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Arcadie Claret, Mistress of King Leopold I of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Arcadie Claret was the mistress of King Leopold I of the Belgians from around 1842 until the King’s death in 1865.

Arcadie Claret, Baroness von Eppinghoven. source: Wikipedia

Marie Anne Arcadie Eugénie Claret was born in Brussels on May 30, 1826, one of thirteen children of Major Charles-Joseph Claret and Henriette Neetesonne. Her father was a veteran of Napoleon’s army and the treasurer of the Ministry of War’s Fund for Widows and Orphans of the Belgian Army.

Leopold I of the Belgians. source: Wikipedia

Arcadie was just in her late teens when she became the mistress of King Leopold I. The King moved her into a grand house in Saint-Josse-ten-Node near Brussels, where he visited often. Because their relationship became publicly known and widely discussed in the press, Leopold arranged a marriage between Arcadie and Ferdinand Meyer, his Master of the Stable and friend. This marriage of convenience took place in 1845 and provided some relief from the intense speculation about Arcadie and her relationship with Leopold. Arcadie and Leopold had two sons together. Both were registered as the children of her husband, and given the surname Meyer:

Georg Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven. source: Wikipedia

  • Georg Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven (November 14, 1849-February 3, 1904) – born at the monastery of Saint-Joseph des Filles de la Croix in Liège, served as an officer in the Prussian Army. He and his wife, Anna Brust (a former chambermaid of his mother’s), had three children. They lived primarily at the family farm in Langenfeld before his death in Monheim in 1904.

Arthur Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven. source: Wikipedia

  • Arthur Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven (September 25, 1852 – November 9, 1940) – born at the Château de Stuyvenberg Laken, served as Grand Marshal of the Grand Ducal Court of Coburg. He and his wife, Anna Harris, had one daughter. After the fall of the German monarchies in 1918, he returned to Belgium, formally changing his surname to von Eppinghoven, and took Belgian citizenship. He received some financial support from his half-nephew, King Albert I of the Belgians, and is buried near the Royal Crypt in the cemetery of Laeken.

The subject of intense criticism following the birth of her first child, Arcadie left Belgium in late 1850, just days before King Leopold’s wife Queen Louise Marie, died. After living for a year in Germany, Arcadie returned to Belgium in the fall of 1851, determined to maintain a discreet profile. With financial help from Leopold, she purchased the Château de Stuyvenberg for 80,000 francs, just steps from the Palace of Laeken. Over the next few years, she had the Château enlarged to provide a home for her own family, her mother, and several siblings. Here, the King would often visit every day, enjoying a quiet family life with Arcadie and their sons.

In addition to purchasing Stuyvenberg, Arcadie received a farmhouse in Monheim, Germany, from the King in 1851. A modest residence – originally an abbey farm named Eppinghoven – Arcadie soon had a more substantial castle built and following the King’s death, she would spend the remainder of her life there.

Château de Stuyvenberg. source: Wikipedia

In 1862, a year after Arcadie and her husband formally separated, King Leopold I sought to secure the future of their sons. He attempted to have them elevated to the Belgian nobility but  the government denied his request. Instead, he asked his nephew, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, to establish noble titles within the Coburg nobility. Both George and Arthur were created Baron von Eppinghoven in 1862, and the following year, Arcadie was also elevated to Baroness von Eppinghoven. I 1870, Arcadie purchased a farm – the Langfort Domain – in Langenfeld for her sons – once again with the help of King Leopold and his generosity.

During the relationship, which lasted over 20 years, Arcadie and King Leopold were devoted to each other. She often accompanied him on his travels and visits abroad and maintained a  peaceful and quiet home for the King in Belgium. Stuyvenberg became a refuge for him from the stresses of his role.

Following the King’s death in December 1865, Arcadie was no longer welcome within the Belgian royal family. Within days of his death, Arcadie and her sons left Brussels and settled at her castle in Monheim. Despite leaving, she maintained ownership of Stuyvenberg for the next 24 years before finally selling it – through an intermediary – to King Leopold II who later transferred it to the Royal Trust.

Arcadie Claret Meyer, Baroness von Eppinghoven, lived a quiet and private life in Monheim for the next 31 years before passing away there on January 13, 1897.

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Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione, Mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione was the mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France from 1856-1857.

Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione; source: Wikipedia

Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoïni was born on March 22, 1837 in Florence. She was the only daughter of Marquis Filippo Oldoïni – later the Italian Ambassador to Portugal – and Isabella Lamporecchi. At the age of 17, she married Francesco Verasis, Count of Castiglione on January 9, 1854. A year later she gave birth to her only child, a son Georgio.

Elsewhere in Europe at the time, an effort was made to establish a unified and independent Kingdom of Italy. Virginia’s cousin Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, who served as a minister to King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia (and later as the first Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy), saw the young beautiful Virginia as a way to gain the attention and support of the French Emperor Napoleon III. At her cousin’s request, Virginia and her husband traveled to Paris on Christmas Day in 1855. Just a few weeks later, she was presented to Emperor Napoleon III at a ball held at the home of Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, and within a few months, she had become his mistress. While such relationships were usually maintained with some level of discretion, Virginia and the Emperor made no secret of theirs. The scandal and humiliation led to a formal separation between Virginia and her husband.

Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione; source: Wikipedia

Virginia’s affair with Emperor Napoleon III ended in 1857, and she returned to Italy. Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was established, and Virginia maintained that her influence had, in part, contributed to the unification. By 1861, she had moved to France where she settled in Passy before returning to Paris. By then a very wealthy woman, she devoted much of her time and fortune to her newfound passion – photography.

La Dame de Coeurs. source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

In 1856, Virginia began posing for Pierre-Louis Pierson, a photographer favored by the Imperial Court. Many of the photographs depicted specific moments from her life, while others were recreations of historical figures. One, shown above, titled La Dame de Coeurs (The Lady of Hearts), was displayed in the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867. Over the next forty years, Virginia sat for more than 700 photographs, all very carefully choreographed by Virginia herself. After her death, Robert de Montesquiou, a noted poet and art collector, amassed over 400 of these photographs, many of which are now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Countess of Castiglione, photographed in 1893. source: Wikipedia

In her later years, following the death of her estranged husband in 1867 and her son in 1879, Virginia became a virtual recluse, rarely leaving her apartments in Paris. No longer having the immense beauty of her youth, she had all her mirrors covered and refused to go out in public until after dark, always draping herself in scarves to avoid anyone seeing her face. In the mid-1890s, perhaps in an attempt to recapture her youth, she collaborated with Pierson once again for a series of photographs, many of them in the same costumes and outfits from years earlier.

Virginia Oldoïni, Countess of Castiglione died on November 28, 1899, at the age of 62. She is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

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Countess Maria Walewska, Mistress of Emperor Napoleon I of France

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Maria Walewska was a member of the Polish nobility, and became the mistress of the French Emperor Napoleon I, with whom she had one son.

photo: By François Gérard – Own work image taken by Mathiasrex, Maciej Szczepańczyk, 30 November 2013, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29934370

Countess Maria Łączyńska was born in Kiernozia, Poland on December 7, 1786, one of seven children of Count Mateusz Łączyński and Eva Zaborowska. She was privately educated for several years by Nicolas Chopin, the father of famed composer Frederic Chopin. Later, she attended the Our Lady of the Assumption convent in Warsaw, to complete her education in the manner expected of those from the aristocracy.

In 1804, Marie married Athenasius Count Colonna-Walewski, a former Chamberlain to the last King of Poland. She was just 17 at the time, while her husband was in his late 60s. Later Marie would say that her family pushed her into the marriage against her will. The couple had one son, Antoni Colonna-Walewski, born in 1805.

Emperor Napoleon I. source: Wikipedia

Marie first met Napoleon on January 1, 1807, when the Emperor passed through Blonie on his way to Warsaw. According to her memoirs, Marie and a cousin rushed to join the crowds, hoping to get a glimpse of his carriage. A French officer saw her trying to get closer and brought her over to Napoleon’s carriage to greet him personally. The Emperor gave her a bouquet which was sitting in his carriage, and said he hoped they would meet again soon, perhaps in Warsaw.

Shortly after that first meeting, Marie was invited to attend a ball held in Warsaw, where she again met the Emperor who was quickly smitten with her. The next day, the grand marshal of the palace arrived at her home with a large bouquet of flowers and a sealed letter from Napoleon. Several more letters followed before Marie agreed – with the consent of her family and her husband – to become the Emperor’s mistress. This was also encouraged by the members of the Polish aristocracy who hoped that this relationship might help them in their quest for Poland to regain its independence. Marie states in her memoirs that she agreed to the affair for this reason alone.

Their affair was very well known, yet they took every effort to keep it a secret. Marie would only come to see Napoleon at night, secretly entering and leaving the palace in darkness. She later took up apartments adjoining his at Finckenstein Palace in East Prussia which Napoleon used as his field headquarters. Still, she refused to leave the palace for fear of being seen and having their relationship discovered. When Napoleon moved to Vienna, she moved into a house adjacent to Schönbrunn Palace where the Emperor was living. During this time, she became pregnant and on May 4, 1810, she gave birth to her only child with the Emperor, Alexandre Joseph. Although Napoleon’s son, he was recognized as the son of her husband and was titled Count Alexandre Joseph Colonna-Walewski.

The following year, she followed the Emperor back to Paris. There, she was given a large residence on the Rue de Montmorency as well as a very generous allowance. However, around the same time, her romance with Napoleon came to an end. He was planning to divorce his wife Josephine and marry Marie Louise of Austria. The end was very amicable, and Napoleon ensured that Marie and their son were very well provided for financially.

Philippe Antoine, Count d’Ornano. source: Wikipedia

In 1812, Marie divorced her husband and received half of his estates, which in addition to the money provided by the Emperor, made Marie a very wealthy woman. Four years later, in September 1816, she married for a second time to Philippe Antoine, Count d’Ornano, a prominent military leader and a second cousin of Napoleon. They settled in Liege, and Marie became pregnant right away. In January 1817, while on a visit to Poland, she was diagnosed with a kidney disease, which became worse due to her pregnancy. The couple’s only child – Rudolph Augustus d’Ornano was born in Liege on June 9, 1817. However, Marie’s health continued to deteriorate. Over the next several months, she dictated her memoirs to her secretary. The Countess d’Ornano died in Paris on December 11, 1817, at just 31 years old. Per her wishes, her heart was interred in the Ornano family crypt at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, while her body was returned to Poland and buried with her family in Kiernozia.

Marie’s coffin in the family crypt in Kiernozia, Poland. photo: By Jolanta Dyr – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25352176

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Jeanne Bécu, Countess du Barry, Mistress of King Louis XV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Jeanne Bécu, Countess du Barry was the last official mistress of King Louis XV of France, from 1768 until the King died in 1774.

Jeanne Bécu, Countess du Barry – source: Wikipedia

Jeanne Bécu was born August 19, 1743 in Vaucouleurs, France, the illegitimate daughter of Anne Bécu. Her father was probably Jean Jacques Gomard, a local friar. As a child, the family moved to Paris under the care of a friend – and possible lover – of her mother. She was soon sent to the Convent of Saint-Aure for her education. After finishing her schooling, she returned home to her mother and her mother’s husband. With limited income and resources, Jeanne took several jobs to provide herself a living. She worked as a companion to an elderly woman, and as an assistant in a haberdashery shop, among other things.

A remarkably beautiful woman, Jeanne found that her looks were the way to provide herself with a very good living. In 1763, she met Jean-Baptiste du Barry, a casino owner who also worked as a pimp. Soon, she was living with du Barry and became his mistress. Du Barry brought Jeanne into the highest circles of society and she soon became a well-respected courtesan – entertaining numerous men from the highest levels of society as well as the French court. These included the Duke de Richelieu, one of the courtiers of King Louis XV. She would eventually catch the King’s attention in 1768 while visiting Versailles and quickly became his mistress. In order to allow her to be present at court, a marriage was arranged to du Barry’s brother Count Guillaume du Barry, on September 1, 1768.

Jeanne took rooms above those of King Louis XV, but could not be seen publicly with him as she had not yet been formally presented at court. This eventually happened on April 22, 1769, and Jeanne became the King’s official mistress (maîtresse-en-titre).

King Louis XV lavished Jeanne with gifts of jewelry and fine gowns, and rarely refused any of her requests. Her influence over Louis was very strong, and she often used it to help others. Despite the King’s devotion, Jeanne was disliked by many at court, including several who did everything possible to get rid of her. But the King would have no part of that and refused to hear any bad words about her.

During her tenure, she obtained a title for her mother and financial security for her family. It would be her financial extravagance that began to make her more unpopular. Despite receiving a very generous monthly income from the King, she was perpetually in debt. Despite that, Jeanne would remain the King’s closest confidante and lover until his death.

By Château de Breteuil – Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76856531

In 1772, King Louis XV commissioned a diamond necklace to be made for Madame du Barry, requesting that it be of greater splendor than anything else made.  Sadly, he died before the necklace was completed or paid for, and Jeanne never received it.  This necklace was the central element of the Diamond Necklace Affair, in which Queen Marie Antoinette was accused of bribing a cardinal to purchase the necklace for herself.  These accusations were contributing factors to the beginning of the French Revolution.

Following  King Louis XV’s death in 1774, Jeanne was banished from court and sent to the Abbey du Pont-aux-Dames. After a year, she was permitted to leave the abbey but banned from coming within 10 miles of Versailles. She eventually purchased property in Louveciennes where she moved in 1778.

During her time as the King’s mistress, Jeanne had been gifted with a slave – Zamor – who remained in her household. Zamor later joined the Jacobin club, and upon discovering this, Jeanne dismissed him. In retaliation, Zamor gave testimony implying that Jeanne had assisted numerous aristocrats who had fled the French Revolution. Due to this testimony, Jeanne was arrested and charged with treason. A swift trial took place and she was found guilty and sentenced to death by guillotine.

Madame du Barry was beheaded on December 8, 1793 on the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde). Her remains were interred in the Madeleine Cemetery in Paris.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

The de Mailly Sisters, Mistresses of King Louis XV of France

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The de Mailly sisters – Louise, Pauline, Diane and Marie Anne – were all mistresses of King Louis XV of France at various times between 1732 and 1745.

King Louis XV of France. source: Wikipedia

The de Mailly sisters were the daughters of Louis de Mailly, Marquis de Nesle et de Mailly, Prince d’Orange, and Armande Félice de La Porte Mazarin. Closely connected to the French court, their mother was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie (Marie Leszczyńska), the wife of King Louis XV. They also had another sister, Hortense (1715-1799), and a half-sister, Henriette de Bourbon (1725-1780) from their mother’s affair with the Duke de Bourbon.

Because of their family’s close connection to the French court, all of the de Mailly sisters were often in the company of the King. The first to become his mistress was Louise Julie.

Louise Julie de Mailly

Louise Julie de Mailly. source: Wikipedia

Louise Julie was the eldest of the de Mailly sisters, born in 1710. She married her father’s cousin, Louis-Alexandre, Comte de Mailly in 1726. Upon her mother’s death in 1729, she replaced her mother as Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Marie.

Promoted as a mistress by Cardinal Fleury, Louise was presented to the King and she soon fell in love with him. By 1732, she became his mistress. Preferring to keep their relationship a secret, she was not named as his official mistress for another 6 years. During that time, she was known simply as “The Fair Unknown”, visiting the King’s apartments under the cover of darkness and covering her face so as not to be recognized. It wasn’t until 1738 that her identity was discovered, and the King quickly acknowledged her as his chief mistress and established her in apartments next to his own. Soon accepted at court, Louise did not like the attention that her position brought her. She much preferred to remain in the background, devoted to Louis. She would fall out of favor in 1739 when her younger sister Pauline came to court and quickly supplanted Louise as the King’s mistress. Following Pauline’s death in 1741, the King returned to Louise once again. But this would also be short-lived, as a third de Mailly sister – Marie Anne – would soon arrive and capture the King’s attention. Marie Anne quickly worked to have Louise removed from court, and she was soon dismissed. Despite pleas to the King, Louise left Versailles at the end of 1742 and retired to a convent in Paris. Louise de Mailly died there in March 1751, at the age of 41.

Pauline Félicité de Mailly

Pauline Félicité de Mailly, Countess de Vintimille. source: Wikipedia

Pauline Félicité was the second de Mailly daughter, and the second to become the King’s mistress. Intent on seducing the King, she persuaded her elder sister Louise to invite her to court in 1738. She soon caught the King’s attention and he reportedly fell madly in love with her. Although Louise retained her position as maîtresse en titre (chief mistress), it was Pauline who received more of his attention. The King arranged a marriage to Jean Baptiste de Vintimille, Marquis de Vintimille and Count de Luc in 1739, which provided her the status and rank necessary to remain at court.

While Louise was quiet and remained in the background, Pauline sought both attention and recognition of her position. This led to much distrust and hatred both within the court and from the public. She soon became pregnant by the King, and gave birth to a son – Charles de Vintimille – on September 2, 1741. Sadly, she died of convulsions just seven days later, on September 9, 1741. King Louis was devastated and soon returned his affections to Louise… until the arrival of a third de Mailly sister.

Marie Anne de Mailly

Marie Anne de Mailly, Duchess of Châteauroux. source: Wikipedia

Marie Anne was the youngest of the de Mailly sisters, born in 1717. She was married to Jan Baptiste Louis, Marquis de La Tournelle in 1734 and had no children. Following the death of her sister Pauline in 1741, Marie Anne joined their eldest sister Louise and soon established herself within the French court. She also set her eyes on becoming the King’s mistress. She was formally introduced to the King by the Duke de Richelieu at a masked ball in 1742. Richelieu felt he could use Marie Anne to influence the king in political matters, and encouraged the relationship. At first she resisted the King’s advances, but soon found herself working toward replacing her eldest sister. Much more outspoken and ambitious than Louise, Marie Anne – with the help of Richelieu and Cardinal Fleury – quickly pushed her way ahead of her sister, becoming the King’s primary mistress.

By December 1742, Marie Anne had managed to have her sister Louise removed from court and formally became his new mistress. Much more demanding than any of his previous mistresses, Marie Anne provided him a list of conditions and demands, to which he quickly acquiesced. These included her demand that Louise be banished from Court, her own elevation to the rank of Duchess (she was created Duchess de Châteauroux in October 1743), and arranging a marriage for her sister Diane to the Duke of Lauraguais so she could be present at court. Marie Anne, unlike her sisters, sought to influence the King in political matters, often with the disagreement of his advisors.

Soon rumors spread that Marie Anne and her sister Diane would often “entertain” the King together, leading to great scandal and loathing for the two de Mailly sisters. Following a grave illness in 1744, the King renounced his mistresses and sought the forgiveness of his wife, vowing to pursue no other woman. But that didn’t last long – within several months, he secretly visited Marie Anne and had her brought back to Versailles and restored to his position as his chief mistress. However, just weeks later, she fell ill and died on December 8, 1744, convinced that she had been poisoned.

Diane Adélaïde de Mailly

Diane Adélaïde de Mailly, Duchess de Lauraguais. source: Wikipedia

Diane Adélaïde was the third born of the de Mailly sisters, born in 1714, but the last one to become the King’s mistress. As seemed to be the tradition with the sisters, Diane came to court at the invitation of her younger sister, Marie Anne, who had established herself as the King’s primary mistress. Marie Anne arranged a marriage for Diane to Louise de Brancas, Duke de Lauraguais, in January 1743. This allowed Diane to be present at court, and before long she caught the attention of the King himself. Diane often accompanied her sister to visit the King while he was traveling with his forces. Rumors soon spread that the sisters would “entertain” the king together, which caused quite a scandal throughout the country.

In 1744, Diane and Marie Anne were visiting the King in Metz when he fell gravely ill. The King, fearing he was going to die, renounced his mistresses and asked the Queen’s forgiveness for his adulterous ways. The sisters were quickly dispatched back to Paris. The King recovered and eventually returned to Paris as well. Once there, he returned to his old ways, visiting Marie Anne and restoring her to her position as his official royal mistress. However, she soon died – in December 1744 – and the King turned to Diane for comfort and affection. The relationship would not last very long though. Within a few months, the King turned his attention to a new mistress – Madame de Pompadour.

Diane left court and remained quietly in Paris until her death in November 1769 at the age of 55.

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Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour, Royal Mistress and Confidante of King Louis XV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Madame de Pompadour was the official mistress of King Louis XV of France from 1745 until 1750, and continued to serve as one of the King’s closest confidantes until her death in 1764.

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadou.source: Wikipedia

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson was born to François Poisson and Madeleine de la Motte on December 29, 1721. It is believed that her biological father was Charles Le Normant de Tournehem, who later became her guardian in 1725 after her father was forced to leave France over a large number of unpaid debts. Tournehem arranged for Jeanne to receive the best possible education at a convent in Poissy, but due to her ill health – believed to be whooping cough – she returned back to Paris just four years later, where she continued her education at home. According to rumor, her mother consulted a fortune teller who foretold that Jeanne would one day “reign over the heart of a King”. This led to her being given the nickname “Reinette” (little queen).

In 1741, Tournehem arranged for Jeanne to marry his nephew, Charles Guillaume Le Normant d’Étoiles. As part of the alliance, he made d’Étoiles his sole heir, and gifted Jeanne with a large estate at Étoiles, adjacent to one of the royal hunting grounds. The couple had two children:

  • Charles Guillaume Louis d’Étoiles (1741) – died in infancy
  • Alexandrine Le Normant d’Étoiles (1744) – died in childhood

Her marriage gained her access to Parisian high society and soon she was one of the prominent hostesses at her home at Étoiles. By 1742, the King had been made aware of her, and soon she began to pursue him. After crossing paths several times, Jeanne was soon invited to a masked ball in February 1745. At the ball, the King publicly declared his affection for her and by the following month, she was his mistress. She was given apartments directly about the King’s at the Palace of Versailles and was officially separated from her husband two months later. In order to allow her to be present at court, the King purchased the Marquisate of Pompadour and gifted the estate and a coat of arms to Jeanne. She was now the Marquise de Pompadour. Later that year, she made her formal entry to court and quickly ingratiated herself with the Queen, determined to establish good relationships with the members of the royal family.

King Louis XV of France. source: Wikipedia

Perhaps closer to the King than anyone else in his life, Jeanne exerted significant influence on him when it came to both personal and political matters. Louis relied greatly on her advice and support, and in turn, was immensely generous in his gifts to her.

Most prominent among the King’s gifts were the properties and estates that Jeanne received. In 1746, the King purchased the estate of Crécy, and that same year gave her a large area within the Park of Versailles where a beautiful house and gardens were built for her. In 1748, the King gave her a large estate in Meudon where she had the Château de Bellevue built over the next two years. During this time, the nearby Château de La Celle was added to her growing list of properties, providing her with someplace nearby to live while overseeing the construction of Bellevue.

By 1750, her physical relationship with the King had ended, but unlike other mistresses who had been cast off, Jeanne remained at the King’s side, continuing to be his closest advisor and confidante. She also worked toward exposing Louis to the arts and culture, promoting festivals and theatrical performances, and consistently inviting new artists and artisans to the French court. Despite their romantic relationship being over, the King’s gifts continued to show his deep affection and respect for Jeanne.

At the end of 1753, King Louis purchased the Hotel d’Evreux in Paris to provide Jeanne with her own residence in the city. However, Jeanne spent most of her time at Versailles or visiting her daughter, and avoided Paris as much as possible. Public sentiment in the city was never in her favor, as most resented the fact that she was a commoner enjoying the company of their King. Years later, the property would become known as the Elysée Palace, and now serves as the official residence of the President of France.

In 1756, she was appointed Lady of the Palace to the Queen, the highest possible position at the French court, and in 1760, he purchased the Marquisate of Menars and Jeanne was created Marquise de Menars. Three years later, he elevated Menars to a duchy, making Jeanne the Duchess de Menars.

Madame de Pompadour.source: Wikipedia

After having been at the French court for twenty years, Jeanne’s constant ill-health began to take its toll on her. She contracted tuberculosis and became gravely ill. During this time, the King personally helped to care for her, but with no success. On April 15, 1764, in her apartments at the Palace of Versailles, Madame de Pompadour died at the age of 42. Per her wishes, she was buried in the chapel of the Capuchin convent in Paris, alongside her mother and daughter. In her will, she left many of her properties to the King, while the rest were inherited by her brother.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise de Montespan, Mistress of King Louis XIV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Madame de Montespan was one of the most notable mistresses of King Louis XIV of France, from 1667 until the early 1680s.

Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise de Montespan; Credit – Wikipedia

Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart was born on October 5, 1640 in Lussac-les-Châteaux, France, the 3rd of 5 children of Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke de Mortemart and Diane de Granseigne. Her father was a prominent member of the court of King Louis XIII of France, serving as First Gentleman of the Chamber, and was also a close confidante of Queen Anne of France (born Anne of Austria). Her mother also served as a lady-in-waiting to The Queen.

Raised at her family’s estates and the French court in Paris, she began her formal education at the Convent of Saint Mary at Saintes and became very religious. At 20 years old, she became a maid of honor to the Duchess of Orléans (born Princess Henrietta of England), and later a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Therese of France (born Maria Teresa of Spain).

On January 28, 1663, at the Église Saint-Eustache in Paris, she married  Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Marquis de Montespan. The couple had two children:

King Louis XIV of France. source: Wikipedia

A prominent figure in the French court, Madame de Montespan soon set out to become the primary mistress of King Louis XIV, replacing his current mistress Louise de La Vallière. Before long, she developed an intimate relationship with the King and slowly pushed Louise out of his life. By 1669, she had become his primary mistress and had given birth to her first child with the King.

Françoise-Athénaïs and King Louis XIV had seven children:

The children were raised by Madame Scarron, the Marquise de Maintenon, who would later become King Louis XIV’s second wife. In 1673, Françoise-Athénaïs’ children were legitimized by the King, although Françoise-Athénaïs’s name was not listed, as she was still married to her husband at the time. In 1674, she and her husband were officially separated but never divorced.

In 1677, Madame de Montespan was involved in the Affaire des Poissons (Affair of the Poisons) which would lead to the end of her influence and power at court and her relationship with the King. Over a period of several years, many prominent members of the court were charged and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft. Accusations were made that Madame de Montespan was involved, with allegations that she had engaged a midwife, Catherine Deshayes Monvoison, to perform black masses to retain the King’s favor. Françoise-Athénaïs was never charged, but rumors and scandal swirled through the French court.

By 1691, Madame de Montespan was no longer in favor with King Louis XIV and left the French court for a convent in Paris. Louis XIV gave her a generous pension and she spent the remainder of her life supporting numerous hospitals and charities. On May 27, 1707, Madame de Montespan died at Bourbon-l’Archambault, France and was buried in the chapel of the Cordeliers convent in Poitiers, France.

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Diane de Poitiers, Mistress of King Henri II of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Diane de Poitiers was the royal mistress of King Henri II of France from around 1534 until the King’s death in 1559. During that time, she was considered by most to be the most powerful and influential woman in France, far surpassing the King’s wife, the former Catherine de’ Medici.

Diane de Poitiers – source: Wikipedia

Diane de Poitiers was born on January 9, 1500 at the Château de Saint-Vallier in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. She was the second child, and eldest daughter, of Jean de Poitiers, Vicomte d’Estoile and Seigneur of Saint-Vallier and his wife, Jeanne de Batarnay.

Following her mother’s death in 1506, Diane was raised in the court of Princess Anne of France (Anne de Beaujeu), the daughter of King Louis XI and sister of King Charles VIII of France, for whom she had served as regent from 1483-1491 when he reached his majority). During this time, Diane received an education typical for young girls in the aristocracy at that time – studying languages, music, several languages, and proper etiquette. She also became a skilled huntress – something she enjoyed well into her later years.

In 1515, Princess Anne arranged for Diane to marry Louis de Brézé, Comte de Maulevrier and Seigneur d’Anet, who was nearly 40 years older than her. He was a grandson of King Charles VII of France and served as a courtier to King François I. The couple had two daughters:

During her marriage, Diane became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude of France (mother of Henri II) and later served in the same role to Louise of Savoy (grandmother of Henri II) and Queen Eléanore of France (stepmother of Henri II). Along with her position at court, Diane also became known for her financial independence – something rarely seen for a woman in those times. Widowed in 1531, Diane went to court to retain her husband’s estates and titles in her own right, and not be required to submit them to a male relative as was expected. Impressed by her acumen, King François issued Letters Patent allowing Diane to retain everything until ownership could be established, allowing her to establish complete financial independence.

King Henri II. source: Wikipedia

Through her presence at court, Diane became known to the young Prince Henri. Eighteen years older than the young prince, she made quite an impression on him despite his young age. Despite his marriage in 1533 to Catherine de’ Medici – Diane’s second cousin – the young Prince was smitten with Diane. From their correspondence, it is believed that Diane became his mistress sometime around 1534.

For the next 25 years, Diane de Poitiers would be the King’s closest companion, and many felt she was the most powerful woman in France at the time. Her influence on the King was without match, and he relied heavily on her advice in all official decisions. Such was her position that when foreign royals and leaders would send gifts to the Queen, they would also send gifts to Diane.

Château de Chenonceau. photo: CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=604946

The King, too, showered Diane with gifts. She was created Duchess of Valentinois in 1548, and Duchess d’Étampes in 1553, and was given custody of the French Crown Jewels. He also had the Château d’Anet rebuilt for her (on the site of her late husband’s former château, which was left to her), and gave her the Château de Chenonceau, despite his wife’s desire that she have it for herself.

Diane’s influence and power would come to a complete halt in 1559 after King Henri was critically injured in a jousting tournament. Queen Catherine quickly took control, refusing to allow Diane to see the ailing King, despite his requests for her. After suffering for ten days, the King died on July 10, 1559, of sepsis from his wounds. The Queen quickly took steps to eliminate Diane from the existence she had enjoyed for so many years. She was forced to return the Crown Jewels, give up the Château de Chenonceau in exchange for the Château de Chaumont, and sent into exile. After a brief stay at Chaumont, Diane returned to d’Anet where she lived a relatively quiet life for the next six years.

Tomb of Diane de Poitiers. Photo: Par Binche — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16697082

In poor health for several years after suffering a fall while out riding, Diane de Poitiers died at the Château d’Anet on April 25, 1566, at the age of 66. Per her wishes, her daughter Louise had a funeral chapel built on the grounds of the château which would serve as Diane’s resting place. However, during the French Revolution, her grave was opened and her remains were thrown into a mass grave. In 2009, her remains were rediscovered and returned to her original tomb at d’Anet the following year.

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Louise de la Vallière, mistress of King Louis XIV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Louise de la Vallière was the mistress of King Louis XIV of France from 1661 until 1667. She later entered a convent, becoming Sister Louise de la Miséricorde (Sister Louise of Mercy) until her death in 1710.

Louise de La Vallière – source: Wikipedia

Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc was born on August 6, 1644, at the Hôtel de la Crouzille in Tours, France. She was the daughter of Laurent La Baume Le Blanc, Marquis of La Vallière and Françoise Le Provost.

Following her father’s death in 1651, Louise’s mother was remarried to the Marquis de Saint Rémy, who served in the court of the Gaston, Duke of Orléans, son of King Henri IV of France. Louise became a companion to the Duke’s three younger daughters and was educated alongside them. After the Duke died, Louise accompanied the widowed Duchess and her daughters to Paris where they took up residence at the Palais de Luxembourg.

Soon, Louise became a Maid of Honor to Princess Henrietta Anne of England, the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the brother of King Louis IV of France. Henrietta then presented Louise to King Louis XIV, and within months she had become his mistress. Although discreet, their relationship soon became well-known within the French court, causing Louise much distress. She continued to serve as a Maid of Honor to Princess Henrietta, which caused a falling out with the King in 1662. Louise refused to reveal any information to him about the Princess’s alleged affair with the Count of Guiche and fled to a convent before King Louis XIV convinced her to return. Pregnant with her first child, Louise was removed from service to the Duchess, and given apartments in the Palais Royal.  Over the next five years, gave birth to five children – only two of whom would survive:

  • Charles de La Baume Le Blanc (1663-1665)
  • Philippe de La Baume Le Blanc (1665-1666)
  • Louis de La Baume Le Blanc (1665-1666)
  • Marie Anne de Bourbon (1666-1739) – legitimized by the King in 1667, and later married to Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti
  • Louis de Bourbon (1667-1683) – legitimized by the King in 1669, created Count of Vermandois

After the birth of her daughter Marie Anne in 1666, the relationship between Louise and King Louis XIV began to change. Much of this was due to the return to the court of Madame de Montespan who quickly drew the King’s attention and replaced Louise as his favorite mistress.

Marie Anne de Bourbon, later Princess of Conti. source: Wikipedia

In 1667, King Louis XIV legitimized their daughter Marie Anne, known as Mademoiselle de Blois, and created Louise Duchess de La Vallière and Duchess de Vaujours. This allowed Louise a greater position at court. However, she would not remain there for much longer. She gave birth to their last child Louis de Bourbon in October 1667. During the next several years, Louise remained at court, sharing apartments with Madame de Montespan, but her relationship with King Louis XIV was long over. Two years later, King Louis XIV legitimized their son, creating him Count of Vermandois.

By 1670, having been forced to remain at court and live with the King’s new mistress, Madame de Montespan, Louise became ill and at one point was near death. Upon recovering, she sought solace in religion, and the following year, decided to leave the court and enter a convent. However, King Louis XIV forced her to return for several years. Finally, in 1674, she was permitted to leave the court and entered the Carmelite convent in Faubourg-Saint-Jacques. She took her vows the following year, becoming Sister Louise de la Miséricorde.

Louise remained at the convent until her death, 35 years later, on June 6, 1710. Per her wishes, she was buried in the convent cemetery. By that time, she was survived only by her daughter Marie Anne, who inherited the Duchies of La Vallière and Vaujours and Louise’s entire estate.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.