The Short Political Career of Queen Marie Leszczyńska

Marie Leszczyńska (Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska; Trzebnica, Poland, 23rd June 1703 – Versailles, France, 24th June 1768)

Marie Leszczyńska by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1748

Although we have previously welcomed Marie Leszczyńska to the salon, she was very much there as one of a pair, celebrating her wedding to King Louis XV of France. Today, however, I would like to take the focus away from her nuptials and look instead at her less than successful political career, where she tried to join the movers and shakers of the Bourbon court.

Not long after she became the Queen Consort of France, Marie made her first tentative steps into court politics when she prevailed upon her husband to find a cabinet position for Louis Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon, Prince de Condé and the man who had brokered her marriage to the king. The appointment was not successful and ended with the Duke leaving the court to retire to his country estate.

After that Louis refused to grant his wife any further political influence and eventually she was completely sidelined and devoted her time to pastimes and philanthropy. Removed from political manoeuvring and with her husband seeking companionship elsewhere, Marie was left with no choice but to find other ways to pass her time, which she did happily, spending her 96,000 livres pension at the gambling table and occasionally representing the king at formal ceremonies that he was unable to attend.

Although she would later dip her toe into the waters of court intrigue again when her widowed son needed to find a second wife, the queen was not destined to be a political force. Hugely popular with the people of France she  instead concentrated on other aspects of life, taking rewards from faith and family.

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Madame Etiquette... From Versailles to the Guillotine

Anne d'Arpajon (Anne Claude Louise d'Arpajon; Arpajon, France, 4th March 1729 - Paris, France, 27th June 1794)

The Lady with the Mask by Pierre Louis de Surugue, 1746

Anne was born into privilege as the daughter of Louis de Sévérac, Marquis of Arpajon-sur-Cère and Anne Charlotte Le Bas de Montargis, a lady in waiting to the duchess de Berry. A noble marriage was never in doubt and at the age of 12, Anne married Philippe de Noailles, duc de Mouchy, Captain of the Hunts at Versailles, taking her place in one of the greatest and most noble families in France. The couple had six children, three of whom survived into adulthood.

A lady in waiting to Maria Leszczyńska, in 1770, Anne was charged the same position to the new Dauphine, Marie Antoinette. She was also responsible for making sure that the teenage Dauphine followed to the letter the strict etiquette of court, an element of royal life that Marie Antoinette did not quite care for. 

The two women disliked one another intensely and Marie Antoinette nicknamed her retainer Madame Etiquette, much to Anne's chagrin. In fact, almost as soon as the Dauphine became queen she flexed her administrative muscles and finally dismissed Anne, who went to Bellevue and joined the residents there. The King's aunts, known as the Mesdames Tantes, had little love for the new Queen and Anne found herself more than welcome there.

When the Revolution thundered through Paris, the Duke and Duchess of Mouchy were arrested and imprisoned. The unfortunate couple went to the guillotine on 27th June 1794 and within a month they were followed by three other members of the family, all of whom were buried at Picpus Cemetery.

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The Death of Louis, Dauphin of France

Louis, Dauphin of France (Paris, France, 4th September 1729 – Paris, France, 20th December 1765)

Louis, Dauphin of France  by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1745

We have already been present at the marriage of the parents of Louis, Dauphin of France and have spent time in the company of more than one of their illustrious children so it seemed like an opportune moment to meet the Dauphin himself. A longed-for heir to the throne of France, Louis would not live long enough to take the crown, and today we visit him at the end of his short life.

As the son of Louis XV of France and his wife, Queen Marie Leszczyńska, Louis was always expected to one day become King of France. After years without an heir, the Dauphin's birth was a blessing that the whole of France celebrated with great rejoicing. Fireworks were let off across the country and court breathed a sigh of relief that succession was assured. 

By the age of 16 Louis was already a widower, bereft at the loss of his adored wife, Maria Teresa Rafaela, but the young man's status assured that he would not be single for long. In fact, as soon as the Dauphin married his second wife, Archduchess Maria Josepha of Saxony, in 1747, the couple set about the business of producing heirs of their own. Three of their children would go on to be kings of France, Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X, each with their own dramatic stories to tell.

A devoted husband to both of his wives and interested in culture and religious pursuits, Louis was a hugely popular figure with the public, the court and his own family. However, his life was a short one and at the age of just 36, ill health forced him to take to his bed at Fontainebleau. He would never again emerge and died here in December of consumption, leaving behind the wife who adored him and would never really recover from his loss. Just two years later she too fell victim to tuberculosis and though the Dauphin's body was laid to rest in Sens, his heart was interred with his wife in Saint Denis.

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In Search of a Noble Husband: Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine

Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine (Lunéville, Lorraine, 15th October 1711 – Turin, Italy, 3rd July 1741) 

Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine, 1737

Not so long ago I told the story of a royal marriage that took place between Marie Leszczyńska and Louis XV. The young man was so eligible that a not-so shortlist of almost 100 possible brides was drawn up and our guest today was one of them, as well as the sister of another gentleman who has featured here in the past. A Princess of Lorraine who would become a Queen Consort, it is an honour to welcome Elisabeth Therese to the salon

Princess Elisabeth Therese was one of 11 children born to Leopold Joseph of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans. She was a member of an illustrious line, counting monarchs and emperors among her family. There was never any doubt that the young girl was destined to make a good marriage and when her daughter was 10 years old, Élisabeth Charlotte took two of her daughters to the French court with the aim of matchmaking between these two powerful families. Presenting the bright and charming girls to the court, Élisabeth Charlotte used her considerable powers of persuasion to broker a marriage deal but found her efforts frustrated by advisors of the young king. 

Equestrian portrait of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia by Maria Giovanna Clementi, 1740

Once it became clear that Louis would marry Marie Leszczyńska, Élisabeth Charlotte turned her attention elsewhere and began marriage negotiations with her nephew, Louis d'Orléans, duc d'Orléans. Louis was bereft at the recent death of his beloved wife and flatly refused to even consider remarrying, much to his aunt's annoyance. Despairing that she would ever marry her daughter to an illustrious household, in 1734 Elisabeth Therese was installed at Remiremont Abbey, the convent where her sister would later become abbess.

However, Élisabeth Charlotte finally saw her chance when, in 1736, her brother married into the House of Habsburg. Thrust once more into court life, Elisabeth Therese attracted a proposition from her cousin, Charles Emmanuel III, the twice-widowed King of Sardinia. The acceptance was immediate; a dowry was raised and on 5th March 1737, the couple were married by proxy. The very next day the bride left to meet her new husband, with a lavish marriage ceremony taking place on 1st April. In their short, friendly if not passionate marriage. the couple would have three children, though only one would survive into adulthood.

Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine with her eldest son the Duke of Aosta, 1740

The birth of Elisabeth Therese's last child, Benedetto, Duke of Chablais, proved traumatic for the expectant mother and she fell ill with puerperal fever. She lingered for two weeks before succumbing to the fever, leaving her husband a widow for the third time and her son without a mother. Her short life at an end, Elisabeth Therese was buried in the Cathedral of Saint Giovanni Battista in Turin and remained there for over four decades before her body was moved and reinterred beside her late husband in the Royal Basilica of Superga.

As the only surviving child of the marriage, Benedetto enjoyed a noted career in the military before his own death, when he too was laid to rest with his parents in the Royal Basilica. He never married and left no heir to his title.

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The Marriage of Marie Leszczyńska and Louis XV

A fan depicting the marriage of Marie Leszczyńska and Louis XV on 5th September 1725 

I have always liked a good wedding, especially one that goes on for days and involves a palace! I remember that giddy day when the colonist and I were wed; the gin flowed very free, we rolled out through Covent Garden in the best coach and by the end of the night grandmother Gilflurt was somewhat worse for wear. Indeed, I'd say the house on Henrietta Street was even more tottering after those festivities, and that's quite a fear in itself.

My quill has danced across a fair few life stories of late; some happy, some tragic, all of them eventful. I thought it was time for a small matrimonial interlude, to examine up close just a little of the wheeling and dealing that went into the marriage of Marie Leszczyńska and Louis XV.

Infante Mariana Victoria of Spain by Alexis Simon Belle, 1725

With the end of the War of the Quadruple Alliance in 1710, relations between France and Spain were shaky to say the least. Regarding one another with suspicion, the rulers of the two nations decided that the only way to reconcile was to secure themselves a whole collection of dynastic marriages. Discussions went on for years until, by 1721 it was decided that the 11 year old Louis XV should be officially engaged to the Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, eight years his junior. 

The French ambassador, Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, officially made the proposal on 25th November 1721. With the deal done, Mariana was installed at the Palais du Louvre in the care of Marie Anne de Bourbon, the intention being to raise her as a member of the French court until she reached a suitable age to marry. Mariana was a popular figure amongst the courtiers; bright, charming and too young to be part of the intrigues of court life, the only person who didn't seem enthralled by the little girl was her intended husband.

 Louis XV of France by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1748

For all her popularity, four years after her arrival in France, the young Infanta was to find her position usurped in a fairly dazzling bit of political manoeuvring by the ambitious Prime Minister, Louis Henri, duc de Bourbon. Mindful that an heir was needed sooner rather than later, Bourbon presented Louis with a list of almost 100 possible alternatives. The list included Bourbon's own sisters among others and, crucially, all the prospective brides were already of child-bearing age. Given the enormous offence the broken engagement might cause, the court breathed a sigh of relief at the news of the death of Louis I of Spain, after which the Spanish were keen to send the newly-widowed Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans home to France after her short marriage to the late King. Once more the deal was done; the French widow gladly returned to Paris and the now-unbethrothed Infanta went home to Madrid, eventually becoming the wife of Joseph I of Portugal.

Marie Leszczyńska by Alexis Simon Belle, 1730

As the politicians and court considered and discounted the names on the Prime Minister's list one by one, it eventually became apparent that the safest and most uncontroversial bet might just be 21 year old Marie Leszczyńska, daughter of the deposed king of Poland. With all parties in agreement a marriage by proxy took place on 15th August 1725, with Maria travelling to the ceremony at Château de Fontainebleau immediately after.

Louis XV of France by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1730

Marie and Louis met for the first time on 4th September and were married the following day, both of them apparently enthusiastic participants. Marie proved herself hugely popular with the people of France but the court took against her, laughing at her looks, the reduced circumstances of her father and her apparent inability to produce an heir. However, the couple were happy at first and eventually had 10 children, though this domestic accord was not to last. Following the traumatic birth of her final child, Marie withdrew from her husband; left to his own devices, Louis sought companionship with a series of mistresses.

Marie Leszczyńska by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1748

One of these mistresses, Madame de Pompadour, has achieved lasting fame through history and is today better remembered than the queen herself. However, Marie maintained her dignity and the affection of the people to the end of her life, dedicating herself to her family and acts of charity. She and Louis would never rekindle their initially affectionate marriage, a somewhat sad end to a promising start.

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The Twins of Versailles: Louise Élisabeth and Henriette de France

Louise Élisabeth de France (Marie Louise Élisabeth, also known as Babette, Versailles, France, 14th August 1727 – Versailles, France, 6th December 1759) 

Henriette de France (Anne Henriette, also known as Madame Seconde, Versailles, France, 14th August 1727 – Versailles, France, 10th February 1752) 

Louise Élisabeth and Henriette de France by Pierre Gobert, 1737

From Meiningen to Versailles and a story of royal twin sisters, siblings to our previous leading lady, Louise-Marie de France. 

Louise Élisabeth and Henriette were the eldest daughters of Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska; born and raised at Versailles, the girls remained at the Palace under the tutelage of Marie Isabelle de Rohan, duchesse de Tallard, and developed into charming and intelligent young ladies. 

As was the tradition among the Catholic royal houses of the day, Élisabeth was betrothed to the Infante Philip of Spain, son of King Philip V and Elizabeth of Parma. Believing that the young princess could make a better dynastic match, the French courtiers were not particularly enthused by the engagement but Louis was determined and the deal was struck.

A proxy marriage took place between Élisabeth and Philip on 26th August 1739, the twelve year old bride and nineteen year old groom having yet to meet. Before the month was out the heartbroken girl was dispatched to join her new husband at Alcalá de Henares, leaving her twin sister at home in France. Whilst Élisabeth's future had already been decided, Henriette was deeply in love with her cousin, Louis Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Chartres. The couple approached the King with dreams of marriage but they were rejected by Henriette's father and the young princess remained unmarried. Instead, Henriette threw herself into her passion for music, becoming a talented instrumentalist under the tutelage of noted musicians.

Madame Henriette playing the Viola da Gamba by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1754

Deeply unhappy at being parted from Henriette, Élisabeth's marriage was not a particularly happy one though the couple had three children together. After the bright and informal court of Versailles she found the Spanish court dour and her strict mother in law, Elizabeth of Parma, interfering and imperious. Following the War of Austrian Succession in 1748 Élisabeth and Philip were named as Duke and Duchess of Parma after lobbying by Louis XV. Despite the upheaval, Élisabeth must have been relieved when she was allowed to return to Versailles to thank her father for this new position and she was overjoyed to be reunited with her family in France.

However, things were not as rosy as they had once been at Versailles and the sisters were temporarily divided by the presence of their father's mistress, Madame de Pompadour.  Watching the King lavish attention on his lover at the expense of his wife, Henriette loathed the woman. However, when Élisabeth visited France, she and Mme de Pompadour became good friends. Happily they were reconciled before Élisabeth travelled on to Parma, though Henriette would never warm to the apparent interloper at Versailles.

The Family of Philip of Parma by Giuseppe Baldrighi, 1755

In 1749 Élisabeth  arrived at her new home in Parma and, free of her mother in law's interference, set about stamping her own style on the new court. She brought a touch of Versailles to Parma, redecorating the Ducal Palace of Colorno to reflect a more French aesthetic; gone were the austere traditions of the Spanish court, replaced by the sense of informal fun that she had so enjoyed throughout her childhood.

When Henriette died of smallpox in 1752 a distraught Élisabeth returned to Versailles once more and remained there for the better part of a year. The woman who had once been so terrified to leave her home returned to Parma with a new sense of ambition, this time building a dynasty of her own. Securing good marriages for her three children,  Élisabeth forged a close alliance with Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, who promised her a European throne to call her own.

Portrait of Louise Élisabeth of France by Louis-Michel van Loo

In fact, Élisabeth would never achieve this lofty ambition and, during a visit to Versailles, contracted smallpox. She died in her childhood home on 6th December 1759. She was laid to rest beside her beloved sister at the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the twins reunited at last. 

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The Pious Life of Louise-Marie de France

Louise-Marie de France (Versailles, France, 15th July 1737 – Saint-Denis, Paris, France, 23rd December 1787)

Louise-Marie de France by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1748 

Whether you knew her as Madame Septième, Madame Dernière, or Madame Louise, the tenth child of King Louis XV and Queen Maria Leszczyńska was born into a world of great privilege and it would be one that she ultimately rejected, choosing instead to forge a path of her own making.

Born into the splendour of Versailles, Louise was sent as an infant to be raised at the Abbey of Fontevraud with three of her sisters. The impact of this early decision was to have a profound impact on Louise's life. From birth, a good marriage and respectable society life lay in store for the girl but she wanted to serve only her religion, with all efforts to arrange a marriage ending in failure.

At the age of thirteen Louise returned to Versailles in 1750 and remained there through twenty tumultuous years, witnessing births, scandals and deaths. After two decades at court and with Louis enjoying the company of Jeanne Bécu, Madame du Barry, Louise went to her father and begged leave to return to the convent as a Carmelite nun. Tormented by the king's apparently low morals, she intended to give her life to God by way of an apology for her father's scandalous behaviour. Shortly after the wedding of her nephew, Louis-Auguste, to Archduchess Marie Antoinette, Louise travelled to the convent at Saint-Denis as a novice.

Louise-Marie de France, 1773

Known now as Thérèse of Saint Augustine, Louise was at convent for just over a year before she took her final vows in October 1771. Here she flourished in the life she had chosen, eventually serving as prioress and proving herself to be a gifted negotiator when stating the case of persecuted Austrian Carmelites in France. Louise remained at Saint-Denis until her death and was interred there alongside other members of the royal dynasty.

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