Agnès Sorel facts for kids

Agnès Sorel (1422 – 9 February 1450) was a very important person in the court of King Charles VII of France. She was known as Dame de beauté, which means "Lady of Beauty." She became the king's special companion and had four daughters with him. Agnès Sorel is known as the first officially recognized royal mistress of a French king. Many artists of her time painted her, and she appeared in various artworks. One famous painting is Jean Fouquet's Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels.

Life at the Royal Court

Agnès Sorel was born in 1422. Her parents were Jean Soreau and Catherine de Maignelais. When she was about 20 or 21 years old, she was introduced to King Charles VII. At that time, she worked for Rene I of Naples as a maid of honour to his wife, Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine.

Later, Agnès became a lady-in-waiting for Marie d'Anjou, who was King Charles VII's wife. Soon after, she became the king's close companion. The King gave her the Château de Loches as her own home. This was the same castle where Joan of Arc had convinced him to be crowned King of France.

Agnès quickly became very important at the royal court in Chinon. People said that her company helped the king feel better when he was sad for a long time. She had a strong influence on the king. Because of her influence and her love for beautiful things, she made some powerful enemies at court. Still, she became the first officially recognized royal companion of a French king.

Children and Her Passing

Agnès and King Charles had four daughters together:

• Marie, who was likely born in the summer of 1444.
• Charlotte, who later married Jacques de Brézé.
• Jeanne.

While she was expecting her fourth child, Agnès traveled in the middle of winter to join King Charles. He was on a military campaign in Jumièges in 1450. She wanted to be there to support him. Sadly, she suddenly became very ill. She and her newborn daughter passed away on 9 February 1450. Agnès was only 28 years old.

At first, people thought she died from a stomach illness called dysentery. However, in 2005, a French scientist named Philippe Charlier suggested that Agnès might have died from mercury poisoning.

Agnès Sorel was buried in the Church of St. Ours in Loches. Her heart was buried in the Benedictine Abbey of Jumièges.

Legacy

Agnès Sorel appears in many artistic works. She is an important character in Voltaire's poem La Pucelle. An opera from 1836 is also named after her. Two Russian operas from the late 1800s, The Maid of Orleans by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and The Saracen by César Cui, also feature her alongside King Charles VII.

She is also honored in Judy Chicago's art installation called The Dinner Party. Her name is one of the 999 names listed on the Heritage Floor. Agnès Sorel's name is also used for certain fashion items, like the Agnes Sorel bodice and Agnes Sorel corsage. There's even a fashion style named after her, called the Agnes Sorel style, which is described as a "princess" style of dressing.

See also

In Spanish: Agnès Sorel para niños

• List of unsolved deaths

Images for kids