Isabelle de Limeuil

Isabelle de la Tour, Lady of Limeuil was a French noblewoman and a Maid of Honour to the Queen Mother Catherine de Medici. She also formed part of Catherines notorious flying squadron , a group of beautiful female spies she used for the purpose of forming sexual liaisons with various powerful men at the French court thereby extracting information which would then be passed on to her. In about 1562 at Catherines instigation, she became the mistress of Louis, Prince of Cond, brother of King Antoine of Navarre and one of the leading Huguenots in France. Two years later when Isabelle created a scandal by giving birth to his son whilst the court was on a royal progress, she was banished to a convent.

Isabelle was born in Limeuil, France in about 1535, a daughter of Gilles de la Tour, Viscount of Turenne, Baron of Limeuil and Marguerite de la Cropte, Lady of Lanquais. She went to live at the court of King Charles IX where she became one of Queen Mother Catherine de Medicis Maids of Honour. Isabelle was distantly related to Catherine through the latters French mother, Madeleine de La Tour dAuvergne.

Source: Wikipedia