Short review:)
Main sources and material:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/ by zina_korzina
Chassinan-Nogaret G. Everyday life of wives and beloved French kings. - 2003.
Official favorite(French Maîtresse en titre) - the status that the king of France could bestow on one of his lovers and which from now on differed from all other favorites in that she had the opportunity to influence the course of political events, actively intervene in the life of the royal court and even in the intra-family relations of the royal family.
Favoritism (French favoritisme) - a social phenomenon that existed at the royal (imperial, royal) courts and had the goal of elevating a specific person (or group of persons) in connection with the personal affection of the monarch to the favorite.
Favoritism is characterized by the delegation of some (or even most) of the powers of the monarch to the favorite or his delegates. Favoritism was most widespread under an absolute monarchy.
The reason for favoritism lies in the monarch's intention to concentrate supreme power in the hands of a very small group of people who often did not possess outstanding qualities, but were personally devoted.
In the 17th-18th centuries, favoritism became quite commonplace in the life of society. In France, there was even the concept of "official favorite", which differed from all others in that it had practically unlimited influence on the king. Such a favorite was, for example, the Marquis de Pompadour.
In Russia, favoritism reached its apogee during the reign of Empress Catherine the Great.
The theme of favoritism is often played up in historical and pseudo-historical literature. Examples - "Viscount de Bragelon" by A. Dumas, "Ice House" by I. Lazhechnikov, series of Anna and Serge Golon "Angelica". In Friedrich Schiller's play "Treachery and Love", the torment of the favorite, Lady Milford, is shown with all the drama.
Favoritism existed long before King Charles VII (1403-1461), but it was he who proclaimed that his beloved, twenty-two years old, now has an official status at court - a royal favorite. This was expressed, in particular, in the fact that she was served as a princess and she wore the longest (after the queen) train - the length of the train in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance was determined by the status of a woman.
The position of the official favorite was initiated in the presence of the entire royal court, for the king made it clear that this was not a "passing hobby", but an act of the highest trust in a particular woman.
According to the French researcher Guy Chaussinan-Nogaret, the cult of the mistress at the French court is a degenerated tradition of chivalry. To the lovely lady
Agnes Sorel
Under King Francis I (1494-1547), the rule of the mistress turned into a real "state institution" - the official mistress began to play the dominant female role in the country, finally pushing back the figure of the queen. Duchess Anne d'Etamp played a special role in the politics of that period. She not only directed the actions of the king, but also raised his children. She even achieved the resignation of the most prominent politician of the era of Francis I - the Constable of Montmorency.
Anna Etampe.
Under Francis' successor, Henry II (1519-1559), the legendary beauty reigned, who managed to subdue the spouse of one of the greatest women in history, Catherine de Medici. Diana was not only the king's lover, she did not just play an important role at court. She was also a mentor for the young monarch in the sciences and arts (the king was almost 20 years younger than the favorite). In addition, it is believed that it was she who inspired the king with hatred of the Huguenots.
Diane de Poitiers
The favorites of Henry IV
The love for women of this monarch entered legends, songs and numerous novels. “To love one woman is to strike at chastity,” he said.
Before his marriage to Maria de Medici, the childless Henry IV (1589-1610) promised in writing to his favorite Henriette d'Antrag marry her, but with the proviso that she will certainly give birth to an heir to the throne from him. At that time, his divorce from the famous Queen Margot had not yet been officially formalized.
By the way, before that, the same promise was given to another lady -. Gabriella bore Henry several children, who were baptized with royal pomp and recognized as the "children of France" (as the king's legitimate children are called). Gabriella d'Estre prompted the king and the entire court to tolerate, to reconcile Protestants and Catholics, which allowed Henry IV to ratify the famous Edict of Nantes in 1598. Already in 1599, the king introduced Gabriella as the future queen of France, but the woman died suddenly.
Henrietta d'Antrag
Gabrielle d "Estre with her sister
Favorites of Louis XIV:
Louise de Lavalier(Have you read Dumas?)
Louise de Lavaliere was recognized as the official favorite. She was originally the maid of honor of Princess Henrietta of Orleans.
Louise's appearance was rather ordinary than attractive, however, her modest talents left much to be desired. However, she was a kind, conscientious woman, next to whom the king found rest. The favorite was ashamed of her high position and tried to attend social events infrequently.
Thanks to Louise (or rather, in honor of their love), the king ordered the rebuilding of a luxurious residence in Versailles.
Lavalier had four children from the king, of whom two survived: Marie-Anne of Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois and the Count of Vermandois. Both children were considered the legitimate children of the king - de Blois later married Prince de Conti, and Vermandois became admiral of France.
When Louis XIV brought Madame de Montespan closer to him, Lavalier retired from the court and took tonsure at the Carmelite monastery in Paris.
Athenais de Montespan
However, the modest Lavalier was supplanted by Athenais de Rochechouar, the Marquis de Montespan, a woman who can confidently be called "a man of the Baroque era."
Montespan was the complete opposite of Lavalier. She was a stately, large, incredibly beautiful and witty woman. Her expensive and pretentious outfits were often subjected to the satire: "Gold gold on gold."
Vain, she completely subjugated the life of the court and even occupied 20 rooms in Versailles (the queen - only 10). She also allowed herself other deviations from etiquette - she wore the longest train in France, received delegations of diplomats with the king and, of course, handed out court and state posts.
Despite the fact that all of Europe perceived Montespan as "the true Queen of France", Louis left her, carried away by a young and stupid beauty - Angelica de Fontanges. (The latter went down in history only thanks to its accidental invention - Fontange).
Montespan, in her desire to regain her former power, reached the point that she began to attend "black masses", which, however, did not help her. (Subsequently, the Marquis was held in the case of the famous witch Monvoisin). After this offense, incompatible with the high rank of the official (albeit retired) favorite, Montespan was forever exiled to the estate, where she died at a respectable age.
Montespan also gave birth to several children to the king, and all of them were officially recognized by the king. By the way, the modest widow of the satirist Scarron, Françoise d'Aubigne, was engaged in the upbringing of royal children. She managed to do what even Montespan failed - she married the king.
Françoise de Maintenon
This woman Louis noticed in the house of Montespan - Françoise d'Aubinier worked as a teacher of royal children. Having become an official mistress under the name of Madame de Maintenon, Françoise began to educate the king himself.
The era of balls and sensual pleasures at the court ended: the king constantly fasted, read spiritual literature and spent evenings in soul-saving conversations. Of course, Mentenon was not limited to the court - the so-called "morality police" was created in Paris, which fined ladies for deep cleavages ...
Mentenon actually "held the position" of the king's confidant. She was aware of many affairs and events, removed and appointed ministers. In the Palace of Versailles, she sat in a chair in the presence of Louis, his son - heir to the throne, his brother, English crowned heads. At the same time, she avoided expensive outfits, did not wear jewelry, dressed tastefully, but modestly, not for her age. Getting an appointment with the Marquis was no easier, perhaps, than with the king himself.
The fight against "heresy" (one of the main tasks of this favorite) required the education of the nobility in the Catholic spirit. To this end, Mentenon established in 1686 an educational institution for girls from poor noble families. It was located in Saint-Cyr, not far from the Palace of Versailles.
The king trusted Françoise to such an extent that she became his wife. They married Louis XIV, but the favorite was never officially recognized by the queen.
The era of Louis XV and the entire 18th century is often called the "age of women" because of the strong influence of the fair sex on politics, science, and art.
Unlike his great great-grandfather, Louis XIV, Louis XV was very far from the pressing problems of our time and treated state affairs with indifference.
It is not surprising that the Prussian king Frederick II the Great called the reign of his neighbor "the rule of three skirts." A playful term has become a common definition of an entire era.
The question of who these "three skirts" were does not have an unambiguous answer. The fact is that the opinion of the authors of the articles on this matter constantly diverges: the two "skirts" are the Marquise de Pompadour and her predecessor Marie-Anne de Chateauroux, and as the third they call either Louise de Magli, or her sister, Pauline-Felicia ( Paulette) de Ventimil, the notorious Countess of Dubarry. However, Dubarry appeared with the king after Frederick let go of his wit on this matter. Therefore, under the "first skirt" Frederick meant de Malli or Ventimil (the sisters bore the surname de Neil before marriage).
It is known, however, that de Malli was not interested in politics, while the Marquis Pauline de Ventimil skillfully subjugated the will of the king and actively intervened in politics. She not only tried to be a confidant of Louis, but also fought the all-powerful Cardinal Fleury - the first minister, friend and educator of the king. However, death from childbirth fever prevented her from completing what she had begun (there is an assumption that the favorite was poisoned).
Marquise de Pompadour
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, d'Etiol, the Marquis de Pompadour (1721-1764), who emerged from the bourgeois milieu, managed to become a symbol of an entire era - Pompadour achieved that not only subjugated the king, but also replaced him.
Lazy and apathetic, Louis, having cooled to his favorite, did not part with her. On the contrary, for many years Pompadour became his friend (in fact, the only one: after the death of Cardinal Fleury, Louis had no one to rely on).
Pompadour replaced the king at meetings, receptions and numerous conferences. It was she (and not Louis) who came up with the idea of rapprochement with Austria on the eve of the Seven Years War. Even the letters of the Austrian Empress are addressed to the Marquis, not to Louis.
An interesting detail - the Seven Years' War is sometimes called "the war of angry women", referring to the fact that Frederick II fought against three "Valkyries" - Elizabeth Petrovna, Maria Theresa and the Marquise de Pompadour.
In her policy, Pompadour relied on a few, but loyal supporters, including the most prominent French politician - Choiseul. Like all people intoxicated with power, Pompadour sometimes showed political myopia. For example, in an effort to support her supporter de Soubise, Pompadour appointed him to command the French army. De Soubise not only lost to the experienced strategist Frederick II, but also "lost" his army in Germany.
Fearing that some ambitious and intelligent beauty could replace her, Pompadour decided on the unprecedented - she herself began to select weak-willed and stupid mistresses for Louis. This is how the infamous Park o'Surf ("Deer Park") arose - a small mansion where the king received his beloved.
The Marquis died of a lung disease at the age of 43, which was considered an early death even by the standards of the 18th century.
Madame Dubarry
Marie Jeanne Bécu, the illegitimate daughter of the tax collector Gomard de Vaubernier, before meeting the king of France, was a milliner, and then the keeper of Count Dubarry. Louis XV, bringing Jeanne closer to him, arranged for her to marry the brother of the Count of Dubarry, and in 1769 presented her to the court.
Minister Choiseul tried in vain to overthrow her and only caused his own downfall. Although she interfered little in government affairs, she contributed to the rise of the Duke d'Egillon.
Her slovenliness and negligence, although embarrassing the entire courtyard, but for a while, her "personal careless style" became very fashionable. The daughters of Louis XV and the young Dauphine, Marie Antoinette, also opposed the rise of Dubarry.
It is noteworthy that the swaggering Maria Theresia (the mother of the Dauphine) told her daughter to change her attitude "... towards the woman to whom the king is inclined." This once again proves the political and social importance that the official favorite in France had.
After the death of Louis XV, DuBarry was arrested and imprisoned in a monastery, but soon returned to her castle of Marly, where she continued to live with appropriate pomp.
For Countess Dubarry, the jeweler Boehmer made a valuable necklace, which after the death of Louis XV was inherited by the new queen Marie Antoinette and caused a scandalous case (the so-called Queen's Necklace).
Dubarry evoked almost universal popular hatred and was considered one of the symbols of the crimes of the "old regime", although in reality, like most other people close to the royal house and victims of the revolution, she was not involved in any odious political actions.
During the revolution, Dubarry was put on trial and guillotined on charges that she allegedly helped the emigrants and entered into relations with the followers of Brissot (the Girondins).
The image of Jeanne Dubarry was often played up in the cinema. One of the masterpieces is Ernst Lubitsch's film Madame Dubarry, where the heroine was played by silent film star Paul Negri
On June 23, the daughter of the planter Josephine de Beauharnais was born, who, thanks to her charm and intelligence, became the main love in the life of the French emperor Napoleon I. She cheated on him and made huge debts, but she always managed to convince her powerful husband to forgive her and solve all her problems. It seems that some women have special power over men. Read about five of them.
Josephine. Do not be born beautiful, but become so
Marrying early and becoming a mother twice, Josephine received neither the love of her husband nor wealth: the couple soon divorced. Then Alexander Beauharnais was executed: there were revolutionary unrest.
Left alone with two children, Josephine foresaw gloomy prospects: no money, no connections, no special beauty. With her last pennies, she buys mirrors, arranges them in her wretched dwelling and rehearses for hours in front of them: gestures, facial expressions, glances, grace, manner of speaking - all this was borrowed from ladies of society.
Lacking naturally beautiful teeth, Josephine learns to speak and laugh, covering places affected by caries. Gives the voice softness, speech - tenderness, look - affection.
At their first meeting, Napoleon was 26, she was 32, but he was struck by her beauty.
Having accepted the proposal of the future emperor, she does not suspect what future awaits him and her, therefore, having sent her spouse on another campaign, she continues to lead a secular life and respond to the courtship of her gentlemen. Bonaparte heard rumors about his wife's infidelity, but, being blindly in love, he forgave her everything for a long time.
Catherine I. If fate smiles at you, smile back even wider
Pastor Gluck. Dragoon Kruse. Count Sheremetev. Alexander Menshikov - this is not a complete list of persons captured by the young, cheerful "orphan" Martha Skavronskaya. Moving from patron to patron, she changed her life in the provincial German Marienburg for the royal apartments in the northern capital.
Peter I, while visiting Menshikov, was amazed at the ease of communication between the dark-skinned woman (Russian young ladies raised at Domostroy were once again afraid to tear their eyes off the floor, let alone flirt with the emperor). On the same night, Martha became the king's mistress, having received the first ducat from him for her "night talk".
Skavronskaya is taught Russian literacy and converted to the Orthodox faith, naming it Catherine.
Having learned that Peter is going on another military campaign, she, at 7 months pregnant, goes after him. Always radiating gaiety, Catherine is the only one capable of preventing the epileptic seizures that followed Peter.
When the Russian army finds itself on the verge of a shameful defeat, being surrounded by superior enemy forces, Catherine offers to bribe the representatives of the enemy with her adornments. Soon, the Turkish vizier receives the offering, the peace is signed, and Peter's reputation is saved.
Catherine did not betray her principle of cheerfulness, she even easily listened to her husband's confessions about his momentary hobbies.
In the portraits of the Empress, one cannot fail to notice this slight smile - her answer to a happy fate.
Marquise de Pompadour. Study the weaknesses of men, and then take advantage of them
Eight-year-old Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, a fortune teller predicted that she was destined to become the king's mistress. This predetermined the fate of not only the girl, but the whole of France. Having married and having given birth to a child, Jeanne did not burden herself with worries about her daughter. She was interested in something else: the opportunity to be presented to the monarch.
And when she finally managed to get into the palace for a ball in the costume of the goddess of the hunt, she made a splash, the king persistently pursued the stranger. And he was not disappointed when the mask was flirtatiously removed.
But for some time the king hesitated, not trusting his new acquaintance. The question of moving to Versailles was decided after Madame d'Etiol (by her husband) ran into the ruler's chambers in tears, exclaiming that it would be better to die at the hands of a jealous husband than to leave the love of his life - Louis XV. So she became the official favorite of the king. Soon he gave her the Pompadour estate and the title of marquise.
She did everything to please the monarch. Having learned that the king loves to correspond, she began to write letters to him. Noticing Louis' craving for the fine arts, she invited poets and thinkers, patronized the theater, and played tragic roles herself. Noticing that the king gets bored quickly, she changed costumes and hairstyles. And over time, she took over part of state responsibilities: she met with ambassadors, appointed to government posts and gave orders to army commanders ...
Diane de Poitiers. If there are witches, then here is one of them
They say that for the first time Diana saw the future King Henry when he was 6 years old, and she was 25: he went to Spain for a long time, and the moved Diana kissed the baby on the nose ...
Returning to France, 20-year-old Henry II falls in love with 39-year-old widow Diana and declares her his favorite. Despite her age, Diana looked like a young and very beautiful girl, and evil tongues attributed her connection to the devil. Having become the first lady of the kingdom, Diana masterfully weaves intrigues: she gets rid of the courtiers who were under the influence of the former favorite, but retains the appearance of friendly relations with Catherine de Medici, the king's wife.
Having learned that the advisers are offering the king a divorce due to the fact that the Medici have no children, Diana persuades Henry to more often fulfill his marital duty. Therefore, the next ruler, Francis II, owes his birth to Diana.
The king did not make a single decision without consulting her. It is said that she was the only royal mistress in history who managed to completely subjugate the king. She even corresponded with other monarchs and the Pope as a full-fledged representative of the monarch.
Scientists recently examined the remains of the famous royal mistress and found 250 times the normal gold content in them. Perhaps Diana really took some kind of drink prepared by the alchemists, but his history has not preserved the recipe.
Wallis Simpson. A real adventurer
Bessie Wallis Warfield from American Baltimore, before meeting the Prince of Wales, the future king, seemed to go through all the circles of hell: she was an illegitimate child, in childhood she learned the delights of a beggarly life. In her first marriage, she suffered beatings from her alcoholic husband - a sadist, who tormented her with his jealousy. True, her loyalty was not perfect either.
And one more dark page in her biography. After the divorce, she ended up in China. Rumor has it that here Wallis did not shy away from dubious connections and mastered the art of seduction of feng chang in brothels.
The second marriage was concluded clearly by calculation: the good-natured businessman Ernest Simpson lived in London and was well-known for high society.
Thanks to his connections, the Prince of Wales met with 40-year-old American Wallis Simpson. Love at first sight? Maybe. But only from the prince's side. According to her contemporaries, the American woman used all her charms to seduce a weak-willed man and struggled to become a queen.
Having ascended the throne, Edward VIII did not change his decision to marry. It seemed that Wallis's dream had almost come true, but the king's entourage presented him with a choice: either an American or a throne. Edward VIII renounced, receiving in return a hysterical remark from his future wife: “Fool! Silly fool! "...
10.07.2017
They say the French are the best in love. Let's take a look at those with whom the kings of France cheated on their wives - portraits of these beautiful ladies were created by the best artists in Europe.
The most beautiful breasts
Jean Fouquet. "The Virgin and Child", "Melensky diptych". 1450 Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp
Agnes Sorel was a contemporary of Joan of Arc and the mistress of Charles VII, the very monarch for whom the Maid of Orleans fought so bravely. The king was crazy about Agnes - he admired not only the perfect features of her face (the beauty of this lady was appreciated even by the Pope), but also the ability to present herself. For example, Agnessa dared to wear a dress with a neckline that exposes one breast - extremely defiant for the Middle Ages. She gave birth to three daughters to the king, and during the fourth pregnancy, the 28-year-old beauty died - it was suspected that her enemies had killed her. For a while, Karl was inconsolable, and then took her cousin as his mistress. In 2005, scientists analyzed the remains of Agnes and confirmed that she was poisoned with mercury. It is believed that it is Sorel who is depicted in the image of the Mother of God in the Melen Diptych by the court painter Jean Fouquet. The naked breasts of the lady in the picture are truly perfect. But the hairstyle will seem strange to the modern viewer - however, in the 15th century, it was a high-shaven forehead and whiskey that were considered the ideal of beauty.
The most mysterious gesture
Unknown artist of the School of Fontainebleau. "Portrait of Gabrielle d'Estre with her sister." OK. 1594 Louvre, Paris
The merry king Henry IV of Navarre loved many women. But most of all - the beautiful and witty aristocrat Gabrielle d'Estre. She bore him three children, two boys, which was especially important for Henry, whose marriage to Queen Margot remained childless. The king divorced his wife and was about to marry Gabrielle - but the bride was poisoned. As a result, Henry married Marie de Medici, who later gave birth to Louis XIII. The favorite was distinguished by extraordinary beauty - her skin was so light that in comparison with her, the white satin of the dress seemed gray. Contemporaries praised both the sparkle of her eyes and sensual lips. Several portraits of Gabrielle have survived - the most famous depicts her sitting in a bathtub with another woman, who pinches her nipple. According to the most popular version, this is her sister Julie, and the gesture most likely hints at Gabrielle's pregnancy. By the way, the favorite is holding a ring in her hands - perhaps a sign of the promised wedding with Henry.
The most graceful poems
Tintoretto (?). "Portrait of Veronica Franco". OK. 1575 g.
Worcester Museum of Art, Massachusetts
The last of the Valois dynasty, Henry III, is known to have preferred favorites over beautiful ladies. But still, one female name from his list of love affairs is known for sure. Returning to his native France from Poland, where he happened to reign, Henry (then still Duke Henri of Anjou) stopped in Venice. He was shown all the sights - including introduced to one of the most famous courtesans of Venice - Veronica Franco, who was glorified not only for her beauty, but also for her poetic gift. The future king spent the night with the poetess and left, taking her miniature portrait as a tourist souvenir. She dedicated a couple of sonnets to him. The miniature given to Heinrich has not survived. But the face of Veronica Franco retained the portrait attributed to the brush of Tintoretto. The woman is wearing an expensive dress and valuable jewelry. The pinkish nipple, slightly protruding from the neckline of the dress, hints at the free nature of the model.
The most beautiful of sisters
Jacob Ferdinand Foote. "Portrait of Hortense Mancini" (?). 1670s State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Cardinal Mazarin, who together with Anne of Austria raised the young King Louis XIV, had seven nieces - and they were all distinguished by their beauty and grace. They were called "mazarinets". The Sun King took turns falling in love with several of the sisters. The most beautiful was considered Hortense - the favorite of the cardinal uncle, who inherited the ducal title from him. At one time she was the mistress of Louis. And then, hiding from her despot husband, she fled to England, where she was sheltered by King Charles II, who once unsuccessfully asked for her hand in marriage. Mazarin refused him, because the English prince was an exile without a crown. Now the Duchess of Hortense de Mazarin had to fight to become the official favorite of Charles. Subsequently, the English ruler left her, dissatisfied with Hortense's overly tender relations with her friends. Several of her images have survived by Jacob Ferdinand Fout, a Flemish settled in Italy and one of the most fashionable portrait painters of that era. It can be seen from them that the main beauty of the girl was made up of large lively eyes, lush hair and a gentle smile.
The most angelic children
Peter Lely. "Portrait of Louise de Lavaliere with children." 2nd floor XVII century Museum of Fine Arts, Rennes
Louis XIV also had many different mistresses - both well-meaning prudes and participants in Satanic Masses ... Among them was the limp Louise de Lavalier. She was distinguished by a meek, shy character, for a long time resisted the courtship of the king, and when he lost interest in her a few years later, she went to a monastery. Lavalier gave birth to five children, of whom two survived to adulthood. Their family portrait, singing and playing music, was left by Peter Lely, the famous English artist of that time. This painting, presumably, was commissioned for the Val-de-Gras monastery by the grandmother of the bastards - Queen Anne of Austria. The allegorical portrait depicts children as winged angels, highlighting how beautiful their looks and voices are. However, it is not clear from whom the elder angel playing the organ was written - for the children of Lavalier, he (or she) is too old.
The most advantageous angle
Francois Boucher. "Resting girl". 1752 Old Pinakothek, Munich
The Sun King lived so long that his successor on the throne was not a son or grandson, but a great-grandson, who became famous as Louis XV the Beloved. Like his ancestor, he had many favorites. An interesting story is Louise O'Murphy - the daughter of an Irish soldier and prostitute, in her youth she ended up in Paris and became a model. The 15-year-old girl was noticed by François Boucher, one of the creators of the Rococo style, and wrote his "Resting Girl" from her. The picture shocked contemporaries not only with the pose of a nude model, but also with the fact that it did not have any mythological allusions to justify the playful plot. The "voluptuous" canvas was bought by one of the courtiers and was liked by the king, who wanted to get to know the model. So Louise turned out to be the mistress of Louis XV - although she soon received her resignation. She died in 1814 in Paris at the age of 77, having been married several times and having safely survived the revolutionary terror. Well, the canvas with her image has become one of the symbols of the gallant era.
The most intelligent pursuits
Maurice Quentin de Latour. "Portrait of Madame Pompadour". 1748-1755 Louvre, Paris
The official favorite of Louis XV was the Marquis de Pompadour. For two decades she dictated fashion to Paris, and state policy to France. Intelligent, educated and power-hungry, the Marquise had excellent taste and knew how to understand both people and art. She turned the king as she wanted, maintaining her influence for many years, despite the fact that the doctors forbade her to share a bed with him. The pompadour was painted by many artists, including the playful François Boucher, who captured her rival Louise O'Murphy. But in all these portraits, as in this painting by de Latour, the Marquise is painted in a way that O'Murphy would never have painted. Like ministers and statesmen, she is depicted in her office, at her desk, surrounded by books by Montesquieu and Voltaire, maps, and a globe. Musical instruments, sheet music and a folder with pictures emphasize her exquisite taste. It is characteristic that Madame Pompadour was never portrayed with bare breasts - she respected herself too much.
Text: Sofia Bagdasarova
Medieval France ... A place where a woman is assigned the role of a powerless wife who does not dare to raise her eyes once again to her husband and is intended only for the birth of children. The place where the church - the founder of moral principles - believes that God did not give a woman such reason as a man, and that her husband's betrayal is justified, because he is always tempted by a woman ... But there is no excuse for a wife's betrayal.It's funny, but it was at that time that brothels were kept at the royal courts so that men, almost deprived of the company of their wives, could satisfy their natural needs. There was no place for a wife at the king's court. Until the 15th century. the royal court was a purely male place, and only under Anne of Breton (1477-1514) did the famous institute of maids of honor - ladies under the queen, who with their company brighten up the time of not only the queen, but also her crowned spouse, as well as court men, appeared. Every year the maid of honor became more and more, and the ladies from brothels at the court - less and less. Lovely, sophisticated and rather educated young ladies in all respects replaced the girls from the royal brothels ...
A direct consequence of the appearance of ladies at court was the appearance of lovers among the kings. And if earlier any ties on the side were rarely long, then gradually the mistresses of the French kings received a certain official status. The king's favorite is not just a lady for pleasure, she is a woman who often becomes the trendsetter of the kingdom, interferes in politics, can influence the king, and therefore the whole country. And which is often more important than the queen's wife, whom the king married for political reasons.
The favorites of the French kings lived under the same roof with them, attended all important events, gave birth to royal children. In most cases, these children received titles and were recognized as noble people, despite their illegitimate birth. There have been cases when illegitimate offspring were even raised alongside princes and princesses. Starting with Francis I, favoritism turned into a special state institution with its own rules and even, one might say, protocol. Poems and songs were dedicated to the favorites, the most famous artists dreamed of depicting them in their paintings in the images of goddesses. Every woman dreamed of becoming the king's favorite, their husbands, if any, could only be proud of the successes of their wives.
However, the position of the favorites still remained unreliable. Their main advantage was beauty, which, as you know, is not eternal. And along with the beauty, the royal favors went away. Nevertheless, some especially clever ladies during the time of the popularity contrived to provide not only themselves, but also their descendants. But more on that later.
Agnes Sorel (circa 1420-1450)
The story of Agnes Sorel, beloved of King Charles VII, is truly unique and worthy of an entire book. Contemporaries considered her one of the most beautiful women in the world. Even Pope Pius II once admitted: "She had the most beautiful face imaginable." However, her name remained in history not only because of her beauty.
Little is known about Agnes Sorel's origins. She was the daughter of Jean Soret, advisor to the Count of Clermont, and Catherine de Menielay, owner of the de Verneuil estate. The exact year of Agnes's birth is not known, nor is the exact place. At the age of 15, the girl was attached as a maid of honor to Isabella of Lorraine, Queen of Sicily. According to historians, she was 22 when King Charles VII first saw her.
The king was fascinated by this woman, who, as many said of her, was more beautiful than any queen. She had ash hair, blue eyes, perfect features and body.
Soon the whole court knew that the king had a beloved, although they carefully concealed their relationship. The rumors were confirmed when Agnes got pregnant and the king was so nervous before her birth that everything became obvious. The queen was furious, but, being a smart woman, she not only did not begin to plot against her beloved husband, but even brought her closer to herself and made her her friend.
Agnes remained Charles VII's mistress for many years and bore him four daughters, each of whom received the family title of Valois. At the court of Agnes, Sorel became a trendsetter. It was with her submission that diamonds began to be worn not only by men of the royal family, but also by everyone who could afford to buy them. She brought into fashion long trains, which the church forbade to wear, calling them "the devil's tail", and a huge neckline on dresses, which almost did not hide the chest. For this she was often called a woman of easy virtue. Many women frankly disliked her and envied her, while men, including the king, adored her even after the birth of four children.
Charles VII gave his mistress the titles of Dame Bote-sur-Marne, Vernon, Rouquesezier. But much more often you can hear her other title - Madame Bothe (Lady of Beauty). However, not everything in the life of the royal mistress was smooth. Those were hard times: Hundreds of years of war, poverty and hunger among ordinary people, and the king was passive ... And many blamed Agnes Sorel for this.
Few people know, but it was Madame Sorel who introduced the famous Jeanne d'Arc to the king. Soon after, as we recall from the lessons of history, the king took action and eventually won the Hundred Years War. But only Agnes, who was so eager for this victory, could not enjoy it. In 1449, while still a very young woman, she died under mysterious circumstances.
Being pregnant with her fourth child, already at a great age, Agnes unexpectedly arrived at the place of deployment of troops to tell the king about the conspiracy she had become aware of against him. Karl did not believe her, and the conspirators did not take any action. On the same day, Madame Sorel began childbirth, she gave birth to a girl who lived for only six months.
After giving birth, Agnes was sick, she prayed for a long time, trying to atone for carnal sin. She died soon after. Contemporaries believed that Agnes was killed, and even found the culprit. However, later researchers believe she died from mercury poisoning, which was often added to cosmetics at the time.
Anne de Pislet, Duchess d'Etampes (1508 - circa 1576)
Anne de Pislet was only 18 when King Francis I first saw her. Their meeting was not accidental: the queen mother dreamed of separating her son from Françoise Chateaubriand, who was his mistress at that time. Therefore, the appearance of many young and charming ladies-in-waiting at the meeting of the king returning from Spanish captivity, and the absence of Madame Chateaubriand at this meeting was faked. One of them was Anne de Pislet.
However, the king had seen a glimpse of Anna a little earlier: she was the daughter of Guillaume de Pislet, who commanded a thousand infantry stationed in Picardy. He noticed her in the crowd of maids of honor. However, Anna was not only beautiful. According to her contemporaries, she had a lively and subtle mind, she was called the most educated among the beauties and the most beautiful among the educated.
Between the old and the new favorites of Francis I, a real war unfolded for 2 years. The whole court amused itself, looking at their skirmishes, and the king did not even have time for state affairs. Finally, in 1528, Françoise returned to Chateaubriand to her husband. However, this did not save her from the persecution of the vengeful Anna, who demanded that Francis take the castle and the jewelry that he gave her from Françoise. However, the king did not forget Françoise. In the future, he gave her more than once, and even there was a period when he again renewed his relationship with her.
However, after this temporary reconciliation, the king returned to Anna again. And he made her a very peculiar gift - a husband. To elevate Anna and give her a certain status in society, Francis I gave her in marriage to Jean de Brosse, an inconspicuous, but very noble lord, and granted them the duchy of Etampes.
Anne d "Etampes was by no means disinterested. She actively sought favors and positions for her numerous relatives. Her patronage of the Protestants led to the fact that Francis I also showed them favors. At the same time, she did not hesitate to have other lovers, with some of whom the king even caught her at the “crime scene.” But here's what is surprising: the king preferred to remain silent, than to stir up a scandal, after which he would have to drive out the unfaithful favorite.
Duchess d "Etampes was a lady power-hungry and rather scandalous. Not only the beginning of her career as a favorite, but also the end of it took place in quarrels with women. At the end of her life she had to" fight "with the favorite of the heir to the throne, Diane de Poitiers. Their conflict was aggravated by the fact that that Diana was a fierce Catholic, and Anna encouraged Protestants. However, her "battles" with Diana did not shake her position, on the contrary, wanting to strengthen her position, the king even began to invite her to meetings of the Royal Council. Even members of the royal family were afraid of her, and church hierarchs received at their receptions, despite her "sinful" position.
However, it all ended with the death of Francis. The conflict with Diane de Poitiers was so strong that everyone expected that after the death of Francis, the Duchess d'Etampes would be arrested or even burned as a heretic. to Brittany, where she lived until her advanced years.
Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566)
Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of King Henry II, can be called one of the brightest historical figures in the history of France without exaggeration. Diana was the daughter of Jean de Poitiers, seigneur de Saint-Valier, which means she came from a very noble family, was one of the representatives of the Aquitaine sovereign house. When the girl was 13 years old, she was married to Louis de Brese, Count de Molvrier (whose mother, by the way, was the daughter of Charles VII and Agnes Sorel). At 31, Diana became a widow.
The meeting with the future lover took place when the boy was only 6 years old, and she was 25. The young prince then went to Spain as a hostage instead of his father, Francis I. Diana kissed the boy on the forehead goodbye, and this made him a knight forever. When, 10 years later, he returned from an honorable imprisonment, he was no longer burning with childish love for Diana, who, despite a difference of almost 20 years, was still an extremely beautiful woman.
Heinrich was only the second son. However, fate decreed that his brother died, and he became the Dauphin (heir to the throne). It was then that the war described earlier unfolded between Diane de Poitiers and Anne d "Etampes. Diana was 10 years older than the mistress of her lover's father, but her beauty was striking. Contemporaries wrote that she was an extraordinary beauty before her death. Heinrich simply idolized her. Diana after the death of her husband, she spent her whole life in mourning for him, which manifested itself in black and gray colors of clothes - and Henry also wore these colors, and his clothes and rings were decorated with the monogram "DH" (Diana - Heinrich) all his life.
Of course, Henry II was married. His wife was another famous historical figure, Catherine de Medici. However, when he ascended the throne, Diana became the true queen. She sat in a place of honor at the coronation, the new king showered her with crown jewels, as well as those that belonged to Anne d'Etamp. The castles of the former rival also went to Diana. She even received part of her taxes. In 1548, Diana de Poitiers received the duchy of de Vanetinois.
Historian Guy Chaussinand Nogaret claims that no favorite had such power as Diane de Poitiers. Henry II allowed her to exercise almost complete control over government affairs. And this power was recognized even by foreign sovereigns. The king discussed every decision with his favorite. Having come to power, Diana carried out a real purge of the highest positions, putting her supporters in the vacant positions. In fact, Diane de Poitiers served as prime minister.
Obviously, Diana had opponents as well. The result of their activities was a temporary relationship between the king and the young and beautiful Mary Fleming, who served as Mary Stuart's governess. However, Diana showed rare efforts and talents to regain the love of the king. As for the legitimate queen, she never dared to confront her husband's favorite.
The power of Diane de Poitiers came to an end with the death of Henry II, who died in a knightly tournament at the age of 40. Diana returned the jewelry to Catherine de Medici and left for her castle, Ane, where she spent the last years of her life, preserving her amazing beauty and liveliness of mind.
Marie Touchet (1549-1638)
It is impossible to imagine women more unlike Diane de Poitiers than the next two ladies - Marie Touchet and Louise de Lavaliere.
Marie Touchet - the favorite of Charles IX, the son of Henry II, being beautiful and educated, was a very meek creature, far from self-interest and intrigue and, it seems, sincerely loved Charles IX, becoming the mother of his two sons.
Charles IX was a very playful young man, until in 1566 he met a young girl named Marie Touchet while hunting in Orleans, whose father was assistant to the governor in the judicial district. Charles IX fell in love with her at first sight, and soon Marie Touchet left with the king as the maid of honor of his sister Margaret.
Marie revealed Karl from a completely unfamiliar side. Gloomy and even cruel, with his beloved he became gentle and meek.
However, not everything in their relationship was smooth. Marie did not end her relationship with her ex-lover, which Karl found out about. He was very angry, but when the beauty promised to end this relationship, he not only forgave her, but also loved her even more. In an effort to please her, he began to show an interest in politics and government, and Marie began to promote his rapprochement with the Huguenots, hoping thereby to achieve peace in the country. Worried that the Huguenots were gaining too much power, Queen Mother Catherine de Medici decided to marry her son to Elizabeth of Austria, a beautiful girl who immediately fell in love with her husband and was even able to distract him from his mistress for a while. However, Charles soon returned the favorite to the court, where she remained until his death in 1574.
After the death of the king, Marie Touchet successfully married and died at a ripe old age.
Louise de Lavalier (1644-1710)
This girl refuted the opinion that the favorites of the French kings were chosen for their beauty. Louise Francisca de la Baume le Blanc de Lavaliere was born in 1644 and lived in the era of the magnificent "sun king" Louis XIV. From the age of 15 she was the maid of honor of Henrietta of England. Louise was distinguished by her friendliness, a kind heart, she was smart and educated. There were conflicting reviews about her appearance: someone noted that she was undoubtedly beautiful, someone said that she was not particularly beautiful. She had expressive beautiful eyes, but her face showed traces of smallpox, she was very thin, and besides, she was limping. However, despite this, Louise was awarded not only the love of the king, at least two names of her loyal fans are known, to whom she never reciprocated: Comte de Guiche and Minister of Finance Fouquet.
Louise was by no means the first or only lover of Louis. However, in the opinion of his contemporaries, he loved her, and she loved not the king in him, but the man. None of the people who knew the king had any doubts that he had sincere feelings for Louise de Lavalier, which he had for a long time hidden from the general public, covering them up with his courtship of Henrietta of England.
It was for Louise de Lavaliere that Louis XIV built the magnificent Versailles, which has become an eternal monument to their touching love. He strove to throw the most beautiful things at her feet. But Louise needed only his love. An illegal relationship with the king oppressed and shamed Louise. They say that when the queen looked at her, the girl always blushed. The birth of children (and there were four of them) was kept secret from the queen. On the day the first child was born, Louise came to the ball to the Duchess of Orleans in the evening, saying that she would rather die than let her guess that she had become a mother.
Of course, the life of the king's favorite was shrouded in intrigues and intrigues, which were built by envious people. Louise herself never intrigued and did not ask for any favors for herself or her relatives, by the way, not rich people. If someone fell out of favor because of intrigues against her, Louise asked Louis for forgiveness for them. In 1667, the king presented her with the Duchy of Wozhute and two baronies for her "virtue, beauty and rare perfection." He recognized Louise's two surviving children and gave them titles.
But, alas, this tender and devoted love was not eternal. Firstly, by nature, Louis simply could not remain faithful all his life to the modest and quiet Louise, and secondly, a beautiful and intelligent rival appeared on the horizon, who deliberately did everything to blacken her in the eyes of the king.
And even then, the former favorite did not intrigue. She resignedly endured the reign of the new favorite, and in her heart she decided to go to a monastery. She was then only 25 years old ... In the monastery, Louise lived until the end of her days in severity and prayer. The nuns considered her a saint.
Françoise Athenais de Montespan (1640-1707)
The place of sweet Louise de Lavaliere in the heart of Louis XIV was taken by a woman who was called the true queen of France. The magnificent Françoise Athenais, nee Mademoiselle de Tonne-Charente, was born into one of the most ancient families in France. From 12 to 18 years old, she was brought up in a monastery and was distinguished by great piety. At the age of 20, she became the maid of honor of Henrietta Stuart (the wife of the king's younger brother), and then Queen Mary Theresa.
At 23, she was married to the Marquis de Montespan, from whom she gave birth to two children. Marriage did not prevent Madame de Montespan from shining at court with her beauty, intelligence and education. She had many admirers, but her husband was very jealous, and after a scene of jealousy, arranged in public at the time when his wife was the king's mistress, he was sent to prison, and then to his homeland, to Gascony, where he lived until the end of their days.
At the time when the 26-year-old marquis was introduced to King Louis XIV, he was carried away by Louise de Lavalier and did not pay any attention to the beauty. However, gradually the king became interested in the witty, cutesy and playful Françoise Athenais. In May 1667 she became his mistress. Louise de Lavalier very quickly realized that she had lost the love of Louis, but the cunning marquis convinced the queen of her virtue for another 3 years. Only after Louise de Lavalier left for the convent in 1674 did Madame de Montespan become the official favorite of Louis.
Françoise Athenais de Montespan was jealous and capricious. Fearing the addicted nature of the king, she even temporarily managed to abolish the institution of maids of honor. She had a great influence on the king personally and on all the affairs that took place in France. The Marquise attended meetings of the Royal Council, encouraged trade and arts, and provided patronage to her relatives. Being a fan of irrepressible luxury, Madame de Montespan taught Louis to her. It is believed that the time of her favoritism was the heyday of the reign of Louis XIV.
From Louis XIV, Madame de Montespan had seven children, six of whom the king legitimized, giving them the royal surname of Bourbon. They hid the first two children from the light. Even the sex of their first child is unknown. The second was brought up by the friend of the Marquise, Madame de Maintenon, who, remarkably, became the next favorite of Louis.
However, the age of Madame de Montespan near the king was also short-lived. Cooling between them happened before, but the end in their relationship was put by the participation of Françoise Athenais in the case of poisons. She was accused of giving the king aphrodisiacs, ordering "black" masses and seeking his death. Obviously, this conflicting evidence was fabricated, but suspicion led the king to abandon his favorite. For a while, he was carried away by a young lady-in-waiting, and then found himself in the arms of the teacher of his illegitimate children, who attracted him ... with her piety and piety! However, even when Madame de Montespan lost her title of official favorite, the king continued to be in her company, she was so witty and interesting.
At 51, Madame de Montespan retired to a monastery, where she lived for 15 years, doing charity work and still patronizing literary talents. Madame de Montespan's illegitimate children entered into highly profitable marriages. Moreover, these marriages were planned personally by the king and planned in such a way that his son, the Duke of Manx, was to become king in case the Bourbon dynasty was interrupted. Surprisingly, through her children, Françoise Athenais de Montespan is the ancestor of the modern House of Orleans, the royal families of Portugal, Belgium, Spain, as well as the Habsburgs, the Savoy and Luxembourg dynasties.
Author - Maya_Peshkova. This is a quote from this post
The king's gallant adventures led to conflicts in a still childless family and forced Marguerite to return to Paris. The quarrel at Agen in 1585 marked their final break.
Significant changes in the political situation took place in 1588. The death of Prince Condé put Henry at the head of the Protestants. The assassination of the Duke of Guise reconciled Henry III and Henry of Navarre.
Plessis-le-Tours castle
At the castle of Plessis-le-Tours, both kings signed the treatise on April 30, 1589. Fighting together against the League, which controlled Paris and most of France, they laid siege to the capital in July of that year. On August 1, 1589, Henry III died of wounds inflicted on him by the fanatical monk Jacques Clement (being a devout man, the king ordered the church leaders to be allowed to him unhindered). On his deathbed, Henry III officially recognized Henry of Navarre as his heir, who henceforth became King of France, Henry IV. True, it was more of a formality, since three-quarters of the king's subjects did not recognize him as such. The Catholics of the League refused to recognize the legality of such succession to the throne.
Basilica of Saint Denis
The king solemnly renounced Protestantism on July 25, 1593 at the Basilica of Saint-Denis. A historical anecdote, not confirmed by reliable sources, attributed to him on this occasion the phrase: “Paris is worth Mass.” In order to speed up the anecdote of individual provinces, he showered their governors with promises and gifts worth a total of 2,500,000 livres. To fulfill these obligations, it was subsequently necessary to increase taxes 2.7 times, which caused popular unrest in the provinces most loyal to the king: Poitou, Sentonge, Limousin and Perigord.
Chartres Cathedral
Henry IV was crowned on February 27, 1594 in Chartres Cathedral (contrary to ancient tradition - not in Reims Cathedral, like all other French monarchs). His entry into Paris on March 22, 1594, and finally the absolution granted by Pope Clement VIII on September 17, 1595, ensured the gradual annexation of the remainder of the aristocracy and common people.
"Oh yes, Beautiful Korizanda"
The first woman who managed to tie Henry to her for a long time was Diana d'Anduan, nicknamed "the beautiful Korizanda" in honor of the heroine of the cycle of knightly novels about Amadis. Diana was for him not only a mistress, but also a wise mentor who provided him with both spiritual and material support. Their connection practically faded away by the time of Henry's accession to the throne.
Love nest given to Diana by Heinrich
The following were:
Esther Amber(Esther Imbert) or Isambert (Ysambert) from 1587 to 1588. Died in poverty in Saint-Deny in 1592. Two sons from King Henry IV.
Martin(Martine) in 1587. Child from the king.
Antoinette de Pont(Antoinette de Pons), marquise de Guercheville in 1590.
Caterina de Beauvilliers(Catherine de Beauvilliers), abbess of a monastery in Montmartre, in 1590
Caterina de Verdun(Catherine de Verdun), abbey at Longchamp in 1590.Gabrielle d'Estre
Gabrielle d'Estré (1573, Montlouis-sur-Loire - April 10, 1599, Paris) - 1st Duchess of Beaufort and de Verneuil, Marquis de Monceau, the official favorite of King Henry IV the Great.
Gabrielle d "Estrées et une de ses sœurs, Inconnu, 1594
She was born in 1573 (according to another version in 1571 or 1570) and was the sixth of the eight children of the chief of artillery Antoine d'Estre and his wife Françoise Babu de Labourdesière. According to some contemporaries, at the age of 16, she was sold by her mother to the king Henry III. Here is how Gabrielle's arrival in Paris was described:
A rich hairstyle, adorned with diamonds set in gold, favorably distinguished her from many other ladies. Although she wore a white satin gown, it seemed gray in comparison to the natural whiteness of her body. Her sky-colored eyes shone so that it was difficult to determine what was more in them: the shining of the sun or the twinkling of the stars. Her face was smooth and luminous, like a precious pearl of clear water. She had sable, dark color, curved eyebrows, a slightly upturned nose, ruby-colored sensual lips, a chest whiter and smoother than ivory, and her hands, whose skin could only be compared with the freshness of rose petals and lilies, were distinguished by such perfection of proportions that they seemed a masterpiece created by nature.
The king allegedly did not like the girl (she reminded Henry of his unloved wife Louise), and there were rumors that in the future Gabriel passed from hand to hand for quite a long time: she belonged to the Italian financier Sebastian Zamet, she lived with Cardinal de Guise for a year, then successively belonged to the Duke de Longueville and Roger de Bellegarde, as well as several nobles from the vicinity of the castle of Couvres, until King Henry IV met her in 1590. as Talman de Reo mentions this several times in his collection of anecdotes
Portrait of Gabrielle d "Estrées, chalk on laid paper, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
Portrait of Gabrielle d "Estrées
Erected as Duchess de Beaufort and Marquise de Monceau, Gabrielle, modest and not using her influence on the king for evil, enjoyed the general location of the court. In June 1594, three months after Henry was proclaimed king of France, d "Estre gave birth to a son, who was named Cesar in honor of Gaius Julius Caesar. In 1595, the king legalized the boy, and in 1598 granted him the title of Duke of Vendome.
School of Fontainebleau image by an unknown master
On March 26, 1596, in Rouen, Gabrielle gave birth to a daughter, Catherine-Henrietta, who in turn was named after her own aunt, father's sister, Catherine de Bourbon, who was a close friend of Gabrielle. The favorite gave birth to another royal bastard, the son of Alexander, in 1598. Now Gabrielle d'Estre could rightfully become the wife of Henry and the Queen of France, everything was ready for the wedding, but on Holy Week 1599, being in the fourth month of pregnancy, Gabrielle was poisoned by the fruits sent her on behalf of her fiancé Henry IV and died on April 10.
Gabrielle d "Estrées al bagno
It was rumored at court that the favorite was poisoned by representatives of those court circles who were interested in the king's marriage with a representative of the Medici family. Gabrielle was buried at the Abbey of Notre-Dame-la-Royal de Mabusson in Ile-de-France. On December 17, 1600 in Rouen, the king married the Tuscan princess Maria de Medici, who later bore him six legitimate children, including the future King of France Louis XIII the Just.
The "Mémoires" attributed to Gabrielle (P., 1829; new edition, 1852) are probably forgery.
Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich and his wife Sophia represent Henry at a fancy-dress ball!
Henry made her his mistress and, for the sake of appearance, married Nicolas d'Amerval de Liancourt in February 1591 (the marriage was dissolved in 1594). The beautiful and witty Gabrielle had a great influence on the king, thanks to his favorite, Henry converted to Catholicism and even wanted to divorce Marguerite of Valois and enthrone Gabrielle.
Erected as Duchess de Beaufort and Marquise de Monceau, Gabrielle, modest and not using her influence on the king for evil, enjoyed the general disposition of the court. In June 1594, three months after Henry was proclaimed king of France, d "Estre gave birth to a son, who was named Cesar in honor of Gaius Julius Caesar. In 1595, the king legalized the boy, and in 1598 granted him the title of Duke of Vendome.
Death to Gabrielle
Another company of ladies' hearts:
Madame Köhlen (Mme Quelin), wife of a Councilor of Parliament, in 1598
Isabelle Potier ( Isabelle Potier), from 1598 to 1599
M ademoiselle Maple (Mlle Clein) in 1599
"La Glandée", a depraved wench, in 1599Verney, Catherine Henrietta de Balzac d'Antrag
Catherine Henrietta de Balzac d'Antrague, Marquise de Verneuil (l) - the favorite of the French king Henry IV after the death of Gabrielle d'Estre in 1599, the mother of his two illegitimate children
Daughter of François de Balzac d "Antraga, Governor of Orleans, and Marie Touchet, former mistress of King Charles IX. Half-sister of Charles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême. The King saw Henrietta six days after the death of his favorite Gabrielle d'Estre and was struck by her beauty so that I forgot about my loss:
Catherine Henriette de Balzac d "Entragues
Mademoiselle d "Antragues is already coming to the fore. The wedge is knocked out like a wedge ... Nicolas Rapin, poet, lawyer of the Parisian Parliament
Henrietta d'Antrag's relationship to the king was dictated not so much by affection for him as by calculation. The family of the future favorite skillfully used the impatience of Henry, passionately in love with Henrietta, either giving him hope or refusing. Soon the conditions were announced under which she would become the king's mistress : one hundred thousand crowns, the title of marquise and a written promise to marry. Henry agreed and on October 10, 1599 signed the corresponding paper, pledging to marry Henrietta "... in the event of her pregnancy in six months, starting today, and her permission from the burden of her son ..."
Meanwhile, the king's advisers continued to negotiate his marriage with Marie de Medici.
Maria de Medici
The wedding of the king and Maria de Medici took place on December 17, 1600. Henry settled the favorite next to his wife in the Louvre. Women constantly quarreled, Henrietta called herself a real queen and never missed an opportunity to offend Maria de Medici. In 1601, the Marquis de Verneuil gave birth to a son, Gaston (legalized in 1603). The Duke of Angoulême has repeatedly stated that this particular child is the real Dauphin. He, along with Henrietta's father, took part in the conspiracy of Biron (1602), the purpose of which was the enthronement of Gaston after the death of the king (probably violent). The conspiracy was revealed, on July 31, 1602, Biron was executed. Charles of Angoulême betrayed all his accomplices and escaped punishment.
Engraving with a portrait of Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues
Meanwhile, the relationship between Henry and the favorite deteriorated. Henrietta cheated on the king and spoke of him with extreme contempt. Henry was tormented by the pangs of jealousy. According to Sully, "they no longer made love without loud swearing." The Spanish king offered the Marquis de Verneuil a pension, property and an infant to marry her son, whom he promised to make king of France.The brother and father of the favorite entered into a new conspiracy, which was revealed.
The Duke of Angoulême and François d "Antragues, from whom the letters of the Spanish king were found during their arrest and the marriage promise of Henry IV were seized, accused each other at the trial in parliament. Henrietta testified that she knew nothing about the relations of relatives with Spain. February 2, 1605 was the verdict was announced, according to which the Duke of Angoulême and d "Antrag" were condemned to death, the Marquis de Verneuil - to imprisonment in a monastery.
Jacqueline de Beuil-Coursillon (1588 - 1651, Moret-sur-Loing) - Countess de Moret, favorite of King Henry IV of France. The fourth child of the Breton nobleman Claude de Boyuil, Senora de Coursillon and Catherine de Monteclair.
Château de Saint-Maur
Jacqueline was 16 years old when she began appearing at the royal court and attracted the attention of Henry IV. The royal court at that time moved from gallantry to debauchery, and the king tried to forget his former favorite, Henrietta d "Antrag. Very young and without a fortune, Jacqueline demanded from the king, before becoming his favorite, to find her a bridegroom belonging to a noble family.
Saint Maur des Fossés - Eglise Saint Nicolas
As a spouse, the king chose Philippe de Arles de Chanvallon, Comte de Sesy, about whom the memoirist Pierre de L'Etoile said: “a good musician, plays the lute, but cannot do anything else.” The marriage ceremony of 16-year-old Jacqueline took place on October 5 1604, at 6 o'clock in the morning, in the village of Saint-Maur-de-Fosse (now a suburb of Paris).
Villa Médicis La Varenne
The king became quite attached to her, despite his nocturnal adventures in Paris, most often in the company of his favorites Roger de Bellegarde and Antoine de Roclor, accompanied by camera pages carrying torches (in particular, young Rakan) and, a year later, in 1605, granted her the title of Countess de Moret and a maintenance of 9,000 livres.
Antoine de Bourbon (1630) portrait of Daniel Dumoustier
During her relationship with Henry IV, on May 9, 1607, Jacqueline gave birth to a boy named Antoine de Bourbon-Boy. The little Comte de Moret was legitimized by a royal patent in January 1608.
After some time, Jacqueline, continuing her relationship with the king, became the mistress of Claude of Lorraine, Duke de Chevreuse, Prince of Joinville. Henry IV learned of this fact from his minister Sully and became very angry. The Countess de Moret was able to calm the king, who, nevertheless, forced Joinville to leave for his native Lorraine. He could not contradict the king, despite his love for Jacqueline. Joinville returned from Lorraine only after the death of Henry IV.
While Henry IV pretended to believe Jacqueline's arguments, she entered into an affair with another nobleman. All this cooled the feelings of the king towards Jacqueline and the "deceived" king immediately ended their relationship
The death penalty was changed to life imprisonment for Henrietta's father and brother, and soon d'Antrag was released. Henry did not forget his unfaithful favorite, he did not see her, but exchanged letters. She was allowed to return to Verneuil and then to Paris. left his new mistress, the Countess de Moret, and renewed his relationship with Henrietta, which lasted until he was infatuated with Charlotte de Montmorency in 1609.
Portrait de Catherine Henriette de Balzac d "Entragues
A few months after the assassination of Henry IV, the Marquise de Verneuil's maid, Jacqueline d'Escoman, accused her and d'Epernon of leading Ravallac's actions. The first president of the court, Achille de Arley, interrogated the Marquis for five hours at home. Eskoman was unable to provide convincing evidence of her accusations and on May 5, 1611, the judges, taking into account the high position of the accused, postponed the case.
According to the laws of that time, Eskoman had to be either executed for perjury, or acquitted. Parliament by nine votes to ten sentenced her to life in prison. All materials of this case were destroyed in 1618 in a fire in the Palace of Justice. Some information about the Escoman trial is contained in letters from the Venetian Ambassador Foscarini to the Senate of the Republic and in the Journal of Henry IV by Pierre de L'Etoile.
7 years after the death of Henry IV, in the spring of 1617, the Countess Moret returned to Paris and married Rene II du Beck-Crespin, the Marquis de Wardes, the son of Rene I and Helene d'Eau. Now she was a profitable bride: in addition to the County of Moret, the 29-year-old Jacqueline had an annuity of 14,000 livres, assigned to her by Louis XIII in gratitude for the services rendered to her services
Charlotte de Montmorency, Princess of Condé.
Charlotte de Montmorency, Princess of Condé. Artist Peter Paul Rubens
Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency is the daughter of the constable Henry I de Montmorency and his second wife Louise de Budeau, beloved of King Henry IV of France, wife of the 3rd Prince of Condé, mother of the Great Condé, heiress and mistress of Chantilly.
Charlotte was raised by her aunt, Diana de Chatellerault, an educated and devout woman. At the age of 15, the girl was introduced by Diana to the court, where she was appointed maid of honor to Queen Marie de Medici, wife of Henry IV. The king fell in love with Charlotte, broke off her engagement to Bassompier and married Prince Condé, hoping that he would be the docile husband of the royal mistress. The wedding took place in May 1609, and soon after the Prince of Condé took his wife away from the king in love to the province.
Portrait of Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency, princesse de Condé
Henry followed the fugitives, but he managed to see Charlotte only once in Amiens. After a while, Prince Condé fled with his wife to Brussels, under the protection of the Spanish governor, Archduke Albrecht. The king instructed the Marquis de Couvre to kidnap the princess. However, Conde was warned of an impending escape, and he disrupted Henry's plans. In a rage, the king demanded that the archduke extradite the princess, threatening the occupation of Brabant by French troops. His assassination by Ravallac on May 14, 1610 halted military preparations.
Francois Ravallac - assassin of King Henry IV of France.
After the death of the king, the couple returned to France. In 1616, Condé took part in a conspiracy against Concini, was arrested and imprisoned. The princess petitioned to be reunited with her husband, and Louis XIII granted her wish. Until their release in 1620, the couple were in Vincennes, where Condé was transferred from the Bastille and where their daughter, Anne-Genevieve, was born.
Chantilly
After the birth of their third child, the husband left Charlotte, taking his eldest son with him. Charlotte lived at the Condé Palace in the capital, raising her two youngest children.
Chantilly
Princess Condé, a beautiful woman, moderately devout, educated, enjoyed unwavering respect at the royal court. She did not like Cardinal Richelieu, but she never intervened in intrigues against him. She was a regular visitor to the famous salon of Madame de Rambouillet.
Chantilly - hereditary estate of Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency
In 1627, she tried to intercede for her cousin, Count François de Montmorency-Boutville, who violated the decree banning fights. However, the cardinal was adamant - the princess's cousin was executed. Charlotte took his son - the future Marshal of Luxembourg - upbringing to her family and, with her efforts, provided him with a brilliant career.
Chantilly
In 1632, her only brother, Henri II de Montmorency, was arrested for conspiracy against the king and sentenced to death. Not only Princess Condé asked for pardon, but also the king's brother, Anne of Austria, and other dignitaries. Despite this, the last representative of the ducal branch of the Montmorency family was executed, and all his titles went to the treasury (later they will be returned to Charlotte's children). She left the royal court and Paris, devoting all her time to children. In 1643, the mistress of Chantilly became the godmother of the future King Louis XIV.
Duke Henri II de Montmorency is the grandson of the constable Anne de Montmorency, son of the constable Henri de Montmorency, the last representative of the famous Montmorency family from Chantilly.
After the death of Louis XIII, Charlotte returned to the court. During the Fronde, despite the fact that her daughter and youngest son sided with the rebels, she remains loyal to Anne of Austria and the young king. In 1650, her eldest son, who had previously been among the king's supporters, went over to the side of the princes. In January 1650, Henry II of Condé, the Prince of Conti and the Duke de Longueville (the princess's son-in-law) were arrested by order of Mazarin, and the Duchess de Longueville left France. Charlotte Condé died on December 2, 1650 at Chatillon-Coligny, without ever seeing her children. Buried in Paris in a Carmelite monastery.
Cathedral of Peter and Paul at Chatillon-Coligny
The activities of Henry IV, striving for the welfare and peace of his subjects, largely corresponded to the needs of the people, in whose memory Henry of Navarre remained as le bon roi Henri - "The Good King Henri". At the beginning of the 18th century, in Voltaire's epic poem "Henriad", the king appeared as an idealized hero who ruled France "both by right of conquest and by right of birth." The Bourbons appealed to the folk image of Henry IV during the restoration attempts at the end of the XVIII - early XIX centuries, and then during the Restoration itself. The famous song attributed to the composer Estache du Corroix - "Vive Henri Quatre" is dedicated to him: "Long live Henry the Fourth, long live the brave king, this four-time devil who had a triple gift: drink, fight and be a gallant gentleman", which was very popular in the era Napoleonic wars and later.
This song has a Russian-language version - “Once upon a time Henri the Fourth. He was a glorious king. " - free translation of the French original (verse size changed; melody of Tikhon Khrennikov). In the play "A long time ago" by Alexander Gladkov, it is sung by the French officer Lepeletier at the station in the house of the Azarovs. In an abbreviated form, the song was included in the film by E. Ryazanov, shot based on the play, "The Hussar Ballad".
Henry IV was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Denis. During the French Revolution in 1793, the revolutionaries opened the royal burial site and threw the remains of the monarchs into a common grave. One of the revolutionaries cut off the head from the body of Henry IV. Since the 19th century, the supposed head of the king has been sold at auctions more than once, and it has visited various private collections.
In 2008, the man who got the head turned to the former curator of the Palace of Versailles, the most authoritative French specialist on Henry IV, historian Jean-Pierre Babelon, with a request to conduct an examination of its authenticity. In December 2010, a group of nineteen scientists, led by pathologist Philippe Charlier, recognized the head as genuine. In February 2013, the same scientists presented a reconstruction of the face from the skull. However, later DNA tests and comparisons with the genetic material of living Bourbons refuted Charlier's claims.
Literature
Estre // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb., 1890-1907.
Loiseleur, Ravaillac et ses complices (P., 1873);
Descloseaux A. Gabrielle d "Estrées, marquise de Monceaux, duchesse de Beaufort. - P .: Champion, 1889.
Auguste Maquet, "La Belle Gabrielle" 1854-1855.Marc Autheman, Marie Touchet: la discrète, Ramsay, 2008 - 128 pages
Wolfram Fleischhauer, Die Purpurlinie, Stuttgart, 1996 (traduction française: La ligne pourpre, Paris, J.C. Lattès, 2005). Ouvrage semi-académique en forme de roman sur la vie de Gabrielle d "Estrées.Verneul, Marquis // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb., 1890-1907.
Ambelain R. Dramas and secrets of history / Translated from French by N. B. Orlov. Scientific edition of A.P. Koroleva. - M .: Progress-Academy, 1993. - S. 248-280. - 304 p.Pardoe, Julia, The life of Marie de Medicis, queen of France, James Pott and Company, 1902.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 14, Ed. Thomas Spencer Baynes, Henry G. Allen and Company, 1888.Portraits - Wikimedia
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