Madame de Montespan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Madame de Montespan |
|
|---|---|
| Marquise of Montespan | |
 |
|
| Montespan by Pierre Mignard | |
| Spouse(s) | Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin |
| Issue | |
| Louis Antoine, Duke of Antin Marie Christine de Pardaillan de Gondrin Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine Louis César, Count of Vexin Louise Françoise, Duchess of Bourbon Louise Marie Anne, Mademoiselle de Tours Françoise Marie, Duchess of Orléans Louis Alexandre, Count of Toulouse |
|
| Full name | |
| Françoise de Rochechouart | |
| Father | Gabriel de Rochechouart, Duke of Mortemart |
| Mother | Diane de Grandseigne |
| Born | 5 October 1640 Lussac-les-Châteaux, France |
| Baptised | 5 October 1640 Lussac-les-Châteaux, France |
| Died | 27 May 1707 (aged 66) Bourbon-l'Archambault, France |
| Occupation | Companion of Louis XIV |
Françoise de Rochechouart, also known as Madame de Montespan (born October 5, 1640 – died May 27, 1707), was a very important companion to King Louis XIV of France. They had seven children together.
Françoise became well-known after spending time in popular meeting places in Paris. People quickly saw that she was smart, funny, and very pretty. She later gave herself the nickname Athénaïs to honor the ancient Greek goddess Athena. Because of this, she is also called "Athénaïs de Montespan."
She lived at the same time as Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, who was a companion to Charles II of England. Many royal families in Europe today, like those in Spain and Italy, are related to her through her children's marriages.
Madame de Montespan also helped create two famous buildings. One was the "Trianon de Porcelaine" (Porcelain Trianon), which is now gone. The other was the larger and grander Château de Clagny. This building was often compared to the famous Palace of Versailles, but it was smaller. During her lifetime, she was sometimes called "the real queen of France" because she had a strong influence on the king and the royal court.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Françoise was the second daughter of Gabriel de Rochechouart, Duke of Mortemart, and Diane de Grandseigne. She belonged to the House of Rochechouart, which was one of the most respected noble families in France.
Her mother worked as a lady-in-waiting for Anne of Austria, who was the queen at the time. As a young girl, Françoise often traveled with her mother between their family homes and the royal court in Paris. When she was twelve, she started her formal education at the Convent of St Mary in Saintes. From a young age, she was called Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente or Mademoiselle de Mortemart.
Marriage and Children
Even though she was in love with Louis de La Tremouille, Françoise married Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin on January 28, 1663. He was one year younger than her and was known as the Marquis of Montespan. His family was also very important, so their marriage was seen as a good match for their social standing.
Françoise and Louis Henri had two children:
- Marie Christine de Pardaillan (born November 17, 1663 – died 1675). She passed away young and did not marry or have children.
- Louis Antoine de Pardaillan, Marquis of Antin (born September 5, 1664 – died November 2, 1736). He later became the Duke of Antin. He married Julie Françoise de Crussol and they had children.
Relationship with King Louis XIV
When Athénaïs was twenty, she became a special helper to the king's sister-in-law, Princess Henrietta of England. Princess Henrietta was known at court by the title "Madame." Later, because her mother was close to the queen mother, Anne of Austria, Athénaïs was chosen to be a lady-in-waiting for the king's wife, Queen Marie Thérèse.
By 1666, Athénaïs was trying to become a close friend of Louise de La Vallière, who was already a companion to King Louis. Soon, it became well-known that Louis and Athénaïs were very close. Their first child together was a daughter named Louise Françoise de Bourbon (1669-1672), but she died young.
As they had more children, a house in Paris was bought on the Rue Vaugirard. Here, their children were raised by their nanny, Madame Scarron. Madame Scarron later became Madame de Maintenon, who secretly married King Louis.
In 1673, because Athénaïs kept asking, King Louis XIV officially recognized their three living children. They were given the royal family name de Bourbon. However, their mother's name was not mentioned in the official papers.
Even though her children with Louis were officially recognized, Louis and Athénaïs often had strong disagreements. But they usually found a way to make up. During her time as the king's companion, Athénaïs also had a big influence on women's fashion at court.
Children with Louis XIV
- Louise Françoise de Bourbon (1669-1672). She died young.
- Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of Maine (born March 31, 1670 – died May 14, 1736). He married Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon and they had children.
- Louis César de Bourbon, Count of Vexin (born June 20, 1672 – died January 10, 1683). He died young and did not marry or have children.
- Louise Françoise de Bourbon (born June 1, 1673 – died June 16, 1743). She married Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon, Prince of Condé and they had children.
- Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon (born November 18, 1674 – died September 15, 1681). She died young.
- Françoise Marie de Bourbon (born May 4, 1677 – died February 1, 1749). She married Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France and they had children.
- Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Count of Toulouse (born June 6, 1678 – died December 1, 1737). He married Marie Victoire de Noailles and they had children.
Later Life
In her final years, Madame de Montespan lived a very quiet and reflective life. Her three youngest children felt true sadness when she passed away. She died on May 27, 1707, at the age of sixty-five. She was at Bourbon-l'Archambault, trying to get better from an illness by taking the waters there. The king did not allow her children to wear special clothes to show they were in mourning for her.
Images for kids
-
Françoise around 1660, when she was called Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente
-
Henrietta Anne of England, for whom Madame de Montespan worked as a lady-in-waiting
-
Madame de Montespan, by Pierre Mignard, around 1670
-
A plan of the Château de Clagny and its gardens
-
A plan of the Trianon de Porcelaine; built for Madame de Montespan by Louis XIV. It was a place where she could relax away from court life.
-
With her children, about 1677
-
Madame de Montespan's two surviving daughters: the blonde Mademoiselle de Blois, with her older brunette sister, the Mademoiselle de Nantes
-
Louise Françoise some time after her marriage to Louis III, Prince of Condé
-
The Count of Toulouse, Madame de Montespan's youngest child
See also
In Spanish: Madame de Montespan para niños
