Marguerite Courtin, Madame de Vantelet facts for kids

Marguerite Courtin, also known as Madame de Vantelet, was a French noblewoman who worked for Queen Henrietta Maria of England. She lived until at least 1647. She was very important because she was the only French lady-in-waiting Queen Henrietta Maria was allowed to keep. This happened after most of the Queen's French staff were sent away.

A Trusted Friend to the Queen

Marguerite and her husband, Jacques de Lux, had known Queen Henrietta Maria since they were children. Marguerite's parents were Pierre Courtin and Diane de Mary. Marguerite married Jacques de Lux on June 7, 1617.

The Queen's first Lord Chamberlain, Tanneguy II Le Veneur, said that the plan was to remove all of the Queen's French helpers. But Queen Henrietta Maria refused to eat or drink unless she had at least one French attendant. So, they allowed Madame de Vantelet to stay.

Other stories say that Susan Villiers, Countess of Denbigh helped Madame de Vantelet stay. When King Charles I sent away the Queen's French staff, the Queen asked the Countess of Denbigh for help. The Countess asked her brother, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, who was the King's favorite, to speak to the King. He succeeded, and Madame de Vantelet was allowed to remain.

The fact that Queen Henrietta Maria chose Marguerite, Madame de Vantelet, above all her other French staff shows how important she was to the Queen.

In 1629, the French ambassador Châteauneuf wrote that the Queen enjoyed spending time with her "ladies of the Chamber," especially Mesdames Vantelet and Coignet. He also noted that Madame de Vantelet "sleeps inside the Chamber," likely meaning she slept near Queen Henrietta Maria.

Involvement with French Politics

Because she was so close to the Queen, Madame de Vantelet was approached by different groups in France. These included Marie de Médici, who was Queen Henrietta Maria's mother, and Louis XIII of France. On the other side were King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. Madame de Vantelet even received money from the French King. How much she received changed depending on her relationship with them.

It was Madame de Vantelet who told Marie de Médici that her daughter, the English Queen, was expecting her first baby.

As a "Chamberer," Madame de Vantelet had a lot of power. She could decide who got to see the Queen and who didn't. She helped people communicate with Queen Henrietta Maria. The Queen cared for her so much that Madame de Vantelet kept her job even after 34 letters written by her were found. These letters strongly suggested she was involved in a plot against Cardinal Richelieu. King Charles I, King Louis XIII, and Cardinal Richelieu all wanted her removed, but Queen Henrietta Maria insisted she stay.

Escaping England with the Queen

When Queen Henrietta Maria had to leave England because of the English Civil War, Madame de Vantelet went with her to France. Madame de Vantelet's husband, Seigneur de Vantelet, who was a gentleman usher to the Queen, also joined them. He had been part of her wedding group in 1626, and his family had served the French court for a long time.

During this journey to safety, Madame de Vantelet and the Queen's group were mistaken for pirates by the local people when they arrived in France. Queen Henrietta Maria had landed at L’Aber Ildut, not Brest. She had to convince the locals that her servants were not pirates. Her group included Henry Jermyn, the dwarf Jeffrey Hudson, Susan, the Countess of Denbigh, the Duchess of Richmond, Father Phillip, and Monsieur and Madame Vantelet. They raised a staff with a handkerchief on it to show they were peaceful. Queen Henrietta Maria then explained that she was the Queen of England. She later said she looked more like "a distressed wandering princess from a romance."

Family Connections

In 1647, the marriage of Marguerite's son, Charles de Lux, to Henriette Marie Coignet was a big event. Queen Henrietta Maria and her son Prince Charles, who later became King Charles II, attended the celebration.

The Coignet family, like the Vantelet family, had also served the French court for many years. A Seigneur Coignet, another of Queen Henrietta Maria's gentleman ushers, also went with the Queen on her dangerous trip back to France in 1644. He and his wife had also been part of her wedding group in 1626. James or Jacquet Coignet was from an old family whose service at court went back to the time of Catherine de Médici. He was married to Elizabeth, whose mother, Françoise de Monbodiac, was Queen Henrietta Maria’s nurse when she was young and also followed her to England. Jacques and Elizabeth Coignet were the parents of Henriette Marie Coignet, who was likely named after the Queen.

The younger de Vantelets also worked for the Queen and later for the Dowager Queen, Henrietta Maria.

Henrietta Maria Coignet, Madame de Vantelet, worked for Queen Henrietta Maria until the Dowager Queen died in 1669. After the Queen's death, Henrietta Maria Coignet and her husband received money that the Queen owed them.

Henrietta Maria de Vantelet, who was a dresser for the late Queen Mother, also received a yearly payment. This payment started in 1662 or 1663, while the Queen Dowager was still alive, and it seems it was still being paid as late as 1686.

Kings Charles II and James II, and their mother, did not always agree. But they did agree on valuing their French household staff.

The signatures of both Madame de Vantelets are on the marriage contract from 1647. It was signed on February 20 in Paris, where they celebrated the wedding with the Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the future King Charles II. After "Henriette Marie R" and "Charles P," they signed as "Marguerite Courtin" and "Henriette Marie/Coignet." Another attendant to Henrietta Maria, Madame Elizabeth Coignet, also attended and signed as "Elizabeth Garnier." Her mother, Françoise de Monbodiac, and two of her sisters were also there. Marguerite Courtin, Madame de Vantelet, seemed to be very much in the Queen's inner circle, perhaps even the most important person in that group.

Marguerite Courtin's mother, Diane de Mary, was a governess to the young Princess Henrietta Maria from at least 1612, when the princess was not yet three years old. In her will, Diane de Mary gave the Queen of England a small gold bracelet with diamonds. She asked the Queen to continue showing kindness to her children and grandchildren.

Marguerite had three sisters: Jeanne, Madeleine, and Marie. Marie became a widow in 1649 and started a priory in Paris.

Jacques le Lux, sieur de Vantelet, Marguerite's husband, died before 1647 or 1648. His father, Robert de Lux, was one of King Louis XIII's four main butlers. His mother, Marie de Plaisance, was also a governess to the children of the French royal family.

Marguerite and Jacques de Lux had at least three children:

• Charles de Lux, sieur de Vantelet, who married Henrietta Maria Coignet in 1647 or 1648.
• Jeanne de Lux, who married Jean-Baptiste de Mezières de Lepervanche in 1653. Charles II and the Queen Mother Henrietta Marie of France, and James Duke of York were present at the wedding. Jeanne was also given a pension at the same time as the younger Madame de Vantelet.
• Christina de Vantelet, who married the "Comte de Schelay," Sir William Shelley. He was the son of Sir John Shelley, 1st Baronet. Christina and Sir William were the parents of Sir Charles Shelley, 2nd Baronet. They are ancestors of all the later Shelley baronets. Another descendant, Henrietta Shelley, married George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow, making her an ancestor of the later Earls of Onslow. Both these noble titles still exist today.