March 24, 2012, 03:49 pm

Agnes Sorel Official favorite (fr. Maîtresse en titre) - the status that the king of France could give one of his beloved. The difference between the official favorite and all the others was that she had the opportunity to influence the course political events, actively intervene in the life of the royal court and even in the intra-family relationships of the ruling family. Medieval France was a country with patriarchal foundations, in which a woman was assigned the modest role of the guardian of the hearth. Until the 15th century, the king's entourage consisted mainly of knights, to satisfy the sexual needs of which a brothel was kept at the court. Only under Anne of Brittany did the institution of ladies-in-waiting arise, under subsequent queens the ladies' court increased in size and there was an increasing feminization of the royal court. From now on, the king and his courtiers were content not with corrupt girls from the lower strata of the population, but with a society of sophisticated ladies. Not least for sanitary reasons (at that time an epidemic of syphilis broke out on the territory of France), the courtiers picked up the king's only beloved from among the ladies of the court. In the era of absolutism, marriages of members of the royal family were a purely state matter, designed to strengthen the union between the two countries. Often a marriage contract was concluded long before the age of majority of the heir to the throne, there was usually no talk of any personal sympathies. The main function of the queen was, in addition to strengthening interstate ties, the continuation of the royal dynasty. With the exception of a few brilliant rulers who left a noticeable mark on the history of France, the king's wife usually remained in the background, not interfering in political affairs, and often devoted herself to religion. Guided by personal preferences, the king usually chose attractive and educated ladies from his circle, including among the queen's ladies-in-waiting, as his mistresses. In addition to satisfying the sexual needs of the sovereign, the favorite often played an important role in governing the country. Since the favorites were usually ladies of noble birth who received excellent education and education, they were distinguished by progressive views on many things that they, with the support of the king, sought to embody in society. They were not only trendsetters of fashion and cultural traditions at court, but were also actively involved in politics, often actually taking over the reins of government in their own hands. Sometimes the favorites were only an elegant tool in the hands of the powerful people of France, with which they could influence the decisions of the king. However, the favorite could just as quickly fall into disfavor with the king, how quickly she won his favor. Her position was unstable, since the king often changed his mistresses, so the most conceited of them tried by all means to strengthen their power at court and marry the king to themselves. Although there were decent women among the royal mistresses, almost all of them had a bad reputation, and at the same time many enemies and rivals. The prototype of the official favorite is called the mistress of Charles VII - Agnès Sorel, whom he awarded with the official status of the royal favorite. The status gave Agnes a number of advantages: in particular, she was served like a princess, and she wore the longest train after the queen (the length of the train in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance was determined by the status of a woman). The king gave Sorel the lordship of Bothe-sur-Marne with the right to bear this name, then other possessions, in particular the castle of Issoudun in Berry and the possession of Vernon in Normandy. Among other things, Agnès Sorel actively intervened in politics and achieved titles and positions at the royal court for her relatives. She is credited with introducing such innovations as the wearing of diamonds by the uncrowned, the invention of a long train, the wearing of very loose outfits that open one breast; her behavior and open recognition of her connection with the king often aroused indignation, but much was forgiven her thanks to the protection of the king and her perfect beauty, about which even the Pope said: “She has the most beautiful face that can only be seen in this world. According to one version, Sorel was deliberately poisoned with mercury. However, the period of the reign of Francis I is still considered the moment the term “official favorite” appeared. From now on, the official favorite was consecrated in the presence of the entire royal court - so the king made it clear that this was not a fleeting hobby, but an act of supreme trust in a particular woman. According to the French historian Guy Chaussinant-Nogaret, the cult of the mistress at the French court is a degenerate chivalrous tradition of worshiping the Beautiful Lady. Francoise The first official lady of the heart of Francis I was Francoise de Chateaubriand in 1517. The countess was distinguished by her beauty and modesty, and used her personal relationship with the king only to promote her relatives to high positions. These appointments later turned out to be erroneous, for example, Francoise's brother was one of the culprits for the defeat at Pavia. After the release of Francis from Spanish captivity in 1526, his mother, Louise of Savoy, decided to remove the independent favorite from her post, replacing her with the young Anne de Pisleux. Between the favorites, a two-year struggle unfolded for the love of the king, in which the Countess de Chateaubriand lost, offended by the king's proposal to become his second lover. In 1532, Francis resumed relations with Chateaubriand for three weeks, but their relationship ended there. To arrange the best for Anna de Pisleux, Francis married the girl to Jean de Brosse, who was given the title of Duke of Etampes and Chevreuse. After the death of Louise of Savoy in 1531, the king completely fell under the influence of his mistress. She succeeded not only in the artistic field, but also in the political affairs of France, placing people devoted to her in the most important posts. The Duchess d'Etampes even achieved the resignation of the most prominent politician of the era of Francis I - the constable of Montmorency, a supporter of Diane de Poitiers, the favorite of the future King of France, Henry II. After the death of Francis in 1547 and the ascension of his successor to the throne, Anna d'Etampes was forced to leave the court and spent the rest of her life in solitude. The mistress of Henry II, the widow Diane de Poitiers, was 20 years older than her lover, but possessed an extraordinary beauty that did not fade over the years, but flourished more and more. Contemporaries compared her to a goddess who descended from Mount Olympus to charm a prince. Diana herself cultivated the image of a deity and exploited this image in every possible way in order to achieve the veneration and love of powerful people and people. Even under the reign of Francis I, Diana was compared with Artemis, symbolizing chastity, which was opposed to Venus (Duchess d'Etampes), personifying carnal sensuality. For a long time, the courtiers believed that Diana and Henry were connected exclusively by platonic relations, and she herself was like a mother and a wise mentor to the king. I wrote more about Diana. The reign of the last three representatives of the Valois dynasty was marked by the absence of influential favorites. For 20 years, the country was ruled by the Queen Regent Catherine de Medici, who at all costs tried to keep the monarchy and the Valois dynasty on the throne. The eldest son, Francis II, who did not live to see his 17th birthday, doted on his wife, Mary Stuart. The second son, Charles IX, who ascended the throne at the age of 10, like his older brother, was unable to govern the state on his own. In love with his brother's widow Mary Stuart, Charles remained a virgin until the age of 16. In 1566, Charles met the Flemish Marie Touchet while hunting in Orleans, with whom he maintained a relationship until his death. Marie was a Huguenot, and, according to Guy Breton (author of historical novels about love affairs French kings), it was she who caused Bartholomew night: thanks to her influence on the king, Charles established friendly relations with one of the leaders of the Huguenots - Admiral Coligny - which Catherine de Medici did not like. The Queen Mother ordered an assassination attempt on Coligny, but the attempt was unsuccessful and escalated into a massacre of the Huguenots. However, there is another opinion that the favorite had a meek disposition and in no way interfered in the course of religious wars. Marie Touchet The third son of Catherine de Medici, Henry III, had love affairs with court ladies, but was in love with Maria of Cleves, whom his mother forbade him to marry. Due to unhappy love and the sudden death of Mary, Henry lost interest in women. He is also credited with homosexual relationships. It was under the latter of the Valois that the term “minions” appeared, denoting male royal favorites of predominantly non-traditional sexual orientation. There were legends about the abundance of love of the first king from the Bourbon dynasty. He is credited with the phrase "Having one woman means hitting chastity," which fully characterizes the recognized ladies' man. The list of mistresses of Henry IV includes more than 50 ladies, but only two of them were awarded the status of an official favorite. The first woman who managed to tie Henry to her for a long time was Diana d'Andouin, nicknamed the "beautiful Corizanda" in honor of the heroine of the cycle of chivalric romances 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 had practically disappeared by the time of Henry's accession to the throne. The first official royal favorite of Henry IV was Gabrielle d'Estre. Despite the presence of a legitimate queen, the favorite accompanied the king everywhere, even in military campaigns, being on demolition. From Henry, Gabriel gave birth to four children who were recognized as the legitimate children of the king. The royal favorite was a Catholic and, trying to settle the conflict between the Protestant Henry and the Catholic League, slowly managed to persuade the king to change his faith. In 1593, Henry IV converted to Catholicism, and five years later he signed Edict of Nantes, who granted the Huguenots freedom of religion and put an end to the protracted Religious Wars. Gabriel After the annulment of his marriage to Marguerite, Henry IV was about to marry d'Estra when she unexpectedly died. According to one version, the favorite was poisoned by the courtiers, who were interested in the marriage of the king with Maria Medici. The king, who was mourning for d'Estre, after some time found solace in the face of Henriette d'Antragues, whose mother was Marie Touchet, the former mistress of King Charles IX. The family of the future favorite skillfully speculated on Henrietta's innocence. Ultimately, the girl's virginity was sold for one hundred thousand crowns, the title of marquise and a written promise of the king to marry. Passionately in love, Henry agreed to all the conditions, with the proviso that he would marry Henrietta only if she gave him an heir to the throne (at that time, the almost fifty-year-old king had no official heirs). The favorite had a miscarriage, thanks to which Henry IV was able to freely marry Maria Medici, thereby hoping to rid France of debts. The relationship between d'Entragues and the queen was never friendly, and the relationship between the favorite and the king soon worsened. The d'Antragues argued that the king's marriage to Marguerite de Valois was not annulled, therefore, Maria Medici could not be considered a legal wife, and the children born to her were bastards. The brother (Duke of Angouleme) and the father of the favorite entered into a new conspiracy, which was revealed. In 1605, the verdict was announced, according to which the Duke of Angouleme and d'Entragues were condemned to death penalty, Henrietta - to the conclusion in the monastery. Thanks to the favor of the king, all three were pardoned, and Henrietta was allowed to return to Paris. Predecessor Louis XIV, his father Louis XIII is suggested by some historians to have been a homosexual who spent time in the company of his minions. With the coming to power of Louis XIV, the most brilliant part of the Great Age began - the so-called gallant age. The "Sun King" became the personification of the period of cultural and political heyday of France, during his reign the country became one of the most powerful powers in the world. One of the main principles of the era of luxury and entertainment was the gallant appeal to the lady, which the king was perfect at. Louise de Lavalier Louise de Lavaliere was recognized as the official favorite. She was originally a lady-in-waiting to Princess Henrietta Stewart. Louise's appearance was more 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 rarely attend social events. Thanks to Louise (or rather, in honor of their love), the king began to rebuild the Palace of Versailles, which until then had been only a small hunting castle of his father. Lavaliere 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 legitimate children of the king - de Blois subsequently married the prince de Conti, and Vermandois became an admiral of France. When Louis XIV brought Madame de Montespan closer to him, Lavalière retired from court and took tonsure in a Carmelite monastery in Paris. The modest Lavalière was supplanted by Athenais de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan, a woman who can be safely called "a man of the Baroque era." Montespan was the complete opposite of Lavaliere. She was a stately, large, incredibly beautiful and witty woman. Her expensive and frilly outfits were often the subject of satire: "Golden 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 together with the king, and, of course, handed out court and state positions. Athenais de Montespan Despite the fact that all of Europe perceived Montespan as the "true queen of France", Louis left her, carried away by the young and stupid beauty - Angelique de Fontanges. (The latter went down in history only thanks to her accidental invention - the Fontange hairstyle). Enemies said that 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 Marquise was involved in the case of the famous witch Monvoisin). After this misconduct, incompatible with the high rank of an official (albeit retired) mistress, Montespan lost the favor of the king, over time she retired to her estate, where she died at a respectable age. Montespan also bore the king several children, and all of them were officially recognized as the king. By the way, the modest widow of the poet Scarron, Francoise d'Aubigne, was engaged in raising royal children. She managed to do what even the Marquise of Montespan could not - she married the king. Francoise de Maintenon Louis noticed this woman in Montespan's house - Francoise d'Aubigne worked as a teacher of royal children. Having become the official favorite under the name of Madame de Maintenon, Francoise began to educate the king himself. The era of balls and sensual pleasures at court ended: the king constantly fasted, read spiritual literature and spent the evenings in soul-saving conversations. Maintenon was not limited to the court - in Paris, the so-called "morality police" was created, which fined ladies for deep necklines. Maintenon was actually a confidant of the king. She was aware of many affairs and events, however, the king, as before, did not allow the favorite to participate in public affairs. In the Palace of Versailles, the Marquise sat in an armchair in the presence of Louis, his son - the heir to the throne, his brother, the English crowned persons. At the same time, Maintenon avoided expensive outfits and did not wear jewelry, but dressed with taste and rather modestly, not for her age. To get an appointment with the marquise was, perhaps, no easier 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, Maintenon created in 1686 an educational institution for girls from poor noble families. It was located in Saint-Cyr, not far from Versailles. The king trusted Francoise to such an extent that she became his wife. They married Louis XIV (1683), but the favorite was never officially recognized as queen. The era of Louis XV and the entire XVIII century is often called the "age of women" because of strong influence representatives of the fair sex to politics, science, art. Unlike his great-grandfather Louis XIV, the sun king was very far from pressing issues modernity and to state affairs treated with indifference. marquise de pompadour The Prussian king Frederick II jokingly called the reign of his neighbor "the reign of three skirts." The term has become a common definition of an entire era. The question of who were these "three skirts" does not have a clear answer. The fact is that the opinion of the authors of articles on this matter constantly diverges: two “skirts” are her predecessor Marie-Anne de Châteauroux, and the third one is Louise de Mailly-Nel, then her sister, Pauline-Felicia de Ventimille , the infamous Countess Dubarry. However, Dubarry appeared with the king after Frederick let go of his wit about this. Therefore, by the “first skirt” Frederick meant de Magli or Ventimil (the sisters had the surname de Neil before marriage). It is known, however, that de Magli was not interested in politics, while the Marquise 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 with the all-powerful Cardinal Fleury - the first minister, friend and educator of the king. However, death from puerperal fever prevented her from completing what she started (there is an assumption that the favorite was poisoned).
Madame Dubarry Marie Jeanne Becu was of humble origin, and before meeting the king of France, she managed to be a prostitute, a fashionista, and then a kept woman of Count Dubarry. Louis XV, having brought Jeanne closer to him, arranged her marriage to the brother of Count Dubarry and in 1769 presented her to the court. Minister Choiseul tried in vain to overthrow her, and by doing so only brought about his own downfall. Although she interfered little in government affairs, she contributed to the rise of the Duke d'Eguillon. Her slovenliness and carelessness, although embarrassing the whole court, but for a while her "personal casual style" came into great fashion. The rise of Dubarry was also opposed by the daughters of Louis XV and the young Dauphine Marie Antoinette. It is noteworthy that even Empress Maria Theresa, whose deep mind and state activities are highly appreciated by Stefan Zweig in his famous historical and artistic novel Marie Antoinette, ordered her daughter to change her attitude "... to the woman to whom the king is inclined." This once again proves the political and social importance that the official favorite had in France. 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 befitting pomp. For the Countess Dubarry, the jeweler Böhmer made a valuable necklace, which, after the death of Louis XV, went to the new Queen Marie Antoinette and became the cause of a scandalous case. Dubarry aroused 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 who became victims of the bourgeois 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 emigrants and entered into relations with the Girondins - adherents of Brissot. Here is a short article. If you are interested in hearing more about one of these women or some other mistress of the king, write in the comments. Thank you for your attention!

The mistresses of English (British) kings have an unofficial title. They are called english (british) royal mistress. The royal mistress not only delighted the king and received gifts, titles, lands and money for this, but also had to fulfill certain conditions. She had to be witty, charming, be able to keep up the conversation, but always know her place and not allow herself too much with the king. She had to be available to the king at any time of the day or night, whether he wanted sex or just to talk (according to statistics, royal mistresses died early from constant stress, although there were exceptions). The relationship of the mistress with the queen depended on the queen herself. It could be jealousy and hatred, or it could be encouragement and even friendship. The influence of a mistress on the king himself depended not only on her intelligence and beauty, but also on the presence of other mistresses and the influence of the "benefactors" who slipped her to the king.
One of famous mistresses King was Louise Rene de Kerual, mistress of Charles II. Charles II was one of the most famous womanizers among kings, and many of his descendants by numerous mistresses play an important role in Britain today. The descendants of Louise Rene de Kerual - Princess Diana, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Sarah, Duchess of York - one way or another influenced and influence the men of the royal family.

Louise René de Kerual

Louise René de Kerual's father was Guillaume de Penancoët, Seigneur de Kérouaille. Comte de Kerual participated in the Thirty Years' War, was wounded during the siege of Arras, served as Cardinal Richelieu and the governor of Brittany. He came from a noble family from León.

Louise's father

Louise's mother was Marie de Ploeuc de Timeur, who in her youth was famous for her extraordinary beauty.

Louise's mom

Louise's father, although he was of noble blood, did not amass wealth. And his daughter Louise, although she was a beautiful brunette with big blue eyes, did not hope to make good game and leave the parental castle in Brittany. Louise had no dowry. But her father had former comrades in arms. One of them, François de Bourbon-Vandome, Duke de Beaufort, the natural son of King Henry IV, who came to visit Guillaume, was so struck by the beauty of Louise that he made her a maid of honor at the court of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orleans. Henrietta of England is the sister of Charles II of England and the wife of Philip's brother of France.

Henrietta of England

Louise was a smart, modest, well-mannered girl and devoted to the princess, besides, she spoke excellent English. Henrietta took her with her on a trip to England, where she was going to meet her brother, King Charles II.
At Dover, Charles II gave his sister a magnificent reception, and for two weeks the king's guests had fun at balls, receptions and other entertainments. Louise also took part in all this.
Charles II was a man in his prime. He was 40 years old, he was elegant, gallant and good-looking. Louise was fascinated by him.

The king also liked Louise and when leaving, Henrietta asked what gift he wanted from her, Charles pointed to Louise and said that this was the only jewel he would like to keep. But Henrietta disagreed. Louise was from a noble family and leaving her in England was an insult to the family. Not the next day, Henrietta and her retinue set sail for France. Louise secretly regretted not being left with the king. This promised good prospects, and besides, she liked the king.

Young Louise

A few weeks later, Henrietta died. There were rumors that she was poisoned, but the princess had had digestive problems for a long time. The death of the princess seemed like a collapse for Louise, besides, her benefactor, the Duke de Beaufort, was killed during the siege of Candia. Louise was going home, but then things took a different turn. Louis XIV called her to him. The king had the Duke of Buckingham, the closest friend of King Charles II. Buckingham informed Louise that Charles wanted Louise to be his wife's lady-in-waiting, Catherine of Braganza.

Catherine of Braganza

The next day, Louise was again summoned to the King, only this time the conversation took place without the Duke of Buckingham. The King told Louise not to forget her French roots and there, in England, she served him, her king. In general, he recruited her as a spy. Louise agreed.
So Louise became the mistress of the king. They say that Charles guessed about the mission of his mistress, but it suited him, he kept a spy next to him, and for this he received good dividends from Paris. Charles liked her, and that she was a spy and lost a lot at cards was nothing. Charles called Louise Fubbs (chubby or with chubby cheeks).
The king loved to love Louisa, but he loved not her alone. He had several mistresses at once. Sometimes the mistresses grappled with each other, and sometimes they attacked the king. Louise acted with tears, appealing to the feelings of the king. Another favorite, Nell Gwynn, took courage and a sharp tongue.
The subjects of the king did not like Louise for her French origin, even several times demanded that she be sent home to France. It’s better to have your own, even if it’s slutty.
One day, Nell Gwynn was riding in a carriage that was mistaken for Louise's. Angry passers-by surrounded the carriage and began to pour insults. Nell leaned out of the carriage and shouted: "Good people, have mercy! I am a Protestant whore!" Nell, besides the king, had other lovers.
Louise was faithful to the king, he was her only lover. Louise was the most devoted and caring of the mistresses of the English king, although she spied for the king of France and pulled money and jewelry from both, like a modern vacuum cleaner dust. Charles II made Louise the Duchess of Portsmouth, gave her a lot of money, gave her jewelry and estates, appointed a huge maintenance, and later a pension.
Louis XIV also gave her gifts and luxurious jewelry, paid for her card debts, gave the duchy of Aubigné, and Louise was not only an English, but also a French duchess.
Louise did not forget her family either. She succeeded in marrying off her sister Henrietta to the Earl of Pembroke. True, at first I had to make peace with my father. The Comte de Kerual did not want to see his whore daughter, but Louise brought a letter from Louis XIV, in which he wrote that the count should not be stricter than the king, and forgave his daughter, he asks for this as a friend, and orders as king. What was left for the Count? Just calm down and obey.
Louise remained with Charles until his death, and Charles, on his deathbed, converted to Catholicism under her pressure. Dying, the king asked younger brother"do well" for the Duchess of Portsmouth. Louise was one of three women the king worried about before his death. Two more are his wife and Nell Gwyn.

Louise René de Kerual

After the death of Charles, Louise returned to France. Her love for gambling knocked her down financial position, but Louis XIV did not forget his spy and did not give her offense, and after his death, the Duke of Orleans gave her a pension. Once Louise went to England to collect the money due to her. Suddenly, she found herself in a hall where the mistresses of kings William III and James II were. She wasn't the only one who noticed. The Duke of York said: Who would have thought that three whores would meet here.
Louise has lived long life. At the end of her life, she turned to God and died on her estate, Verreri, at the age of 85.

Louise bore the king a son, Charles Lennox.

Louise with her son

Three years later, Louise secured the title for her son. Louise's son became the 1st Duke of Richmond, the current line of Dukes of Richmond are his descendants.

Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond as a child

Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, inherited the castle of Verreri from his mother, but did not live in it, choosing England and serving the English king. He was a peer of England and Scotland, chamberlain of George I, Lord Admiral of Scotland, master Masonic Lodge, Knight of the Order of the Garter, patron of cricket, which under him became a professional sport, and did a lot for its development.

Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond

The family of the Dukes of Richmond are direct descendants of the royal Stuart dynasty. Inheritance through the male line has never been interrupted.
Among the representatives of this dynasty were cabinet ministers, generals, ambassadors, playboys and war heroes. One duchy heir was killed by the Bolsheviks, while another was crippled by polio. Almost all the Dukes of Richmond were passionate about cricket. Fox hunting was their second family hobby. But one fox took revenge on the family.
Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond was a warrior, politician, and Governor General of Canada. He participated in naval battles in the West Indies and Gibraltar, fought against Napoleon, and died of rabies after being bitten by a fox.

Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond

The women in the Richmond family were also extraordinary. The eldest daughter of the 2nd Duke, Lady Caroline Georgiana, a young, beautiful, rich, great-granddaughter of the king, for whom parents could get the moon from the sky to find the best suitor, fell in love with the commoner Henry Fox. He was middle-aged, not particularly attractive, but charismatic, he was involved in politics. They married in secret, and Lady Caroline was driven out of the house. Despite this, their marriage was happy. In their London home in Kensington, the political elite gathered. The couple had three sons. The most famous is Charles James Fox. He was a supporter of US independence and the Great french revolution, was a well-known opponent of slavery, held senior positions, including Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Lady Caroline Georgiana

2nd Earl of Richmond, burned on eldest daughter, the youngest, Lady Emily, married at the age of 15 to the Irishman James Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare (who later became the 1st Duke of Leinster). James's family was wealthy and he himself was very ambitious. He was a member of the Irish House of Commons, a Peer of Great Britain and Ireland, one of the leaders of the People's Party of Ireland, and a Major General in the Royal Irish Artillery.
The couple had 19 children. One of their sons, Edward FitzGerald, was a hero of Irish independence.
But after the death of Lord Kildare (he died at 51), Lady Emily married her beloved man, the educator of her children, William Ogilvy, and gave birth to three more from him.

Lady Emily

Several wives and daughters of the Dukes of Richmond

The current Duke of Richmond, the tenth in a row, is long called Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, 10th Duke of Lennox, 10th Duke of Aubigny, 5th Duke of Gordon. He graduated from Eton and William Temple Theological Seminary. He was a lieutenant in the Royal rifle corps He is a Chartered Accountant by profession. He held positions in government and church structures, under his patronage is the Prisoners Abroad organization, which helps financially the families of the British who were captured outside the country.
The duke and his wife made a lot of noise in high society when they adopted two girls mixed race(their father was from Lesotho and their mother is British).

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond with his wife and three children of their own and two adopted children

At that time, inter-racial marriages were viewed with disapproval. The girls' names were Maria and Naomi. Naomi was sent to a private school for aristocrats at the age of 11, where she faced racism. But her adoptive mother taught her not to pay attention to prejudice, and Naomi not only graduated from this school, but also from the School of Dramatic Art and became a comedian.

Nimmy March (Lady Naomi Gordon-Lennox)

In 2004, thanks to a decree from the Queen allowing adopted children to officially use the title of their parents, Naomi and her sister began to be called Lady.

The 10th Duke of Richmond has an heir - Charles Gordon-Lennox, Lord of March and Kinrara

He is President of the British Racing Club and is also a patron of other motoring associations. He is the founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​and Goodwood Revival. These festivals are held at the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. Lord March is a passionate photographer. At 17, he dropped out of Eton College to work for Stanley Kubrick in his film Barry Lyndon. Lord's photo exhibitions are held in London, New York and other cities of Europe and America. In 2014 they were held in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Goodwood motor racing was started by his grandfather, Freddie Richmond, who opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948. He was an aeronautical engineer, fond of auto racing.

9th Duke of Richmond Frederick Charles Gordon-Lennock, Lord March's grandfather

Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​is not just a car race, it is a real show with the participation of vintage cars and the most modern racing cars. For safety reasons, race cars are not allowed to race against the clock, so spectators can watch the Goodwood races from much more close range than professional car racing. Spectators can freely move around the vast territory of the estate, move from place to place along the race track or just lie in the sun with a glass of beer, watch the competition of motorcyclists and extreme cyclists, air shows with the participation of fighter planes or walk along the shopping malls.
The timing of the events is scheduled so that they do not coincide with the time of the F1, usually in late June or early July. Admission is by reservation only and tickets are limited.
In addition, car manufacturers bring their latest products here. Many street cafes are open, the queues for food are very small, restaurants and bars are open to the public, but you can only get to dinner with the owner by invitation.

Lord March was married twice. When he was 21, he married a simple girl, Sally Clayton, his liberal father was not against it, but 13 years later, the lord divorced. From his first marriage, the lord has a daughter, Alexandra. Lady Alexandra deals with the psychology of women. She shares her father's passion for motorsport and helps her father run festivals.

Lady Alexandra

Lord March is now married to Lady Janet, daughter of the third Viscount Astor.

Lord March and Lady Janet

The couple have three sons and a daughter, the eldest, Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, Lord Settrington, is the next Richmond heir.

Lord March and his eldest son

Lord March lives with his family on the 12,000 acre family estate Goodwood House in Sussex. His father, Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, left the house to his son in 1994 and moved to a smaller house himself.

Goodwood is one of the finest country houses in England. This house has been the family home of the Dukes of Richmond and Lennox for over 300 years. The 1st Duke of Richmond bought Goodwood as a hunting lodge, the following dukes expanded and rebuilt the house. Now it is a luxurious house with huge collection paintings and antiques. The Goodwood art collection is one of the largest among English country houses.

Sample Afternoon Tea Menu at Goodwood House

Goodwood scones with whipped cream and strawberry jam

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eclairs with milk chocolate glaze
chocolate orange cake
lemon posset (a dessert similar to whipped cream with wine and sugar) with goodwood cream
Florentine cookies
cupcake Cappuccino

smoked salmon and cream cheese on wheat bread
Goodwood ham with mustard on onion bread
cucumbers on white bread
goodwood charlton cheddar on turmeric bread

with a dozen varieties of tea and mineral water

Afternoon tea at Goodwood costs £29.50 per person. Cakes and sandwiches may be different, but the quantity does not change.

They make their own cheese at Goodwood.

The Richmond family's art and jewelry collection began with Louise de Kerual's jewelry. One such relic is an emerald and diamond ring given to Louise by King Charles II.

This ring is priceless for the family, a kind of symbol, a stone from the crown on which the whole dynasty is based.
And a couple of weeks ago, this ring and other antiques worth £ 700,000 were stolen from the house of Lord and Lady March by a robber.
Lady March was awakened by a rustle at about 4 am. She left the bedroom and saw a masked burglar. The robber pushed her back into her bedroom, and when Lord March rushed to her aid, the robber hit him on the head with something heavy. Then the bandit forced Lady March to open the safe and ransacked it. In total, the robber took 40 antiques and jewelry, including a diamond tiara worth about £400,000, a diamond necklace worth £200,000, a sapphire ring, earrings, bracelets, watches and necklaces.

tiara from 1820, worth about £400,000

The robber tied up the owners and disappeared. He was, most likely, not alone, but the other owners did not see. In the morning one of the employees came to work and released them.
The police found that the robber got into the house through the first floor window on the ladder. Police arrested a 26-year-old Hampshire man, but he was released on bail. It will be impossible to sell such jewelry at auction, but if they end up with a not too scrupulous owner of a lot of money, the jewelry may disappear for a long time. But once the lady of the owner of a lot of money will want to walk them into the light. And then the thread will pull...

Of course, I can't show everyone. One Henry IV (the same one - Navarsky) "documented" about 35 hobbies.
But there are ladies whose influence was so great that it is not easy to get around them ... neither during their lifetime, nor in historical terms.

Odette de Chamdiver (1391-1425)
Favorite of King Charles VI the Mad.
An interesting option, when the wife, Queen Isabella of Bavaria, chose the favorite for her husband. The fact is that the schizophrenic symptoms of Charles VI began to repeat more and more often, and the queen constantly became a victim of the unmotivated cruelty of her husband, who, in a clouded mind, used his fists, and over time became more and more dangerous. Fearing for her life, the queen was looking for a woman who could replace her, turning into both a mistress and a nurse to care for the sick.
Thus, at the age of 15, Odette became the mistress-nurse of the mad king and served him for 16 years. She was even nicknamed the "little queen". Odette was the only one who could restrain fits of rage, during which the king became dangerous to others and to himself, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, one reproachful look, or in the worst case, a threat to fall out of love and leave him was enough to stop the attack. In 1407 she gave birth to a daughter, Marguerite of Valois, by the king.
Immediately after the death of the king in 1423, Odette and her daughter returned to their homeland, in Saint-Jean-de-Lon, in Burgundy. She lost her royal pension, but the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, continued to support her financially for some time, until his death in 1425. Two years later, King Charles VII officially recognized her daughter as his half-sister and married her to the rich man Jean de Arpedanna, señora de Belleville.
Something long turned out, henceforth I will try in a shorter way. So the portrait.

The King and Odette (Artist - François GUIZOT, France)

Agnes Sorel (1421-1450)
Favorite of Charles VII.
She came from a noble family, was the maid of honor of Isabella of Lorraine, Duchess of Anjou. Her beauty was seen Charles VII and he gave her the castle of Bothe-sur-Marne. Agnes gave birth to three daughters from the king, who received the title of filles de France. had a huge impact against the king, fought against his unworthy favorites and took care of the replacement of high positions with honored persons. But, they say, was wasteful.
She is credited with introducing such innovations as the wearing of diamonds by the uncrowned, the invention of a long train, the wearing of very loose outfits that open one breast.
While pregnant for the fourth time, Agnes died unexpectedly. It was assumed that she died of dysentery, but the version of mercury poisoning was also not ruled out.

(Portrait by Jean Fouquet)

Françoise de Foix, Countess of Chateaubriand (1495-1537)

Second cousin of Queen Anne of Brittany, brought up at her court, knew Latin, Italian language, wrote poetry. Married in 1509 to Jean de Laval-Montmorency, Comte de Chateaubriand. The couple lived in Chateaubriand, they had a daughter. But King Francis, having heard about the beauty of Francoise, ordered her husband to present her to the court. Against the wishes of the count, Françoise arrived at the royal court in 1516 or early 1517. The king made the countess's husband a company commander, her older brother, the Viscount de Lautrec, became governor of the Duchy of Milan. Françoise became the mistress of the king.
The rise of the de Foix family displeased Queen Louise of Savoy, mother of the king. The queen mother introduces a new beauty to her son and he is carried away. Two the year is coming rivalry between the favorites, then Francoise concedes and returns home. And then her husband kills her.
Some researchers believe that after returning to her husband, she was locked in a room upholstered in black cloth, and after six months of imprisonment, the count opened her veins.

(Artist unknown, Louvre)

Anna de Pissleux, Duchess d'Etampes (1508-1576)
Favorite of King Francis I.
The same lady who was introduced to Francis by his mother, Louise of Savoy. She was her lady-in-waiting. In order to create a more comfortable position for the new favorite at court, Francis married her to Jean de Brosse, who was given the title of Duke of Etampes. Distinguished by a great mind, outstanding beauty and education rare for a woman, she had a king big influence until his death. At the end of the reign of Francis, she was at enmity with Diane de Poitiers, the favorite of the heir to the throne. After the death of the king, Henry II removed Anna from Paris, having previously selected diamonds donated by Francis for Diane de Poitiers.

(Artist, presumably Corneille Lyon)

Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566)
Favorite of King Henry II.
At the age of thirteen, she was given in marriage to Louis de Brezet, comte de Molvrier (whose mother was the fruit of the illicit love of Charles VII and Agnes Sorel). Her husband died on July 23, 1531, leaving Diana a widow at the age of 31. By the way, she wore mourning for him until the end of her days.
With the Dauphin (heir French throne) She met Heinrich in 1539. She is forty, he is only twenty. But Henry fell in love. Diana was beautiful and this beauty was not destined to fade. Branthom, who saw her shortly before her death, assured her that she was still beautiful.
Possessing also a huge mind, Diana in a short time acquired a huge influence on the Dauphin, and when he became king, on the whole country. When King Francis I died and Henry II ascended the throne, it was not Catherine de Medici, his wife, who became the real queen, but Diana. Even at the coronation, she took an honorary public place, while Catherine was on a remote podium.
Having come to power, Henry II allowed his beloved to exercise complete control over the affairs of the kingdom. As the historian Nogaret notes, never in the history of the monarchy has any favorite been able to achieve such an absolute and effective influence on the person of the king, and even more so to convince foreign sovereigns of her omnipotence. The ambassadors addressed their correspondence to her, and she corresponded with the Pope himself. The king did nothing without consulting her.
Diane de Poitiers' "reign" ended in 1559 when Henry II was accidentally killed in a tournament by the Comte de Montgomery. The king was still alive when Queen Catherine de Medici, showing weakness, ordered Diana to leave Paris, giving up all the jewelry given to her by Henry. Diane de Poitiers gave a very worthy answer: "... as long as I have a master, I want my enemies to know: even when there is no king, I will not be afraid of anyone." Diana returned the jewelry box only the day after the death of Henry II. Diane de Poitiers retired to her castle of Anet, where she died at the age of sixty-seven.

(Artist unknown)

Marie Touchet (1549-1638)
Favorite of Charles IX.
From Orleans. Beautiful, educated, meek. Saved the king's love until his death. She never tried to get rich and acquire political influence. She gave birth to two sons from the king. One died in infancy, the other - Charles of Valois, received the title of Duke of Angouleme. In 1578 Touchet married François de Balzac d'Entregues, governor of Orléans. From this marriage she had two daughters, of whom one, the Marquise de Vernel, became the favorite of Henry IV.

(Artist - Francois Quesnel)

Charlotte de Sauve, de Beaune-Samblancé (1551-1617)
Favorite of Heinrich Navarsky. In the first marriage - the wife of the Secretary of State Baron de Sauves, in the second marriage - the Marquis de Noirmoutier. She was a member of the "flying detachment" of the ladies-in-waiting of Catherine de Medici. The Queen Mother, over the years of her struggle with Diane de Poitiers, had well studied the degree of influence of female beauty on politics and used her ladies-in-waiting to seduce the noblest men of the kingdom in order to get the information the Queen Mother needed.
Shortly after her marriage to Margarita of Valois, the Queen Mother sent Charlotte to Henry of Navarre to enter into a love affair with him. Their relationship lasted 5 years - until 1577. In 1583, Charlotte was removed from the court, but already in next year married the Marquis de Noirmoutier of the de La Tremouille family and returned to Paris. In 1586 her son was born. After the accession of Henry of Navarre to the French throne, she lived with her husband on estates.


(Artist unknown)

Gabriel d'Estre (1573-1599)

Since 1590, she was the mistress of King Henry IV, who, for the sake of appearance, married her to d'Amerval de Liancourt. The beautiful and witty Gabrielle had a tremendous influence on the king, who even intended to divorce Margarita of Valois and raise Gabriel to the throne. She gave birth to two sons and a daughter from Heinrich. Died from fruit poisoning. Poison. They say this was done by the supporters of the Medici, wanting to marry the king to their protégé.

(Artist unknown)

Catherine Henrietta de Balzac d'Entrages (1579-1633)
Favorite of Heinrich Navarsky.
Daughter of Francois de Balzac d'Antrague, governor of Orleans, and Marie Touchet, former mistress of King Charles IX. The king saw Henrietta six days after the death of his favorite Gabrielle d'Estre and was struck by her beauty so much that he forgot about his loss. She gave birth to the king two children (son and daughter). Constantly and openly conflicted with Henry's second wife, Maria Medici. She called herself queen. Then she began to cheat on Henry and plot after plot, wanting to make her son the heir to the throne. There were many revelations and trials, Catherine's relatives were deprived of estates and heads, but she was only exiled.The son became bishop of Metz.

(Artist unknown)

Olympia Mancini (1637-1608)
Favorite of Louis XIV, one of the first.
Niece of Cardinal Mazarin. She led a very turbulent life at court. Young Louis was so in love that they seriously talked about the wedding. But the queen mother, Anna of Austria, could not allow such a wedding to take place. And young Olympia, who gained too much great power over the king, was ordered to retire from Paris. She was quickly married to the Count de Soissons, seven children were born in the marriage, including the famous Generalissimo Eugene of Savoy. Olympia was involved in the famous case of the Versailles poisoners. She was accused of poisoning her own husband, as well as the Queen of Spain, Marie Louise d'Orleans. And although she claimed to be innocent and compromised, she had to leave France. Died in Brussels.

(portrait by Pierre Mignard)

Maria Mancini (1639-1715)
Favorite of Louis XIV.
Also the niece of Cardinal Mazarin. And it also almost came to a wedding. But the queen mother did not give consent to this marriage, and Louis was urgently betrothed to the Spanish infanta Maria Theresa, soon forgetting about Mancini.
Maria in 1661 she marries Prince Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna, Grand Constable of Naples, gives birth three sons and leaves her husband. Travels. After the death of her husband, she returns to Italy.

(Artist - Jacob Ferdinand Voet)

Louise-Francoise de Labom-Leblanc, Duchess de Lavalière (1644-1710)
Favorite of Louis XIV.
She was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Henrietta Stuart. Despite the fact that she was not very beautiful and limped a little, she managed to charm the king. The relationship continued for several years. Louise had four children from the king, of whom two survived (daughter and son). Then, after the rise of the Marquise de Montespan, Lavalière retired from court and took her vows in the Carmelite convent in Paris.

(Artist - J. Nocre)

Françoise Athenais de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan (1641-1707)
Favorite of Louis XIV.
Lady-in-waiting to Queen Maria Theresa. In 1663 she married Louis Henri de Pardayan de Gondrin, Marquis de Montespan. She gave birth to a son and a daughter. Possessed of intelligence and charm, in 1667 she attracted the attention of the king. In 1669, she gave birth to a son to the king, who died three years later, but the remaining six, including Louis-Auguste de Bourbon and Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, were legitimized by the king in different years without mentioning the mother's name. The children were brought up by the future Marquise de Maintenon.
The Marquise de Montespan figured in the same case about poisons, she was suspected of wanting to poison the king. She was acquitted, but her confidence was lost, and in 1691 she retired to the monastery of San Joseph.


(The artist is unknown to me)

Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon (1635-1719)
Favorite and later morganatic wife of Louis XIV.
Granddaughter of the Huguenot leader Theodore Agrippa d'Aubigné. A family for a long time subjected to repression and lived in poverty. In 1650 Francoise was married to the famous poet Scarron. Scarron was much older than his wife and his arm was paralyzed, but in the future, Francoise recalled the years of marriage as the most best time life. Ten years later, her husband and, left without money, Francoise accepted the invitation of Madame de Montespan to take up the upbringing of her children from Louis XIV. The king appreciated her love for children, conscientiousness, and so, drew attention to the already middle-aged, inconspicuous widow. Madame Scarron was smart, thanks to her husband she moved among the intellectual elite of Paris and, unlike most other court ladies, had a very broad outlook. The king often talked to her for a long time. In 1675, the king elevated her to the marquise de Maintenon.
In 1683 the queen died, and all Louis's affections turned to the Maintenon. In the same year, the marquise married the king in secret. The ceremony was attended only by the Archbishop de Chanvallon and the king's personal confessor. The splendor and free relations of the court were replaced by modesty and piety. After the death of Louis XIV, Maintenon retired to Saint-Cyr, where she died three years later.

(Artist - Pierre Mignard)

Angelique de Fontange (1661-1681)
Favorite of Louis XIV.
Maid of honor to Charlotte Elisabeth of Bavaria, daughter-in-law of the king. Angelica attracted the attention of the king and in 1678 became his mistress. At the end of 1679, she gave birth to a dead child from the king and after that she never recovered. In 1680, Louis gave her the title of Duchess de Fontanges, which, according to the custom of the time, meant the end of official relations with the king. Abandoned and seriously ill, Angelica retired to the Port-Royal monastery, where she died (possibly from pleurisy).

(Artist - Louis le Grand)

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (1721-1764)
Favorite of Louis XV.
Antoinette at the age of 19 married Lenormand d'Etiol and shone in society. Louis XV met her by chance and in 1745 Antoinette became his favorite. Her husband, who was threatened with the Bastille, calmed down and got a lucrative job. For twenty years, until her death, Pompadour played a prominent role not only in France, which was entirely in her hands, but also in Europe. She directed the foreign and domestic policy of France, delving into all the little things. public life patronizing science and art. They say that the depraved king soon lost interest in her, but he was also not interested in ruling the country, so he entrusted the country to this woman, and she represented young beauties to the court.

(Artist - Francois Boucher)

Marie Jeanne Becu, Countess du Barry (1743-1793)
Favorite of Louis XV.
They write that in her youth, Marie was a prostitute and had a relationship with the executioner Henri Sanson, from whose hand she died on the scaffold during the French Revolution. Then she was a milliner, later settled in the house of Count Dubarry. Louis XV brought her closer to him, arranged her marriage to the brother of Count Dubarry, and in 1769 presented her to the court.
After the death of Louis XV, she was arrested and imprisoned in a convent, but soon returned to her castle in Marly, where she continued to live with great pomp. The people hated Du Barry and during the revolution she was put on trial and guillotined.

“Every woman is born with the dream of becoming the favorite of the king,” this phrase characterizes the state of affairs at the court of the French monarchs. Title official favorite of the king allowed ladies not only to freely dispose of the state treasury, but also to interfere in the political affairs of the country, and even influence the personal relationships of the royal couple. Louis XV went down in history as a monarch who allowed his favorites to lead the country. This time was called "the reign of three skirts".

Duchess de Chateauroux

Marie-Anne de Mailly-Nel is better known as the Duchess de Châteauroux. She had four sisters, three of whom managed to become favorites of Louis XV. When Marie-Anne was widowed early, she moved in with her elder sister in Versailles. The king immediately spotted the beauty, but she, on the contrary, behaved very reservedly with His Majesty. But kings are not accepted to refuse. Then Marie-Anne de Mailly-Nel set several conditions for the monarch: the removal from the court of her older sister (former favorite), the appointment of a pension of 50,000 ecu and the official recognition of possible joint children. Agreeing with the requirements of the obstinate beauty, Louis XV in 1743 also granted her the title of Duchess de Châteauroux.

The duchess had a huge influence on the king. In 1744, Louis XV personally led French army, wanting to appear in a more favorable light in front of his favorite. The Duchess followed him secretly. During the stops, she settled two houses from the royal monastery. Moreover, secret through passages were made in advance in the houses so that lovers could meet without hindrance.

Marie-Anne died suddenly at the age of 27. Many said that she was poisoned, but the woman died of rotten fever (typhus). Detractors rejoiced at the premature death of an influential mistress, but the appearance of subsequent favorites - Madame Pompadour and Madame Dubarry - made them regret it.

Marquise de Pompadour

In 1745, Madame d'Etiol arrived at the royal masquerade ball. She was dressed in the costume of the goddess Diana. Louis XV met her, invited her to dinner, and she spent the night in the royal chambers. Six months later, Madame d'Etiol was declared the official favorite of the king, now her name was the Marquise de Pompadour.
Surprisingly, for many years the marquise was the center of the king's love pleasures, being completely frigid. She was a great actress: she could act out lust, passion and orgasm at any moment. But the king, who had an insatiable sexual appetite, often locked himself with the marquise in his chambers several times a day. Hoping to stimulate her libido, the Marquise de Pompadour introduced celery, truffles, and vanilla into her diet.

But to remain the favorite of the king for many years, one bed is not enough. The marquise could predict the mood of Louis with just a glance, surprised him, delighted him. Over time, this woman replaced the monarch at meetings. It influenced the internal foreign policy. Seven Years' War historians call the "war of angry women", because Frederick II (Prussia) opposed Elizabeth Petrovna ( Russian empire), Maria Theresa (Austria) and Madame Pompadour (France). Frederick II himself dubbed the anti-Prussian coalition the "Union of Three Women".

When the marquise began to realize that she did not satisfy the sexual needs of the king, she herself began to select mistresses for him, while remaining in the status of an official favorite. When love faded, their relationship grew into a strong friendship. Louis XV continued to visit the Marquise and consult on many matters until her death in 1764.

Madame Dubarry

After the death of the Marquise de Pompadour, she was succeeded by Madame Dubarry. This woman was of humble origin, but, thanks to her feminine charm and looseness in bed, in 1769 she was in the favorites of the aging Louis XV. The courtiers were very indignant at Dubarry's slovenliness, but, oddly enough, her "style" briefly became fashionable.

Especially this woman did not interfere in politics, but everyone reckoned with her opinion. The king himself was delighted with Dubarry. He said that this woman is the only one who could make him forget about the age of 60. During the revolution, after the death of Louis XV, Madame Dubarry was accused, like many others, of political crimes and sent to the guillotine.

She herself was able to become not only the constant mistress of Charles VII, but also a friend of his wife, Queen Mary of Anjou.

On June 23, the daughter of the planter Josephine de Beauharnais was born, who, thanks to her charm and intelligence, became 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 domineering husband to forgive her and solve all her problems. Some women seem to have a special power over men. Read about five of them.

Josephine. Don't be born beautiful, but become one

Having married early and becoming a mother twice, Josephine did not receive either the love of her husband or wealth: the couple soon divorced. Then Alexander Beauharnais was executed: there were revolutionary unrest.

Left alone with two children, Josephine foresaw bleak prospects: no money, no connections, no special beauty. With the last pennies she buys mirrors, arranges them in her miserable dwelling and rehearses for hours on end in front of them: gestures, facial expressions, looks, grace, manner of speaking - all this was borrowed from secular ladies.

Not having beautiful teeth by nature, Josephine learns to speak and laugh, covering the places affected by caries. It gives softness to the voice, tenderness to the speech, caress to the look.

At their first meeting, Napoleon was 26, she was 32, but he was overwhelmed by her beauty.

Having accepted the offer of the future emperor, she does not suspect what future awaits him and her, therefore, having sent her husband on another campaign, she continues to lead a secular life and respond to the courtship of gentlemen. Bonaparte hears rumors about his wife's infidelities, but, being blindly in love, he for a long time forgave her everything.

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 people captured by the young cheerful "orphan" Marta Skavronskaya. Passing from patron to patron, she changed her life in the provincial German Marienburg to royal apartments in the Northern capital.

Peter I, visiting Menshikov, was struck by the ease of communication of a dark-skinned woman (Russian young ladies brought up at Domostroy were once again afraid to tear their eyes off the floor, let alone flirt with the emperor). On the same night, Marta became the Tsar's mistress, having received the first ducat from him for the "night conversation".

Skavronskaya is taught Russian literacy and converted into Orthodox faith, naming Catherine.

Having learned that Peter is going on another military campaign, she, at the 7th month of pregnancy, goes after him. Always radiating gaiety, Catherine is the only one able to prevent the epileptic attacks that haunt Peter.

When the Russian army is on the verge of a shameful defeat, being surrounded by superior enemy forces, Catherine offers to bribe the representatives of the enemy with her decorations. Soon the Turkish vizier receives an offering, the peace is signed, Peter's reputation is saved.

Catherine did not change 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. Learn the weaknesses of men, and then take advantage of them

Eight-year-old Jeanne Antoinette Poisson was told by a fortune-teller 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 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 to 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 coquettishly 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 chambers of the ruler in tears, exclaiming that she would rather die at the hands of a jealous husband than leave the love of her 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 likes to correspond, she began to write letters to him. Noticing Louis' craving for fine arts, invited poets and thinkers, patronized the theater, she herself played tragic roles. Noticing that the king was quickly getting bored, she changed costumes and hairstyles. And over time, she took on part of the state duties: 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 touched Diana kissed the baby on the nose...

Returning to France, 20-year-old Henry II falls in love with the 39-year-old widow Diana and declares her his favorite. Despite her age, Diana looked young and very beautiful, and evil tongues attributed to her a connection with 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 maintains the appearance friendly relations with Catherine de Medici, wife of the king.

Upon learning that the advisers are offering the king a divorce because the Medici have no children, Diana persuades Henry to fulfill his marital duty more often. 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 favorite in history who managed to completely subjugate the king. She even corresponded with other monarchs and the Pope as a full representative of the monarch.

Recently, scientists examined the remains of the famous royal favorite and found in them a gold content that is 250 times higher than normal. It is possible that Diana really took some kind of drink prepared by alchemists, but history has not preserved its recipe.

Wallis Simpson. 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 illegitimate child, in childhood she knew 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 impeccable.

And another 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 seducing feng-chang in brothels.

The second marriage was concluded clearly by design: the good-natured businessman Ernest Simpson lived in London and was a member of 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 side of the prince. According to contemporaries, the American 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 almost came true, but the king's entourage put him before a choice: either an American or the throne. Edward VIII abdicated, receiving in return a hysterical remark from his future wife: “Fool! Stupid fool!"...