Marriages of members of the 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 heir to the throne came of age, and 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, like Catherine de Medici and Marie Antoinette, 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.
Agnès Sorel - the first official favorite
Guided by personal preferences, the king usually chose attractive and educated ladies from his circle, including from among the queen's ladies-in-waiting, as his mistresses. In addition to sexual relations with the sovereign, the favorite often played 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 the trendsetters of fashion and cultural traditions at court, but also actively engaged 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. According to one version, Sorel was deliberately poisoned.
However, the period of the reign of Francis I is still considered the moment of the emergence of the term "official favorite". From now on, the official favorite was initiated 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 chivalric tradition of worshiping the Beautiful Lady.
Famous favorites of Francis I
Françoise de Foix
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 Anna 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 proposal of the king to become his second lover. In 1532, Francis resumed relations with Chateaubriand for three weeks, but their relationship ended there.
Anna d'Etampes
The reign of Diane de Poitiers ended in 1559 when Henry II was accidentally killed in a tournament by the Comte de Montgomery. Catherine de Medici took away from the favorite all the jewelry and estates given to her by the king, including the castle of Chenonceau. Diane de Poitiers retired to her castle of Anet, where she spent the rest of her life.
Reigns of Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III
Maria Touche
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 third son of Catherine de Medici, Henry III, had love affairs with the ladies of the court, but was in love with Mary 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 last of the Valois that the term “minions” appeared, denoting male royal favorites of predominantly non-traditional sexual orientation.
Favorites of Henry IV
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 "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.
Gabriel d'Estre
First official royal favorite Henry IV became 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, quietly managed to persuade the king to change his faith. In 1593, Henry IV converted to Catholicism, and five years later signed the Edict of Nantes, which granted the Huguenots religious freedom and ended the protracted Wars of Religion.
Henriette d'Entragues
After some time, the king, who was mourning for d'Estre, found solace in the person of Henrietta 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 Marie de Medici, thereby hoping to save France from debt.
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 claimed 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.
Favorites of Louis XIV
Predecessor Louis XIV, his father Louis XIII, as suggested by some historians, was 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 came - 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 Lavalier
Louise de Lavaliere was recognized as the official favorite. She was originally a lady-in-waiting to Princess Henrietta Stuart.
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.
Lavalière 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 king - de Blois subsequently married the prince de Conti, and Vermandois from infancy became an admiral of France.
When Louis XIV brought Madame de Montespan closer to him, Lavalière withdrew from court and took tonsure in a Carmelite monastery in Paris.
Montespan was the complete opposite of Lavaliere. 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 the royal palace of Saint-Germain en Le (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.
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 official (albeit retired) favorite, Montespan lost the favor of the king. Despite this, she lived at court until 1691, and the king continued to visit her, praising her wit and ability to entertain him. After she left the court, she turned to charity, spending most pension, which the king allocated to her until her death. She died at a respectable age, while on the waters in Bourbon-l "Archambault.
Montespan gave birth to seven children to the king, six of them were officially recognized by the king, only four survived to adulthood. 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 - the so-called "vice police" was created in Paris, which fined ladies for deep cleavage.
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.
Unlike his great-grandfather Louis XIV, the king was very far from pressing issues modernity and treated state affairs with indifference.
Marie Anne de Chateauroux
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 the Marquise de Pompadour and her predecessor Marie-Anne de Chateauroux, and as the third they call either Louise de Mailly-Nel, or her sister, Polina- 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).
“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 official recognition 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. She influenced domestic and foreign policy. Historians call the Seven Years' War 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.
Oscar Wilde said that women were created not for understanding, but for love. This writer understood the weaker sex much better than most men. As a result, many women went down in history not due to their intelligence, but due to the beauty and seduction of famous men.
However, many of these mistresses did not possess obvious beauty at all, but somehow they were still able to captivate their chosen ones. As a result, the fame of such women passed through the years and centuries. And even today, women are trying to take advantage of some of the secrets of those legendary figures.
Valeria Messalina. In history, this woman remained as one of the most dissolute persons. Despite his high status(she was the wife of Emperor Claudius) Valeria literally became the personification of lust and fornication in Rome. Messalina lived in the 1st century AD. Contemporaries say that she was more promiscuous than Nero himself. But he became famous for wild orgies, harems with children and a palace that became a brothel. It is said about Messalina that she came to one of the brothels of Rome, taking the place of a prostitute there. Only this could satisfy her passion. Valeria herself did not miss a single handsome man. Long time her behavior got away with her, the blinded husband did not notice anything. But Valeria also decided to enthrone her next lover, Gaius Silius. The plot failed, and Messalina herself was killed by order of the emperor at the age of 28. Historians say that at that time the woman was already stricken with syphilis, so such a death was no worse end to a dissolute and shameful life.
Cleopatra. This woman is considered one of the wisest mistresses. Also Cleopatra is one of the most scandalous characters ancient world. Because of her powerful states fought with each other. The night with Cleopatra cost each of her new lover-slave lives, nevertheless, the fatal beauty (some sources say that outwardly she was not a beauty) beckoned men to her. Each of them dreamed of conquering a woman with his strength and love skills, and in the morning to wake up not only alive, but also the king of all Egypt. Nevertheless, Cleopatra continued to kill her lovers, unaccepting compromise. Specialists in ancient egypt call the queen one of the first adherents of free love. It was believed that she was an experienced fellatrix, that is, she skillfully gave a blowjob to her chosen ones. Perhaps this is what tied Antony to her? The ancient Greeks nicknamed the queen Meriohane, which literally means "open-mouthed", "women with a thousand mouths." Another nickname for the mistress was "fat-lipped." Although Cleopatra had all the makings good ruler, skillfully ruled her first of all own desires. She also indulged her own famous lovers. For Caesar, Cleopatra seemed modest and intelligent, and for Antony she became a mad hunter for carnal pleasures. Love for the latter became tragic, the couple decided to resist Rome, for which they paid with their lives.
Phryne. But this Greek hetera became famous for its beauty. She worked as a model. From it, the ancient creators sculpted and painted Aphrodite herself. They wrote that Phryne was very bashful and extremely reluctant to be naked. She even met her men in the dark. As a result, the hetera was convicted of Negative influence on the most enlightened citizens of the republic. But when she was led to her execution and her clothes were torn off, the audience saw the perfect body of Phryne. Geter was immediately acquitted, since it was decided that a dissolute soul simply could not live in such a divine body.
Thais of Athens. This impudent hetaera became famous for seducing Alexander the Great himself. Although she was a prostitute, she became famous for her impregnability. She attracted the great conqueror herself by the fact that she did not want to give herself to him for any treasures or riches. The woman told Alexander that it was necessary to win her heart and then the whole world would fall before him. Subsequently, Thais was able to marry the Egyptian king Ptolemy I.
wu hu. This Chinese empress from the Tang Dynasty announced the advent of the era of female superiority in the country. To do this, even the custom of licking the "lotus stamens" appeared in court etiquette. The Empress demanded that all government officials and visiting dignitaries show her special respect through cunnilingus. This ceremony has remained even in old paintings: Wu Hu holds her dress, and a guest kneels in front of her, who kisses her genitals.
Scheherazade. This woman is famous for her intelligence. Naturally, she did not only tell fairy tales with the Sultan. After each love intercourse, Scheherazade began to tell an interesting story, which she interrupted at the most interesting place. At first, the Sultan even wanted to exile her to the lower harem, as a wife who no longer satisfies him. However, it turned out that no one else was able to tell such interesting tales to the ruler. Shahriyar continued to listen to his concubine. This is how the book of fairy tales "A Thousand and One Nights" appeared. That's how long it took the ruler to regain common sense and stop killing virgins. And what happened after that with the most desirable wife of the Sultan is unknown. Some infection is said to have caused her death.
Elizabeth Bathory. This woman went down in history under the name of the Bloody Countess. She had many lovers, the most famous of which is the painter Caravaggio. They say that she became for him not only a model, but also a real muse and goddess. Contemporaries recall that Bathory was of unearthly beauty, until her death she kept her face like a young girl. This effect became possible supposedly due to the fact that the countess bathed in the blood of tortured and murdered virgins. In total, she killed about 600 women, among whom were not only peasant women and servants, but also noble persons. They say that Bathory came up with terrible mechanisms. For example, a metal coffin containing spikes inside. They entered the body shallowly, not killing immediately, but causing only bleeding. Thus, the victim died gradually, giving his blood to the insatiable countess. They say that Bathory invented several thousand sophisticated tortures and devices for this. Only in 1611 was the 50-year-old sadist condemned. There are several versions of her death. They say that the angry mob simply staged lynching for her, immuring her alive in the walls of her own castle. A popular story is that Bathory got away with it. Her family was too powerful. blood countess sent to the dungeon to live out his term, away from human eyes. There is an opinion that Elizabeth was slandered. The fact is that she was richer than the king himself, who wanted to take away all her property from her. After the death of the countess, five of her children disappeared somewhere, and all her gold and lands went to the ruler. Bathory went down in history not only as a bloodthirsty killer, but also as one of the most beautiful women of her time with unfading beauty. In Hungary itself, the woman was called a vampire, believing that in terms of the number of her atrocities she was in no way inferior to Count Dracula.
Marquise de Pompadour. This favorite of the French king Louis XV was not only a skillful and tireless mistress, but also played an important role in European politics. It is said that she owes her passion to celery. Every day, the Marquise used two of the strongest aphrodisiacs at once - chocolate and celery root. In the morning she drank a mug of hot chocolate, adding ground root there. During the day she ate a special salad with apples, walnuts and celery. While it's not clear if she knew these foods helped her stay lovable, Pompadour could make love up to 10 times a day with different partners. Celery is generally a well-known pathogen. So in different countries peasants put a bunch of this plant at the head of the bed on their wedding night. Jeanne Poisson herself, the future Marquise of Pompadour, was promised the love of the king himself at the age of nine. What more could a young girl dream of? The origin of the Pompadour remains a mystery. There is an opinion that she was generally of low origin, just one day she successfully found herself a patron in the form of a nobleman and ended up at court. There, at a masquerade, she met Louis XV. The monarch was intrigued by the behavior of the girl, who coquettishly hid her face under a mask. And when the mask was removed, the king finally fell in love. Achieve a high position and the status of a favorite on long years it was not easy, but Jeanne was able to do it. She did not limit her activities to just bed. The Marquise of Pompadour took up the development of the arts, patronizing many artists and writers. Until her death, she remained for the king not only a mistress, but also a close friend. This in itself is a rarity.
Josephine. Napoleon's chosen one at the time of their meeting was not young, she was already over thirty and she had two children. However, she looked flawless on the outside. Although Bonaparte himself gave imperious orders to the rest, he was shy in front of Josephine and experienced either tender or passionate feelings. The secret of the victory over Napoleon was simple. Josephine was not just a beauty, she was also an excellent listener. A wise woman always approved of the actions of her lover, no matter what he did. And as a reward for this, she became the first Empress of France. The divorce of the couple took place only for the good of France - the country needed an heir.
Inessa Armand. This woman, although she was right in the center of revolutionary actions, her role was bashfully hushed up by historians. After all, she was the mistress of Vladimir Lenin himself, which somehow did not fit in with the immaculate image of the leader. Armand met him in front of Krupskaya in Paris. Inessa's personal relationship with Lenin was so close that Nadezhda Konstantinovna herself was in the background with her husband. Krupskaya was forced to forgive her husband's passion for his mistress, if only it was for the good of the revolution. Inessa herself was wholeheartedly devoted to her occupation and to Lenin himself. Armand left behind three children who were born before meeting the leader. And she died of cholera in 1920 and was buried not far from her beloved - under the Kremlin wall.
Mata Hari. This courtesan earned her living by performing exotic dances. At one time, all of Paris admired her. Many high-ranking officials of France and Germany became lovers of the artist. According to legend, during the First World War, Mata Hari was a spy, while cooperating with both warring parties at once. It is not known whether she was really able to extract from her patrons valuable information. Nevertheless, in 1917 the French shot Mata Hari for her spying for Germany. She herself became a legend, embodying the images of a femme fatale and a fearless intelligence agent.
Isadora Duncan. This American dancer led a bohemian lifestyle. She is considered the founder of free dance, from which the Art Nouveau style was born. She had many admirers, some of whom she reciprocated. Having survived the death of her two children, she went to Russia, where she met Sergei Yesenin. He became her lover and later her husband. Isadora herself, according to her contemporaries, did not captivate with her brilliant beauty. But she was very natural and had a natural sexuality. On stage, Duncan performed barefoot, and her every movement was filled with grace and natural charm. All her dances spoke of the fact that she was open to life and madly in love with her in all manifestations. She herself wrote: "If my art is symbolic, then this symbol is only one: the freedom of a woman and her emancipation from the rigid conventions that underlie puritanism." Contemporaries believed that Duncan's work opens up new horizons for the women of the future. Her dances were called brilliant, she was able to change both art and everyday life. But relations with Yesenin did not work out - two gifted creative person jealous of each other's glory.
Lilya Brik. Men were drawn to her by her sense of inner freedom. This woman had many admirers - Pablo Neruda, Marc Chagall, Louis Aragon, Sergei Parajanov, Fernand Léger, Yves Saint Laurent. But Brik's most famous lover was Vladimir Mayakovsky. The poet even lived with her and her husband, embarrassing the townsfolk with such a love triangle. Brik herself said: “You need to inspire a man that he is wonderful or even brilliant, but that others do not understand this. And allow him what is not allowed at home, for example, to smoke or go wherever he pleases. Good shoes and silk underwear will do the rest.” As you can see, the secret of seduction is not so complicated. Lilya Brik often appears as a femme fatale. If a man attracted her, then nothing could stop her. The history of Brik is covered with legends, there was some kind of mystery in it that attracted the most famous men of that time to her. Talking with people, Lily skillfully and cleverly emphasized her interest in her interlocutor. Brik has always been fashion-conscious, dressing with taste and hiding her flaws in her clothes. It was she who became the first woman in Moscow who dared to wear trousers. The straightforward Akhmatova recalled Lila in this way: "Hair dyed and impudent eyes on a worn face."
Marilyn Monroe. This mistress is one of the most mysterious in history. The sex symbol of the 20th century had a close relationship with US President John F. Kennedy. But this connection, like the subsequent death of the actress, is shrouded in mystery. It is not clear if Monroe's death was a suicide or if her love for Kennedy became a hindrance to someone and she was simply removed. During her lifetime, she managed to tarnish the reputation of an excellent family man and the pride of America, John F. Kennedy. It is still unprofitable for someone to reveal the secret about those events. One thing is clear - the sexy beauty Marilyn Monroe was deeply unhappy in her personal life. From the day she mysterious death more than half a century has passed, but she still remains the standard of femininity and sexuality. And the actress herself has turned into a promoted and popular brand. With the help of her name, billions of dollars are earned annually in the world.
Edwina Curry. Mistress English Prime Minister John Major made it much more difficult for him political career after he decided to break up with her. Although the woman was even threatened with reprisal, she did not want to remain silent, writing the whole truth about her relationship with a powerful admirer. Written at the risk of his life, the book quickly became a bestseller, and Major's own career went downhill. Curry said that she was not only threatened, but also attacked and beaten twice. The criminals demanded silence from her and promised to kill her if the book was published. But she did it anyway. Maybe she was driven by a sense of revenge, or maybe the desire to prove that even powerful men should be held accountable for their actions. In the end, the truth about the premiere turned out to be stunning. Not about one British politician did not tell so many humiliating details as about him. The most intimate details of his life became the property of the public. And this happened because one day he decided to leave the one who loved him. Fear for a career and threats only exacerbated the position of the unfortunate lover.
Sylvia Kristel b. This beautiful woman became famous for playing the title role in the sensational erotic movie"Emmanuel". Her attractiveness did not go unnoticed by the most prominent men. Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, President of France, became Christelle's mistress. Moreover, their romance began even before he took this prominent post. d'Estaing himself never hid this relationship. As a result, Sylvia was even invited to all official events related to the head of state. She acted as hostess at his receptions. Yes, and on foreign trips, the president often took Sylvia with him. Thus, Christelle seemed to have received the status of an "official" mistress.
Anne Penjo. As already mentioned, they often generated a scandal around their politician-fan. So it was with Anne Penjo. This mistress of Francois Mitterrand even settled in the Elysee Palace. But when the new president, Jacques Chirac, came to power, the first thing he did was order the eviction of Penjo and her illegitimate daughter from his predecessor from the state residence. Biographers say that the loving Mitterrand had many mistresses. Penjo was just one of them. That is why the French themselves were calm about the fact of its existence. But the fact that the president gave her free housing in the Elysee Palace, and even denied it, the citizens of the country could not forgive him. After Mitterrand's death, another scandal erupted. The mistress, along with the president's illegitimate daughter, wanted to attend the funeral, which his family vehemently opposed. Now Ann does not lead a luxurious life at all - she works in a museum, barely making ends meet. And Mitterrand's illegitimate daughter, with the help of the court, won the right to her father's surname and went into politics.
Monica Lewinsky. This mistress turned out to be very selfish. She not only had a strong influence on the career and family of her partner, but also did not fail to earn several million dollars from this. Monica told the press about all the details of her intimate relationship in the Oval Office. Already after this connection became known to the public, everyone was literally amazed at how the intern, unknown to anyone before, managed to carry out the operation she had planned. She even saved for history the dress in which she made love with Clinton. For the president, that story almost turned into a resignation and even a prison for lying before the court. Monica herself, with memories of those relationships, traveled all over the world. Lewinsky wrote a book about her intimacy and even filmed documentary"Monica in black and white", for which she received a multi-million dollar fee. And Clinton himself is frankly sorry, even his wife forgave him. It is only unclear what the charming and popular politician found in the plain plump Lewinsky.
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 now play an important role in Britain. 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. The Comte de Kerual participated in Thirty Years' War, during the siege of Arras was wounded, 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 large blue eyes didn't expect to do 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 Louise's beauty 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. English language. 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 the 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 to send her 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. Furious 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, assigned a huge maintenance, and later a pension.
Louis XIV also gave her gifts and luxurious jewelry, paid her gambling 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 his younger brother to "do it 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 lived a 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. 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
The 2nd Earl of Richmond, who had burned himself on his eldest daughter, the youngest, Lady Emily, married at the age of 15 to the Irishman James FitzGerald, Earl of Kildare (later to become 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 Corps of Fusiliers and is a chartered accountant by trade. 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 big splash in high society when they adopted two mixed-race girls (their father was from Lesotho and their mother was 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 Goodwood races from a much closer distance than professional motor 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 at Goodwood House in Sussex, which has 12,000 acres. 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
* * *
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 big money, jewelry can 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...
October 5, 1640 was born Francoise Athenais de Rochechouart de Mortemar, Marquise de Montespan - the most famous mistress of Louis XIV, the brilliant king of the Gallant Age.
During the years of her affair with the king, she was the most powerful woman in France. But she failed to become queen. But her successor, Francoise d'Aubigne, the Marquise of Maintenon, succeeded in this. There was another Francoise in the life of the king - Louise-Francoise, Duchess de La Valliere, whose name is associated with the appearance of Versailles, the most magnificent royal residence of its time.
Versailles became a model for such palace ensembles as Peterhof and Sanssouci. Let's talk about three of the most famous favorites"Sun King"
Louise Lavalier
Louise-Francoise de La Baume Le Blanc was born on August 6, 1644 in Tours, in a poor noble family. At the age of 7, she lost her father and her mother married the Marquis de Saint-Remy, a nobleman from the retinue of Duke Gaston of Orleans, brother of Louis XIII. Therefore, Louise spent her childhood in Blois, where the duke's residence was located. She was very fond of horseback riding, but at the age of 11, falling from a horse, injured her spine and remained lame for the rest of her life. Calm, silent and shy, Louise was already planning to enter a convent as a child. But thanks to the efforts of her distant relative, Louise falls into the retinue of the Duchess of Orleans Henrietta Stuart, the wife of Louis XIV's brother, and becomes her maid of honor.
The young king had already married the Spanish princess Maria Theresa, but was still going through a break with Maria Mancini, niece of Cardinal Mazarin, the first minister of France. Louis was going to marry Mary, but the queen mother Anna of Austria and Mazarin did not allow this marriage, and the king was forced to yield to the interests of the state: marriage with a Spaniard was supposed to put an end to the protracted war between the two countries.
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Louis fulfilled his duty, but did not become an exemplary husband.
The most scandalous were rumors of a romance between Louis and Henrietta Stuart. His brother was indignant, despite the fact that he himself was not interested in women. The situation could provoke a split in royal family, and Ludovic began courting Louise.
According to one version, she was supposed to become a screen for communication with Henrietta, according to another, he simply fell in love with a girl, but be that as it may, Henrietta was forgotten.
en.wikipedia.org
Blond-haired and blue-eyed, Louise did not quite meet the then accepted standards of beauty, she was thin, lame, and traces of pockmarks were visible on her face. However, this did not stop her from charming the king with her gentle, affable and calm character. In 1667, Louise granted Louise the title of duchess and possessions in Touraine and Anjou, making her his official favorite. In addition, it was in her honor that he ordered the complete rebuilding of his father's hunting castle in Versailles, so that the grandiose palace can be considered a monument of the king's love in stone.
Of interest is Louise's role in the downfall of Finance Superintendent Nicolas Fouquet, one of the most powerful nobles in the early years of Louis' reign. Legend has it that while walking through the palace in Vaud, where Fouquet invited the king and his retinue, Louis suddenly saw in the owner's office a portrait of his favorite in the form of the huntress Diana. The king, beside himself with jealousy, ordered the arrest of the superintendent and the confiscation of all his property. Fouquet was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Pignerol castle, where he died 15 years later.
Louise bore the king four children, two of whom survived infancy - Maria Anna de Bourbon and Louis de Bourbon. Unusually modest for a favorite, she did not ask for anything for her family, and asked the king to forgive her offenders. However, her position embarrassed Louise, and only the love of the king made this sacrifice justified. However, Louise could not keep the windy king. Soon she had a serious rival - Athenais de Montespan, who conquered the king for many years.
The king has grown cold ex-lover so much so that in 1973 he invited Louise to become the godmother of his daughter from Montespan.
Lavalier had no choice but to leave the yard. In 1675 she left the Carmelite convent under the name of Louise the Merciful, where she died in 1710. Local nuns considered her a saint.
Louise Lavaliere appears in the third novel of the Musketeer trilogy, Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years Later, as the beloved of Athos' son Raoul.
Françoise Athenais de Montespan
The main character of today's selection, Francoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart, was born in Poitou, in the family of the Marquis de Mortemart and Diane de Grandseny, and belonged to the highest nobility of France. She took the name "Athenais" later, under the influence of gallant novels, very popular at that time. The Mortemar family was famous for its wit and mockery, and Athenais inherited these qualities to the fullest. Her mother, however, was distinguished by piety, and Athenais, already being a maid of honor, diligently performed all the rites, but her piety was external.
She was educated in a convent in Saintes, and then, thanks to her family connections, she became a maid of honor at the court of Henrietta d'Orleans, and later - Queen Maria Theresa.
On January 28, 1663, Athenais married the Marquis de Montespan, and two children were born in the marriage: a son and a daughter. The couple lived in Paris, and Athenais easily performed her duties as a lady-in-waiting at the Louvre. Beautiful, cheerful, playful and mocking Athenais was a brilliant companion, always tried to be aware of latest news to support any conversation, and her well-aimed witticisms instantly spread among the courtiers. It is not surprising that very quickly she became the most popular lady at court.
In 1666, she was introduced to the king, but did not immediately get his attention - he was in love with Lavalier. But by 1670, her position as an official favorite became obvious. The problem was the husband of Athenais - a hot-tempered Gascon, he did not want to put up with the fate of a cuckold, made scandals to his wife and even to the king, once appearing at the Saint-Germain Palace in a carriage decorated with deer horns. In the end, he was imprisoned in Fort Leveque, and then exiled to Gascony, where he lived until the end of his life.
Athenais bore the king seven children, of whom four survived. All of them were legitimized by Louis, received titles, possessions, in the future - brilliant parties, and even some inheritance rights in the father's will if the line of his legitimate children ends. The marquise herself was indifferent to the children, and valued them, first of all, as an instrument of influence on the king, who was sincerely attached to them. She made her poor friend Françoise d'Aubigné the nursemaid of her children, thinking her too boring to be her rival.
She later regretted it.
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Wasteful, capricious and imperious, Athenais aroused the admiration and envy of the courtiers, and soon extended her influence to state affairs. First of all, she took care of her family: her father became the governor of Paris, her brother became a marshal of France, and her younger sister became the abbess of the wealthy monastery of Fontevraud.
The king gave his beloved the luxurious Clagny Palace, and gave her separate apartments in Versailles - 20 rooms, while the queen had only 11. Despite the rich gifts, Athenais constantly needed money, because she spent huge sums on outfits, jewelry and was a passionate player into cards.
One of her dresses is described by Madame de Sevigne as follows: “Gold on gold. Embroidered with gold, bordered with gold, and all this is intertwined with gold, and all this is mixed with gold little things, and all together makes up a dress of extraordinary fabric. However, in addition to this, she patronized poets, playwrights and people of art in general: Molière, La Fontaine, Racine.
Despite her strong position, Athenais was always afraid of younger rivals and she had reason for this.
Usually periods of cooling in relations coincided with a new passion for an amorous king - for example, Angelique de Fontange. Her reign lasted two years, but then the king returned to Athenais, and Angelica soon died - contemporaries were convinced that she was poisoned by order of the Marquise.
The famous “Poison Case” became a fatal turn in the fate of the favorite. The investigation against the poisoners of Versailles was conducted for 7 years, and its main inspiration was the chief of the Parisian police, Nicolas de la Reigny. It all started with the fact that in the papers of the officer de Saint-Croix, who died of a strange illness, they found papers incriminating his mistress, the Marquise de Brainvilliers, of poisoning her father, two brothers and sisters for the sake of receiving an inheritance. The marquise was executed, and the king ordered de la Reigny to investigate what caused some of the suspicious deaths of the courtiers.
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De la Reigny approached Monvoisin, a Parisian fortune-teller with a reputation as a sorceress, whose clients included the country's most senior nobles, including the sister-in-law of the Marquise de Montespan, Olympia Mancini, the Duchess of Soissons (niece of the late Mazarin and sister of Marie Mancini), and Marshal Luxembourg. Together with Monvoisin, her accomplice, the Abbé Guibourg, and other accomplices, including the daughter of a sorceress, were arrested.
During interrogations, they spoke about black masses, where the children of beggars were sacrificed, poisons and love potions were made, and they also named the names of their regular customers. Among them was Athenais de Montespan.
Witnesses testified that aphrodisiacs were prepared for the marquise - for the king, poisons - for rivals, and black masses were also ordered. The sudden death of Angelique de Fontanges was again remembered, and the king's suspicions increased. In 1680, Monvoisin was burned at the stake, and about 30 more death sentences were also pronounced.
Olympia Mancini, along with her son Eugene of Savoy, was expelled from the country (she was suspected of poisoning her husband), Marshal of Luxembourg was sent to the Bastille, then to her estate, and Atenais de Montespan lost the favor of the king forever.
He spared her as the mother of his children, but he never saw her alone again.
Since 1683, she lost the title of the official favorite of the king, and her place was taken by Francoise d'Aubigne, who first became the king's girlfriend, and then his morgantic wife. The children brought up by d'Aubigné met their mother's fall with indifference, since they had never been close to her. But only in 1691 Athenais de Montespan decided to leave the court. She went to the convent of St. Joseph, which she herself founded, where she lived last years. Athenais de Montespan died on May 27, 1707. The king forbade her children to mourn for their mother.
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marchioness of Maintenon
Francoise was born on November 27, 1635 in the fortress of Niort, where her parents were sent on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu: her grandfather was the leader of the Huguenots. In 1639, together with her parents, she was exiled to the island of Martinique. She was baptized according to the Catholic rite, but received a Protestant upbringing. In 1645, together with her mother, she returned to France after the death of her father.
Being in trouble financial situation, they lived with their aunt, the Marquise de Villette, a staunch Protestant. However, at the insistence of another relative, a Catholic, Françoise was sent to the Ursuline convent in Paris. Contradictory religious education determined the nature of the future favorite. The severity of the Protestant upbringing and the intolerance of the Catholic made her conscientious, strict in everything related to the observance of morality and decency, indifferent to holidays and secular entertainment, which she later banned at court.
In 1650, the dowry Francoise lost her mother, and two years later she married the famous poet Scarron. He was much older than her, besides a paraplegic, but provided her with prosperity. In addition, his house was the most popular Parisian salon, where the most enlightened people of the country gathered. Françoise learned a lot from conversations and disputes, which allowed her to fill in the gaps in education. After the death of her husband in 1660, Francoise was left without a livelihood and lived in poverty for a long time, until Athenais de Montespan offered her to become the tutor of her children from the king.
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Françoise diligently fulfilled her duties, replacing the mother of the children, and had the opportunity to meet with the king when he visited the children. Louis noted her attentive attitude towards his children, her mind and broad outlook, calm nature (in contrast to the explosive temperament of Athenais) and the fact that she was not afraid to openly reproach the king for his neglect of the queen and, in general, a frivolous lifestyle.
Gradually, they became friends, in 1675 Louis made her the Marquise of Maintenon and began to reckon more and more with her opinion on various issues. After the “poison case” and the resignation of Montespan, Francoise became the closest person to the king, and therefore the most influential. This was immediately reflected in court life: balls were replaced by masses, dark outfits without decorations came into fashion, only hunting remained of entertainment.
In 1683, Queen Maria Theresa died, and in the same year, Louis and Françoise were secretly married. In Versailles, Maintenon lived in seclusion, but the king received all ministers and even family members in her presence, and not a single decision was made without her advice. At court, she was nicknamed the "black queen" for her habit of dressing in a dark and sullen character, and was disliked more than any other favorite of the king.
A former Protestant turned Catholic, she was intolerant of former co-religionists, and probably influenced the repeal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which guaranteed freedom of belief to Protestants.
However, at the same time, she took care of women's education: in 1684, the first secular women's school for the daughters of impoverished nobles was opened in Saint-Cyr, which subsequently served as a model for the creation of many educational institutions of this kind, including the Smolny Institute.
