Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Encyclopedia
Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marchioness of Thianges (1633 – 12 September 1693) was a French noblewoman. A great beauty and wit, she was the older sister of Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Madame de Montespan
.
. She was originally placed by her parents in the household of the young king, Louis XIV. Later, she joined the household of his younger brother, Philippe, duc d'Anjou
. Gabrielle and the duc d'Anjou remained close friends for the rest of their lives, even after he succeeded to the duchy of Orléans and became known at court as the notoriously flamboyant homosexual, Monsieur.
In 1655 she married Claude Leonor Damas de Thianges, Marquis of Thianges. The couple had four children, the third of whom married and had issue.
Although she may have been a mistress of Louis XIV, she never gained the power and influence over the king exercised by her younger sister, Madame de Montespan
who became the king's maîtresse-en-titre
in 1668. Gabrièlle was with her sister during the French military tour when Madame de Montespan became Louis XIV's mistress. She was also with the court when La Montespan gave birth to her daughter by Louis XIV, Mademoiselle de Nantes
, at Tournai
in June 1673.
Her daughter Diane married the homosexual Philippe Jules Mancini, duc de Nevers and nephew of Cardinal Mazarin. Through Diane, Gabrielle was the grandmother of Philippe Jules François Mancini and great-grandmother of Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini, the prominent French diplomat and writer. She was very close to her daughter, Diane, as well as to her sister, La Montespan.
She died in 1693, roughly 60 years of age.
She is also an ancestor of the present Prince of Monaco
through Prince Pierre, Duke of Valentinois She was an ancestor of the husband of Marie Antoinette
's favourite, the duchesse de Polignac.
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
.
Biography
Gabrielle was the eldest child of Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart and his wife, Diane de Grandseigne. She joined the court in 1651 during 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....
. She was originally placed by her parents in the household of the young king, Louis XIV. Later, she joined the household of his younger brother, Philippe, duc d'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...
. Gabrielle and the duc d'Anjou remained close friends for the rest of their lives, even after he succeeded to the duchy of Orléans and became known at court as the notoriously flamboyant homosexual, Monsieur.
In 1655 she married Claude Leonor Damas de Thianges, Marquis of Thianges. The couple had four children, the third of whom married and had issue.
Although she may have been a mistress of Louis XIV, she never gained the power and influence over the king exercised by her younger sister, Madame de Montespan
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
who became the king's maîtresse-en-titre
Maîtresse-en-titre
The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief mistress of the king of France. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments. The title really came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued until the reign of Louis XV....
in 1668. Gabrièlle was with her sister during the French military tour when Madame de Montespan became Louis XIV's mistress. She was also with the court when La Montespan gave birth to her daughter by Louis XIV, Mademoiselle de Nantes
Louise-Françoise de Bourbon
Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest surviving legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan. She was said to have been named after her godmother, Louise de La Vallière, the woman that her mother had replaced as the king's...
, at Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
in June 1673.
Her daughter Diane married the homosexual Philippe Jules Mancini, duc de Nevers and nephew of Cardinal Mazarin. Through Diane, Gabrielle was the grandmother of Philippe Jules François Mancini and great-grandmother of Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini, the prominent French diplomat and writer. She was very close to her daughter, Diane, as well as to her sister, La Montespan.
She died in 1693, roughly 60 years of age.
She is also an ancestor of the present Prince of Monaco
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly...
through Prince Pierre, Duke of Valentinois She was an ancestor of the husband of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
's favourite, the duchesse de Polignac.
Issue
- Claude Henri Philibert Damas de Thianges, Marquis of Thianges (1663-4 January 1708) married twice (1) Anne Claire de La Chapelle and had no issue; (2) married again to Anne Philippe de Harlay and had no issue;
- Diane Gabrielle Damas de Thianges, Duchess of Nevers (?-12 January 1715) married Philippe Jules Mancini and had issue;
- Louise Elvide Damas de Thianges Duchess of Sforza married Luigi Sforza-Conti, Duca di Ognano & Segni on 30 October 1678 had no issue;
- Gabrielle Damas de Thianges (?-c.1693) never married;