Isabelle de Limeuil

Isabelle de Limeuil
Portrait of Isabelle de Limeuil
Born	Isabelle de la Tour c. 1535 Limeuil, Aquitaine, France
Died	25 March 1609 (age 74) Paris, France
Nationality	French
Occupation	Maid of Honour
Known for	French courtesan Member of Catherine de' Medici's "Flying Squadron"
Title	Lady of Limeuil Madame Sardiny Viscountess of Buzancy Baroness of Chaumont-sur-Loire
Spouse(s)	Scipion Sardini, Viscount de Buzancy and Baron of Chaumont-sur-Loire
Children	Nicolas Sardini Alexandre-Paul Sardini, Viscount of Buzancy and Baron of Chaumont-sur-Loire Paul Sardini Madeleine Sardini

Isabelle de la Tour, Lady of Limeuil (c. 1535 – 25 March 1609) was a French noblewoman and a Maid of Honour to the Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici. She also formed part of Catherine's notorious "flying squadron" (L'escadron volant), 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 Catherine's instigation, she became the mistress of Louis, Prince of Condé, 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.

She later married wealthy Tuscan banker Scipion Sardini, a favoured protégé of Catherine de' Medici.