Marie, Duchess of Guise
Encyclopedia
Marie de Lorraine was the daughter of Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Guise
and Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse
and the last member of the House of Guise
, a branch of the House of Lorraine.
of the House of Lorraine
). After the death of the last male of the House of Guise in 1675, Marie became duchess of Guise, duchess of Joyeuse, and princess of Joinville and enjoyed the vast revenues from these duchies and principalities. People addressed her formally as "Your Highness"; she herself signed legal documents as "Marie de Lorraine"; and after 1675, as "Marie de Lorraine de Guise," but she ended personal letters with, simply, "Guise."
Exiled to Florence with her family, 1634–43, Marie (whom the French knew as "Mademoiselle de Guise") became close to the Medicis and came to love Italy and especially Italian music. For over forty years scarcely a week passed that she did not write to her Medici friends in Florence, or receive word from them through the Tuscan resident in Paris. Circa 1650 she morganatically married Claude de Bourdeille, count of Montrésor by whom she had several children whose existence was never acknowledged publicly.
Starting in 1670, Marc-Antoine Charpentier
composed for her and sang haute-contre
in her service. She protected her loyal servant by soliciting commissions for him from people or establishments who were seeking her continued patronage. For example, she was probably one of the "enraged virgins" and "heroines" who swooped down on Molière
in late 1672 and forced him to give Charpentier the chance to write the music for Molière's the forthcoming theatrical spectacle, the Malade Imaginaire. For eighteen years her patronage fostered a number of major works, most of them devotional and strongly influenced by Italian music.
Successively guardian of her nephew, Louis Joseph, Duke of Guise
(d. 1671) and of her grand nephew Francis Joseph, Duke of Guise
(d. 1675), as the last member of the senior branch of the House of Guise, she used her vast wealth not only to live splendidly but for projects dear to her heart.
After these two closely spaced deaths, Marie turned to devotion. With the help of Father Nicolas Barré, Minim, she founded a teachers' training institute and created schools for girls and hospitals for the poor in her Parisian parish and in her provincial lands. In her vast Parisian residence known as the "Hôtel de Guise," she presided "magnificently" over a select little "court" composed chiefly of members of the House of Lorraine
, clergy, learned protégés, and Italians passing through Paris. Music (often Italian and Italian-style music) was the principal entertainment at these events.
Although her relations with Louis Joseph's widow, Élisabeth Marguerite d'Orléans, were often frosty, the two women continued to see one another, both in Paris and at the abbey of Saint Pierre de Montmartre
, where Marie's sister Renée was abbess and where Élisabeth's sister, Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
, the erstwhile Grand Duchess of Tuscany, resided after 1675.
In the early 1670s, Marie had begun to assemble a small ensemble of household musicians to perform the pieces being written by her in-house composer, Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Then, in the early 1680s she enlarged the group, until it rivaled both in size and quality of ensembles maintained by "several sovereigns." Over the years Marie made her composer and her musicians available to her nephew's widow Élisabeth, for performances in churches and at the royal court. Both women had private apartments at Montmartre.
In a will intended to disinherit her niece, la Grande Mademoiselle (that is, Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier ) she chose Charles François de Stainville as beneficiary in 1688; but on the urging of her heirs, the will was broken by the Parlement of Paris in 1689...
In 1700, her trustees sold her home in Paris, the Hôtel de Guise, was sold to François, Prince of Soubise
and his wife Anne de Rohan-Chabot
and became the Hôtel de Soubise
.
Charles, Duke of Guise
Charles de Lorraine, 4th Duke of Guise was the son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves.-Biography:...
and Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse
Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse
Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse was the daughter of Henri de Joyeuse and Catherine de Nogaret. She married her first husband, Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, on 15 May 1597 and her second husband, Charles, Duke of Guise, on 6 January 1611.- Marriages and children :From her first marriage to...
and the last member of the House of Guise
House of Guise
The House of Guise was a French ducal family, partly responsible for the French Wars of Religion.The Guises were Catholic, and Henry Guise wanted to end growing Calvinist influence...
, a branch of the House of Lorraine.
Biography
Marie de Lorraine de Guise was a "foreign princess naturalized in France" (that is, the daughter of a foreign princeForeign Prince
Foreign Prince is the English translation of prince étranger, a high, though somewhat ambiguous, rank at the French royal court of the ancien régime.-Terminology:...
of the House of Lorraine
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
). After the death of the last male of the House of Guise in 1675, Marie became duchess of Guise, duchess of Joyeuse, and princess of Joinville and enjoyed the vast revenues from these duchies and principalities. People addressed her formally as "Your Highness"; she herself signed legal documents as "Marie de Lorraine"; and after 1675, as "Marie de Lorraine de Guise," but she ended personal letters with, simply, "Guise."
Exiled to Florence with her family, 1634–43, Marie (whom the French knew as "Mademoiselle de Guise") became close to the Medicis and came to love Italy and especially Italian music. For over forty years scarcely a week passed that she did not write to her Medici friends in Florence, or receive word from them through the Tuscan resident in Paris. Circa 1650 she morganatically married Claude de Bourdeille, count of Montrésor by whom she had several children whose existence was never acknowledged publicly.
Starting in 1670, Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
composed for her and sang haute-contre
Haute-contre
The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century.-History:...
in her service. She protected her loyal servant by soliciting commissions for him from people or establishments who were seeking her continued patronage. For example, she was probably one of the "enraged virgins" and "heroines" who swooped down on Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
in late 1672 and forced him to give Charpentier the chance to write the music for Molière's the forthcoming theatrical spectacle, the Malade Imaginaire. For eighteen years her patronage fostered a number of major works, most of them devotional and strongly influenced by Italian music.
Successively guardian of her nephew, Louis Joseph, Duke of Guise
Louis Joseph, Duke of Guise
Louis Joseph de Lorraine Duke of Guise and Duke of Angoulême, was the only son of Louis, Duke of Joyeuse and Marie Françoise de Valois, the only daughter of the Count of Alès, Governor of Provence and son of Charles de Valois Duke of Angoulême, a bastard of Charles IX of France.-Biography:He was...
(d. 1671) and of her grand nephew Francis Joseph, Duke of Guise
Francis Joseph, Duke of Guise
François Joseph de Lorraine , Duke of Guise, Duke of Alençon and Duke of Angoulême, was the only son of Louis Joseph de Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Élisabeth Marguerite d'Orléans, suo jure duchess of Alençon.-Biography:Born at the Hôtel de Guise in Paris to the daughter of Gaston d'Orléans and the...
(d. 1675), as the last member of the senior branch of the House of Guise, she used her vast wealth not only to live splendidly but for projects dear to her heart.
After these two closely spaced deaths, Marie turned to devotion. With the help of Father Nicolas Barré, Minim, she founded a teachers' training institute and created schools for girls and hospitals for the poor in her Parisian parish and in her provincial lands. In her vast Parisian residence known as the "Hôtel de Guise," she presided "magnificently" over a select little "court" composed chiefly of members of the House of Lorraine
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
, clergy, learned protégés, and Italians passing through Paris. Music (often Italian and Italian-style music) was the principal entertainment at these events.
Although her relations with Louis Joseph's widow, Élisabeth Marguerite d'Orléans, were often frosty, the two women continued to see one another, both in Paris and at the abbey of Saint Pierre de Montmartre
Saint Pierre de Montmartre
The Church of Saint Peter of Montmartre is the lesser known of the two main churches on Montmartre in Paris, the other being the 19th-century Sacré-Cœur Basilica...
, where Marie's sister Renée was abbess and where Élisabeth's sister, Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Deprived of her lover, Charles V of Lorraine, and yearning for France, Marguerite Louise despised her husband and his family, whom she often quarrelled with and falsely suspected of...
, the erstwhile Grand Duchess of Tuscany, resided after 1675.
In the early 1670s, Marie had begun to assemble a small ensemble of household musicians to perform the pieces being written by her in-house composer, Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Then, in the early 1680s she enlarged the group, until it rivaled both in size and quality of ensembles maintained by "several sovereigns." Over the years Marie made her composer and her musicians available to her nephew's widow Élisabeth, for performances in churches and at the royal court. Both women had private apartments at Montmartre.
In a will intended to disinherit her niece, la Grande Mademoiselle (that is, Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier ) she chose Charles François de Stainville as beneficiary in 1688; but on the urging of her heirs, the will was broken by the Parlement of Paris in 1689...
In 1700, her trustees sold her home in Paris, the Hôtel de Guise, was sold to François, Prince of Soubise
François, Prince of Soubise
François de Rohan was a member of the House of Rohan and founder of the houses Soubise. His wife Anne Julie de Rohan was the one time mistress of Louis XIV and mother of François 's own eleven children...
and his wife Anne de Rohan-Chabot
Anne de Rohan-Chabot
Anne de Rohan-Chabot was a French noble. A member of the House of Rohan, she was wife of the Prince of Soubise. It was she would bought the lordship of Soubise into the junior line of the Rohans. She was a short term mistress of Louis XIV...
and became the Hôtel de Soubise
Hôtel de Soubise
The Hôtel de Soubise is a city mansion entre cour et jardin , located at 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, in the IIIe arrondissement of Paris....
.
Titles and styles
- 15 August 1615 – 16 March 1675 Her Highness Mademoiselle de Guise
- 16 March 1675 – 3 March 1688 Her Highness the Duchess of Guise