Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force facts for kids

Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force (1654–1724) was a famous French writer. People often called her Mademoiselle de La Force. She wrote many novels and poems.

Her most well-known story is Persinette, written in 1698. This fairy tale was later changed by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. It became the popular story we know today as Rapunzel.

Charlotte-Rose was born into a noble family. Her father was François de Caumont de La Force. She grew up as a Protestant. Later, in 1686, she became a Catholic. Because of this, King Louis XIV gave her money every year. She was also chosen to be a member of the Academy of the Ricovrati in Padua, Italy. This was a special honor for women writers in the 1600s.

Her Early Novels

Charlotte-Rose first wrote novels called "histoires secrètes." These were short stories that told the "secret history" of famous people. They often included a love story. Some of her early novels were:

• Histoire secrete de Bourgogne (1694)
• Histoire secrète de Henri IV, roi de Castille (1695)
• Histoire de Marguerite de Valois, reine de Navarre (1696)

Life Challenges

Charlotte-Rose fell in love with a younger man named Charles Briou. They secretly got married with the king's permission. However, their families did not approve. Both her family and his father worked to have the marriage canceled.

Later, in 1697, there were many rumors about her. Because of this talk, the king told Mademoiselle de La Force to go to a Benedictine abbey. This was a type of monastery for women. If she didn't go, she would lose her yearly payment from the king. While at the abbey, she wrote her memories in a book called Pensées chrétiennes de défunte de Mlle de La Force.

Fairy Tale Writer

Mademoiselle de La Force was also famous for writing fairy tales. She was part of a popular trend in the 1600s. Other famous fairy tale writers of her time included Henriette-Julie de Murat, Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy, Marie-Jeanne Lhéritier, and Charles Perrault.

She wrote two collections of fairy tales: Les Contes des Contes (1698) and Les Contes des Fées. These books included her well-known story Fairer-than-a-Fairy.

Her Legacy

Her novels were very popular in Europe during the 1700s. Today, Mademoiselle de La Force is a main character in Kate Forsyth's book Bitter Greens. This book is a new version of the Rapunzel fairy tale.

Her Fairy Tales

• La Bonne Femme (The Good Woman)
• La Puissance d'Amour (The Power of Love)
• Le Pays des Délices (The Land of Delights)
• L'Enchanteur (The Enchanter)
• Persinette
• Plus Belle que Fée (Fairer-than-a-Fairy)
• Tourbillon (Whirlwind)
• Vert et Bleu (Green and Blue)