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Louis XIV’s love of women is well-known. Throughout his life, he had a number of mistresses including the Marquise de Montespan and the Duchess of La Vallière, both of whom bore him several legitimated children. Louis XIV had a real eye for the ladies. His first love, Marie Mancini, was Mazarin’s niece but both the cardinal and Anne of ...
Henrietta Anne of England (1644–1670) his sister-in-law, probably platonic, in 1660–1661. Bonne de Pons d'Heudicourt (1641–1709) in 1665. Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont (1639–1678) princess of Monaco in 1665. Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1633–1693), marquise of Thianges; sister of madame de Montespan.
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In the eternal chess game played by the king’s mistresses, becoming royal favourite meant deposing the current occupant of that role. As a member of the Queen’s household, Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1640-1707), Marquise de Montespan, first met the King in the early 1660s, but it seems that it was not until around 1666-1667 that Louis XIV fell under her spell.
- She Was Born Into Privilege
- Her Sister Did It First
- Her Father Betrayed Them
- She Walked Into A Disaster
- She Got in The Middle
- She Had Her First Love
- She Lost Both Prospects
- She Found Comfort Elsewhere
- They Rushed Into It
- The Honeymoon Period Was Brief
We’ll call her Madame de Montespan, but she was born Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart. The descendant of one of France’s most powerful families, her father was a prince and her mother was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen. It’s no wonder that she would later think of herself as the true Queen of France. After all, she had the pedigree f...
While the young Françoise was away at the Convent of Saint Mary getting an education in all things holy, her older sister Gabrielle was getting a different kind of education altogether. Gabrielle, by then a fixture in the French court, had married well—but her directness had enchanted King Louis XIV, and the two began an affair. That’s right, Madam...
When Françoise and her siblings were growing up, her father had a number of affairs with notorious courtesans. His wife begrudgingly accepted his infidelity—until one day, when he finally went too far. He all but left his wife for his very-much married mistress, and the two lived together openly for the next two decades. This heartbreak left Franço...
Françoise officially entered the French court at the age of 20, where she was maid-of-honor to the king’s sister-in-law, Princess Henrietta Anne, who everyone called Madame. Well, when she walked into that role, she got way more than she bargained for. The king’s brother Philippe, who people referred to as Monsieur, was known for his gay affairs. I...
She may have worked for Madame, but Françoise enchanted Monsieur with her charm and wit. When the couple quarreled, Françoise stepped outside of her role and actually took his side—but that’s not all she did.Many believe that she also had a brief affair with the king’s brother. See what I meant when I said two can play at that game? Even though Mad...
Françoise’s father was in dire straits financially after living it up with his mistress and paying for his oldest daughter Gabrielle’s dowry. As a result, Françoise’s prospects for marriage weren’t exactly as golden as her prestigious last name should’ve guaranteed. Regardless, one suitor caught her eye—the Marquis de Noirmoutier. Françoise fell ha...
Françoise’s father much preferred the Marquis d’Antin for his daughter’s hand. Sadly, this family conflict would be settled in one bloody and brutal instant.Both Marquis became involved in a duel gone wrong, even though the king had outlawed the practice. When the dust settled, the Marquis d’Antin was dead, but that’s not all. Louis XIV had decreed...
Françoise mourned the loss of her prospective fiancé—well, both prospective fiancés, really. When the Marquis de Montespan, the younger brother of the Marquis d’Antin, came to visit her, they bonded over the tragedy. In fact, they bonded a little too hard, and the Marquis de Montespan fell head over heels for Françoise. Considering how much writing...
The families of Françoise and the Marquis de Montespan drew up a marriage contract and signed it on the same day. Exactly one week after the death of Françoise’s last fiancé. Yup, she and everyone else moved on very quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly—and there might have been a desperately scandalous reason behind it. Nine months after they’d al...
After her quickie marriage, Françoise became the Marquise de Montespan. At first, it seemed like the union was built on love as much as financial considerations—but quickly, the cracks began to show. The Marquis loved spending, even though the couple didn’t have a lot of money. On top of that, his family had a black sheep uncle. The disgrace was so...
Françoise Le Prévost. Françoise Louise de La Baume Le Blanc, Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours (6 August 1644 – 7 June 1710) was a French noblewoman and the first mistress of Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667. The daughter of a military governor, La Vallière joined the royal court in 1661 as maid of honour to Henrietta of England ...
- 7 June 1710 (aged 65), Paris, Kingdom of France
- Mademoiselle de La Vallière, Sister Louise de la Miséricordie
Sep 20, 2017 · Montespan (1640-1707) first met the king in the early 1660s, but she was not a major player in Louis' love life until 1666 or 1667. In the intervening years, she had married the Marquis de ...
Jan 3, 2003 · Published on January 3, 2003 05:00AM EST. First-time author Lisa Hilton’s study of the stunning and witty Athenais de Montespan, the most infamous of Louis XIV’s mistresses, unfolds amid the ...
