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 of 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 of all for sanitary reasons (at that time an epidemic of syphilis broke out in France), the courtiers picked up the king’s only beloved from among the ladies of the court. In the era of absolutism, the marriages of members royal family were a purely state matter, designed to strengthen the alliance 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. main function Queen was, in addition to strengthening interstate ties, continued 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 an excellent education and upbringing, 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 bad reputation, and at the same time many enemies and rivals. The mistress is called the prototype of the official favorite Charles VII- Agnès Sorel, whom he awarded the official status of 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 caused 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 under French court- a degenerate chivalric 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. Period of government 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 (the author 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 herself for a long time was Diana d'Andouin, nicknamed the "beautiful Corizanda" in honor of the heroine of the cycle 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 demolitions. 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 the years of 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. His high position the favorite was ashamed 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 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 the 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 complete opposite Lavalier. She was a stately, large, incredibly beautiful and witty woman. Her expensive and frilly outfits were often subjected to 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 Fontange. (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 offense, incompatible with high rank The official (albeit retired) favorite, 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 confidant 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 the pressing problems of our time and treated state affairs 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, a deep mind and state activity 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 affair. 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 bourgeois revolution- 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!
On September 3, 1499 (although there is a version about January 9, 1500), the famous mistress of Henry II, Diana de Poitiers, the “uncrowned queen” of France, who had even more influence in the country than Catherine de Medici, was born. Today we remember the most famous favorites in history.
1. Diane de Poitiers
Due to her aristocratic origin, young Diana came to court early. At 13 she married, but at 31 she was left a widow. The beauty became famous for becoming the favorite of the then not the king, but his son, Prince Henry. According to legend, a 10-year-old boy, seeing a 29-year-old stately beauty in the retinue of the king, fell in love with her for the rest of his life. Diana's influence on the prince was unlimited, Heinrich showered her with jewels, gave her palaces. During his wedding to Catherine de' Medici, Diana occupied a more honorable place than the bride. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, time had no power over the beauty of this woman, who remained the beloved of the king until his death.
2. Roksolana
Concubine and then wife Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, was a Slav, originally from Ukraine. At a young age, she was kidnapped from her home by the Tatars and sold to Sultan's harem. Beauty and charm she is very a short time attracted the attention of the monarch, having managed to resist deceit and revenge from other concubines. Roksolana managed to achieve the impossible: she became the official wife of the Sultan and received the name Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. The wife was not only loved by Suleiman, but also his closest adviser in public affairs. The most educated woman of her time, she received foreign ambassadors, answered letters, maintained contact with representatives of the arts.
3. Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon
Interestingly, this famous mistress of Louis XIV won his heart not by beauty and the art of love, but by virtue and love for his children. The Sun King, whose court was distinguished by wealth and splendor, was very loving and had several official favorites. Françoise was the tutor of his children by Madame de Montespan, who was the king's favorite for many years. Noticing in the modest governess an attentive and caring attitude to his children, the king increasingly began to look for an excuse to stay alone with her and talk. She was smart, had a great outlook and tact. After the death of his lawful wife, the king married Francoise in a morganatic marriage. The former favorite managed to turn her husband's thoughts to God, and over time, the most brilliant court in Europe turned into an abode of piety and virtue.
4. Marquise de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson was the official mistress of King Louis XV for 20 years. The beauty, education and lively mind of this woman did not leave indifferent the surrounding men. Voltaire himself was looking for acquaintance with her. Arriving at one of the balls in the costume of the goddess of hunting, she won the heart of the king with her beauty and charm. The rooms of the Marquise at Versailles were located above the chambers of the king and were connected to them by a secret staircase. Over time, Madame gained such unlimited influence over the king that, in fact, she ruled the country instead of him. Her name became a symbol of extravagance: the king gave her expensive gifts in the form of castles and jewelry. Even after the king and the marquise ceased to be lovers, they maintained an excellent relationship.
5. Wallis Simpson
The beautiful American came to England with her second husband, businessman Ernest Simpson. In London, she became friends with Thelma Furnis, who was the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales. Thelma invited the Simpsons to her Vacation home where they met the heir to the throne. A stormy romance began between Wallis and Edward. This connection shocked the public, and people close to the court hinted to the king that such adultery was unacceptable. Edward signed the abdication for himself and his descendants. He explained his decision in a radio address to the nation, saying that he could not fulfill the duties of the king if there was no beloved woman nearby. In 1937, the couple married in France.
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 for others and for himself, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, with one reproachful look, or in worst case the threat of falling out of love and leaving 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 for some time. monetary terms, until her death in 1425. Two years later, King Charles VII officially recognized her daughter as his half-sister and married her to the wealthy Jean de Arpedanne, seigneur 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.
Came from noble family, was the maid of honor of Isabella of Lorraine, Duchess of Anjou. Her beauty was noticed by Charles VII and he gave her the castle of Beauté-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 with his unworthy favorites and took care of the replacement senior positions 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)
The second cousin of Queen Anne of Brittany, was brought up at her court, knew Latin, Italian, 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 great influence on the king 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.
She met the Dauphin (heir to the French throne) Henry 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 short term acquired a huge influence on the Dauphin, and when he became king and 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 honorable 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. Consisted in " flying squad"The ladies-in-waiting of Catherine de Medici. During the years of the struggle with Diane de Poitiers, the queen mother 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 necessary for the queen mother.
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 french throne 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. I. 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 Henriette 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. Vela very hectic life at the yard. 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. The family was subjected to repression for a long time and lived in poverty. In 1650 Francoise was married to 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 the 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 Fontanges (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 outer and internal politics 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 connection with the executioner Henri Sanson, from whose hand she accepted death on the scaffold during the Great 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.
The prototype of the official royal favorite is considered Agnes Sorel, the mistress of Charles VII, who was the first in the history of France to receive such a status. She came from a noble family and in 1431 was the maid of honor of Isabella of Lorraine, Duchess of Anjou. Agnes smitten the king with her impeccable beauty and eventually bore the king three daughters. It was Sorel who first in the French court began to wear diamonds (before her, only crowned persons had this privilege), became the inventor of a long train and very open dresses. Sorel surrounded the king with deserved faces and fought with his unworthy favorites.
The famous favorite of Francis I was Anna de Pisleux, who won in the fight for the heart of the king from another favorite, Francoise de Chateaubriand. Francis gave Anna in marriage to Jean de Brosse, whom he hastily bestowed the title of Duke of Etampes and Chavreuse in order to strengthen the position of his favorite at court. Anna influenced the king until his death, especially succeeded in political affairs. So, thanks to her, the most prominent politician of that era, the constable of Montmorency, was removed. Duchess Anna d "Etampes took the main position at court, and the legitimate Queen Eleanor of Austria was completely neglected. 
Under Henry II, she became a famous favorite. At the age of 13, she was married to the Comte de Molvrier, and at 31 she was left a widow. Diana wore mourning for her husband until the end of her days, and when she became the king's favorite, she wore only black or white. Diana was 20 years older than Heinrich, but contemporaries recalled that her beauty only blossomed over the years, and did not fade. Diana met Heinrich when he was 6 years old and he was recovering as a hostage instead of his father, and when he returned 10 years later, he was inflamed with passion for Diana. Soon, Henry became the Duke of Orleans, and his beloved Diana shared power at court with Anna d'Etampes. When Henry became king, Not Catherine de Medici, but Diana became the actual queen. Even at the coronation of Henry, Diana sat on an honorary public place, and Catherine was content with a remote podium. Diana was able to achieve what no favorite had ever been able to achieve before: she led not only domestic policy, but also foreign policy, corresponded with ambassadors and the Pope, on her instructions, the king ended the Italian wars, secured the borders of France, and according to one version she inspired hatred for the Protestants in the king. Be that as it may, Henry II was a knight of Diana until the end of his days, wore her colors (black and white), and decorated his outfits and rings with the letters “DH”.
The most loving king of the Bourbon dynasty, Henry IV, had more than 50 mistresses. The first official and most famous favorite was Gabriel d'Estre. She accompanied the king everywhere, despite the presence of the queen. Heinrich took Gabriel with him even on military campaigns when she was pregnant. This woman bore the king four children who were recognized as legitimate. Gabrielle was a Catholic and influenced Henry to convert to Catholicism and sign the Edict of Nantes, which ended the Wars of Religion. 
Among the famous favorites of Louis XIV, it is worth highlighting the modest Louise de Lavalier, in honor of the love for which the king began to rebuild the Palace of Versailles. Louise bore the king four children, two of whom survived to become legitimate children of the monarch. The conceited gave birth to the king of seven children, and her reign at the court is considered the most glorious period in the years of the king's reign. And with my next favorite Francoise de Maintenon Louis even got married. Under Francoise, the era of balls was replaced by spiritual modesty, and even a “moral police” was created.
In the era of Louis XV, the favorites skillfully influenced politics, culture, science and art in France. The symbol of this era was the famous marquise de pompadour, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, who subjugated the king so much that she not only replaced him at receptions, meetings and meetings, but also independently selected young mistresses for Louis, fearing to lose her position. 
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 court of the king. Up to the XV century. the royal court was a purely masculine place, and only under Anne of Brittany (1477-1514) did the famous institution of maids of honor appear - ladies under the queen, who with their society brightened up the time not only of the queen, but also of her crowned husband, as well as court men. Every year there were more and more ladies-in-waiting, and fewer and fewer ladies from the brothels at court. Lovely, refined 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 kings. And if earlier any connections on the side were rarely long-lasting, then gradually the mistresses of the French kings received some official status. The king's favorite is not just a comfort lady, she is a woman who often becomes a trendsetter of the kingdom, interferes in politics, can influence the king, and therefore the whole country. And who often occupies a place more significant than the wife-queen, 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. These children in most cases received titles and were recognized noble people despite his illegitimate birth. There were cases when illegitimate offspring were even brought up with princes and princesses. Since Francis I, favoritism has become a special state institute with its own rules and even, one might say, protocol. Favorites dedicated poems and songs, famous artists dreamed of depicting them in their paintings in the images of goddesses. Every woman dreamed of becoming the favorite of the king, their husbands, if any, could only be proud of the success 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, royal favors also left. Nevertheless, some especially smart ladies managed to provide for not only themselves, but also their descendants during the time of favoritism. 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 whole 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 as you can imagine." However, her name remained in history not only because of her beauty.
Little is known about Agnes Sorel's background. She was the daughter of Jean Sauret, adviser to the Count of Clermont, and Catherine de Meignelay, owner of the de Verneuil estate. The year of birth of Agnes is not exactly known, the exact place is also unknown. 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 she was first seen by King Charles VII.
The king was fascinated by this woman, who, as many spoke of her, was more beautiful than any queen. She had ashy hair Blue eyes, perfect features of the face and body.
Soon the whole court knew that the king had a lover, although they carefully concealed their relationship. The rumors were confirmed when Agnes became 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 plot against her husband's beloved, but even brought her closer to her and made her her friend.
Agnes remained the mistress of Charles VII for many years and bore him four daughters, each of whom received the generic title of Valois. At the court of Agnes Sorel became a trendsetter. It was from her suggestion 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 wearing, calling them the "devil's tail", and a huge neckline on dresses that almost did not hide the chest. For this she was often called lung woman behavior. Many women frankly did not love 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 ladies of Bote-sur-Marne, Vernon, Rukesezier. But much more often you can hear her other title - Madame Bote (Lady of Beauty). However, not everything in the life of the royal mistress was smooth. These were Hard times: The Hundred Years' War, poverty and hunger among ordinary people, and the king was passive ... And many blamed Agnes Sorel for this.
Few people know, but the famous Jeanne It was Madame Sorel who introduced d'Arc to the king. Shortly thereafter, as we remember from the lessons of history, the king began to act 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 quite a young woman, she died under mysterious circumstances.
Being pregnant with her fourth child, already on long term, Agnes unexpectedly arrived at the location of the troops to tell the king about the conspiracy against him that had become known to her. Karl did not believe her, and the conspirators did not take any action. On the same day, Madame Sorel went into labor, she gave birth to a girl who lived only six months.
Agnes, after giving birth, was sick, 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 that she died from mercury poisoning, which was often added to cosmetics at the time.
Anna de Pislet, Duchess d'Etampes (1508 - circa 1576)
Anne de Pisla was only 18 when King Francis I first saw her. Their meeting was not accidental: the queen mother dreamed of separating her son from Francoise Chateaubriand, who was at that time his mistress. Therefore, the appearance of many young and charming ladies-in-waiting at the meeting of the king, who was returning from Spanish captivity, and the absence of Madame Chateaubriand at this meeting was rigged. One of them was Anna de Pislet.
However, the king had glimpsed Anna a little earlier: she was the daughter of Guillaume de Pislet, who commanded a thousand infantry stationed in Picardy. He also noticed her in the crowd of ladies-in-waiting. However, Anna was not only beautiful. According to 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 new favorites of Francis I, a real war broke out for 2 years. The whole court was amused by watching their skirmishes, and the king did not even have time for state affairs. Finally, in 1528, Francoise returned to Chateaubriand to her husband. However, this did not save her from the persecution of the vengeful Anna, who demanded that Francis take away the castle and the jewels that he gave her from Francoise. However, the king never forgot Françoise. In the future, he gave her gifts more than once, and there was even a period when he resumed relations with her again.
However, after this temporary reconciliation, the king returned to Anna again. And he gave her a very peculiar gift - a husband. In order to elevate Anna and give her a certain status in society, Francis I married her to Jean de Brosse, an inconspicuous but very noble gentleman, and granted them the dukedom of Étampes.
Anna d "Etampes was by no means a disinterested lady. She actively sought favors and positions for her numerous relatives. Her patronage of the Protestants led to the fact that Francis I showed them favors. At the same time, she did not hesitate to make other lovers, some of whom the king even caught her at the “scene of the crime.” 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 away the unfaithful favorite.
The Duchess d "Etampes was a power-hungry and rather scandalous lady. 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 the Protestants. However, her "fights" with Diana did not shake her position in any way, on the contrary, wanting to strengthen her position, the king even began to invite her to meetings of the Royal Council. Even the members of the royal family were afraid of her, and church hierarchs received at their receptions, despite her "sinful" position.
However, all this 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. However, this did not happen. She remained to live in her castle, and then, on the orders of her husband, who suddenly declared her rights, went to Brittany, where she lived until her old age.
Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566)
Without exaggeration, one of the most striking historical figures in the history of France can be called Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of King Henry II. Diana was the daughter of Jean de Poitiers, seigneur de Saint-Valier, which means she came from a very noble family, she was one of the representatives of the Aquitaine sovereign house. When the girl was 13 years old, she was given in marriage to Louis de Brese, Comte de Molvrier (whose mother, by the way, was the daughter of Charles VII and Agnes Sorel). At 31, Diana was left 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 forever made him her knight. When, 10 years later, he returned from honorary imprisonment, he was no longer in a childish love for Diana, who, despite the 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 Dauphin (heir to the throne). It was then that the war described earlier unfolded between Diane de Poitiers and Anna d "Etampes. Diana was 10 years older than her lover's father's mistress, but her beauty was amazing. Contemporaries wrote that she was an extraordinary beauty before her death. Heinrich simply idolized her. Diana after the death of her husband, she wore mourning for him all her life, which manifested itself in black and gray colors of clothes - and Heinrich 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, new king showered her with the crown jewels, as well as those that belonged to Anne d'Etampes. Locks former rival also got Diana. She even paid part of the taxes. In 1548, Diane de Poitiers received the Duchy of Vanetinois.
Historian Guy Chaussinant Nogaret claims that no favorite had such power as Diane de Poitiers. Henry II allowed her to exercise almost complete control over state affairs. And this power was recognized even by foreign sovereigns. The king discussed his every decision with the favorite. Having come to power, Diana carried out a real purge of top positions, putting her supporters in the vacant seats. In fact, Diane de Poitiers served as prime minister.
Obviously, Diana also had opponents. The result of their activities was the king's temporary connection with the young and beautiful Mary Fleming, who served as the governess of Mary Stuart. However, Diana showed rare efforts and talents to win back 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 jousting tournament at the age of 40. Diana returned the jewelry to Catherine de Medici and left for her castle Anet, where she spent last years his life, while maintaining his amazing beauty and mental alertness.
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 La Vallière.
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 youth, until in 1566 he met during a hunt in Orleans a young girl named Marie Touchet, whose father was an assistant viceroy in the judicial district. Charles IX fell in love with her at first sight, and soon Marie Touchet left with the king as a maid to his sister Margaret.
Marie revealed Carl from a completely unfamiliar side. Gloomy and even cruel, with his beloved he became soft and meek.
However, not everything in their relationship was smooth. Marie did not end the relationship with her former lover, as Carl found out. He was very angry, but when the beauty promised to end this connection, he not only forgave her, but also fell in love even more. In an effort to please her, he began to show 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 getting 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 even managed to distract him from her mistress for a while. However, Karl soon returned the favorite to the court, where she remained until his death in 1574.
After the death of the king, Marie Touchet married well and died at a ripe old age.
Louise de Lavaliere (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 La Valliere 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 kind, good heart 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 traces of smallpox were visible on her face, she was very thin, and besides, she limped. However, despite this, Louise received not only the love of the king, at least two names of her devoted admirers are known, to whom she never reciprocated: Comte de Guiche and Minister of Finance Fouquet.
Louise was by no means the first and not the only mistress of Louis. However, according to contemporaries, it was she who he loved, and she loved in him not a king, but a man. None of the people who knew the king had any doubts that he had sincere feelings for Louise de La Valliere, which he hid from the general public for a long time, covering them up with courtship of Henrietta of England.
It was for Louise de Lavaliere that Louis XIV built the magnificent Versailles, which became eternal monument their touching love. All the most beautiful he sought to throw at her feet. But Louise needed only his love. Illicit relations with the king oppressed and shamed Louise. It is said 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 when 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, people who are not rich. If someone fell out of favor because of intrigues against her, Louise asked Louis for forgiveness for them. In 1667 the King granted her the Duchy of Vogueté 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, Louis, by his nature, simply could not remain faithful to the modest and quiet Louise all his life, and secondly, a beautiful and intelligent rival appeared on the horizon, who deliberately did everything to denigrate her in the eyes of the king.
And even then, the former favorite did not build intrigues. She meekly endured the domination of the new favorite, and in her heart she decided to go to the monastery. She was then only 25 years old ... In the monastery, Louise lived until the end of her days in strictness and prayers. The nuns considered her a saint.
Françoise Athenais de Montespan (1640-1707)
The place of the dear Louise de La Valliere 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 Tonnet-Charentes, was born into one of the oldest 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 Stewart (wife of the king's younger brother), and then - Queen Maria Theresa.
At 23, she was given in marriage 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 already at a time when his wife was the king's mistress, he was sent to prison, and then to his homeland, to Gascony, where he lived to the end their days.
At the time when the 26-year-old marquise was introduced to King Louis XIV, he was infatuated with Louise de La Vallière and did not pay any attention to the beauty. However, gradually the king became interested in the witty, cutesy and playful Francoise Athenais. In May 1667 she became his mistress. Louise de Lavaliere very quickly realized that she had lost Louis' love, but the cunning Marquise convinced the Queen of her virtue for another 3 years. Only after leaving for the convent of Louise de La Vallière in 1674 did Madame de Montespan become the official mistress of Louis.
Françoise Athenais de Montespan was jealous and capricious. Fearing the addictive nature of the king, she was even able to temporarily abolish the institution of ladies-in-waiting. Big influence she had a personal influence on the king and on all the affairs that took place in France. The Marquise was present at meetings of the Royal Council, encouraged trade and the arts, and provided patronage to her relatives. Being a fan of indefatigable luxury, Madame de Montespan taught her and Louis. 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 royal family 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 a 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 also turned out to be short-lived. Cooling between them happened before, but the participation of Francoise Athenais in the case of poisons put an end to their relationship. 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 leave his favorite. For a while, he became interested in the young maid of honor, 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 visit 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 providing patronage. literary talent. The illegitimate children of Madame de Montespan entered into very advantageous marriages. Moreover, these marriages were planned personally by the king and planned in such a way that his son, the Duke of Maine, was to become king if the Bourbon dynasty was interrupted. Surprisingly, through her children, Francoise Athenais de Montespan is the ancestor of the modern House of Orleans, the royal families of Portugal, Belgium, Spain, as well as the Habsburg, Savoy and Luxembourg dynasties.
