Anne, Duchess of Montpensier
Encyclopedia
Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, (29 May 1627 – 5 April 1693) known as La Grande Mademoiselle, was the eldest daughter of Gaston d'Orléans
, and his first wife Marie de Bourbon
. One of the greatest heiresses in history, she died unmarried and childless, leaving her vast fortune to her cousin, Philippe of France
. After a string of proposals from various members of European ruling families, including Charles II of England
, Afonso VI of Portugal and Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy
, she eventually fell in love with Antoine Nompar de Caumont
and scandalised the court of France when she asked Louis XIV
for permission to marry him, as such a union was viewed as a mésalliance
. She is best remembered for her role in the Fronde
, her role in bringing the famous composer Lully
to the king's court, and her Mémoires.
in Paris on 29 May 1627. Her father was Gaston, Duke of Orléans
, known as Monsieur, the only surviving brother of the then ruling King Louis XIII of France
. Her mother, the 21-year-old Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
, the only member of the Montpensier branch of the House of Bourbon
until the birth of her daughter, died five days after giving her birth, leaving the newly born Duchess of Montpensier heiress to her huge fortune, which included five duchies, the land of Auvergne and the sovereign Principality of Joinville
, in the former province of Champagne
.
As the eldest daughter of Monsieur, Anne Marie Louise was officially known as Mademoiselle from the time of her birth, and because she was the granddaughter of a King of France, Henry IV
, her uncle Louis XIII created for her the new title of petite-fille de France
("Granddaughter of France"). Until the birth in 1638 of her cousin, the future King Louis XIV, she was the most important child at the French royal court.
she replied that she was not her grandmother, because she was "not a queen". She grew up in the company of Mademoiselle de Longueville, as well as the sisters of the Maréchal de Gramont
.
Mademoiselle was very close to her father Gaston, Duke of Orléans
. Frequently involved in conspiracies against Louis XIII and his unpopular chief advisor, Cardinal Richelieu, he was often on bad terms with the court and banished on several occasions.
Mademoiselle's father married Marguerite of Lorraine
in a secret ceremony in Nancy during the night of 2 – 3 January 1632. Having not obtained the prior permission of his elder brother, the couple could not appear at the French court, and the marriage was kept secret. On learning that the cardinal was the force behind her father's exile, Mademoiselle would sing various street songs and lampoons
in the presence of the cardinal himself which earned her a cold scolding from the cardinal, who was her godfather.
The seven-year-old Mademoiselle saw her father again in October 1634. For the first time in two years she met him at Limours
, where seeing him she "flung herself into his arms". Gaston resided at Blois
where Mademoiselle would be a frequent visitor.
At the birth of the future Louis XIV
in 1638, the determined Mademoiselle decided that she would marry him, calling him "her little husband" to the amusement of Louis XIII. Richelieu subsequently reprimanded her for her remarks. Regardless of her dreams, her father made no secret that he wanted her to marry Louis, Count of Soissons, a prince du Sang
(descended in the male line from Charles, Duke of Vendôme, the first Bourbon prince du Sang) and one of his old conspirators. This marriage never materialised.
Madame de Saint Georges died in 1643 and Mademoiselle's father chose Madame de Fiesque to take her place. Mademoiselle was devastated at the death of her former governess and, unkeen on having a new governess, was an awkward student; she once recalled that she locked her governess in her room as well as Madame de Fiesque's grandson who was in another. Her uncle also died in May 1643, leaving Louis XIV as King of France. Louis XIII, prior to death, had accepted his brother's plea for forgiveness and authorised his marriage to Marguerite of Lorraine, whereupon the couple undertook nuptials for the third time in July 1643 before the Archbishop of Paris at Meudon
, and the Duke and Duchess of Orléans were finally received at court.
In 1646, Mademoiselle met Charles, Prince of Wales
. Her aunt, Queen Henrietta Maria of England
, encouraged the idea of marrying Charles, stating he had taken a "fancy" to Mademoiselle, but nothing further was said at the time.
Soon after, at the death of Empress Maria Anna, Mademoiselle ceased all interest in the prince and thus sighed over a union with her widower, Emperor Ferdinand III
. However, under the influence of Mazarin, Queen Anne
, her aunt by marriage and regent for the young Louis XIV, ignored Mademoiselle's pleas. The "wealthiest single princess of Europe" was unable to marry the infant Louis XIV or his brother, the Duke of Anjou
. Queen Anne suggested her brother, Cardinal Ferdinand of Austria, but Mademoiselle declined.
, a civil war
in France marked by two distinct phases known as the Fronde Parlementaire (1648–1649) and the Fronde des nobles (1650–1653). The former was precipitated by a tax levied on judicial officers of the Parlement of Paris that was met with a refusal to pay and the emergence of Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé (future Grand Condé) as a rebel figure who took the city of Paris by siege. The influence of Cardinal Mazarin was also opposed.
At the Peace of Rueil
of 1 April 1649, the Fronde Parlementaire ended and the court returned to Paris in August amid great celebration. Mademoiselle caught smallpox
, but survived the illness. Having convalesced, Mademoiselle befriended Claire Clémence de Brézé, Madame la Princesse
, the unwanted wife of the Grand Condé. The pair sojourned in Bordeaux
, where Mademoiselle was involved in the peace which ended the siege in the city in October 1650. Her role in the matter made her look like a "frondeuse" in the eyes of Queen Anne.
Even in uncertain times, the possibility of a marriage between Mademoiselle and the Prince of Condé arose when Claire Clémence became critically ill with erysipelas
. Mademoiselle considered the proposal, as she would still have maintained her rank as one of the most important females at court, and her father had a good relationship with Condé. These plans failed, however, when Claire Clémence recovered.
In 1652, there was another Fronde, this time involving the Princes of the Blood
. Mazarin was in exile and was not recalled until October 1653. The city of Orléans
, Mademoiselle's namesake and the capital of her father's duchy, wanted to stay neutral in the civil war
; the magistrates of the city had seen what the war had done to the nearby area of Blaisons and wanted to avoid the same fate. The city requested the input of Mademoiselle's father in order to avoid being pillaged. Gaston was undecided and Mademoiselle took it upon herself to go to Orléans to represent her father and put an end to the troubles. Travelling via Artenay
, Mademoiselle was informed that the city would not receive her because she and the king were on different sides, referring to Mademoiselle's dislike for Mazarin.
When Mademoiselle arrived at Orléans, the city gates were locked and the city refused to open them. She shouted that they should open the gates, but was ignored. An approaching boatman offered to row her to the Porte de La Faux, a gate on the river. Mademoiselle got onboard "climbing like a cat" and "jumping over the hedge" in order not to hurt herself and climbed through a gap in the gate. She entered the city and was greeted triumphantly, being carried through the streets of Orléans on a chair for all to see. She later said she that she had never been "in so entrancing a situation".
Staying for five weeks, she became attached, calling it "my town", before returning to Paris in May 1652. Paris was once again under a state of panic on the eve of the Battle of the Faubourg Saint Antoine; Mademoiselle, in order to allow the Prince of Condé into the city, which was controlled by Turenne, fired from the Bastille
on the army of Turenne on 2 July 1652. Mazarin remarked "with that canon, Mademoiselle has shot her husband".
. She remained in exile until 1657 when she was welcomed to the court once again. She went with Madame de Fiesque and Madame de Frontenac, wife of the future Governor General of New France
.
Having never been to Saint-Fargeau before, she was unaware of the state of the building and thus stayed at a small residence in Dannery having been received by the bailiff
of her estates. Convinced to return to Saint-Fargeau, she settled into her home for the next four years and soon began to improve the building under the direction of François Le Vau, brother of the renowned architect Louis Le Vau
.
Le Vau redid the exteriors of Saint-Fourgeau at a cost of 200,000 livres
. They were lost in a fire in 1752 and suffered further damage in 1850, thus all evidence of the appearance of Mademoiselle's residence was lost. Despite being an exile, she still visited her father at Blois
. While at Saint-Fargeau, she dabbled in writing and wrote a small biography under the title of Madame de Fouquerolles despite her bad spelling and grammar. Mademoiselle looked to her financial affairs, which had been under her father's management. Having reached her majority in 1652 it was discovered that her father had not been entirely honest with the management of her finances and that was the reason for her 800,000 livres of debt. At the same time her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Guise
, tricked Mademoiselle into signing away money to her under false pretences. Her father was involved with this, which caused her relationship with Gaston to deteriorate. In 1656, hearing that her father had been excused for his various scandals, Mademoiselle herself said she would forget the bad blood caused by his financial misdemeanours and resumed her close relationship with him.
In a pen portrait of herself executed later the same year, she noted how she was neither "fat nor thin" and "looked healthy; my bosom is fairly well formed; my hands and arms not beautiful, but the skin is good...". The same year, she met Christina of Sweden
, who had arrived in France in July 1656. The two ladies met at Essone where they watched a ballet together. Mademoiselle later exclaimed that Christina "surprised me very much. [...] She was in all respects a most extraordinary creature".
At court, her cousins Louis XIV and the Philippe, Duke of Anjou
were nineteen and seventeen, respectively. Mademoiselle's part in the Fronde had ruined her dream of becoming Louis's consort, but the Duke of Anjou had allegedly courted her despite his open homosexuality
. Despite toying with the idea, Mademoiselle later said of him that he always stayed near his mother as if he was "like a child".
Mademoiselle fell ill in Paris during September 1657, when she bought the Château d'Eu
from Mademoiselle de Guise (her niece) at the end of her illness before returning to her beloved Saint-Fargeau for Christmas
.
In February 1660, Gaston died of a stroke
at Blois. As his eldest daughter Mademoiselle was his principal heiress, and Gaston left her a considerable fortune that added to her already vast personal wealth. As a result of her mourning her father, Mademoiselle was only allowed to go to the formal marriage between Louis and his new spouse Maria Theresa of Austria
; however, Mademoiselle did go to the proxy ceremony incognito
, fooling no one. The next marriage at court was between Philippe
, the Duke of Orléans, known as Monsieur, and Princess Henrietta of England
(youngest child of Queen Henrietta Maria and the dead Charles I of England
) on 31 March 1661. Mademoiselle was in attendance with various other members of the court.
Philippe and Henrietta formed a stormy couple. Philippe was an overt homosexual
and openly lived with his lovers at the Palais Royal
, much to the dislike of Henrietta. In retaliation, she openly flirted with Louis XIV as well as seduced Philippe's own lover the comte de Guiche
. Mademoiselle was the godmother of Philippe and Henrietta's youngest child, the Mademoiselle de Valois, born in 1670. Once again at Henrietta's death in 1670, Louis XIV asked if Mademoiselle wanted to fill "the vacant place" that had been left by Henrietta, a suggestion she declined.
Mademoiselle and her younger half sister Marguerite Louise
enjoyed a close relationship. The two would go to the theatre and attend Mademoiselle's salon.
Marguerite Louise later asked her to sort out arrangements when the Grand Prince of Tuscany
proposed an alliance in 1658. Mademoiselle was asked to ensure its fulfilment, a previous proposal from the Duke of Savoy
having failed.
Initially overjoyed at the prospect of marrying, Marguerite Louise's ebullience faded to dismay when she discovered Mademoiselle no longer favoured the Tuscan match. After this, Marguerite Louise's behaviour became erratic: she shocked the court by going out unaccompanied with her cousin Prince Charles of Lorraine
, who soon became her lover. Her proxy marriage did nothing to change her attitude and she attempted to abscond and go hunting, only to be stopped by Mademoiselle herself.
In 1663, Louis XIV again turned to Mademoiselle in order to arrange a match for his cousin. The intended bridegroom was Alfonso VI of Portugal, who acceded to the Portuguese throne in 1656. The proud Mademoiselle ignored the idea, saying she would rather stay in France with her vast income and estates and that she did not want a husband who was rumoured to be alcoholic, impotent and paralytic. Alfonso instead married Marie Françoise of Savoy
.
An angry Louis thus ordered her to return to Saint-Fargeau for having disobeyed him. This "exile" lasted roughly a year and during it she began to make repairs to the Château d'Eu
, where she began to write her memoirs. Appealing to Louis regarding her health, she was allowed to return to court, whereupon Louis proposed that she marry Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy
, who had previously married Mademoiselle's younger half sister Françoise Madeleine
. Mademoiselle seemed very keen on the match, but Charles Emmanuel II was not, and he made various excuses regarding it. This proposal was to be the last for la Grande Mademoiselle.
in honour of Queen Marie Thérèse that summer. At the entertainments was a man called Antoine Nompar de Caumont
, an impoverished nobleman from Guyenne
. Close to the king, he was renowned for his wit as well as his evident "sex appeal", despite being "the smallest man god ever made". He was also a distinguished soldier and was part of the marriage negotiations between Louis XIV and Queen Marie Thérèse. Very opinionated and louche, Lauzun once saw Mademoiselle wearing a red ribbon in her hair and declared it too "youthful" for her, to which the proud Mademoiselle replied "people of my rank are always young".
Before long, Mademoiselle fell hopelessly in love with Lauzun. In December 1670, the most senior female at the court (behind Madame Royale,the only legitimate daughter of Louis XIV) she asked Louis XIV's permission to marry Lauzun. Louis accepted, to the astonishment of his court and much to the dislike of Queen Marie Thérèse, Monsieur
and various members of the court. The Queen and Monsieur refused to sign the marriage contract. The date for the ceremony was set to occur at the Louvre
on Sunday, 21 December 1670. Lauzun even asked Louis's mistress Madame de Montespan to help convince the king to submit to the match. Mademoiselle was in high spirits later, stating that the days from 15 – 18 December 1670 were the happiest days of her life. She referred to Lauzun as "Monsieur le duc de Montpensier" to her friends.
The joy was not to last; Louis XIV opposed the match and thus called off the engagement on 18 December stating that it would damage his reputation. Court disapproval, however, was the main reason. Mademoiselle was asked to have an interview with the king and Madame de Montespan. The former informed her of his decision, to which she responded, "what cruelty..!" Louis replied that "kings must please the public" and ruined Mademoiselle's hopes of marriage on that "unhappy Thursday", as she later called it.
Mademoiselle secluded herself in her apartments and did not reappear until the beginning of 1671, when she was informed of the arrest of Lauzun without an official reason released. He was taken to the Bastille
and then the Pignerol fortress
, where he remained until 1681 despite making several attempts to escape.
Determined to get Lauzun freed, Mademoiselle devoted herself to his interests and approached Madame de Montespan to try to encourage the king to release him. The release came at a cost; she would have to sell two of her most profitable lands: the principality of Dombes and the County of Eu. These titles would be given to Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Légitimé de France, Duke of Maine
, eldest and favourite son of Louis and Montespan. Capitulating on 2 February 1681, Mademoiselle sold the lands, both of which had a great personal attachment to her. Unknown to Mademoiselle, she was only buying Lauzun's release and the right for him to live on her estates as an exile.
Lauzun was freed on 22 April 1681 and obliged to live quietly at Bourbon
before returning to Paris, but not the court, rather at the Hôtel de Lauzun
, in March 1682. Prior to the death of Queen Marie Thérèse in July 1683, the couple had been on bad terms when they again came together temporarily in their grief. Soon after the two had an interview and that was the last time they saw each other before Mademoiselle retired to her Parisian residence, the Palais du Luxembourg
.
in Paris on Sunday, 5 April 1693. As a Granddaughter of France, the title she treasured so much, she was buried at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis outside Paris on 19 April. At her funeral, according to Saint-Simon
, she was noted as being "the wealthiest single princess of Europe". Laying in state the urn containing her entrails exploded mid-ceremony, which caused chaos as people fled to avoid the smell. Eventually, the ceremony continued with the conclusion of it being "[...] another jest at the expense of Mademoiselle".
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Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
, and his first wife Marie de Bourbon
Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
Marie de Bourbon , Duchess of Montpensier, and Duchess of Orléans by marriage, was a French noblewoman and one of the last members of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier...
. One of the greatest heiresses in history, she died unmarried and childless, leaving her vast fortune to her cousin, Philippe of France
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
. After a string of proposals from various members of European ruling families, including Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, Afonso VI of Portugal and Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel II was the Duke of Savoy from 1638 to 1675 and under regency of his mother Christine Marie of France until 1663. He was also Marquis of Saluzzo, Count of Aosta, Geneva, Moriana and Nice, as well as claimant king of Cyprus and Jerusalem...
, she eventually fell in love with Antoine Nompar de Caumont
Antoine Nompar de Caumont
Antoine Nompar de Caumont, marquis de Puyguilhem, duc de Lauzun was a French courtier and soldier. He was the only love interest of the "greatest heiress in Europe", Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, cousin of Louis XIV.-Biography:...
and scandalised the court of France when she asked Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
for permission to marry him, as such a union was viewed as a mésalliance
Mesalliance
A mesalliance is a marriage with a person of inferior social position....
. She is best remembered for her role in the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
, her role in bringing the famous composer Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
to the king's court, and her Mémoires.
Biography
Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans was born at the Palais du LouvrePalais du Louvre
The Louvre Palace , on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, is a former royal palace situated between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois...
in Paris on 29 May 1627. Her father was Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
, known as Monsieur, the only surviving brother of the then ruling King Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
. Her mother, the 21-year-old Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
Marie de Bourbon , Duchess of Montpensier, and Duchess of Orléans by marriage, was a French noblewoman and one of the last members of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier...
, the only member of the Montpensier branch of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
until the birth of her daughter, died five days after giving her birth, leaving the newly born Duchess of Montpensier heiress to her huge fortune, which included five duchies, the land of Auvergne and the sovereign Principality of Joinville
Joinville, Haute-Marne
Joinville is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.Its medieval château-fort, which gave to members of the House of Guise their title, duc de Joinville, was demolished during the Revolution of 1789, but the 16th-century Château du Grand Jardin built by Claude de Lorraine,...
, in the former province of Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
.
As the eldest daughter of Monsieur, Anne Marie Louise was officially known as Mademoiselle from the time of her birth, and because she was the granddaughter of a King of France, Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, her uncle Louis XIII created for her the new title of petite-fille de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
("Granddaughter of France"). Until the birth in 1638 of her cousin, the future King Louis XIV, she was the most important child at the French royal court.
Youth
Mademoiselle was moved from the Louvre to the Palais des Tuileries and placed under the care of Jeanne de Harley, Madame de Saint Georges, the head of her household, who taught her how to read and write. Mademoiselle always had a great sense of her own self-importance and when asked about her maternal grandmother Henriette Catherine de JoyeuseHenriette Catherine de Joyeuse
Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse was the daughter of Henri de Joyeuse and Catherine de Nogaret. She married her first husband, Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, on 15 May 1597 and her second husband, Charles, Duke of Guise, on 6 January 1611.- Marriages and children :From her first marriage to...
she replied that she was not her grandmother, because she was "not a queen". She grew up in the company of Mademoiselle de Longueville, as well as the sisters of the Maréchal de Gramont
Antoine III de Gramont
Antoine III Agénor de Gramont-Toulongeon, duc de Gramont, comte de Guiche, comte de Gramont, comte de Louvigny, Souverain de Bidache, was a French military man and diplomat...
.
Mademoiselle was very close to her father Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
. Frequently involved in conspiracies against Louis XIII and his unpopular chief advisor, Cardinal Richelieu, he was often on bad terms with the court and banished on several occasions.
Mademoiselle's father married Marguerite of Lorraine
Marguerite of Lorraine
Marguerite of Lorraine was a duchess of Orléans and Alençon. She was born in Nancy, Lorraine to Francis II, Duke of Lorraine, and Countess Christina of Salm. On 31 January 1632, she married Gaston, Duke of Orléans, son of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici...
in a secret ceremony in Nancy during the night of 2 – 3 January 1632. Having not obtained the prior permission of his elder brother, the couple could not appear at the French court, and the marriage was kept secret. On learning that the cardinal was the force behind her father's exile, Mademoiselle would sing various street songs and lampoons
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
in the presence of the cardinal himself which earned her a cold scolding from the cardinal, who was her godfather.
The seven-year-old Mademoiselle saw her father again in October 1634. For the first time in two years she met him at Limours
Limours
Limours is a commune the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Limours are known as Limouriens.-References:** -External links:* * *...
, where seeing him she "flung herself into his arms". Gaston resided at Blois
Château de Blois
The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of Blois. The residence of several French kings, it is also the place where Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her...
where Mademoiselle would be a frequent visitor.
At the birth of the future Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
in 1638, the determined Mademoiselle decided that she would marry him, calling him "her little husband" to the amusement of Louis XIII. Richelieu subsequently reprimanded her for her remarks. Regardless of her dreams, her father made no secret that he wanted her to marry Louis, Count of Soissons, a prince du Sang
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
(descended in the male line from Charles, Duke of Vendôme, the first Bourbon prince du Sang) and one of his old conspirators. This marriage never materialised.
Madame de Saint Georges died in 1643 and Mademoiselle's father chose Madame de Fiesque to take her place. Mademoiselle was devastated at the death of her former governess and, unkeen on having a new governess, was an awkward student; she once recalled that she locked her governess in her room as well as Madame de Fiesque's grandson who was in another. Her uncle also died in May 1643, leaving Louis XIV as King of France. Louis XIII, prior to death, had accepted his brother's plea for forgiveness and authorised his marriage to Marguerite of Lorraine, whereupon the couple undertook nuptials for the third time in July 1643 before the Archbishop of Paris at Meudon
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
, and the Duke and Duchess of Orléans were finally received at court.
In 1646, Mademoiselle met Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. Her aunt, Queen Henrietta Maria of England
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
, encouraged the idea of marrying Charles, stating he had taken a "fancy" to Mademoiselle, but nothing further was said at the time.
Soon after, at the death of Empress Maria Anna, Mademoiselle ceased all interest in the prince and thus sighed over a union with her widower, Emperor Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
. However, under the influence of Mazarin, Queen Anne
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, her aunt by marriage and regent for the young Louis XIV, ignored Mademoiselle's pleas. The "wealthiest single princess of Europe" was unable to marry the infant Louis XIV or his brother, the Duke of Anjou
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
. Queen Anne suggested her brother, Cardinal Ferdinand of Austria, but Mademoiselle declined.
The Fronde
One of the key areas of the life of Mademoiselle her involvement in the period of French history known as the FrondeFronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
, a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
in France marked by two distinct phases known as the Fronde Parlementaire (1648–1649) and the Fronde des nobles (1650–1653). The former was precipitated by a tax levied on judicial officers of the Parlement of Paris that was met with a refusal to pay and the emergence of Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé (future Grand Condé) as a rebel figure who took the city of Paris by siege. The influence of Cardinal Mazarin was also opposed.
At the Peace of Rueil
Peace of Rueil
The Peace of Rueil , signed 11 March 1649, signalled an end to the opening episodes of the Fronde, France's civil war, after little blood had been shed. The articles ended all hostilities and declared all avenues of trade reopened. The settlement was promulgated in the name of the child king Louis...
of 1 April 1649, the Fronde Parlementaire ended and the court returned to Paris in August amid great celebration. Mademoiselle caught smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, but survived the illness. Having convalesced, Mademoiselle befriended Claire Clémence de Brézé, Madame la Princesse
Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé
Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé, Princess of Condé , Princess of Condé and Duchess of Fronsac, was a French noblewoman from the Brézé family and a niece of Cardinal Richelieu...
, the unwanted wife of the Grand Condé. The pair sojourned in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, where Mademoiselle was involved in the peace which ended the siege in the city in October 1650. Her role in the matter made her look like a "frondeuse" in the eyes of Queen Anne.
Even in uncertain times, the possibility of a marriage between Mademoiselle and the Prince of Condé arose when Claire Clémence became critically ill with erysipelas
Erysipelas
Erysipelas is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection of the deep epidermis with lymphatic spread.-Risk factors:...
. Mademoiselle considered the proposal, as she would still have maintained her rank as one of the most important females at court, and her father had a good relationship with Condé. These plans failed, however, when Claire Clémence recovered.
In 1652, there was another Fronde, this time involving the Princes of the Blood
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
. Mazarin was in exile and was not recalled until October 1653. The city of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, Mademoiselle's namesake and the capital of her father's duchy, wanted to stay neutral in the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
; the magistrates of the city had seen what the war had done to the nearby area of Blaisons and wanted to avoid the same fate. The city requested the input of Mademoiselle's father in order to avoid being pillaged. Gaston was undecided and Mademoiselle took it upon herself to go to Orléans to represent her father and put an end to the troubles. Travelling via Artenay
Artenay
Artenay is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
, Mademoiselle was informed that the city would not receive her because she and the king were on different sides, referring to Mademoiselle's dislike for Mazarin.
When Mademoiselle arrived at Orléans, the city gates were locked and the city refused to open them. She shouted that they should open the gates, but was ignored. An approaching boatman offered to row her to the Porte de La Faux, a gate on the river. Mademoiselle got onboard "climbing like a cat" and "jumping over the hedge" in order not to hurt herself and climbed through a gap in the gate. She entered the city and was greeted triumphantly, being carried through the streets of Orléans on a chair for all to see. She later said she that she had never been "in so entrancing a situation".
Staying for five weeks, she became attached, calling it "my town", before returning to Paris in May 1652. Paris was once again under a state of panic on the eve of the Battle of the Faubourg Saint Antoine; Mademoiselle, in order to allow the Prince of Condé into the city, which was controlled by Turenne, fired from the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
on the army of Turenne on 2 July 1652. Mazarin remarked "with that canon, Mademoiselle has shot her husband".
Exile
Fearing for her life, Mademoiselle fled Paris for the safety of her residence at Saint-FargeauSaint-Fargeau
Saint-Fargeau is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Personalities:*In the early years of the reign of Louis XIV, the château was the home to his exiled cousin, the wealthy Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans. She lived in the château of the town, giving the building its...
. She remained in exile until 1657 when she was welcomed to the court once again. She went with Madame de Fiesque and Madame de Frontenac, wife of the future Governor General of New France
Louis de Buade de Frontenac
Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698...
.
Having never been to Saint-Fargeau before, she was unaware of the state of the building and thus stayed at a small residence in Dannery having been received by the bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
of her estates. Convinced to return to Saint-Fargeau, she settled into her home for the next four years and soon began to improve the building under the direction of François Le Vau, brother of the renowned architect Louis Le Vau
Louis Le Vau
Louis Le Vau was a French Classical architect who worked for Louis XIV of France. He was born and died in Paris.He was responsible, with André Le Nôtre and Charles Le Brun, for the redesign of the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte. His later works included the Palace of Versailles and his collaboration...
.
Le Vau redid the exteriors of Saint-Fourgeau at a cost of 200,000 livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
. They were lost in a fire in 1752 and suffered further damage in 1850, thus all evidence of the appearance of Mademoiselle's residence was lost. Despite being an exile, she still visited her father at Blois
Château de Blois
The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of Blois. The residence of several French kings, it is also the place where Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her...
. While at Saint-Fargeau, she dabbled in writing and wrote a small biography under the title of Madame de Fouquerolles despite her bad spelling and grammar. Mademoiselle looked to her financial affairs, which had been under her father's management. Having reached her majority in 1652 it was discovered that her father had not been entirely honest with the management of her finances and that was the reason for her 800,000 livres of debt. At the same time her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Guise
Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse
Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse was the daughter of Henri de Joyeuse and Catherine de Nogaret. She married her first husband, Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, on 15 May 1597 and her second husband, Charles, Duke of Guise, on 6 January 1611.- Marriages and children :From her first marriage to...
, tricked Mademoiselle into signing away money to her under false pretences. Her father was involved with this, which caused her relationship with Gaston to deteriorate. In 1656, hearing that her father had been excused for his various scandals, Mademoiselle herself said she would forget the bad blood caused by his financial misdemeanours and resumed her close relationship with him.
Return to court and family life
When her father was welcomed back to court, it paved the way for Mademoiselle. She left for Sedan, Ardennes, where the court was established in July 1657. Having not seen any of her family for some five years, she was greeted with forgiveness and the added compliment that her "looks had improved", according to Queen Anne.In a pen portrait of herself executed later the same year, she noted how she was neither "fat nor thin" and "looked healthy; my bosom is fairly well formed; my hands and arms not beautiful, but the skin is good...". The same year, she met Christina of Sweden
Christina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
, who had arrived in France in July 1656. The two ladies met at Essone where they watched a ballet together. Mademoiselle later exclaimed that Christina "surprised me very much. [...] She was in all respects a most extraordinary creature".
| "Greatness of birth and the advantages bestowed by wealth [...] should provide all the elements of a happy life...yet there are many people who have had all these things and are not happy. The events of my own past would give me enough proof of this without looking for examples everywhere" |
| Mademoiselle on the subject of her wealth |
At court, her cousins Louis XIV and the Philippe, Duke of Anjou
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
were nineteen and seventeen, respectively. Mademoiselle's part in the Fronde had ruined her dream of becoming Louis's consort, but the Duke of Anjou had allegedly courted her despite his open homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Despite toying with the idea, Mademoiselle later said of him that he always stayed near his mother as if he was "like a child".
Mademoiselle fell ill in Paris during September 1657, when she bought the Château d'Eu
Château d'Eu
The Château d'Eu is a former royal residence in the town of Eu, in the Seine-Maritime department of France, in Normandy.The château d'Eu stands at the centre of the town and was built in the 16th century to replace an earlier one purposely demolished in 1475 to prevent its capture by the English...
from Mademoiselle de Guise (her niece) at the end of her illness before returning to her beloved Saint-Fargeau for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
.
In February 1660, Gaston died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at Blois. As his eldest daughter Mademoiselle was his principal heiress, and Gaston left her a considerable fortune that added to her already vast personal wealth. As a result of her mourning her father, Mademoiselle was only allowed to go to the formal marriage between Louis and his new spouse Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Spain
Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the...
; however, Mademoiselle did go to the proxy ceremony incognito
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
, fooling no one. The next marriage at court was between Philippe
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
, the Duke of Orléans, known as Monsieur, and Princess Henrietta of England
Princess Henrietta of England
Henrietta Anne of England & Scots was born a Princess of England and Scotland as the youngest daughter of King Charles I of England and his consort Henrietta Maria of France. Fleeing England with her governess at the age of three, she moved to the court of her first cousin Louis XIV of France,...
(youngest child of Queen Henrietta Maria and the dead Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
) on 31 March 1661. Mademoiselle was in attendance with various other members of the court.
Philippe and Henrietta formed a stormy couple. Philippe was an overt homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and openly lived with his lovers at the Palais Royal
Palais Royal
The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and an associated garden located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris...
, much to the dislike of Henrietta. In retaliation, she openly flirted with Louis XIV as well as seduced Philippe's own lover the comte de Guiche
Armand de Gramont, comte de Guiche
Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche was a French nobleman, adventurer, and one of the greatest playboys of the 17th century....
. Mademoiselle was the godmother of Philippe and Henrietta's youngest child, the Mademoiselle de Valois, born in 1670. Once again at Henrietta's death in 1670, Louis XIV asked if Mademoiselle wanted to fill "the vacant place" that had been left by Henrietta, a suggestion she declined.
Mademoiselle and her younger half sister Marguerite Louise
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Deprived of her lover, Charles V of Lorraine, and yearning for France, Marguerite Louise despised her husband and his family, whom she often quarrelled with and falsely suspected of...
enjoyed a close relationship. The two would go to the theatre and attend Mademoiselle's salon.
Marguerite Louise later asked her to sort out arrangements when the Grand Prince of Tuscany
Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo III de' Medici was the penultimate Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. Cosimo's 53-year long reign, the longest in Tuscan history, was marked by a series of ultra-reactionary laws which regulated prostitution and...
proposed an alliance in 1658. Mademoiselle was asked to ensure its fulfilment, a previous proposal from the Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel II was the Duke of Savoy from 1638 to 1675 and under regency of his mother Christine Marie of France until 1663. He was also Marquis of Saluzzo, Count of Aosta, Geneva, Moriana and Nice, as well as claimant king of Cyprus and Jerusalem...
having failed.
Initially overjoyed at the prospect of marrying, Marguerite Louise's ebullience faded to dismay when she discovered Mademoiselle no longer favoured the Tuscan match. After this, Marguerite Louise's behaviour became erratic: she shocked the court by going out unaccompanied with her cousin Prince Charles of Lorraine
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V , Karl V. Leopold, , son of Nicolas François, Duke of Lorraine, and Claude Françoise de Lorraine. Karl Leopold was born in Vienna and became the brother in law of Emperor Leopold and son in law of emperor Ferdinand III...
, who soon became her lover. Her proxy marriage did nothing to change her attitude and she attempted to abscond and go hunting, only to be stopped by Mademoiselle herself.
In 1663, Louis XIV again turned to Mademoiselle in order to arrange a match for his cousin. The intended bridegroom was Alfonso VI of Portugal, who acceded to the Portuguese throne in 1656. The proud Mademoiselle ignored the idea, saying she would rather stay in France with her vast income and estates and that she did not want a husband who was rumoured to be alcoholic, impotent and paralytic. Alfonso instead married Marie Françoise of Savoy
Maria Francisca of Savoy
Maria Francisca of Savoy was a Princess of Savoy and a Queen consort of Portugal. She was the younger daughter of Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours, and Élisabeth de Bourbon. Maria Francisca was actually the consort of two Portuguese kings...
.
An angry Louis thus ordered her to return to Saint-Fargeau for having disobeyed him. This "exile" lasted roughly a year and during it she began to make repairs to the Château d'Eu
Château d'Eu
The Château d'Eu is a former royal residence in the town of Eu, in the Seine-Maritime department of France, in Normandy.The château d'Eu stands at the centre of the town and was built in the 16th century to replace an earlier one purposely demolished in 1475 to prevent its capture by the English...
, where she began to write her memoirs. Appealing to Louis regarding her health, she was allowed to return to court, whereupon Louis proposed that she marry Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel II was the Duke of Savoy from 1638 to 1675 and under regency of his mother Christine Marie of France until 1663. He was also Marquis of Saluzzo, Count of Aosta, Geneva, Moriana and Nice, as well as claimant king of Cyprus and Jerusalem...
, who had previously married Mademoiselle's younger half sister Françoise Madeleine
Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans
Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans was born a Princess of France and was the Duchess of Savoy as the first wife of Charles Emmanuel II. She was a first cousin of Louis XIV as well of her husband...
. Mademoiselle seemed very keen on the match, but Charles Emmanuel II was not, and he made various excuses regarding it. This proposal was to be the last for la Grande Mademoiselle.
Lauzun and later years
Away from court in 1666, Mademoiselle regretted not being present at the entertainments organised at FontainebleauChâteau de Fontainebleau
The Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometres from the centre of Paris, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. The palace as it is today is the work of many French monarchs, building on an early 16th century structure of Francis I. The building is arranged around a series of courtyards...
in honour of Queen Marie Thérèse that summer. At the entertainments was a man called Antoine Nompar de Caumont
Antoine Nompar de Caumont
Antoine Nompar de Caumont, marquis de Puyguilhem, duc de Lauzun was a French courtier and soldier. He was the only love interest of the "greatest heiress in Europe", Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, cousin of Louis XIV.-Biography:...
, an impoverished nobleman from Guyenne
Guyenne
Guyenne or Guienne , , ; Occitan Guiana ) is a vaguely defined historic region of south-western France. The Province of Guyenne, sometimes called the Province of Guyenne and Gascony, was a large province of pre-revolutionary France....
. Close to the king, he was renowned for his wit as well as his evident "sex appeal", despite being "the smallest man god ever made". He was also a distinguished soldier and was part of the marriage negotiations between Louis XIV and Queen Marie Thérèse. Very opinionated and louche, Lauzun once saw Mademoiselle wearing a red ribbon in her hair and declared it too "youthful" for her, to which the proud Mademoiselle replied "people of my rank are always young".
Before long, Mademoiselle fell hopelessly in love with Lauzun. In December 1670, the most senior female at the court (behind Madame Royale,the only legitimate daughter of Louis XIV) she asked Louis XIV's permission to marry Lauzun. Louis accepted, to the astonishment of his court and much to the dislike of Queen Marie Thérèse, Monsieur
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
and various members of the court. The Queen and Monsieur refused to sign the marriage contract. The date for the ceremony was set to occur at the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
on Sunday, 21 December 1670. Lauzun even asked Louis's mistress Madame de Montespan to help convince the king to submit to the match. Mademoiselle was in high spirits later, stating that the days from 15 – 18 December 1670 were the happiest days of her life. She referred to Lauzun as "Monsieur le duc de Montpensier" to her friends.
Mademoiselle secluded herself in her apartments and did not reappear until the beginning of 1671, when she was informed of the arrest of Lauzun without an official reason released. He was taken to the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
and then the Pignerol fortress
Pinerolo
Pinerolo is a town and comune in north-western Italy, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin on the river Chisone.-History:In the Middle Ages, the town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance...
, where he remained until 1681 despite making several attempts to escape.
Determined to get Lauzun freed, Mademoiselle devoted herself to his interests and approached Madame de Montespan to try to encourage the king to release him. The release came at a cost; she would have to sell two of her most profitable lands: the principality of Dombes and the County of Eu. These titles would be given to Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Légitimé de France, Duke of Maine
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
, eldest and favourite son of Louis and Montespan. Capitulating on 2 February 1681, Mademoiselle sold the lands, both of which had a great personal attachment to her. Unknown to Mademoiselle, she was only buying Lauzun's release and the right for him to live on her estates as an exile.
Lauzun was freed on 22 April 1681 and obliged to live quietly at Bourbon
Bourbon-l'Archambault
Bourbon-l'Archambault is a spa town and a commune in the Allier department in Auvergne in central France.-Population:-Personalities:In 1681, Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Tours, the third daughter of Louis XIV and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan died there at...
before returning to Paris, but not the court, rather at the Hôtel de Lauzun
Hôtel de Lauzun
The Hôtel de Lauzun on the quai d'Anjou, Île Saint-Louis, Paris, is the rival of the Hôtel Lambert among the few hôtels particuliers that retain their rich carved, painted, mirrored and gilded interiors from the time of Louis XIV....
, in March 1682. Prior to the death of Queen Marie Thérèse in July 1683, the couple had been on bad terms when they again came together temporarily in their grief. Soon after the two had an interview and that was the last time they saw each other before Mademoiselle retired to her Parisian residence, the Palais du Luxembourg
Luxembourg Palace
The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden , is the seat of the French Senate.The formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model...
.
Death and burial
Mademoiselle fell ill on 15 March 1693 with what appears to have been stoppage of the bladder. Lauzun asked to see her, but due to her pride Mademoiselle refused to admit him. She died at the Palais du LuxembourgLuxembourg Palace
The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden , is the seat of the French Senate.The formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model...
in Paris on Sunday, 5 April 1693. As a Granddaughter of France, the title she treasured so much, she was buried at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis outside Paris on 19 April. At her funeral, according to Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy commonly known as Saint-Simon was a French soldier, diplomatist and writer of memoirs, was born in Paris...
, she was noted as being "the wealthiest single princess of Europe". Laying in state the urn containing her entrails exploded mid-ceremony, which caused chaos as people fled to avoid the smell. Eventually, the ceremony continued with the conclusion of it being "[...] another jest at the expense of Mademoiselle".
Ancestors
Titles and Styles
- 29 May 1627 – 4 June 1693 Her Royal Highness Mademoiselle
- 4 June 1627 – 5 April 1693 Her Royal Highness, Mademoiselle, the Duchess of Montpensier
External links
Mémoires de Mademoiselle de Montpensier Memoirs of Mademoiselle de Montpensier|-
|-