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Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan

The marquise de Montespan
BornOctober 5, 1641(1641-10-05)
Lussac-les-Châteaux, France
DiedMay 27, 1707 (aged 65)
Bourbon-l'Archambault
OccupationMaîtresse-en-titre (longest in time) to Louis XIV of France from 1667 to 1681, his reign was from 1643-1715
SpouseLouis-Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis de Montespan
Children1 Louis-Henri Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis d'Antin;
2 Marie-Christine de Pardaillan de Gondrin
3 Louise Françoise de Bourbon;
4 Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine;
5 Louis César de Bourbon, comte de Vexin;
6 Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes;
7 Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Tours;
8 Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois;
9 Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Lussac-les-Châteaux is a commune of the Vienne département, in France. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Bourbon-l'Archambault is a Spa town and a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne in central France. The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief mistress of the King of France. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Louis-Auguste de Bourbon duc du Maine ( March 31 1670 - May 14 1736) was a legitimised son of the French King Louis XIV and his Louise-Françoise de Bourbon princesse de Condé ( June 1, 1673 &ndash June 16, 1743) was the eldest surviving daughter of King Louis XIV Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, known as Mademoiselle de Tours,(1674 - 1681 was the illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV and his most famous Maîtresse-en-titre Françoise-Marie de Bourbon duchesse d'Orléans ( May 25 1677 &ndash February 1 1749) was the sixth illegitimate child and last Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse (1681 duc de Penthièvre (1697 d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet
ParentsGabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart, duc de Mortemart,
Diane de Grandseigne
Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart while she was known as Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente.
Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart while she was known as Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente. Gabriel de Rochechouart duc de Mortemart was born in 1600 died in Paris on December 26 1675 He was a friend of th French King Louis XIII. Tonnay-Charente is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in western France.
Portrait of Madame de Montespan's first son, the marquis d'Antin, 1710 by Hyacinthe Rigaud
Portrait of Madame de Montespan's first son, the marquis d'Antin, 1710 by Hyacinthe Rigaud

Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan [1] (October 5, 1641 – May 27, 1707), better known as Madame de Montespan, was one of the most famous mistresses of Louis XIV of France

Born into one of the oldest noble families in France, the House of Rochechouart, Madame de Montespan was called by some the True Queen of France during her romantic relationship with Louis XIV due to the pervasiveness of her influence at court during that time. Hyacinthe Rigaud ( Hiacint Riagau) ( July 20, 1659 – December 27, 1743) was a French painter of Catalan origin Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a A mistress is a man's long term female Sexual partner and companion who is not married to him especially used when the man is married to another woman Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Origins Foucher de Limoges, the founder of the House of Limoges-Rochechouart was the second son of Raymond I, count of Toulouse, and of

Her so-called reign lasted from around 1667, when she first danced with Louis XIV at a ball hosted by the king's younger brother, Monsieur, at the Louvre, until her alleged involvement in the notorious Affaire des Poisons in the late 1670s to 1680's. Philippe I Duke of Orléans ( September 21, 1640 &ndash June 9, 1701) was the second son of Louis XIII of France and Anne The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France The Poison Affair ( affaire des poisons or Affair of the Poisons) was a Murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV

Contents

Early life

Born on October 5, 1641 at the château of Lussac-les-Châteaux[1] in today's Vienne department, in the Poitou-Charentes region in France, Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart (as a précieuse, she later adopted the name "Athénaïs"), Mlle de Tonnay-Charente, possessed the blood of two of the oldest noble families of France through her parents, Gabriel de Rochechouart, duc de Mortemart, prince de Tonnay-Charente, and Diane de Grandseigne. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople For other senses of this word see Château (disambiguation. A château (plural châteaux) is a Manor house or residence Lussac-les-Châteaux is a commune of the Vienne département, in France. This article is about the French department Do not confuse with the Austrian capital Vienna. Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Gabriel de Rochechouart duc de Mortemart was born in 1600 died in Paris on December 26 1675 He was a friend of th French King Louis XIII.

From her father, she inherited the famous Mortemart esprit. ESPRIT is an acronym for the European Strategic Program on Research in Information Technology of the European Union, run by the Directorate General for As a young girl, she often travelled with her mother between the family estates and the court at the Louvre in Paris. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city At the age of twelve, she began her formal education at the Convent of St Mary at Saintes. A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church Saintes may refer to the following places Saintes Belgium Saintes Charente-Maritime, a commune of France in the Charente-Maritime department She entered the convent where her sister Gabrielle had started almost a decade earlier. Her other siblings were:

At the age twenty, Françoise-Athénaïs became a maid-of-honour to the king's sister-in-law, Princess Henrietta-Anne of England, who was known at court by the traditional honorific of Madame. Henrietta Anne of England duchesse d'Orléans (born Henrietta 16 June (Old Style 26 June (New Style 1644 – 30 June 1670) in French An honorific is a word or expression that conveys esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person Fils de France ( Son of France) was the style and Rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France Later, because of the relationship between her mother and the queen dowager, Anne of Austria, Françoise-Athénaïs was appointed to be a lady-in-waiting to the king's wife, Queen Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche. For the queen consort of Sigismund III of Poland see Anna of Austria (1573-1598 For the queen consort of Philip II of Spain see Anna of Austria Maria Theresa of Spain (Marie Thérèse ( September 10, 1638 &ndash July 30, 1683) was the Queen consort of France

Marriage

Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart married in February, 1663, Louis-Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis de Montespan (1640-1701), who was a year older than she. Françoise had previously been engaged to his brother, but he was killed in a duel after a ball at the Louvre. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France It then was decided that she would marry the brother of the deceased. With her husband, the marquis de Montespan, she had two children:

Beauty was only one of Madame de Montespan's many charms. She was a cultured and amusing conversationalist who won the admiration of such figures as the diarist Saint-Simon and letter-writer Mme de Sévigné. Louis de Rouvroy duc de Saint-Simon ( January 16, 1675 &ndash March 2, 1755) French soldier Diplomatist and writer Marie de Rabutin-Chantal Marquise de Sévigné ( February 5, 1626 &ndash April 17, 1696) was a French aristocrat In addition, she kept abreast of political and world events. This had the effect of making her even more appealing to men of intellect and power.

Rise as Maîtresse-en-titre

Mme de Montespan astounded the court by openly resenting the position of the queen, Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, the daughter of the king and queen of Spain, Philip IV and Elisabeth of Bourbon. The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief mistress of the King of France. Maria Theresa of Spain (Marie Thérèse ( September 10, 1638 &ndash July 30, 1683) was the Queen consort of France Philip IV (es ''Felipe IV'' pt ''Filipe III'' ( 8 April, 1605 &ndash 17 September, 1665) was King of Spain between 1621 and A scandal arose when the duchesse de Montausier, governess of the Royal children and lady-in-waiting to the queen, was accused of acting as a go-between in order to secure the governorship of the Dauphin for her husband, the duc de Montausier[2]. Charles de Sainte-Maure duc de Montausier ( October 6, 1610 - November 17, 1690) French soldier was the second son of Leon de Sainte-Maure Mme de Montespan was arrested, but released after a few days' imprisonment.

By 1666, she was trying to take the place of Louis XIV's current mistress, the lovely but timid Louise de La Vallière. Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière ( August 6 1644 &ndash June 7 1710) was the mistress to Louis XIV of France Using her wit and charm, she sought to ingratiate herself with the king. She became close to the Dauphin as well whose affection for her never wavered.

First Royal Children

The first of the seven children that Mme de Montespan bore to the king was born in March 1669. The new-born child, a girl, Louise Françoise de Bourbon (1669-1672), was entrusted to one of Mme de Montespan's friends, Mme Scarron (the future marquise de Maintenon) to raise. Françoise d'Aubigné Scarron Marquise de Maintenon ( November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719) was the Morganatic second wife of King The King bought a small house in the village of Vaugirard[3], on the outskirts of Paris.

In 1673, the couple's three living illegitimate children were legitimatised by Louis XIV without mention of their mother's name for fear that she might claim them. Legitimated refers to specific legal forms of authentication by the State

The eldest, a son, Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, became the duc du Maine; the second child, a son named Louis César de Bourbon, became the comte de Vexin; and the third, a daughter named Louise-Françoise, became Mademoiselle de Nantes. Louis-Auguste de Bourbon duc du Maine ( March 31 1670 - May 14 1736) was a legitimised son of the French King Louis XIV and his As Mme de Montespan spent the majority of her time immersed within the social whirl of the court, the three had little contact with her and spent most of their childhood with their governess, Mme Scarron.

Later, Mme de Montespan was compelled to retire to Spain, and in 1674 an official separation with her husband was declared by the procureur-general Achille de Harlay, assisted by six judges at the Châtelet. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Achille de Harlay de Sancy, Bishop of Saint-Malo (1581 &ndash November 20, 1646) the son of Nicolas de Harlay seigneur de Sancy, was a When Louis's affections showed signs of cooling, Mme de Montespan is alleged to have resorted to black magic in order to get him back. Black magic or dark magic is a form of sorcery that draws on malevolent powers Some have supposed that she may have started to consider using poison against potential rivals for the king's affections as early as 1676.

Her adversary turned out to be the Roman Catholic Church. In 1675 the priest Lécuyer refused to give her absolution which was necessary for her to make her Easter communion, a requisite for all Catholics. Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Father Lécuyer demanded in the confessional,

Is this the Madame that scandalises all France? Go abandon your shocking life and then come throw yourself at the feet of the ministers of Jesus Christ.

The King appealed to the priest's superiors but the Church refused to yield to the King's demands. After a short separation, the King and Mme de Montespan resumed their relationship which resulted in the birth of two more children, Mlle de Blois in 1677 and the comte de Toulouse in 1678, both of whom were to be legitimised in 1681. However, the affair of the poisons, which had burst upon the scene in September 1677, was to be the beginning of the end of the reign of La Montespan[4][5].

Louis' intrigue with Angélique de Fontanges and Mme de Montespan's relegation to the position of superintendent of the Queen's household brought matters to a crisis. Marie Angélique de Scorailles de Roussille duchesse de Fontanges (1661 – 1681 was one of the many paramours of Louis XIV King of France. Mlle de Fontanges died in 1681 and poisoning was suspected by many at the time, although none could prove it. It is now believed that Mlle de Fontanges died from natural causes.

Nature and Appearance

Athénaïs was considered breathtakingly beautiful by the standards of her time. She had thick, curly corn-colored hair that fell in ringlets around her face so beautifully that even the Queen copied her hair style. Her eyes were huge and blue, her lips full and her figure sensuously curvaceous. All of these qualities appealed to the sensibilities of beauty at the time. Her love of mockery, infectious laughter and quick wit were engaging, as were her intelligence and flirtatious interplay. Steeped in sensualism, she is often described as a hedonist with a fondness for music, dancing, the arts, food and love-making.

She had an extravagant and demanding nature and possessed enough charm to usually get what she wanted. She was expensive and glorious, like the Palace of Versailles itself. The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal Château in Versailles, in France 's Île-de-France region Her apartments were filled with pet animals and thousands of flowers; she had a private gallery, and costly jewels were showered upon her. She was highly discriminating as regards to the quality of the gems ; returning them if they did not meet her exacting standards. She was given the nickname Quanto ("How much", in Italian). Her love for food and her numerous pregnancies caused her to gain weight in her late thirties until her pleasingly plump figure became undesirably fat[6]

Royal scandal and fall

Affaire des Poisons

Long assumed to have been involved in the infamous Affaire des Poisons, Mme de Montespan has never been conclusively implicated. The Poison Affair ( affaire des poisons or Affair of the Poisons) was a Murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV Gabriel Nicolas de La Reynie, Paris' first Lieutenant General of Police and the chief judge of the court before which the famous poisoning cases were brought, heard testimony that placed Mme de Montespan's first visits to the so-called witch Catherine Monvoisin, known as La Voisin, in 1665. Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie is considered to be the founder of the first modern police force. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by Catherine Monvoisin, known as " La Voisin " (c 1640 &ndash February 22, 1680) French Sorceress, whose maiden name was Catherine Catherine Monvoisin, known as " La Voisin " (c 1640 &ndash February 22, 1680) French Sorceress, whose maiden name was Catherine Initially, La Voisin reportedly just gave Mme de Montespan love potions concocted of repulsive ingredients for Louis XIV to take, with the objective of obtaining the king's desire and replacing Louise de La Vallière in the role of maitresse-en-titre. Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière ( August 6 1644 &ndash June 7 1710) was the mistress to Louis XIV of France

In 1666, Mme de Montespan supposedly went so far as to allow a priest, Etienne Guibourg, to perform a black mass over her nude body[7] in a blood-soaked ceremony, which was also said to have included infant sacrifice. The Abbé Étienne Guibourg (c 1610 – 1680 was a French Roman Catholic Abbé who performed Black Masses for Catherine Monvoisin in the late 1600s LaVeyan Whatever the truth in these allegations, in July 1667, Mme de Montespan became the king's new mistress even though Louise was carrying his child, Louis de Bourbon, comte de Vermandois. Louis de Bourbon comte de Vermandois ( October 2 1667 &ndash November 18 1683) was the eldest surviving son of Louis XIV

Poison

In addition to seeking Louis' love, some charged Mme de Montespan with also conspiring to kill him. However, certain inconsistencies in this testimony suggest that the royal mistress was innocent of these charges. However, suspicion was thrown onto Mme de Montespan because the name of her maid, Mlle Desœillets, was frequently mentioned in connection with La Voisin in the evidence brought before the Chambre Ardente. Chambre Ardente ( Fr "burning chamber" the term for an extraordinary court of justice in France, mainly held for the trials of heretics

Madame de Montespan and four of her children: Mademoiselle de Nantes, the comte de Vexin, Mademoiselle de Tours and the duc du Maine
Madame de Montespan and four of her children: Mademoiselle de Nantes, the comte de Vexin, Mademoiselle de Tours and the duc du Maine
Madame de Montespan's two surviving daughters: the blonde duchesse d'Orléans, with her older brunette sister, the princesse de Condé.
Madame de Montespan's two surviving daughters: the blonde duchesse d'Orléans, with her older brunette sister, the princesse de Condé. Françoise-Marie de Bourbon duchesse d'Orléans ( May 25 1677 &ndash February 1 1749) was the sixth illegitimate child and last Louise-Françoise de Bourbon princesse de Condé ( June 1, 1673 &ndash June 16, 1743) was the eldest surviving daughter of King Louis XIV

Indeed, if anyone was attempting to kill the king, it was more likely Mlle Desœillets, who also had an illegitimate child fathered by Louis who did not acknowledged it. Presumably, the maid resented the loss of Louis' attention. Olympia Mancini, Comtesse de Soissons, herself a former mistress of the king as well as a notorious intrigante, was also implicated in the conspiracy . Olympia Mancini, in France Olympe Mancini ( July 11[[ 638]] — 9 October[[ 708]] was the second of five famous Mancini sisters nieces of Cardinal

From the end of 1680 onwards, the marquis de Louvois, Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Mme de Maintenon all helped to hush up the affair in order to prevent further scandal about the mother of the king's legitimatised children. François Michel le Tellier Marquis de Louvois (18 January 1641 – 16 July 1691 was the French Secretary of State for War for a significant part of the reign of Jean-Baptiste Colbert ( August 29, 1619 — September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance from 1665 to 1683 under Concerning the king's need to avoid shocking scandal, Police Chief La Reynie said:

the enormity of their crimes proved their safeguard

Exile

After the scandal had forced Louis XIV and Mme de Montespan apart, the king continued to visit her daily in her rooms at the palace, and apparently her brilliance and charm in conversation mitigated to some extent her reduced status as a discarded mistress.

In 1691, no longer in royal favour, Mme de Montespan retired to the Filles de Saint-Joseph convent, in the rue Saint-Dominique[8] in Paris, with a pension of half a million francs. In gratitude for her departure, the king made her father the governor of Paris, her brother, the duc de Vivonne, a marshal of France, and one of her sisters, Gabrielle, whose vows were but four years old, the abbess of the wealthy Fontevraud Abbey. The Marshal of France (Maréchal de France and pl Maréchaux de France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a Military rank. Fontevraud Abbey (or Fontevrault Abbey) is located in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France.

In her long retirement, Mme de Montespan donated vast sums to hospitals and charities. She was also a generous patron of letters, and befriended Corneille, Racine and La Fontaine. Pierre Corneille ( June 6, 1606 – October 1, 1684) was a French tragedian who was one of the three great seventeenth Century French Jean Racine ( ( December 22, 1639 &ndash April 21, 1699) was a French Dramatist, one of the "big three" of

Later life

Death

The last years of her life were given up to a very severe penance. When she died at Bourbon-l'Archambault, the king forbade her children to wear mourning for her. Bourbon-l'Archambault is a Spa town and a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne in central France. Real sorrow over her death was felt by her three youngest children. She died May 27, 1707 at the age of sixty-five while taking the waters at Bourbon-l'Archambault in order to try and heal an illness. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Effects

The duchesse de Bourbon, the duchesse d'Orléans and the comte de Toulouse all refused to go to any court gatherings as a mark of respect for the death of their beloved mother. However, her eldest and most disloyal child, the duc de Maine, was hardly able to conceal his joy at the death of his mother. He had always considered Mme de Maintenon to be more of a mother to him. Françoise d'Aubigné Scarron Marquise de Maintenon ( November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719) was the Morganatic second wife of King

After hearing of the death of Françoise-Athénaïs, Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon, is said to have ran to her privy and wept bitterly. Françoise d'Aubigné Scarron Marquise de Maintenon ( November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719) was the Morganatic second wife of King Françoise-Athénaïs had after all helped her get into court and put her in charge of her children, the position that originally allowed Mme. de Maintenon to gain the king's attention.

Children by Louis XIV

Louis XIV and Mme de Montespan had seven children, only four of whom survived childhood:

Louise Françoise de Bourbon

Louise-Françoise de Bourbon some time after her marriage to Louis III, Prince of Condé.
Louise-Françoise de Bourbon some time after her marriage to Louis III, Prince of Condé. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Louise-Françoise de Bourbon princesse de Condé ( June 1, 1673 &ndash June 16, 1743) was the eldest surviving daughter of King Louis XIV Louis of Bourbon-Condé (Louis III Prince of Condé ( November 10 1668 &ndash March 4 1710) was Prince of Condé (pronounced kôNdā'
Mme de Montespan and her children
Mme de Montespan and her children
The comte de Toulouse, Mme de Montespan's youngest child
The comte de Toulouse, Mme de Montespan's youngest child

Louis-Auguste de Bourbon

Louis César de Bourbon

Louise-Françoise de Bourbon

Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon

Françoise-Marie de Bourbon

Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon

Legacy

House of Orléans

Through three of her children (Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon and Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse), Mme de Montespan is an ancestor of the modern House of Orléans and its present head, the Comte de Paris. Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's royal founder Hugh Capet Louise-Françoise de Bourbon princesse de Condé ( June 1, 1673 &ndash June 16, 1743) was the eldest surviving daughter of King Louis XIV Françoise-Marie de Bourbon duchesse d'Orléans ( May 25 1677 &ndash February 1 1749) was the sixth illegitimate child and last Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse (1681 duc de Penthièvre (1697 d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's royal founder Hugh Capet Prince Henri Philippe Pierre Marie d'Orléans, comte de Paris duc de France (born June 14, 1933) is a claimant to the French throne

She is related to the present Portuguese and Brazilian Royal House of Braganza, the House of Este, the House of Austria-Este and the House of Savoy, mainly through her granddaughter by Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Charlotte Aglaé of Orléans. History Dukes Afonso, Count of Barcelos, was an illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal. "Este" redirects here For the city see Este Italy. For Tolkien's fictional character see Estë. Archduke of Austria-Este (arciduca d'Austria-Este Erzherzog von Österreich-Este and Habsburg-Este (Asburgo-Este are a title and a surname which have been used by several The House of Savoy (Casa Savoia was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (sometimes Charlotte Aglaë d'Orléans) was the Duchess of Modena and Reggio by marriage

Françoise-Marie's great-great-grandson was Louis-Philippe I, King of the French. Louis Philippe ( 6 October 1773 &ndash 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the Through Louis-Philippe's eldest daughter, Louise-Marie d'Orléans, the wife of King Leopold I of Belgium, Mme de Montespan is an ancestor of the present king of Belgium, Albert II. Leopold I ( Leopold George Christian Frederick (in German Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich) Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later Life Prince Albert was sent to the Swiss private school Institut Le Rosey for his pre-university education

A plan of the château de Clagny and its gardens
A plan of the château de Clagny and its gardens

Through Louis Philippe's son Ferdinand Philippe Louis Charles Henri Joseph, duc d'Orléans she is also an ancestor of the Spanish Royal Family and its head, King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The Château de Clagny was a French country house that stood northeast of the Château de Versailles; it was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart for Madame Ancestors Trivia Ferdinand-Philippe was used by Hanns Heinz Ewers as a character in his novella "Die Herzen der Könige" The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the direct descendants of the current king Juan Carlos. Early life Juan Carlos was born in Rome, where his grandfather Alfonso XIII of Spain lived in exile after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic

Through Louis-Philippe's fourth daughter, Clémentine d'Orléans, the wife of Leopold's nephew, Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary, she is also the ancestor of the current pretender to the throne of Bulgaria, King Simeon II. Princess Clémentine of Orléans, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony ( March 6, 1817 &ndash February 16, 1907 August Ludwig Viktor of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary (b Vienna, 13 June 1818 - d The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Royal history Simeon is the son of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna di Savoia.

Château de Clagny

The château de Clagny in Versailles was built between 1674 and 1680 from the drawings of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Premier architecte du Roi, (First architect of the King), on land bought by Louis XIV in 1665. The Château de Clagny was a French country house that stood northeast of the Château de Versailles; it was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart for Madame Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris April 16, 1646 &ndash Marly-le-Roi, France May 11, 1708) was a French Architect whose Mme de Sévigné wrote that its construction employed 1 200 workers and the cost was no less than two millions "livres"[9]. Marie de Rabutin-Chantal Marquise de Sévigné ( February 5, 1626 &ndash April 17, 1696) was a French aristocrat The royal gardener André Le Nôtre created the gardens, which looked west toward the much larger palace of Versailles, of which Clagny was a smaller version. André Le Nôtre ( March 12, 1613 &ndash September 15 1700) was a Landscape architect and the gardener of King Louis XIV The château de Clagny was also famed for its gallery. In 1685, Louis XIV gave the magnificent castle to Mme de Montespan. At her death, Clagny was inherited by her oldest son, the duc du Maine, who, in turn, passed it on to his son, the prince de Dombes, the last of his line. The château reverted to the French Crown in 1766 and was demolished in 1769.

Trianon de porcelaine

A plan of the Trianon de Porcelaine; built for Madame de Montespan by Louis XIV. It was there that she sought to escape from court life
A plan of the Trianon de Porcelaine; built for Madame de Montespan by Louis XIV. It was there that she sought to escape from court life

Louis XIV also had a pleasure pavilion, called the Trianon de porcelaine[10] built for Mme de Montespan, and surrounded by gardens, on the site of the former hamlet of Trianon which he had purchased near the Palace of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal Château in Versailles, in France 's Île-de-France region It was meant as a hideaway for the couple. Because of the fragility of the Delft tiles used in its construction, the Trianon de porcelaine was demolished in 1687 and replaced by the Grand Trianon of pink marble (marbre rose des Pyrénées). Delftware, or Delft Pottery, denotes blue and white pottery made in and around Delft in the Netherlands and the tin-glazed Pottery The Grand Trianon was built in Versailles by Louis XIV, and it was designed to be a place where he and his close family could escape from the hectic life of court at the

Fashion

At court, women copied Madame de Montespan's lavish style of dress which was often very loose and unfettered. The looseness allowed her to move more easily during her frequent pregnancies. Queen Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche unsuccessfully copied her coiffure in order to get the king to notice her more. Maria Theresa of Spain (Marie Thérèse ( September 10, 1638 &ndash July 30, 1683) was the Queen consort of France Later, even after her departure from court, Mme de Montespan's favourite fashions were still being copied.

Court

As the king's official mistress, Mme de Montespan frequently joined the rest of the court as it escorted the king as he waged his many wars against the Dutch and Austrians. Austrians (Österreicher are a nation and an ethnic group originating from the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states ( March of Austria, Below is a picture of one of the court processions. It shows Louis XIV and his wife, Queen Marie-Thérèse, in Arras in 1667 during the War of Devolution. Arras (Atrecht is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The War of Devolution ( 1667 &ndash 1668) saw Louis XIV 's French armies overrun the Hapsburg controlled Spanish Netherlands and

Mme de Montespan, is said to be the blonde woman at the center of the coach which would have also held the king's sister-in-law Madame, his first cousin La Grande Mademoiselle, the Queen and Mme de Montespan's older sister, the marquise de Thianges. Henrietta Anne of England duchesse d'Orléans (born Henrietta 16 June (Old Style 26 June (New Style 1644 – 30 June 1670) in French Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans de Montpensier duchesse de Montpensier ( May 29, 1627 - April 3, 1693 was a French princess by birth Maria Theresa of Spain (Marie Thérèse ( September 10, 1638 &ndash July 30, 1683) was the Queen consort of France Thianges is a village and commune in the Nièvre département of central France. Louis XIV stands behind the coach with his red hat while his younger brother, Monsieur, stands further to the right in blue. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Philippe I Duke of Orléans ( September 21, 1640 &ndash June 9, 1701) was the second son of Louis XIII of France and Anne

The French Court at Arras in 1667.
The French Court at Arras in 1667. Arras (Atrecht is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.

Ancestry

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. René de Rochechouart, seigneur de Mortemart
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Gaspard de Rochechouart, marquis de Mortemart
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Jeanne de Saulx de Tavannes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Gabriel de Rochechouart, duc de Mortemart
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Gabriel de Rochechouart duc de Mortemart was born in 1600 died in Paris on December 26 1675 He was a friend of th French King Louis XIII. Charles, comte de Maure
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Louise de Maure, comtesse de Maure
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Diane de Pérusse des Cars, princesse de Carency
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Pierre de Grandsaigne, seigneur de la Flotte
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Jean de Grandseigne, marquis de Marsillac
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Françoise Baillard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Diane de Grandseigne
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. François de La Béraudière, seigneur de Villechèze
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Catherine de la Béraudière
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Anne Adrienne Frotier
 
 
 
 
 
 

Galleries

General

Louis XIV of France. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent He first met Mme de Montespan at the Louvre and was later the father of seven of her children. For the museum see Louvre Museum. The palais du Louvre in Paris, on the Right Bank of the Seine is a former royal

Queen Marie-Thérèse of France, the long suffering wife of Louis XIV, who was constantly unfaithful to her. Maria Theresa of Spain (Marie Thérèse ( September 10, 1638 &ndash July 30, 1683) was the Queen consort of France With her is her son, Monseigneur.

Louise de la Vallière, like Mme de Montespan, was one of Madame's ladies-in-waiting. Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière ( August 6 1644 &ndash June 7 1710) was the mistress to Louis XIV of France Henrietta Anne of England duchesse d'Orléans (born Henrietta 16 June (Old Style 26 June (New Style 1644 – 30 June 1670) in French As such, she became the king's first official mistress. Mme de Montespan befriended then betrayed her to become Maîtresse-en-titre. The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief mistress of the King of France. Louise is shown with her two children, Marie Anne de Bourbon and Louis de Bourbon. Marie Anne de Bourbon princesse de Conti ( Vincennes, October 2 1666 - Paris, May 3 1739) was the illegitimate daughter

Mme de Maintenon was originally the governess to Mme de Montespan's illegitimate children with the king. Françoise d'Aubigné Scarron Marquise de Maintenon ( November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719) was the Morganatic second wife of King She replaced Mme de Montespan in the king's affections after Mme de Montespan's involvement in the Affaire des Poisons was exposed. The Poison Affair ( affaire des poisons or Affair of the Poisons) was a Murder scandal in France during the reign of King Louis XIV

Ancestors

Louis François II de Bourbon, prince de Conti, last Prince de Conti

Louise-Élisabeth de Bourbon-Condé, introduced Madame de Pompadour to Louis XV

Louis-Antoine-Henri de Bourbon-Condé, duc d'Enghien

Philippe Égalité

Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon-Penthièvre, Frances greatest hieress

Louis-Philippe of France

Manuel II of Portugal

Juan Carlos I of Spain

Further reading

Mme de Montespan in fiction

External link and reference

References

  1. ^ http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lussac-les-Ch%C3%A2teaux
  2. ^ Charles de Sainte-Maure, marquis de Montausier, was made duc et pair de France in 1664 and, in 1668, became the governor of the Dauphin. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works See: G. Lenotre Le Château de Rambouillet, six siècles d'histoire, Calman-Lévy, Paris, 1930
  3. ^ The village of Vaugirard was on the outskirts of Paris at the site of today's metro station Vaugirard. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Vaugirard
  4. ^ Philippe Erlanger, Louis XIV, Librairie Arthème Fayard, Paris, 1965,
  5. ^ Philippe Erlanger, Louis XIV, (translated from the French by Stephen Cox), Praeger Publishers, New York, 1970
  6. ^ Antonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV, p 104-105, Anchor books, 2006
  7. ^ Anne Somerset — The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV (St. Martin's Press (October 12, 2003) ISBN 0-312-33017-0) Page 227 from the testimony of La Voisin "Mme de Montespan was an habitee of the Abbe Guibourg's infamous Black Mass. "
  8. ^ http://www.paris-pittoresque.com/rues/245.htm
  9. ^ http://versailles.forumculture.net/excursions-en-ville-f11/le-chateau-de-clagny-t150.htm
  10. ^ http://versailles1687.free.fr/trianon.htm

Other References

Titles

Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Born: October 5 1641 Died: May 27 1707
French nobility
Preceded by
N/A		Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente
1641–1663		Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by
N/A		Mademoiselle de Mortemart
1641–1663		Succeeded by
N/A
Preceded by
N/A		marquise de Montespan
1663–1707		Succeeded by
N/A
Origins Foucher de Limoges, the founder of the House of Limoges-Rochechouart was the second son of Raymond I, count of Toulouse, and of The Nobility (la noblesse in France, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and Tonnay-Charente is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in western France. Montespan is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department of southwestern France.
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