Dames de la cour
Better and lesser known ladies of Louis XIV's court.
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Marie-Anne de Bourbon, Princesse de Conti
Born on 2 October 1666 to Louis XIV and his mistress Louise de La Vallière, Marie-Anne was immediately taken out of the arms of her mother and trusted into those of Marie Charron, the wife of Finance Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Like her birth, this transition happened in total secrecy. Marie-Anne was the fourth child of the couple, but all…
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Marie-Elisabeth de Ludres, Marquise de Bayon
A canoness, an almost-Duchesse, a mistress. Born in Lorraine in 1647 to Jean de Ludres and his wife Claude des Salles, Marie-Elisabeth came from a family related to the first Ducs de Bourgogne. Due to her high-birth, she was admitted to the Chapitre des dames nobles de Poussay, a abbey of women, as child to be educated and raised virtuous. Isabelle,…
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Anne de Rohan-Chabot, Princesse de Soubise
Anne-Julie de Rohan-Chabot was born in 1648 to Marguerite de Rohan and Henri Chabot. She was the third child born in a marriage that was a proper scandal. Her mother was the only child of Henri de Rohan, Duc de Rohan, and her family held the rank of Prince étranger. As Henri de Rohan died, Marguerite became Duchesse de…
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Marie-Émilie Thérèse de Joly de Choin, Mademoiselle de Choin, secret wife of le Grand Dauphin
Like the father, so the son. After the demise of Marie-Thérèse d’Autriche in 1683, Louis XIV married Françoise d’Aubigné in secret. His son Louis de France, married a certain Mademoiselle de Choin after the death of his wife. Marie-Émilie Thérèse de Joly de Choin was born on 2 August in 1670 to at Bourg-en-Bresse to Guillaume Claude de Joly de Choin, grand bailiff…
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Marie-Thérèse de France, Madame Royale
The fourth child and third daughter of Louis XIV and his wife Marie-Thérèse d’Autriche died two months after her fifth birthday. Born at the château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, like her father, on 2 January in 1667, as a fille de France -daughter of France- Marie-Thérèse carried the last-name of de France. As the oldest daughter of the King, she also…
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Marie-Anne de Bavière, Dauphine de France
Maria-Anna Christine Victoria born on 28 November 1660, the future mother of Spain’s first Bourbon king, was the oldest daughter of Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria, and his wife Princesse Henriette-Adélaïde de Savoie, granddaughter of Henri IV de France. Born in the Bavarian capital Munich, Marie-Anne was given an education to prepare for a future role as Queen. Aged…
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Françoise-Thérèse de Voyer de Dorée, dite Mademoiselle de Dorée
Coming from a less prestigious and younger branch of the Voyer family, Françoise-Thérèse’s date of birth is unfortunately not known. She was a daughter of René de Voyer, Chevalier et Seigneur de Dorée, who was known as the Comte de Dorée and served as councillor to Louis XIV, while his wife acted as governess to the children Louis XIV had with Madame…
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Marie-Antoinette de Rouvroy, Comtesse d’Oisy
Born around 1660 to Pierre de Rouvroy, Seigneur de Puys and Ursule de Gontery, Marie-Antoinette was known as Mademoiselle de Rouvroy before her marriage. With beauty and wit, she managed to wake Louis XIV’s interest in 1681. Unfortunately for her, she did not become the new Madame de Montespan and the affair did not last long. Mademoiselle de Rouvroy served…
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Anne-Madeleine de L’Isle Marivaux, Marquise de Calvisson
Anne-Madeleine de L’Isle Marivaux was the daughter of François de L’Isle Marivaux, Marquis de Marivaux and his wife Catherine Caillebot. The couple was married in 1630 and had six children, four sons and two daughters. Not much is known about Anne-Madeleine, called Mademoiselle de Marivaux before her marriage, early days apart from that she was a pretty girl and…
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Louise-Elisabeth de Rouxel, dite Madame de Grancey
Born in 1653 to Jacques de Rouxel, Comte de Grancey and Médavy as well as Marshal of France, and his second wife Charlotte de Mornay-Villarceaux, Louise-Elisabeth (sometimes also called Isabelle) had twenty-one siblings. Called Mademoiselle de Grancey, after her father’s property, Louise-Elisabeth found her way into the Household of the King’s brother with the help of her mother and one…
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Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné
When it comes to anecdotes or gossip from the court of Louis XIV, the name Madame de Sévigné shows up plenty. Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, born on February 5 in 1626, left us plenty material in form of letters to transport us back into the time of the Sun King. Marie was born in the heart of Paris in the…
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Marie-Madeleine Agnès de Gontaut Biron, Marquise de Nogaret
Born in 1653, and known as Mademoiselle de Biron before her marriage, Marie-Madeleine managed to wake the interest of Louis XIV in the 1680’s. Her father, François de Gontaut, Marquis de Biron et Baron de Saint Blancard, served as lieutenant-general of the King’s armies. Her mother Elisabeth de Cossé-Brissac, a daughter of the Duc de Brissac, Grand Panetier de France.…
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Marie-Angélique de Scorraille de Roussille, Duchesse de Fontanges
Born in July 1661, a few months before Louis XIV’s heir was born, Marie-Angélique was to become the last great love of the Sun King and suffered an early and mysterious death aged only twenty. Marie-Angélique was born at the at the Château de Cropières in Upper Auvergne to Jean-Rigal de Scoraille, serving as Lieutenant to the King in…
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Catherine Charlotte de Gramont, Princesse de Monaco
Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont was born in either 1638 or 1639 as second child and first daughter of Antoine III de Gramont and his wife Françoise-Marguerite du Plessis de Chivré. Her father being a great military commander, her mother a great beauty and her older brother the infamous Comte de Guiche. Mademoiselle de Gramont spent much of her youth with the…
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Marie-Anne de Wurtemberg, Princesse de Wurtemberg
Anna-Maria-Ignacia von Württemberg, sometimes also Maria-Anna, or in French Marie-Anne-Ignace de Wurtemberg, was the daughter of Ulrich von Württemberg-Neuenbürg, younger brother of the reigning Herzog von Württemberg, and his second wife. His first wife Gräfin Sophia Dorothea von Solms, which he married in 1647, had died in child-bed and the child two days later. Ulrich married again in 1651, this…
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Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise de Thianges
Born in 1633 at Lussac-Les-Châteaux into the illustrious de Rochechouart de Mortemart family, Gabrielle was the older sister of the famous Madame de Montespan and just like her little sister, Gabrielle was celebrated for her great beauty, sharp mind and wit. Gabrielle was the first-born child of Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart and his wife Diane de Grandseigne. Her childhood…
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Dame Louise de Maisonblanche
Louise-Marie-Antoinette-Josèphe-Jeanne de Bourbon-Maisonblanche was born on June 17 in 1676 as daughter of Philippe de Maisonblanche, Captain of the Guards/Cavalry, and his wife Gabrielle de La Tour. This was the official version at least. The girl, her name being shortened to Louise de Maisonblanche, was actually the daughter of Claude de Vin des Œillets, a lady-in-waiting and companion of Madame…
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Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon
A plague at the Hotel du Chaumont in Niort suggests Françoise d’Aubigné, the future Marquise de Maintenon, was born there… but that seems not to be quite true. Her father, Constant Agrippa d’Aubigné lodged in the city of Niort, in its prison to be precise, for allegedly conspiring against Cardinal Richelieu. He led quite the debauched life, murdered his wife along with her…
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Élisabeth-Charlotte du Palatinat, Duchesse d’Orléans
She is known under many names and one of my favourite people in history. In Germany most people know her by her nickname Liselotte von der Pfalz. In France she is Élisabeth-Charlotte du Palatinat or de Bavière, some call her la Palatine or simply Madame. As she was born in Heidelberg on May 27 in 1652, her parents gave her the name Elisabeth…
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Marie-Thérèse d’Autriche
Marie-Thérèse d’Autriche was born on September 10 in 1638, five days after her future husband, which made many believe they were meant for each other. As daughter of the reining King of Spain Philip IV and his Queen Élisabeth de France, sister of Louis XIII, Marie-Thérèse was Infanta of Spain – meaning as much as Princess – from the day she…