Agnès Sorel
Encyclopedia
Agnès Sorel known by the sobriquet Dame de beauté, was a favourite mistress of King Charles VII of France
, for whom she bore three daughters.
She was the subject of several contemporary paintings and works of art, including Jean Fouquet
's Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels.
, as a maid of honour to his consort Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine
. As reflected in contemporary art, she was an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, and was also of above-average intelligence. The French king was immediately enamoured of her and she soon became his mistress. The King gave her the Château de Loches
(where he had been persuaded by Joan of Arc
to be crowned King of France) as her private residence.
Soon, her presence was felt at the royal court in Chinon
where her company was alleged to have brought the king out of a protracted depression. She had a very strong influence on the king, and that, in addition to her extravagant tastes, earned her a number of powerful enemies at court.
Agnès gave birth to three daughters fathered by the King: Marie de France
, Charlotte de France, and Jeanne de France. (Charlotte's son, Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet
, in turn married Diane de Poitiers
, herself ultimately a famous royal mistress.) While pregnant with their fourth child, she journeyed from Chinon
in deep midwinter to join Charles on the campaign of 1450 in Jumièges
, wanting to be with him as moral support. There, she suddenly became ill and died at the age of 28. While the cause of death was originally thought to be dysentery
, scientists have now concluded that Agnès died from being poisoned by mercury
, possibly the victim of murder, although mercury was also used to treat worms. She was interred in the Church of St. Ours, in Loches
.
Charles' son, the future King Louis XI
, had been in open revolt against his father for the previous four years. It has been speculated that he had Agnès poisoned in order to remove what he may have considered her undue influence over the king. It was also speculated that French financier, noble and minister Jacques Coeur poisoned her, though that theory is widely discredited as an attempt to remove Coeur from the French court. In 2005 French forensic scientist Philippe Charlier examined her remains and determined that the cause of death was mercury poisoning, but offered no opinion about whether she was murdered. Mercury was sometimes used in cosmetic preparations and this could therefore have been the reason for her death.
Her cousin Antoinette de Maignelais
took her place as mistress to the king after her death.
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
, for whom she bore three daughters.
She was the subject of several contemporary paintings and works of art, including Jean Fouquet
Jean Fouquet
Jean Fouquet was a preeminent French painter of the 15th century, a master of both panel painting and manuscript illumination, and the apparent inventor of the portrait miniature. He was the first French artist to travel to Italy and experience at first hand the Italian Early...
's Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels.
Life in the royal court
The daughter of soldier Jean Soreau and Catherine de Maignelais, Sorel was twenty years old when she was first introduced to King Charles. At that time, she was holding a position in the household of Rene I of NaplesRené I of Naples
René of Anjou , also known as René I of Naples and Good King René , was Duke of Anjou, Count of Provence , Count of Piedmont, Duke of Bar , Duke of Lorraine , King of Naples , titular King of Jerusalem...
, as a maid of honour to his consort Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine
Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine
Isabella was suo jure Duchess of Lorraine, from 25 January 1431 to her death in 1453. She was the first wife of Duke Rene of Anjou, King of Naples, and the mother of his children, which included Margaret of Anjou, Queen consort of England as the wife of Henry VI.From 1435 to 1442, Isabella was...
. As reflected in contemporary art, she was an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, and was also of above-average intelligence. The French king was immediately enamoured of her and she soon became his mistress. The King gave her the Château de Loches
Château de Loches
The Château de Loches is a castle located in the département of Indre-et-Loire in the Loire Valley in France; it was constructed in the 9th century...
(where he had been persuaded by Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
to be crowned King of France) as her private residence.
Soon, her presence was felt at the royal court in Chinon
Chinon
Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France well known for Château de Chinon.In the Middle Ages, Chinon developed especially during the reign of Henry II . The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming one of his favorite residences...
where her company was alleged to have brought the king out of a protracted depression. She had a very strong influence on the king, and that, in addition to her extravagant tastes, earned her a number of powerful enemies at court.
Suspicious death
Marie de Valois
Marie Marguerite de Valois was the natural daughter of King Charles VII of France and his mistress Agnès Sorel.She had two sisters, Charlotte de Valois and Jeanne de Valois ....
, Charlotte de France, and Jeanne de France. (Charlotte's son, Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet
Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet
Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet and comte de Maulevrier was a French nobleman, the grandson of King Charles VII of France by his natural daughter with his mistress Agnès Sorel.- Birthright, marriage, political intrigues :...
, in turn married Diane de Poitiers
Diane de Poitiers
Diane de Poitiers was a French noblewoman and a prominent courtier at the courts of kings Francis I and his son, Henry II of France. She became notorious as the latter's favourite mistress...
, herself ultimately a famous royal mistress.) While pregnant with their fourth child, she journeyed from Chinon
Chinon
Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France well known for Château de Chinon.In the Middle Ages, Chinon developed especially during the reign of Henry II . The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming one of his favorite residences...
in deep midwinter to join Charles on the campaign of 1450 in Jumièges
Jumièges
Jumièges is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A forestry and farming village situated in a meander of the river Seine, some west of Rouen, at the junction of the D65 and the D143 roads...
, wanting to be with him as moral support. There, she suddenly became ill and died at the age of 28. While the cause of death was originally thought to be dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
, scientists have now concluded that Agnès died from being poisoned by mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, possibly the victim of murder, although mercury was also used to treat worms. She was interred in the Church of St. Ours, in Loches
Loches
Loches is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is situated southeast of Tours by railway, on the left bank of the Indre River.-History:...
.
Charles' son, the future King Louis XI
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
, had been in open revolt against his father for the previous four years. It has been speculated that he had Agnès poisoned in order to remove what he may have considered her undue influence over the king. It was also speculated that French financier, noble and minister Jacques Coeur poisoned her, though that theory is widely discredited as an attempt to remove Coeur from the French court. In 2005 French forensic scientist Philippe Charlier examined her remains and determined that the cause of death was mercury poisoning, but offered no opinion about whether she was murdered. Mercury was sometimes used in cosmetic preparations and this could therefore have been the reason for her death.
Her cousin Antoinette de Maignelais
Antoinette de Maignelais
Antoinette de Maignelais was the chief mistress of Charles VII of France from 1450 until his death. The Baroness of Villequier by marriage, she replaced her cousin Agnès Sorel as the king's favourite mistress after Sorel's sudden death in 1450...
took her place as mistress to the king after her death.
Agnès Sorel in the Arts
- Agnès Sorel plays a main part in VoltaireVoltaireFrançois-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
's epic La PucelleThe Maid of Orleans (poem)The Maiden of Orleans is a satirical poem by François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name, Voltaire. It was first properly published in 1899, but Voltaire had written it over a century beforehand; while he had started writing the text in 1730, he never fully completed it. It was translated...
. - Two Russian operas from the late 19th century portray Agnès Sorel (and Charles VII) among the dramatis personae. These are Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans and César CuiCésar CuiCésar Antonovich Cui was a Russian of French and Lithuanian descent. His profession was as an army officer and a teacher of fortifications; his avocational life has particular significance in the history of music, in that he was a composer and music critic; in this sideline he is known as a...
's The SaracenThe Saracen (opera)The Saracen , is an opera by César Cui composed during 1896-1898. The libretto was written by Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov and the composer, based on a play by Alexandre Dumas entitled Charles VII chez ses grands vassaux...
.
Publications
- Duquesne, Vie et Aventures galantes de la belle Sorel, (Paris, 1909)
- Autheman, Marc, Agnès Sorel: l'inspiratrice,(2008), ISBN 978-2-84114-952-0