Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan facts for kids
Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan (born October 5, 1640 – died May 27, 1707), was a very important person at the court of King Louis XIV of France. She was known for her influence and had seven children with the King.
She came from one of France's oldest noble families, the House of Rochechouart. Some people even called her the "true Queen of France" because of how much power she had at court. Her time of great influence started around 1667. This was when she first danced with King Louis XIV at a special party held by the King's younger brother, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, at the Louvre Palace.
Madame de Montespan is an ancestor of several royal families in Europe today. These include the royal families of Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
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Early Life and Family
Françoise-Athénaïs was born in October 1640 and was baptized on October 5, 1640. This happened at the Château of Lussac-les-Châteaux in France. As a young woman, she later chose to use the name "Athénaïs." She was also known as Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente.
Her parents were Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke of Mortemart, and Diane de Grandseigne. Her mother was a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Austria, who was the Queen of France. Françoise inherited a famous "wit" or cleverness from her father's family.
As a young girl, she often traveled with her mother between their family homes and the royal court in Paris. When she was 12, she started her formal education at the Convent of St Mary at Saintes. Her sister Gabrielle had started her education there almost ten years earlier. Françoise was very religious and took Communion once a week. She continued this practice as a young woman.
Her siblings were:
- Gabrielle (1633–1693), who married and had children.
- Louis Victor (1636–1688), known as the Marquis of Vivonne. He was a friend of Louis XIV of France when they were young.
- Marie Madeleine Gabrielle Adélaïde (1645–1704), who was known as the Queen of Abbesses because of her connection to Françoise-Athénaïs.
When she was 20, Françoise-Athénaïs became a maid-of-honour to the King's sister-in-law, Princess Henrietta Anne of England. Later, because of her mother's connection to the Queen Mother, Anne of Austria, Françoise-Athénaïs became a lady-in-waiting to the King's wife, Maria Theresa of Spain.
Her Marriage
On January 28, 1663, Françoise-Athénaïs married Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Marquis of Montespan. He was one year younger than her. The wedding happened in a chapel at the Église Saint-Eustache in Paris.
Soon after, she became pregnant with her first child, Christine. She even danced in a Court Ballet just two weeks after her daughter was born. Less than a year later, her second child was born.
The Montespan children were:
- Marie Christine de Pardaillan de Gondrin (1663–1675), who passed away at one of her father's castles.
- Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Marquis of Antin (1664–1736). He later became the Duke of Antin. Louis Antoine had a good relationship with his younger half-brothers, the Duke of Maine and the Count of Toulouse.
The couple lived in a small house near the Louvre palace. This allowed Madame de Montespan to attend court and do her duties as a lady-in-waiting. She quickly became known as the most beautiful woman at court. But her beauty was not her only charm. She was also a smart and fun person to talk to. She was admired by famous writers and kept up with political news. This made her even more interesting to powerful people.
Her Influence at Court
By 1666, Madame de Montespan was trying to gain a more important position at court. She used her cleverness and charm to become closer to King Louis XIV. She also became good friends with the King's son, the Dauphin, who always liked her.
Even though the King's current favorite, Louise de La Vallière, knew Montespan was trying to get the King's attention, she didn't realize how strong her new rival was. Montespan cleverly made friends with both Louise and Queen Maria Theresa. When both ladies were expecting children, Madame de Montespan was asked to help them entertain the King during private dinners. Soon, they realized their mistake, because Montespan had become very close to the King.
She also became friends with another lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Louise Boyer. Montespan's youngest son, the Count of Toulouse, would later marry one of Boyer's granddaughters.
The Royal Children
The first of Madame de Montespan's children with the King was born in 1669. This child, a girl, was likely named Louise-Françoise. The care of this first child, and the children who came after her, was given to Madame Scarron. She later became known as the marquise de Maintenon. A son, Louis-Auguste, was born in 1670. When the third child, Louis-César, was born in 1672, a house was bought for Madame Scarron and the children.
In 1673, the couple's three living children were officially recognized by Louis XIV. They were given the royal family name of de Bourbon. The oldest son, Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, became the duc du Maine. The second son, Louis-César de Bourbon, became the comte de Vexin. The third child, a daughter, Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, became Mademoiselle de Nantes. In 1685, she married the son of a very important noble family, the House of Condé.
Since Madame de Montespan spent most of her time at court, the three children didn't see their busy mother very often. They spent most of their childhood with their governess, Madame Scarron.
In 1674, Madame de Montespan and her husband officially separated.
Later, two more children were born: Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois, in 1677, and Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse, in 1678. Both of these children were also officially recognized in 1681.
Appearance and Personality
Athénaïs was thought to be "amazingly beautiful" for her time. She had big, blue eyes and long, thick, golden hair that fell in curls around her shoulders. She was also funny and entertaining, and she used her great wit to tease others.
She had a very grand and demanding personality, but she also had enough charm to get what she wanted. She loved expensive and beautiful things, much like the Palace of Versailles itself. Her rooms were filled with pet animals and thousands of flowers. She had her own private art gallery, and she received many costly jewels. She was very particular about the quality of her gems and would send them back if they weren't perfect. People sometimes called her Quanto, which means "How much" in Italian, because of her love for expensive things. As she got older, she gained weight, partly because she loved food and had many pregnancies.
Her Legacy
Château de Clagny
The Château de Clagny in Versailles was built between 1674 and 1680. It was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who was the King's main architect. King Louis XIV bought the land for it in 1665. It was said that building it required 1,200 workers and cost at least 2 million "livres" (an old French currency).
The royal gardener André Le Nôtre designed the beautiful gardens. The château looked towards the much larger Palace of Versailles, and Clagny was like a smaller version of it. The Château de Clagny was also famous for its art gallery. In 1685, King Louis XIV gave this magnificent palace to Madame de Montespan. After she passed away, Clagny was inherited by her oldest son, the duc du Maine. He then passed it on to his son. The château returned to the French crown in 1766 and was taken down in 1769.
Trianon de Porcelaine
King Louis XIV also had a special pleasure pavilion built for Madame de Montespan. It was called the Trianon de Porcelaine. It was surrounded by gardens and built on the site of an old village near the Palace of Versailles. This was meant to be a quiet place for them to relax. However, the earthenware tiles used to build it were very fragile. So, the Trianon de porcelaine was taken down in 1687. It was replaced by the Grand Trianon, which was built with pink marble.
Children with Louis XIV
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louise Françoise de Bourbon | late March, 1669 | February 23, 1672 (aged 2) | |
| Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine | March 31, 1670 | May 14, 1736 (aged 66) | Officially recognized on December 20, 1673. He held many important positions, including Governor of Languedoc. He had children and started the Maine Line of the Bourbon family. |
| Louis César, Count of Vexin | June 20, 1672 | January 10, 1683 (aged 10) | Officially recognized on December 20, 1673. |
| Louise Françoise de Bourbon | June 1, 1673 | June 16, 1743 (aged 70) | Officially recognized on December 20, 1673. She married Louis III, Prince of Condé. She had children. |
| Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon | November 12, 1674 | September 15, 1681 (aged 6) | Officially recognized in January 1676. |
| Françoise Marie de Bourbon | February 9, 1677 | February 1, 1749 (aged 72) | Officially recognized in November 1681. She married Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was the Regent of France for King Louis XV. She had children. |
| Louis Alexandre, Count of Toulouse | June 6, 1678 | December 1, 1737 (aged 59) | Officially recognized on November 22, 1681. He held many important positions, including Admiral of France. He had children. |
Images for kids
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With her children, about 1677
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Madame de Montespan's two surviving daughters: the blonde Mademoiselle de Blois, with her older brunette sister, the Mademoiselle de Nantes
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Louise Françoise some time after her marriage to Louis III, Prince of Condé
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The Count of Toulouse, Madame de Montespan's youngest child
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The Count of Toulouse, Madame de Montespan's youngest child
See also
In Spanish: Madame de Montespan para niños
