessor Joanna, Catherine was a close relative of the French royal family. Furthermore, Catherine was only three years older than her step-daughter and contrary to her predecessor seems to have treated Louise and her siblings with coldness and indifference; due to her unhappiness at both her marriage and having had to leave the French court. At the age of 20, Louise was described as a "remarkably beautiful", and as a delicate tall, blonde girl with a white complexion, light brown eyes (veiled by a slight myopia), with a slender and refined silhouette. Her upbringing reportedly resulted in her personality being quiet, dutiful and pious.
Marriage plans Louise was the subject of several marriage schemes which all failed, such as with the son of her godmother, Paul, count of Salm with whom she is said to have held an affection for, but he was seen as unsuitable because his rank was inferior to that of Louise. Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, who is said to have declined, due to his uncle
Guillaume de Montmorency-Thoré showing interest in marrying her but also because he saw it as political ploy to persuade him to ally with the Lorraines and alienate his Montmorency relatives.
François, Duke of Piney, a wealthy neighbour to the Lorraine ducal family expressed an interest in marrying Louise in 1574, but lost out to Henry. In 1559 Louise´s cousin,
Charles III, Duke of Lorraine had married
Claude of Valois, sister of Henry III,which opened up for new marital prospects for the young Louise. Henry wrote a letter to François to explain that, as he had taken the duke's mistress, in return Henry offered his own mistress
Renée de Rieux; an offer which François declined. François would later marry Louise´s step-aunt (sister of her stepmother Catherine), Diane and after her death, he married Louise´s half-sister, Marguerite of Lorraine.
The marriage proposal of Henry III Despite her cousins marriage to Henry's sister; Louise would first meet Henry in the autumn of 1573, when
Henry, Duke of Anjou, was on his way to
Kraków, the capital of his new kingdom, Poland-Lithuania. She attracted Henry's interest during a celebration in honor of Henry's election as King of Poland-Lithuania. Henry was at this time enamored
Marie of Cleves, who was known for her beauty, Marie had caught the eye of the young Henry, then Duke of Anjou, sometime before 1574. Upon ascending the throne later that year, Henry intended to procure Marie a divorce from her husband and marry her himself; however, Marie died from pneumonia in October 1574 before he could do so. Henry went into mourning. Henry's reason for marrying Louise, who was from a noble but somewhat politically insignificant family has been ascribed to the fact that Louise was said to greatly resemble Marie in appearance. In November of the same year
Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, a diplomat in the employ of the
Holy Roman Empire was reporting that ; ''Some think that he [Henry] has set his heart on Monsieur de Vaudemont's daughter, who is a very handsome girl. Besides, the King is devoted to the House and party of Lorraine. and most anxious for its advancement. However, if he marries her he will cause tongues to wag, and give offence to those who from interest or jealousy are opposed to the party of Lorraine. Amongst these must be numbered Vendôme, Condé, and possibly Alençon himself, who will suspect-not without reason perhaps-that this marriage is only the thin end of the wedge.'' Henry's mother Catherine is said to have dismayed at the news, not only with not being told about it but also that she saw as a
mesalliance and worse ; Louise was a member of the Lorraine family. The Lorraines had opposed Catherine during the
French Wars of Religion. Following the death of
Charles IX of France, Henry of Poland-Lithuania succeeded him under the name of Henry III of France and returned clandestinely to France. Louise was with her family traveling to Reims for Henry's coronation, when
Philippe Hurault de Cheverny and Michel Du Guast arrived to make Henry's marriage proposal. ==Queen ==