This was a national scandal, and it was thought that Athnas had been using certain poisons on Louis to ensure her influence on him would remain strong. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. [6] She soon became pregnant with her first child, Christine. We want our readers to trust us. Well, hed more than met his match with Madame de Montespan. Was that just what Louis was looking for? Eventually Madame de Maintenon deposed her rival and became the dominant female force at Versailles . She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada. It was an entire year before Madame de Montespan saw Louis XIV againbut at first, he just avoided being alone with her. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, after all. The next years were full of unbridled joy for both de Montespan and Louis XIV. She had seven children with him. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Born into one of the oldest noble families of France, the House of Rochechouart, Madame de Montespan was called by some the "true Queen of France"' during her romantic relationship with Louis XIV, due to the pervasiveness of her influence at court during that time. It would be a decision hed come to regret. Freed of that unpleasant situation and the haunting presence of de la Vallire, she was finally exactly where she wanted to be. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. On top of that, his family had a black sheep uncle. Louise de la Vallire suspected that her old friend Madame de Montespan had set her sights on the king, but she was comfortable in her position and didnt worry about anyone supplanting his affections. Gabrielle, by then a fixture in the French court, had married wellbut her directness had enchanted King Louis XIV, and the two began an affair. Thats right, Madame de Montespans older sister had beat her to the punch. In late 1667, the queen received an anonymous letterand its contents were shocking. According to courtiers, he would often finish his encounter with Madame de Montespan, only to then take one of her ladies-in-waiting while she got dressed again. Despite having successfully seen her children with Louis legitimised, the arguments between Louis and Athnas became more and more frequent as well as ferocious, but the couple would invariably work things out. With her husbands spending problem, she desperately needed to score another court positionand she had her sights set high. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Unfortunately for her, she was implicated. When the dust settled, the Marquis dAntin was dead, but thats not all. Her apartments were filled with pet animals and thousands of flowers; she had a private gallery, and costly jewels were showered upon her. He may not have given her a titleyetbut the king showed his devotion to Madame de Montespan in other ways. The most important client of La Voisin was Madame de Montespan, official royal mistress to King Louis XIV of France. Just like the Salem witch trials, people began accusing anyone and everyone of poison plots. Madame de Montespan was born on October 05, 1640 in Lussac-les-Chteaux, French, is Matresse en titre of Louis XIV. This mass was celebrated in a house in Rue de la . Things should have been blissful, but while Madame de Montespan seemed tranquil on the surface, she was paddling furiously underwater to stay afloat. Madame de Montespan - French Travel Boutique * 1703 - Emperor Peter I the Great of Russia founds the city of Saint Petersburg. However, his reaction was cold as ice. The Marquis loved spending, even though the couple didnt have a lot of money. These were obviously quite far-fetchedbut one disturbing story stuck. Why did so many come forward to accuse Madame de Montespan in the Affaire des Poisons? Madame de Montespan's two surviving daughters: the blonde Mademoiselle de Blois, with her older brunette sister, the Mademoiselle de Nantes, Louise Franoise some time after her marriage to Louis III, Prince of Cond, The Count of Toulouse, Madame de Montespan's youngest child. Even after all that, Louise de la Vallire remained the kings chief mistress. In fact, hed often flaunt them in front of his long-suffering wife. So she deployed a weapon shed always kept holstered before: She cried in front of him. Faleceu em Bourbon-l'Archambault, em 1707 . Greg Jenner, Historian But despite having as many as seven of the King's illegitimate children, Madame de Montespan never truly lost his affection. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. It was her last chance to win him back, so she came up with a plan. See, the kings military was a pay-to-play operation. Hers was one of the most well regarded noble families in France. [6], She also had an extravagant and demanding nature and possessed enough charm to get what she wanted. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. The gossip about potential poison intrigue seemed much more interesting than the ruling by a coroner that natural causes had taken her life. He wouldnt let them wear the traditional mourning clothes for her or attend the funeral. However, in death, Queen Maria Theresa dealt her former rival, Madame de Montespan, the insult shed never been able to deliver on earth. She wasnt the only though, as they implicated many important members of the kings court. Well, when she walked into that role, she got way more than she bargained for. Madame de Montespan had a number of allies within the courtbut as the years wore on, she also began to gather enemies. At the age of 12, she began her formal education at the Convent of St Mary at Saintes, where her sister Gabrielle had started hers almost a decade earlier. By 1666 Athnas was trying to gain the favour of Louise de La Vallire, the mistress of king Louis. Even though Madame was used to her husband having affairs, Franoises betrayal devastated her. Louis XIV had decreed that the survivors of the botched duel would face execution, and so the Marquis de Noirmoutier fled the country, never to return. Madame de Montespan - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday She was also a generous patron of the arts and letters and befriended Corneille, Racine, and La Fontaine. Louis XIV of France | Versailles Wiki | Fandom As such, it wasnt a public scandalbut oh, there would be plenty of time for those in her future. Montespan cleverly cultivated friendships with both Louise and Queen Maria Theresa and when both ladies were pregnant, Madame de Montespan was asked to help them entertain the King during private dinners. Madame de Montespan | Palace of Versailles An influential mistress 1640-1707 Before becoming the official mistress of Louis XIV in 1667, the Marquise de Montespan succeeded in making her way in the court thanks to the good graces of Anne of Austria. [7], Athnas was considered "astonishingly beautiful" by the standards of her time. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Madame de Maintenon was mad at the bishop whod fumbled the situation. Now that she could attend events with him, it was clear that Louise wasnt as charming or clever as some of the other ladies in the courtlike, say, Madame de Montespan. [citation needed], Indeed, if anyone was attempting to kill the king, it was more likely Claude de Vin des illets, who had an illegitimate child fathered but not publicly acknowledged by Louis. Marie Anglique ruled his bedroom. Some years after the death of her husband in 1660, Franoise Scarron met Madame de Montespan, the mistress of Louis XIV, who entrusted Scarron with the care of the children - illegitimate and secret - she had borne the king. All Rights Reserved. In the meantime, Queen Maria Theresa, who had stopped seeing de Montespan after the affair became official, came calling on her, hoping to be friends now that the affair was over. But she wasnt just in it for the sex. As the story goes, in 1650, a woman served her husband a bowl of soup laced with a drop of Aqua Tofana. With her good looks and charm, Madame de Montespan couldve easily hopped into bed with the notoriously lustful King Louis XIV. She had spent several years in fashonable Parisians salons. [8] Later, because of the relationship between her mother and the queen dowager, Anne of Austria, Franoise-Athnas was appointed to be a lady-in-waiting to the king's wife, Maria Theresa of Spain. As a thank you, her son refused to let her attend. A woman of eternal beauty, Franoise Athnas de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Madame de Montespan was born on October 5, 1640, to Gabriel de Rochechouart and Diane de Grandseigne in the Poitou-Charentes region in France. This pleased the king to no endand resulted in him showering her with bigger jewels than hed ever given his own wife. After all, its maid, not matron. However, officials close to her had kept her name out of everything. Most celebrated matresse-en-titre of King Louis XIV of France, Franoise Athnas de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Franoise-Athnas de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan, Charles de Sainte-Maure, marquis de Montausier, was made. Franoise-Athnas de Rochechouart de Mortemart, the famously beautiful and witty matresse-en-titre of the Sun King Louis XIV, was born in Lussac in 1640. [6] She had large, blue eyes, long, thick, corn-coloured hair that fell in curls about her shoulders, and a curvaceous, voluptuous body. At her death, her oldest son, the duc du Maine, inherited Clagny and, in turn, passed it on to his son, Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, prince de Dombes. He was still off wasting his money in petty battles at the Spanish border. However, this had never been done before without naming the mother. [11] Even though Louise de La Vallire knew that Montespan was trying to conquer the King's heart and reportedly laughed at her miserable efforts, she definitely underestimated her new rival. She had spent several years in fashonable Parisians salons. Several of her decendants married, which makes her an ancestress of several royal houses in Europe, including those of Spain, Italy, Bulgaria and Portugal. Soon enough, Louis was sneaking off to sleep with Marie Anglique. The king had scores of poisoners executed. If Louis were to eject Madame de Montespan from the court, it would only confirm the suspicions about her involvement in the Affaire des Poisons. [6] She was droll, amusing and used her considerable wit to mock others. Franoise-Athnas de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan (French:[madam d mtsp]; Madame de Montespan; 5 October 1640 27 May 1707) was the most celebrated matresse-en-titre of King Louis XIV, by whom she had seven children.[1]. When people asked him about the style update, he snapped that he was mourning his wife, who disappeared. He then held a mock funeral for her on their family lands, complete with a dummy he dressed in her clothing and buried. She had eight children with the King. By Hope Notnor October 1890 Issue MADAME DE THIANGES, the eldest sister of Madame de Montespan, had two daughters, the Duchesse de Nevers and the Duchess Sforza; and two other duchesses. Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Hypnotizing Facts About Christina Aguilera, The Little Blonde With A Big Voice, Wily Facts About Queen Caroline of Ansbach, Historys Monster Mother, Teen Beat Facts About Corey Feldman, Hollywoods Lost Boy, Feuding Facts About Princess Augusta, The Scandal-Ridden Sister. Well, modern historians have suggested a disturbing reason behind it. Casamento e descendncia Em 28 de janeiro de 1663, Francisca Atenas se casou com Lus Henrique de Pardaillan de Gondrin, marqus de Montespan, na qual ele era um ano mais jovem que ela. The Chteau de Clagny in Versailles was built between 1674 and 1680 from the drawings of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Premier architecte du Roi, (First architect of the King), on land bought by Louis XIV in 1665. She had no issue throwing tantrums and demanding results when she didnt get her way. He does whatever needed to be done to make his country great. Louis valued her so much that he gave her the title of Marquise de Maintenon. When their third (surviving) child was born, Louis decided to legitimise all three. Madame de Montespan - AMBITION At Court: Madame de Montespan was the Second Mistress of Louis XIV. Legitimised on 20 December 1673. There were tales about praying to the devil and a black mass performed by a priest over de Montespans naked body. But there was also the fact of her marriageand that her husband desperately wanted to join her in court. After all, it seemed like her role was relatively small and innocent. The witch and the Madame de Montespan would call on the devil and pray to him for the King's love. But unfortunately, such bliss is often short-lived, In these years, Louis XIV was all about glory. She entertained with her famous wit, but she had no power, and all the fun had been taken away from court life. In the intervening years, she had married the Marquis de . In February 1663 he married Franoise-Athnas de Rochechouart de Mortemart. Occasionally, much to Madame de Montespans chagrin, these dalliances would turn into full-blown affairs. Everything he did reflected that, as did Madame de Montespan herself. [18] No evidence that the garden search ever actually happened has been found. It seemed preposterousuntil tragedy struck. Not only did he tell Louis that Madame de Montespan had slept with the kings brother so many years ago, but he also claimed to have slept with her as well. She was no longer the sprightly young thing Louis XIV had fallen for, and now she had to deal with Marie Anglique taking her place in his heart. She was the daughter of Gabriel de Rochechouart, Marquis de Mortemart, Prince de . The second daughter of Gabriel de Rochechouart, Duke of Mortemart and Diane de Grandseigne, she was a member of the House of Rochechouart, itself one of the most well regarded noble families in France. He was the son of Roger-Hector de Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis of Antin, and Marie-Christine de Zamet de Murat. Instead, she demanded an entire chateau. Finally, the other shoe dropped. Presumably, the maid resented the loss of Louis' attention. Based on this behavior alone, Id say Madame de Montespan chose the right man when she stuck with the king. In her long retirement, Madame de Montespan donated vast sums to hospitals and charities. First, she wanted to get rid of Louise de la Vallire, her old rival. The queen wept. There was just one problemno one cared. The families of Franoise and the Marquis de Montespan drew up a marriage contract and signed it on the same day. She was twenty-six, dark-haired, blue-eyed, and endowed with a handsome figure. Francisca Atenas de Rochechouart - Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre The Marquis de Montespan wasnt going to take it sitting down. Franoise fell hard, but sadly, her first heartbreak was on its way. The gift had a dual meaning. [2], Franoise-Athnas was born in October 1640[3][pageneeded] and was baptised on 5 October 1640 at the Chteau of Lussac-les-Chteaux,[4][pageneeded] todays Vienne department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France. And so, she stayed on. Shuffling behind the oft-ignored queen, with a shiftless husband. And Madame de Montespan and Louis XIV? Madame de Montespan knew that Louis XIV wanted her, and she had to wait until the right moment to give in to his advancesbut her reaction to her own success was stunning. She was a cultured and amusing conversationalist, who won the admiration of such literary figures as letter-writer Madame de Svign and diarist Saint-Simon. The woman who would be Madame de Montespan was born October 5, 1640 in Tonnay-Charente, France, as Francois Athenais de Rochechouart, but we're just going to call her Athenais. Franoise de Rochechouart's path to becoming the favorite of Louis IV The Sun King, was paved with opportunity. Madame de Montespan - AMBITION At Court - YouTube Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. He is the King of France and Navarre, the son of Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria, the husband of Marie-Thrse of Spain and the elder brother of Philippe. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. She also became friends at court with another lady-in-waiting to the queen, Louise Boyer, the wife of Anne Jules de Noailles. See what I meant when I said two can play at that game? Madame de Montespan may have got the final word with Louis XIV, but her son had one last cheap shot for her. No, she wanted a lot more than thatand she knew that patience would be the name of the game. Madame de Maintenon had long ago turned de Montespans eldest son against her, so it was really adding insult to injury when the king made him take a message to de Montespan that demanded she retire from the court and from Versailles. However, Madame de Montespan was down but not outand she had one final fight left in her. On top of that, she didnt have the wit to keep up with the charming courtiers Louis had filled his court with, and their clever jokes sailed right over her head.