Françoise-Marie de Bourbon
Encyclopedia
Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Légitimée de France (4 May 1677 – 1 February 1749) was the youngest legitimised daughter (fille légitimée de France) of Louis XIV of France
and his maîtresse-en-titre, Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
. Originally known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois, that style eventually gave way to the name Françoise Marie de Blois. She married her first cousin Philippe d'Orléans
in 1692 at the age of fourteen and bore eight children, four of which would have further progeny.
Proud, lazy and attractive, she successfully intrigued to have her daughters marry well to the Prince of Conti, Duke of Berry, Duke of Modena and King of Spain, mostly to spite her sister Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the Duchess of Bourbon. However, she wielded little political influence considering her proximity to the political circle of the era. She was involved in the Cellamare Conspiracy
in 1718 which was supposed to overthrow her own husband Philippe d'Orléans
as Regent of the Kingdom
and replace him with her favourite brother the Duke of Maine
. The marquis d'Argenson said she was very like her mother, Madame de Montespan, but also had Louis XIV's orderly mind with his failings of injustice and harshness.
Among her male line
descendents are Philippe Egalité
, Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, and Prince Henri, Count of Paris, the present Orléanist
pretender to the French throne. She is also an ancestor of Juan Carlos I of Spain
, Albert II, King of the Belgians
, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
and Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
, the pretender to the Italian throne.
, owned since 1674 by Madame de Maintenon
, the governess of Madame de Montespan
's illegitimate children by Louis XIV.
She and her younger brother, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon
were raised by Mmes de Monchevreuil, de Colbert and de Jussac. As a child, she was brought occasionally to Versailles to visit her parents.
Like her older sister, Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes, she inherited her mother's beauty, Madame de Caylus
said Françoise Marie was naturally timid and glorious and was a little beauty with a beautiful face and beautiful hands; completely in proportion. From her mother, she also inherited the esprit (English: wit), of the Mortemart
. She was also very proud of her royal ancestry and of the royal blood of the House of Bourbon
she inherited from her father. Later on in her life, people would often joke that she would "remember she was a daughter of France
, even while on her chaise percée
by Louis XIV and given the courtesy title
of Mademoiselle de Blois, a title held previously by her older half-sister, Marie Anne de Bourbon
, legitimised daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de La Vallière
. The name of her mother was not mentioned in the act of legitimisation because Madame de Montespan was legally married to the Marquis de Montespan who could claim paternity of the children his wife had had with Louis XIV. By the time of her birth, her parents' relationship was coming to an end because of Madame de Montespan possible involvement in the Affair of the Poisons.
Her oldest siblings Louis Auguste and Louise Françoise had been legitimised on 19 December 1673 and recognised by letters patent from the Parlement de Paris
.
Françoise Marie's younger brother, Louis Alexandre
, was legitimised at the same time and given the title of comte de Toulouse
. She remained close to him all her life, as well as to their older brother, Louis- uguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
. She was never to grow close to her sister Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes or her half brother, Louis, Dauphin of France. Her mother-in-law often complained of Françoise Marie's "deceitfulness" in her letters to her aunt Sophia of Hanover
.
Although the king's trust in Madame de Montespan quickly diminished after the Affaire des Poisons
, he continued to shower her with gifts, and also secured for their youngest daughter, Françoise Marie, an advantageous and profitable marriage.
, the only son of Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans
.
This came as a shock to Philippe Charles's mother, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
, whose prejudice against her brother-in-law's bastards was well known. Upon learning of her son's having agreed to the marriage plans, she slapped him in front of the court, then turned her back on the king who was bent in a salutation to her.
On the occasion of the marriage between their respective children, Louis XIV gave to Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and his wife, Elizabeth Charlotte, the Palais-Royal where the Orléans had been residing, but which they did not own. Formerly known as the Palais Cardinal, the palace was owned by the Crown, having been bequeathed to it by its builder, Cardinal Richelieu, upon his death in 1642. Louis XIV also promised an important military post to the Duke of Chartres and gave 100,000 livres
to the Duke of Orléans' favourite, the Chevalier de Lorraine
.
Upon being informed of the identity of her future husband, Françoise Marie remarked,
Françoise Marie and Philippe d'Orléans were married on 18 February 1692 in the chapel of the Palace of Versailles
. The service was conducted by the Cardinal de Bouillon
– a member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne. In 1685, the Cardinal de Bouillon
had refused to take part in the marriage of the Duke of Bourbon and Françoise Marie's sister, Mademoiselle de Nantes, and, as a result, had been sent into exile, but he was recalled for the wedding of Françoise Marie and the Duke of Chartres. After the ceremony, a banquet was given in the Hall of Mirrors with all the Princes and Princesses of the Blood in attendance. Guests included the exiled king of England
and his wife
. At the newlyweds' bedding ceremony later that evening, the exiled Queen of England had the honour of giving the new Duchess of Chartres her night shirt. Madame de Montespan, had not been invited to the wedding of her daughter.
The union was one of discord. Not long after their marriage, Philippe openly ridiculed his wife's bad temper by nicknaming her Madame Lucifer. Her mother-in-law said that during the early years of the Chartres marriage, Françoise Marie was as "drunk as drunk" three to four times a week.
From her father, Françoise Marie received a dowry of over two million livres, twice as much as her older sister, Louise Françoise, had earlier received on her marriage to the Duke of Bourbon
. This difference led to a great deal of animosity between the sisters. The dowry was not to be paid till the Nine Years' War was over. In protest at the size of the dowry, Louise Françoise did not even appear at her sister's engagement party on 17 February, the day before the wedding.
As her new husband was a legitimate grandson of King Louis XIII of France
, Françoise Marie assumed the rank of petite-fille de France
(Grand-Daughter of France), and was addressed by the style of Her Royal Highness
. Furthermore, the newlyweds traveled and lodged wherever the king did, dined with him, and were entitled to an armchair in his presence. As the new duchesse de Chartres, Françoise Marie was next in precedence behind only the Duchess of Burgundy, and her own mother-in-law, the Duchess of Orléans.
Out of all her siblings, Françoise Marie made the most prestigious marriage after that of her half-brother, the Dauphin of France, who married his cousin Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria in 1680.
Around 1710, an account of her was written by her husband's friend, the Duke of Saint-Simon
:
Her mother-in-law wrote the following in her memoirs:
,_as_galatea_triumphant.jpg)
The union, even if mismatched, produced eight children, several of whom later married into other European royal families during the Regency of her husband for the young king Louis XV of France
. As the children of a legitimate petit-fils de France, her children were addressed with the style of Serene Highness
. Françoise Marie was so annoyed at her children not being recognised as grandchildren of a king that Saint-Simon wrote:
Françoise Marie even appealed to her father, the King, on the matter but he refused to help her because he was worried about creating future distinctions in a court etiquette that was already too elaborate and stringent.
The new Duke and Duchess of Orléans lived a lavish lifestyle at the Palais-Royal in Paris and the Château de Saint-Cloud
, located some ten kilometers west of Paris. The private apartments of the duke and duchess at the Palais-Royal were designed and decorated by the renowned Jean Bérain
.
While her husband led the debauched life of a womaniser, Françoise Marie lived a quiet life without scandal, unlike her sisters, the Princess of Conti
and the Duchess of Bourbon, and their older brother, the Duke of Maine
. Though witty and charming, she preferred the company of a cousin, the Duchess of Sforza
. Her intimate circle included other cousins. Her lady-in-waiting
was the Countess of Castries born Marie Élisabeth de Rochechouart, who was the daughter of her mother's brother, the Duke of Vivonne
(1636–1688). Her chevalier d'honneur was the Count of Castries. She was also close to another cousin Diane Gabrielle Damas de Thianges, daughter of the great beauty Gabrièlle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
(Françoise Marie's aunt) and wife of Philippe Jules Mancini.
At Versailles in 1703, Françoise Marie would give birth to a son who would continue the Orléans line. Once informed of the child's birth, Louis XIV gave him the name Louis (presumably after himself) and bestowed upon him the pension normally accorded to the Premier Prince du Sang
. Louis and Françoise Marie would always be close to each other. Madame
complained that her grandson was much more like his mother than his father.
Two days after her birthday in 1707, Françoise Marie lost her mother who had been in severe penance since she had officially left court in 1691. Her father had forbidden his legitimised children to wear mourning clothes for their mother; but, in order to honor their mother anyway, the Duchess of Orléans, the Duchess of Bourbon and the Count of Toulouse refused to go to any court gatherings. Their eldest brother, the Duke of Maine, on the other hand was hardly able to conceal his joy at his mother's death. He was her sole heir and inherited her vast private fortune, as well as the Château de Clagny
, the birth place of the Count of Toulouse in 1678.
Upon the death of the Prince of Condé in 1709, the rank of Premier Prince du Sang
was officially transferred from the House of Condé to the House of Orléans
. As a result, her husband, the Duke of Orléans, became entitled to use the style of Monsieur le Prince
. She accordingly was entitled to use the style Madame la Princesse
. Neither however ever used those styles.
This transfer in rank from the House of Condé to the House of Orléans greatly aggravated the rivalry between Françoise Marie and her older sister, Louise Françoise, who was now the Princess of Condé
, and who would use the style of Madame la Duchesse until her death in 1743. and would still be known as the Duchess of Bourbon.
In competition with her older sister for wealth and status, Françoise Marie also wanted her children to make better marriages. By 1710, Louis XIV's youngest legitimate grandson, the Duke of Berry, was still unmarried. It was suggested that he marry Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, the daughter of Louise Françoise, Duchess of Bourbon. Françoise Marie set about to prevent this marriage and establish a closer relationship between herself and the throne. On 6 July 1710, she secured the marriage of her eldest daughter, Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans
, to the Duke of Berry, much to the annoyance of the Duchess of Bourbon. This marriage arrangement caused further friction between the two sisters as it elevated Marie Louise Élisabeth to the rank of petite-fille de France
, a rank none of the Condé children would ever acquire.
On 9 April 1714, Françoise Marie was asked to help baptise her niece Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the only daughter of her older brother, the Duke of Maine. Louise Françoise was named in honor of her aunt, Françoise Marie's rival and sister, the Duchess of Bourbon, and was known as court as Mademoiselle du Maine. Françoise Marie was helped by the little Dauphin, the future King Louis XV.
On the death of his great-grandfather Louis XIV, in 1715, the five-year old Dauphin became the new king of France as Louis XV
. There was a great deal of tension between Françoise Marie's older brother, the Duke of Maine, and her husband, the Duke of Orléans, over who was to be named Regent during the minority of the new king. The Parlement de Paris ruled in favour of her husband who was named Regent. As the wife of the de facto ruler of France, Françoise Marie became the most important lady of the kingdom. During the Regency
, she reigned supreme at court, and her husband increased her annual allowance to 400,000 livres.
In March 1719, she acquired the Château de Bagnolet
in Bagnolet
, near Paris, and, at her death, the estate passed to her son, Louis d'Orléans, Louis le Pieux. Françoise Marie extended the small château under the direction of Claude Desgots who also worked at the duc du Maine's Château de Sceaux
and who was a nephew of the renowned gardener of Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre
. Between 1665 and 1693, Le Nôtre had redesigned the gardens at Saint-Cloud for the Duke of Orléans.
was discovered, Françoise Marie and her husband set about to find a suitable husband for the girl. Their choice fell upon the future Hereditary Prince of Modena (future Duke of Modena). At the same time, the Cellamare Conspiracy
was uncovered. The Duke and Duchess of Maine, as well as the duc de Richelieu, were arrested for participating in the plot and temporarily imprisoned.
Earlier, Françoise Marie had tried to get either Louise Adélaïde or Charlotte Aglaé to marry the Duke of Maine's son, Louis Auguste, Prince of Dombes, but both refused their cousin.
In 1721, marriage arrangements into the royal family of Spain were also agreed upon for two of her other daughters, Louise Élisabeth, and Philippine Élisabeth. Louise Élisabeth was to marry the Infante Luis Felipe of Spain, the heir to the throne of Spain, while Philippine Élisabeth was to marry Luis Felipe's younger half-brother, the Infante Carlos of Spain
. Both marriages took place but that of Philippine Élisabeth was annulled and she returned to France. She died at the Château de Bagnolet in 1734.
After the death of her husband in December 1723, Françoise Marie retired to Saint-Cloud. In 1724, her son, the new Duke of Orléans, Louis le Pieux, married Margravine Johanna of Baden-Baden, daughter of one of his father's former enemies, Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden
. Prior to the marriage, prospective brides had included his first cousin, Élisabeth Alexandrine de Bourbon, and two Russian grand duchesses, the Grand Duchess Anna and her sister, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, both daughters of the tsar of Russia, Peter the Great
. Françoise Marie's son was turned down by the Russian court over forms of address. Not being a fils or petit-fils de France
, Françoise Marie's son possessed only the style of Serene Highness
whereas each Russian Grand Duchess possessed the higher style of Imperial Highness
.
In 1725, Françoise Marie saw the marriage of her cousin, the young King Louis XV
, to the Polish princess Marie Leszczyńska. As the dowager Duchess of Orléans, she remained one of the most important ladies at court. However, her position became greatly diminished over time with the birth of a succession of daughters to the royal couple. As it turned out, the second of the king's eight daughters, Madame Henriette, fell in love with Françoise Marie's grandson, Louis Philippe d'Orléans
. Louis XV would not, however, allow the marriage because he did not want the House of Orléans to come too close to the throne of France.
Afterwards, it fell upon the dowager duchess to help find her unwed grandson a suitable bride. At the direction of her son, Françoise Marie negotiated with her niece, Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, for her grandson to marry Louise Élisabeth's attractive daughter, Louise Henriette de Bourbon. This marriage united a grandchild of Françoise Marie with a grandchild of her sister and enemy, the Duchess of Bourbon.
Françoise Marie lived to see, in 1747, the birth of their son, the future Philippe Égalité
.
The next of her daughters to marry was the youngest. Louise Diane, the favourite of Madame
, was engaged to the young Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti whom she married at Versailles. Louise died in childbirth at the Château d'Issy
. Louise Diane's only surviving child was the last Prince of Conti, who would later marry Princess Maria Fortunata of Modena
. Maria Fortunata was one of the daughters of the wayward Charlotte Aglaé.
Charlotte Aglaé was Françoise Marie's most difficult daughter. She returned from Modena in a self-imposed exile many a time and Françoise Marie and her son Louis chose to ignore her when she did. She returned to Modena in 1737 when she became the Sovereign Duchess Consort.
In 1739, Françoise Marie's elder half-sister, the Dowager Princess of Conti
died at the age of seventy-two. Three years later, her fourth surviving daughter, Louise Élisabeth, died at the Palais du Luxembourg
in Paris. Louise Élisabeth's funeral took place in the church of Saint Sulpice. Ironically, the funeral occurred in the same church in which Françoise Marie's mother and her legal husband, the Marquis de Montespan
, had been married years before in 1663. The church's bishop was Louis Charles de Saint-Albin, an illegitimate child of Françoise Marie's deceased husband.
Her second surviving daughter Louise Adélaïde
died of Smallpox
in Paris in February 1743 after having been Abbess of Chelles for 15 years; four months later in June Françoise Marie's sister and rival, the dowager Duchess of Bourbon, died at the Palais Bourbon
.
In December 1744 at the Palace of Versailles
, her eldest surviving grand daughter Princess Maria Teresa Felicitas of Modena married the wealthiest man in France, the Duke of Penthièvre; Penthièvre was the only legitimate son of Françoise Marie's younger brother, the Count of Toulouse and thus her nephew. Through this union, Françoise Marie became the great-great-grandmother of Louis Philippe I, King of the French
.
Françoise Marie was the great-grandmother of the Prince of Lamballe, future husband of one of Queen Marie Antoinette
's closest friends, Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy
, the infamour princesse de Lamballe.
Françoise Marie died on 1 February 1749 at the Palais Royal after a long illness. She was the last surviving child of Louis XIV. She had outlived her husband by twenty-six years. She was survived by two children, Charlotte Aglaé and Louis, Duke of Orléans. She was buried in the Church of Madeleine de Trainel (Église de la Madeleine de Tresnel) in Paris, an old Benedictine
church on Rue de Charonne in Paris on 6 February. Trainel was near her favourite Bagnolet. Her heart was taken to the Val-de-Grâce
.
|-
! style="background:#ccccff;"|Sibling and Family
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|Full siblings – by Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan
(5 October 1641 – 27 May 1707)
|-
| Louise Françoise de Bourbon || at the end of March 1669 || 23 February 1672 ||
|-
| Louis-Auguste de Bourbon
, duc du Maine || 31 March 1670||14 May 1736|| Legitimised on 20 December 1673. Held numerous offices, of which: Colonel-Général des Suisses et des Grisons
, Governor of Languedoc
, Général des Galères, and Grand-Maître de l'Artillerie
. Was also duc d'Aumale, comte d'Eu and prince de Dombes. Had issue with Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon. Founder of the House of Bourbon-du Maine
.
|-
| Louis-César de Bourbon, comte de Vexin, abbé de Saint-Denis et de Saint-Germain-des-Prés|| 20 June 1672 || 10 January 1683 ||Legitimised on 20 December 1673.
|-
| Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mlle de Nantes, duchesse de Bourbon, princesse de Condé||1 June 1673||16 June 1743||Legitimised on 20 December 1673. Married Louis de Bourbon, duc d'Enghien, (later duc de Bourbon, and then prince de Condé)
. Had issue.
|-
| Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon
, Mlle de Tours ||12 November 1674||15 September 1681 ||Legitimised in January 1676.
|-
| Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Mlle de Blois, duchesse d'Orléans||4 May 1677||1 February 1749||Legitimised in November 1681. Married Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Chartres, (later duc d'Orléans)
, the Regent of France
under Louis XV. Had issue.
|-
| Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon
, comte de Toulouse ||6 June 1678||1 December 1737||Legitimised on 22 November 1681. Held numerous offices, of which: Admiral of France
, Governor of Guyenne
, Governor of Brittany
, and Grand-Veneur de France
. Was also duc de Damville, de Rambouillet et de Penthièvre. Had issue. Founder of the House of Bourbon-Toulouse
.
|-
|colspan=4|Paternal legitimate half-siblings – by Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, Infanta of Spain, Queen of France and of Navarre
(20 September 1638 – 30 July 1683)
|-
| Louis of France, le Grand Dauphin || 1 November 1661 || 14 April 1711||Fils de France
. Dauphin of France (1661–1711). Had issue. Father of Louis, duc de Bourgogne (later Dauphin of France), Philippe, duc d'Anjou (later King of Spain)
and Charles, duc de Berry. Grandfather of Louis, duc d'Anjou (later Dauphin, and then King of France)
|-
| Princess Anne Élisabeth of France||18 November 1662||30 December 1662||Fille de France. Died in infancy.
|-
| Princess Marie Anne of France||16 November 1664||26 December 1664 (?)||Fille de France. Died in infancy or became Louise Marie-Therese (The Black Nun of Moret)
.
|-
| Princess Marie Thérèse of France
, Madame Royale||2 January 1667||1 March 1672||Fille de France. Known as Madame Royale
and la Petite Madame
|-
| Philippe Charles of France duc d'Anjou||5 August 1668||10 July 1671||Fils de France
.
|-
|Louis François of France
, duc d'Anjou||14 June 1672||4 November 1672||Fils de France
. Died in infancy.
|-
|colspan=4| Paternal illegitimate half-siblings – by Louise-Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc, duchesse de La Vallière et de Vaujours
(6 August 1644 – 6 June 1710)
|-
|Charles de Bourbon||19 December 1663||15 July 1665||Not legitimised.
|-
|Philippe de Bourbon||7 January 1665||1666||Not legitimised.
|-
|Marie Anne de Bourbon
, Mlle de Blois, duchesse de La Vallière, princesse de Conti || 2 October 1666|| 3 May 1739||Legitimised on 14 May 1667. Married Louis Armand de Bourbon
, prince de Conti.
|-
| Louis de Bourbon, comte de Vermandois||3 October 1667||18 November 1683||Legitimised on 20 February 1669. Held the office of Admiral of France
.
|-
|colspan=4|Paternal illegitimate half-siblings – by Claude de Vin, Mademoiselle des Oeillets (c. 1637 – 18 May 1687)
|-
|Louise de Maisonblanche
||1676||12 September 1718||In 1696 she married Bernard de Prez, Baron de La Queue. http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=fr;i=50945
|-
|colspan=4|by Marie Angelique de Scorailles
, Duchess de Fontanges (1661 – 28 June 1681)
|-
|son||1681||1681||
|-
|colspan=4|Maternal legitimate half-siblings – by Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin
, Marquis of Montespan (1640 – 1 December 1691)
|-
| Marie-Christine de Pardaillan de Gondrin || 1663 ||1675 || died in childhood.
|-
| Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin
, marquis d'Antin, Gondrin and Montespan later duc d'Antin ||Paris, 5 September 1665 || Paris, 2 November 1736 || married Julie Françoise de Crussol d'Uzès and had issue.
|}
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and his maîtresse-en-titre, Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
. Originally known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois, that style eventually gave way to the name Françoise Marie de Blois. She married her first cousin Philippe d'Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
in 1692 at the age of fourteen and bore eight children, four of which would have further progeny.
Proud, lazy and attractive, she successfully intrigued to have her daughters marry well to the Prince of Conti, Duke of Berry, Duke of Modena and King of Spain, mostly to spite her sister Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the Duchess of Bourbon. However, she wielded little political influence considering her proximity to the political circle of the era. She was involved in the Cellamare Conspiracy
Cellamare Conspiracy
The Cellamare Conspiracy of 1718 was a conspiracy against the then Regent of France, Philippe d'Orléans . "Created" in Spain, it was the brainchild of Antonio del Giudice, Prince of Cellamare.-Background and Plot:...
in 1718 which was supposed to overthrow her own husband Philippe d'Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
as Regent of the Kingdom
Régence
The Régence is the period in French history between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV was a minor and the land was governed by a Regent, Philippe d'Orléans, the nephew of Louis XIV of France....
and replace him with her favourite brother the Duke of Maine
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
. The marquis d'Argenson said she was very like her mother, Madame de Montespan, but also had Louis XIV's orderly mind with his failings of injustice and harshness.
Among her male line
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
descendents are Philippe Egalité
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror...
, Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, and Prince Henri, Count of Paris, the present Orléanist
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
pretender to the French throne. She is also an ancestor of Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
, Albert II, King of the Belgians
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg OIH is the head of state of Luxembourg. He is the eldest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. His maternal grandparents were King Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden...
and Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia...
, the pretender to the Italian throne.
Biography
Françoise Marie was born on 4 May 1677, at the Château de MaintenonChâteau de Maintenon
The Château de Maintenon is a château situated in the Eure-et-Loir region of France. It is best known as being the private residence of the second spouse of Louis XIV, Madame de Maintenon....
, owned since 1674 by Madame de Maintenon
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon
Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon was the second wife of King Louis XIV of France. She was known during her first marriage as Madame Scarron, and subsequently as Madame de Maintenon...
, the governess of Madame de Montespan
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
's illegitimate children by Louis XIV.
She and her younger brother, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon
Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de Toulouse
Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
were raised by Mmes de Monchevreuil, de Colbert and de Jussac. As a child, she was brought occasionally to Versailles to visit her parents.
Like her older sister, Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes, she inherited her mother's beauty, Madame de Caylus
Marquise de Caylus
Marthe-Marguerite Levieux Valois de Villette de Mursay, Marquise de Caylus was a French noblewoman and writer.She was born in Poitou and was the daughter of vice-admiral Philippe, Marquis de Villette-Mursay and Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf, who died in 1691.Her father was a cousin of Madame de...
said Françoise Marie was naturally timid and glorious and was a little beauty with a beautiful face and beautiful hands; completely in proportion. From her mother, she also inherited the esprit (English: wit), of the Mortemart
House of Rochechouart
The House of Limoges-Rochechouart is the most ancient noble family in France after the royal family. This powerful dynasty of the Carolingian era dates back to Foucher, supporter of Charles the Bald, who became viscount of Limoges in 876...
. She was also very proud of her royal ancestry and of the royal blood of the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
she inherited from her father. Later on in her life, people would often joke that she would "remember she was a daughter of France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
, even while on her chaise percée
Mademoiselle de Blois
In 22 November 1681, at the age of four and a half, Françoise Marie was legitimisedLegitimation
Legitimation or legitimization is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within in given society...
by Louis XIV and given the courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of Mademoiselle de Blois, a title held previously by her older half-sister, Marie Anne de Bourbon
Marie Anne de Bourbon
Marie Anne de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and Louise de La Vallière. At the age of thirteen, she was married to Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti and as such was the Princess of Conti by marriage...
, legitimised daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de La Vallière
Louise de La Vallière
Louise de La Vallière was a mistress of Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667. She later became the Duchess of La Vallière and Duchess of Vaujours in her own right...
. The name of her mother was not mentioned in the act of legitimisation because Madame de Montespan was legally married to the Marquis de Montespan who could claim paternity of the children his wife had had with Louis XIV. By the time of her birth, her parents' relationship was coming to an end because of Madame de Montespan possible involvement in the Affair of the Poisons.
Her oldest siblings Louis Auguste and Louise Françoise had been legitimised on 19 December 1673 and recognised by letters patent from the Parlement de Paris
Parlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
.
Françoise Marie's younger brother, Louis Alexandre
Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de Toulouse
Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
, was legitimised at the same time and given the title of comte de Toulouse
Counts of Toulouse
The first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
. She remained close to him all her life, as well as to their older brother, Louis- uguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
. She was never to grow close to her sister Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes or her half brother, Louis, Dauphin of France. Her mother-in-law often complained of Françoise Marie's "deceitfulness" in her letters to her aunt Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of the Palatinate was an heiress to the crowns of England and Ireland and later the crown of Great Britain. She was declared heiress presumptive by the Act of Settlement 1701...
.
Although the king's trust in Madame de Montespan quickly diminished after the Affaire des Poisons
Poison affair
The Affair of the Poisons was a major murder scandal in France which took place in 1677–1682, during the reign of King Louis XIV. During it, a number of prominent members of the aristocracy were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft...
, he continued to shower her with gifts, and also secured for their youngest daughter, Françoise Marie, an advantageous and profitable marriage.
Marriage
The marriage arranged by Louis XIV for Françoise Marie was to her first cousin, Philippe d'Orléans, duc de ChartresPhilippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, the only son of Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
.
This came as a shock to Philippe Charles's mother, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
, whose prejudice against her brother-in-law's bastards was well known. Upon learning of her son's having agreed to the marriage plans, she slapped him in front of the court, then turned her back on the king who was bent in a salutation to her.
On the occasion of the marriage between their respective children, Louis XIV gave to Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and his wife, Elizabeth Charlotte, the Palais-Royal where the Orléans had been residing, but which they did not own. Formerly known as the Palais Cardinal, the palace was owned by the Crown, having been bequeathed to it by its builder, Cardinal Richelieu, upon his death in 1642. Louis XIV also promised an important military post to the Duke of Chartres and gave 100,000 livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
to the Duke of Orléans' favourite, the Chevalier de Lorraine
Chevalier de Lorraine
Philippe of Lorraine, called the Chevalier de Lorraine was a French noble man and member of the House of Guise, cadet of the Ducal house of Lorraine. He was the renowned lover of Philippe de France, Monsieur, brother of Louis XIV.-Biography:Philippe de Lorraine was the second son of the Count and...
.
Upon being informed of the identity of her future husband, Françoise Marie remarked,
Je ne me soucie pas qu'il m'aime, je me soucie qu'il m'épouse.
I don't care if he loves me; just as long as he marries me.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
. The service was conducted by the Cardinal de Bouillon
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
– a member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne. In 1685, the Cardinal de Bouillon
Cardinal de Bouillon
Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French prelate and diplomat, known as the Cardinal de Bouillon.-Biography:...
had refused to take part in the marriage of the Duke of Bourbon and Françoise Marie's sister, Mademoiselle de Nantes, and, as a result, had been sent into exile, but he was recalled for the wedding of Françoise Marie and the Duke of Chartres. After the ceremony, a banquet was given in the Hall of Mirrors with all the Princes and Princesses of the Blood in attendance. Guests included the exiled king of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
and his wife
Mary of Modena
Mary of Modena was Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of King James II and VII. A devout Catholic, Mary became, in 1673, the second wife of James, Duke of York, who later succeeded his older brother Charles II as King James II...
. At the newlyweds' bedding ceremony later that evening, the exiled Queen of England had the honour of giving the new Duchess of Chartres her night shirt. Madame de Montespan, had not been invited to the wedding of her daughter.
The union was one of discord. Not long after their marriage, Philippe openly ridiculed his wife's bad temper by nicknaming her Madame Lucifer. Her mother-in-law said that during the early years of the Chartres marriage, Françoise Marie was as "drunk as drunk" three to four times a week.
From her father, Françoise Marie received a dowry of over two million livres, twice as much as her older sister, Louise Françoise, had earlier received on her marriage to the Duke of Bourbon
Louis III, Prince of Condé
Louis de Bourbon, , was Prince of Condé for less than a year, following the death of his father Henry III, Prince of Condé in 1709...
. This difference led to a great deal of animosity between the sisters. The dowry was not to be paid till the Nine Years' War was over. In protest at the size of the dowry, Louise Françoise did not even appear at her sister's engagement party on 17 February, the day before the wedding.
As her new husband was a legitimate grandson of King Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
, Françoise Marie assumed the rank of petite-fille de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
(Grand-Daughter of France), and was addressed by the style of Her Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
. Furthermore, the newlyweds traveled and lodged wherever the king did, dined with him, and were entitled to an armchair in his presence. As the new duchesse de Chartres, Françoise Marie was next in precedence behind only the Duchess of Burgundy, and her own mother-in-law, the Duchess of Orléans.
Out of all her siblings, Françoise Marie made the most prestigious marriage after that of her half-brother, the Dauphin of France, who married his cousin Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria in 1680.
Around 1710, an account of her was written by her husband's friend, the Duke of Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy commonly known as Saint-Simon was a French soldier, diplomatist and writer of memoirs, was born in Paris...
:
in every way majestic ; her complexion, her throat, her arms, were admirable; she had a tolerable mouth, with beautiful teeth, somewhat long; and cheeks too broad and too pendant, which interfered with, but did not spoil her beauty. What disfigured her the most were her eyebrows, which were, so to speak, peeled and red, with very little hair ; she had, however, fine eyelashes, with well-set, chestnut-coloured hair. Without being humpbacked or deformed, she had one side larger than the other, which caused her to walk awry; and this defect in her figure indicated another, which was more troublesome in society and which inconvenienced herself.
Her mother-in-law wrote the following in her memoirs:
all the femmes de chambre have made her believe that she did my son honour in marrying him; and she is so vain of her own birth and that of her brothers and sisters that she will not hear a word said against them; she will not see any difference between legitimate and illegitimate children.
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. As the children of a legitimate petit-fils de France, her children were addressed with the style of Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
. Françoise Marie was so annoyed at her children not being recognised as grandchildren of a king that Saint-Simon wrote:
The duchesse d'Orléans had a head filled with fantasies that she could not realise...Not content with the modern rank of Grand-daughter of France, which she enjoyed through her husband, she could not bear the idea that her children were only Princes of the Blood and dreamed up a rank for them that was betwixt and between; they were known as Great-Grandchildren of France...
Françoise Marie even appealed to her father, the King, on the matter but he refused to help her because he was worried about creating future distinctions in a court etiquette that was already too elaborate and stringent.
Duchess of Orléans
In 1701, upon the death of his father, her husband, became Duke of Orléans, head of the House of Orléans and inherited the titles and estates of his father. The new Duchess of Orléans received precedence over her mother-in-law and became the second most highly ranked lady in the kingdom, yielding only to the Dauphine, the Duchess of Burgundy. Her father-in-law had died at Saint-Cloud after an argument with Louis XIV at Marly concerning the Duke of Chartres' blatant flaunting his pregnant mistress, Marie-Louise de Séry, in front of Françoise Marie. Her father-in-law (and uncle) was not fond of Françoise Marie.The new Duke and Duchess of Orléans lived a lavish lifestyle at the Palais-Royal in Paris and the Château de Saint-Cloud
Château de Saint-Cloud
The Château de Saint-Cloud was a Palace in France, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Seine at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, about 10 kilometres west of Paris. Today it is a large park on the outskirts of the capital and is owned by the state, but the area as a whole has had a large...
, located some ten kilometers west of Paris. The private apartments of the duke and duchess at the Palais-Royal were designed and decorated by the renowned Jean Bérain
Jean Bérain the Elder
Jean Berain the Elder was a draughtsman and designer, painter and engraver of ornament, the artistic force in the Royal office of the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi where all the designs originated for court spectacle, from fêtes to funerals, and many designs for furnishings not covered by the Bâtiments du...
.
While her husband led the debauched life of a womaniser, Françoise Marie lived a quiet life without scandal, unlike her sisters, the Princess of Conti
Marie Anne de Bourbon
Marie Anne de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and Louise de La Vallière. At the age of thirteen, she was married to Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti and as such was the Princess of Conti by marriage...
and the Duchess of Bourbon, and their older brother, the Duke of Maine
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
. Though witty and charming, she preferred the company of a cousin, the Duchess of Sforza
House of Sforza
Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan.-History:The dynasty was founded by Muzio Attendolo , called Sforza , a condottiero from Romagna serving the Angevin kings of Naples...
. Her intimate circle included other cousins. Her lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
was the Countess of Castries born Marie Élisabeth de Rochechouart, who was the daughter of her mother's brother, the Duke of Vivonne
Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke of Mortemart was a French nobleman and member of the ancient House of Rochechouart. His father Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart was a childhood friend of Louis XIII...
(1636–1688). Her chevalier d'honneur was the Count of Castries. She was also close to another cousin Diane Gabrielle Damas de Thianges, daughter of the great beauty Gabrièlle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marchioness of Thianges was a French noblewoman. A great beauty and wit, she was the older sister of Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Madame de Montespan.-Biography:...
(Françoise Marie's aunt) and wife of Philippe Jules Mancini.
At Versailles in 1703, Françoise Marie would give birth to a son who would continue the Orléans line. Once informed of the child's birth, Louis XIV gave him the name Louis (presumably after himself) and bestowed upon him the pension normally accorded to the Premier Prince du Sang
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
. Louis and Françoise Marie would always be close to each other. Madame
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
complained that her grandson was much more like his mother than his father.
Two days after her birthday in 1707, Françoise Marie lost her mother who had been in severe penance since she had officially left court in 1691. Her father had forbidden his legitimised children to wear mourning clothes for their mother; but, in order to honor their mother anyway, the Duchess of Orléans, the Duchess of Bourbon and the Count of Toulouse refused to go to any court gatherings. Their eldest brother, the Duke of Maine, on the other hand was hardly able to conceal his joy at his mother's death. He was her sole heir and inherited her vast private fortune, as well as the Château de Clagny
Château de Clagny
The Château de Clagny was a French country house that stood northeast of the Château de Versailles; it was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart for Madame de Montespan between 1674 and 1680...
, the birth place of the Count of Toulouse in 1678.
Upon the death of the Prince of Condé in 1709, the rank of Premier Prince du Sang
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
was officially transferred from the House of Condé to the House of Orléans
House of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
. As a result, her husband, the Duke of Orléans, became entitled to use the style of Monsieur le Prince
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
. She accordingly was entitled to use the style Madame la Princesse
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
. Neither however ever used those styles.
This transfer in rank from the House of Condé to the House of Orléans greatly aggravated the rivalry between Françoise Marie and her older sister, Louise Françoise, who was now the Princess of Condé
Princess of Condé
- Princess of Condé :-See also:*Duchess of Bourbon*Duchess of Guise*Duchess of Enghien*Duchess of Montmorency...
, and who would use the style of Madame la Duchesse until her death in 1743. and would still be known as the Duchess of Bourbon.
In competition with her older sister for wealth and status, Françoise Marie also wanted her children to make better marriages. By 1710, Louis XIV's youngest legitimate grandson, the Duke of Berry, was still unmarried. It was suggested that he marry Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, the daughter of Louise Françoise, Duchess of Bourbon. Françoise Marie set about to prevent this marriage and establish a closer relationship between herself and the throne. On 6 July 1710, she secured the marriage of her eldest daughter, Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans
Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orléans
Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
, to the Duke of Berry, much to the annoyance of the Duchess of Bourbon. This marriage arrangement caused further friction between the two sisters as it elevated Marie Louise Élisabeth to the rank of petite-fille de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
, a rank none of the Condé children would ever acquire.
On 9 April 1714, Françoise Marie was asked to help baptise her niece Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the only daughter of her older brother, the Duke of Maine. Louise Françoise was named in honor of her aunt, Françoise Marie's rival and sister, the Duchess of Bourbon, and was known as court as Mademoiselle du Maine. Françoise Marie was helped by the little Dauphin, the future King Louis XV.
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. There was a great deal of tension between Françoise Marie's older brother, the Duke of Maine, and her husband, the Duke of Orléans, over who was to be named Regent during the minority of the new king. The Parlement de Paris ruled in favour of her husband who was named Regent. As the wife of the de facto ruler of France, Françoise Marie became the most important lady of the kingdom. During the Regency
Régence
The Régence is the period in French history between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV was a minor and the land was governed by a Regent, Philippe d'Orléans, the nephew of Louis XIV of France....
, she reigned supreme at court, and her husband increased her annual allowance to 400,000 livres.
In March 1719, she acquired the Château de Bagnolet
Château de Bagnolet, Paris
The Château de Bagnolet was a small château situated in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet, France, 5.2 km from the center of the city. The property was part of the biens de la maison d'Orléans, private property of the House of Orléans from 1719 till 1769....
in Bagnolet
Bagnolet
Bagnolet is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Its inhabitants are called Bagnoletais.-History:...
, near Paris, and, at her death, the estate passed to her son, Louis d'Orléans, Louis le Pieux. Françoise Marie extended the small château under the direction of Claude Desgots who also worked at the duc du Maine's Château de Sceaux
Château de Sceaux
The Château de Sceaux is a grand country house in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, not far from Paris, France. Located in a park laid out by André Le Nôtre, it houses the Musée de l’Île-de-France, a museum of local history. The former château was built for Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's minister of...
and who was a nephew of the renowned gardener of Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre
André Le Nôtre
André Le Nôtre was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France...
. Between 1665 and 1693, Le Nôtre had redesigned the gardens at Saint-Cloud for the Duke of Orléans.
Family life
Her many daughters were well-known for their promiscuous behaviour. After the liaison of her favourite daughter, Charlotte Aglaé, with the libertine duc de RichelieuLouis François Armand du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
Armand de Vignerot du Plessis was a French soldier, diplomat and statesman. Joining the army, he participated in three major wars and eventually rose to the rank of Marshal of France....
was discovered, Françoise Marie and her husband set about to find a suitable husband for the girl. Their choice fell upon the future Hereditary Prince of Modena (future Duke of Modena). At the same time, the Cellamare Conspiracy
Cellamare Conspiracy
The Cellamare Conspiracy of 1718 was a conspiracy against the then Regent of France, Philippe d'Orléans . "Created" in Spain, it was the brainchild of Antonio del Giudice, Prince of Cellamare.-Background and Plot:...
was uncovered. The Duke and Duchess of Maine, as well as the duc de Richelieu, were arrested for participating in the plot and temporarily imprisoned.
Earlier, Françoise Marie had tried to get either Louise Adélaïde or Charlotte Aglaé to marry the Duke of Maine's son, Louis Auguste, Prince of Dombes, but both refused their cousin.
In 1721, marriage arrangements into the royal family of Spain were also agreed upon for two of her other daughters, Louise Élisabeth, and Philippine Élisabeth. Louise Élisabeth was to marry the Infante Luis Felipe of Spain, the heir to the throne of Spain, while Philippine Élisabeth was to marry Luis Felipe's younger half-brother, the Infante Carlos of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
. Both marriages took place but that of Philippine Élisabeth was annulled and she returned to France. She died at the Château de Bagnolet in 1734.
After the death of her husband in December 1723, Françoise Marie retired to Saint-Cloud. In 1724, her son, the new Duke of Orléans, Louis le Pieux, married Margravine Johanna of Baden-Baden, daughter of one of his father's former enemies, Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden
Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden
Louis William, Margrave of Baden was the ruler of Baden in Germany and chief commander of the Imperial army. He was also known as Türkenlouis...
. Prior to the marriage, prospective brides had included his first cousin, Élisabeth Alexandrine de Bourbon, and two Russian grand duchesses, the Grand Duchess Anna and her sister, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, both daughters of the tsar of Russia, Peter the Great
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. Françoise Marie's son was turned down by the Russian court over forms of address. Not being a fils or petit-fils de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
, Françoise Marie's son possessed only the style of Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
whereas each Russian Grand Duchess possessed the higher style of Imperial Highness
Imperial Highness
His/Her Imperial Highness is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial - as opposed to royal - status to show that the holder in question is descended from an Emperor rather than a King .Today the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial Family of...
.
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, to the Polish princess Marie Leszczyńska. As the dowager Duchess of Orléans, she remained one of the most important ladies at court. However, her position became greatly diminished over time with the birth of a succession of daughters to the royal couple. As it turned out, the second of the king's eight daughters, Madame Henriette, fell in love with Françoise Marie's grandson, Louis Philippe d'Orléans
Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe d'Orléans known as le Gros , was a French nobleman, a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the dynasty then ruling France. The First Prince of the Blood after 1752, he was the most senior male at the French court after the immediate royal family. He was the father of...
. Louis XV would not, however, allow the marriage because he did not want the House of Orléans to come too close to the throne of France.
Afterwards, it fell upon the dowager duchess to help find her unwed grandson a suitable bride. At the direction of her son, Françoise Marie negotiated with her niece, Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, for her grandson to marry Louise Élisabeth's attractive daughter, Louise Henriette de Bourbon. This marriage united a grandchild of Françoise Marie with a grandchild of her sister and enemy, the Duchess of Bourbon.
Françoise Marie lived to see, in 1747, the birth of their son, the future Philippe Égalité
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror...
.
The next of her daughters to marry was the youngest. Louise Diane, the favourite of Madame
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
, was engaged to the young Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti whom she married at Versailles. Louise died in childbirth at the Château d'Issy
Château d'Issy
The Château d'Issy, at Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of France, was a small French Baroque château on the outskirts of Paris...
. Louise Diane's only surviving child was the last Prince of Conti, who would later marry Princess Maria Fortunata of Modena
Maria Fortunata d'Este
Maria Fortunata d'Este was a Modenese princess by birth and a princess of the blood of France by marriage. By her marriage to a second cousin Louis François Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, she became the Countess of La Marche and later the Princess of Conti and was a member of the French court...
. Maria Fortunata was one of the daughters of the wayward Charlotte Aglaé.
Charlotte Aglaé was Françoise Marie's most difficult daughter. She returned from Modena in a self-imposed exile many a time and Françoise Marie and her son Louis chose to ignore her when she did. She returned to Modena in 1737 when she became the Sovereign Duchess Consort.
In 1739, Françoise Marie's elder half-sister, the Dowager Princess of Conti
Marie Anne de Bourbon
Marie Anne de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and Louise de La Vallière. At the age of thirteen, she was married to Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti and as such was the Princess of Conti by marriage...
died at the age of seventy-two. Three years later, her fourth surviving daughter, Louise Élisabeth, died at the Palais du Luxembourg
Luxembourg Palace
The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden , is the seat of the French Senate.The formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model...
in Paris. Louise Élisabeth's funeral took place in the church of Saint Sulpice. Ironically, the funeral occurred in the same church in which Françoise Marie's mother and her legal husband, the Marquis de Montespan
Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin
Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin , marquis of Montespan, was a French nobleman. He is most notable as the husband of Louis XIV's mistress Madame de Montespan.-Life:...
, had been married years before in 1663. The church's bishop was Louis Charles de Saint-Albin, an illegitimate child of Françoise Marie's deceased husband.
Her second surviving daughter Louise Adélaïde
Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans
Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans was the third daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, a legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. She was Abbess of Chelles.-Biography:Marie Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans was born at the Palace of Versailles on...
died of Smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
in Paris in February 1743 after having been Abbess of Chelles for 15 years; four months later in June Françoise Marie's sister and rival, the dowager Duchess of Bourbon, died at the Palais Bourbon
Palais Bourbon
The Palais Bourbon, , a palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris , is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.-History:...
.
In December 1744 at the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
, her eldest surviving grand daughter Princess Maria Teresa Felicitas of Modena married the wealthiest man in France, the Duke of Penthièvre; Penthièvre was the only legitimate son of Françoise Marie's younger brother, the Count of Toulouse and thus her nephew. Through this union, Françoise Marie became the great-great-grandmother of Louis Philippe I, King of the French
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
.
Françoise Marie was the great-grandmother of the Prince of Lamballe, future husband of one of Queen Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
's closest friends, Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy
Princess Marie Louise of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 16 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette...
, the infamour princesse de Lamballe.
Françoise Marie died on 1 February 1749 at the Palais Royal after a long illness. She was the last surviving child of Louis XIV. She had outlived her husband by twenty-six years. She was survived by two children, Charlotte Aglaé and Louis, Duke of Orléans. She was buried in the Church of Madeleine de Trainel (Église de la Madeleine de Tresnel) in Paris, an old Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
church on Rue de Charonne in Paris on 6 February. Trainel was near her favourite Bagnolet. Her heart was taken to the Val-de-Grâce
Val-de-Grâce
This article describes the hospital and former abbey. For the main article on Mansart and Lemercier's central church, see Church of the Val-de-Grâce....
.
- At present, in the Royal CollectionRoyal CollectionThe Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as historical...
owned by the British Royal FamilyBritish Royal FamilyThe British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, there exists a miniature portrait by the Venetian painter Rosalba CarrieraRosalba CarrieraRosalba Carriera was a Venetian Rococo painter. In her younger years, she specialized in portrait miniatures...
of Françoise Marie. She poses as AmphitriteAmphitriteIn ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon. Under the influence of the Olympian pantheon, she became merely the consort of Poseidon, and was further diminished by poets to a symbolic representation of the sea...
. Carriera also painted Françoise Marie's husband and niece, Mademoiselle de Clermont. The portrait is believed to have been presented to Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
by Françoise Marie's infamous descendant, King Louis Philippe I of the French. See here
Issue
- Mademoiselle de Valois (17 December 1693 – 17 October 1694) died in infancy.
- Marie Louise Élisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Elisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
(20 August 1695 – 21 July 1719) married Charles of France, Duke of Berry and had issue. - Louise Adélaïde d'OrléansLouise Adélaïde d'OrléansLouise Adélaïde d'Orléans was the third daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, a legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. She was Abbess of Chelles.-Biography:Marie Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans was born at the Palace of Versailles on...
(13 August 1698 – 10 February 1743) Abbess of Chelles died unmarried. - Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (20 October 1700 – 19 January 1761) married Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena and had issue.
- Louis d'Orléans (4 August 1703 – 4 February 1752) married Margravine Johanna of Baden-Baden and had issue.
- Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans (11 December 1709 – 16 June 1742) married Louis I of Spain, no issue.
- Philippine Élisabeth d'Orléans (18 December 1714 – 21 May 1734) no issue.
- Louise Diane d'OrléansLouise Diane d'OrléansLouise d'Orléans was the sixth daughter and last child of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and his wife, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the youngest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan...
(27 June 1716 – 26 September 1736) married Louis François de BourbonLouis François I de Bourbon, prince de ContiLouis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti was a French nobleman, who was the Prince of Conti from 1727 to his death, following his father Louis Armand II. His mother was Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, a natural granddaughter of Louis XIV...
and has issue.
Siblings
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100% align="center"|-
! style="background:#ccccff;"|Sibling and Family
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|Full siblings – by Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
Françoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
(5 October 1641 – 27 May 1707)
|-
| Louise Françoise de Bourbon || at the end of March 1669 || 23 February 1672 ||
|-
| Louis-Auguste de Bourbon
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
, duc du Maine || 31 March 1670||14 May 1736|| Legitimised on 20 December 1673. Held numerous offices, of which: Colonel-Général des Suisses et des Grisons
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi was the name of the military, domestic and religious entourage around the royal family in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration; the exact composition and duties of its various divisions changed constantly over the Early Modern period...
, Governor of Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, Général des Galères, and Grand-Maître de l'Artillerie
Grand Master of Artillery
The Grand Master of Artillery or Grand Maître de l'artillerie was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien Régime....
. Was also duc d'Aumale, comte d'Eu and prince de Dombes. Had issue with Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon. Founder of the House of Bourbon-du Maine
Bourbon du Maine
The House of Bourbon-Maine was an illegitimate branch of the House of Bourbon, being thus part of the Capetian dynasty. It was founded in 1672 when Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine was legitimised by his father, King Louis XIV of France....
.
|-
| Louis-César de Bourbon, comte de Vexin, abbé de Saint-Denis et de Saint-Germain-des-Prés|| 20 June 1672 || 10 January 1683 ||Legitimised on 20 December 1673.
|-
| Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mlle de Nantes, duchesse de Bourbon, princesse de Condé||1 June 1673||16 June 1743||Legitimised on 20 December 1673. Married Louis de Bourbon, duc d'Enghien, (later duc de Bourbon, and then prince de Condé)
Louis III, Prince of Condé
Louis de Bourbon, , was Prince of Condé for less than a year, following the death of his father Henry III, Prince of Condé in 1709...
. Had issue.
|-
| Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon
Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon
Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, Légitimée de France, Mademoiselle de Tours was the illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV of France and his most famous Maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
, Mlle de Tours ||12 November 1674||15 September 1681 ||Legitimised in January 1676.
|-
| Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Mlle de Blois, duchesse d'Orléans||4 May 1677||1 February 1749||Legitimised in November 1681. Married Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Chartres, (later duc d'Orléans)
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, the Regent of France
Régence
The Régence is the period in French history between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV was a minor and the land was governed by a Regent, Philippe d'Orléans, the nephew of Louis XIV of France....
under Louis XV. Had issue.
|-
| Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon
Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de Toulouse
Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
, comte de Toulouse ||6 June 1678||1 December 1737||Legitimised on 22 November 1681. Held numerous offices, of which: Admiral of France
Admiral of France
The title Admiral of France is one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, the naval equivalent of Marshal of France.The title was created in 1270 by Louis IX of France, during the Eighth Crusade. At the time it was equivalent to the office of Constable of France. The Admiral was responsible...
, Governor of Guyenne
Guyenne
Guyenne or Guienne , , ; Occitan Guiana ) is a vaguely defined historic region of south-western France. The Province of Guyenne, sometimes called the Province of Guyenne and Gascony, was a large province of pre-revolutionary France....
, Governor of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, and Grand-Veneur de France
Grand Huntsman of France
The Grand Veneur de France or Grand Huntsman of France was a position in the King's Household in France during the Ancien Régime. The word French "veneur" , derives from the Middle French word "vener" , from which also was derived the archaic English words "venerer" and "venery"...
. Was also duc de Damville, de Rambouillet et de Penthièvre. Had issue. Founder of the House of Bourbon-Toulouse
Bourbon-Penthièvre
The House of Bourbon-Penthièvre was an illegitimate branch of the House of Bourbon, thus descending from the Capetian dynasty. It was founded by the duc de Penthièvre , the only child and heir of the comte de Toulouse, the youngest illegitimate son of Louis XIV of France and the marquise de...
.
|-
|colspan=4|Paternal legitimate half-siblings – by Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, Infanta of Spain, Queen of France and of Navarre
Maria Theresa of Spain
Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the...
(20 September 1638 – 30 July 1683)
|-
| Louis of France, le Grand Dauphin || 1 November 1661 || 14 April 1711||Fils de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
. Dauphin of France (1661–1711). Had issue. Father of Louis, duc de Bourgogne (later Dauphin of France), Philippe, duc d'Anjou (later King of Spain)
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
and Charles, duc de Berry. Grandfather of Louis, duc d'Anjou (later Dauphin, and then King of France)
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
|-
| Princess Anne Élisabeth of France||18 November 1662||30 December 1662||Fille de France. Died in infancy.
|-
| Princess Marie Anne of France||16 November 1664||26 December 1664 (?)||Fille de France. Died in infancy or became Louise Marie-Therese (The Black Nun of Moret)
Louise Marie-Therese (The Black Nun of Moret)
Louise Marie-Thérèse also known as The Negroid Nun of Moret was a French nun, the object of a gossip story in the 18th century, where she is pointed out as the daughter of the Queen of France, Maria Theresa of Spain...
.
|-
| Princess Marie Thérèse of France
Princess Marie-Therèse of France
Princess Marie-Thérèse of France was the fourth child and third daughter of Louis XIV of France and his Spanish wife Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. As the king's daughter, she was a Fille de France and was known at court by the traditional honorific of Madame Royale because she was the king's...
, Madame Royale||2 January 1667||1 March 1672||Fille de France. Known as Madame Royale
Madame Royale
Madame Royale was a style customarily used for the eldest living unmarried daughter of a reigning French monarch.It was similar to the style Monsieur, which was typically used by the King's second son...
and la Petite Madame
|-
| Philippe Charles of France duc d'Anjou||5 August 1668||10 July 1671||Fils de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
.
|-
|Louis François of France
Louis François, Duke of Anjou
Louis François of France, fils de France, Duke of Anjou was a Fils de France and Duke of Anjou. He was the youngest son of Louis XIV.-Biography:...
, duc d'Anjou||14 June 1672||4 November 1672||Fils de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
. Died in infancy.
|-
|colspan=4| Paternal illegitimate half-siblings – by Louise-Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc, duchesse de La Vallière et de Vaujours
Louise de La Vallière
Louise de La Vallière was a mistress of Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667. She later became the Duchess of La Vallière and Duchess of Vaujours in her own right...
(6 August 1644 – 6 June 1710)
|-
|Charles de Bourbon||19 December 1663||15 July 1665||Not legitimised.
|-
|Philippe de Bourbon||7 January 1665||1666||Not legitimised.
|-
|Marie Anne de Bourbon
Marie Anne de Bourbon
Marie Anne de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and Louise de La Vallière. At the age of thirteen, she was married to Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti and as such was the Princess of Conti by marriage...
, Mlle de Blois, duchesse de La Vallière, princesse de Conti || 2 October 1666|| 3 May 1739||Legitimised on 14 May 1667. Married Louis Armand de Bourbon
Louis Armand I, Prince of Conti
Louis Armand I de Bourbon was Prince of Conti from 1666 to his death, succeeding his father, Armand de Bourbon. As a member of the reigning House of Bourbon, he was a Prince du Sang....
, prince de Conti.
|-
| Louis de Bourbon, comte de Vermandois||3 October 1667||18 November 1683||Legitimised on 20 February 1669. Held the office of Admiral of France
Admiral of France
The title Admiral of France is one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, the naval equivalent of Marshal of France.The title was created in 1270 by Louis IX of France, during the Eighth Crusade. At the time it was equivalent to the office of Constable of France. The Admiral was responsible...
.
|-
|colspan=4|Paternal illegitimate half-siblings – by Claude de Vin, Mademoiselle des Oeillets (c. 1637 – 18 May 1687)
|-
|Louise de Maisonblanche
Louise de Maisonblanche
Louise de Bourbon de Maisonblanche, Baroness of La Queue was an illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV of France and Claude de Vin des Œillets; Mademoiselle des Œillets was the Lady-in-waiting to Madame de Montespan, Louis' long term mistress.-Biography:Born in Paris in 1676, she was one of many...
||1676||12 September 1718||In 1696 she married Bernard de Prez, Baron de La Queue. http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=fr;i=50945
|-
|colspan=4|by Marie Angelique de Scorailles
Angélique de Fontanges
Marie Angélique de Scorailles was a French noblewoman and one of the many mistresses of Louis XIV. A lady-in-waiting to his sister-in-law the Duchess of Orléans, she caught the attention of the Sun King and became his lover in 1679...
, Duchess de Fontanges (1661 – 28 June 1681)
|-
|son||1681||1681||
|-
|colspan=4|Maternal legitimate half-siblings – by Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin
Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin
Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin , marquis of Montespan, was a French nobleman. He is most notable as the husband of Louis XIV's mistress Madame de Montespan.-Life:...
, Marquis of Montespan (1640 – 1 December 1691)
|-
| Marie-Christine de Pardaillan de Gondrin || 1663 ||1675 || died in childhood.
|-
| Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin
Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin
Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin , marquis of Antin, Gondrin and Montespan , then 1st Duke of Antin was a French nobleman...
, marquis d'Antin, Gondrin and Montespan later duc d'Antin ||Paris, 5 September 1665 || Paris, 2 November 1736 || married Julie Françoise de Crussol d'Uzès and had issue.
|}
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 4 May 1677 – 22 November 1681 Françoise Marie de Bourbon
- 22 November 1681 – 18 February 1692 Her Highness Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Legitimée de France, "Mademoiselle de Blois"
- 18 February 1692 – 9 June 1701 Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Chartres
- 9 June 1701 – 2 December 1723 Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Orléans
- 2 December 1723 – 1 February 1749 Her Royal Highness the Dowager Duchess of Orléans