Marie Emilie Thérèse de Joly de Choin
Encyclopedia
Marie Émilie de Joly de Choin (Marie Émilie Thérèse; 2 August 1670–1732) was a French lady-in-waiting, the lover and later the morganatic
spouse of Louis, Dauphin of France. As a morganatic spouse, she was not styled the Dauphine of France.
to Pierre de Joly de Choin, grand bailli
of Bourg-en-Bresse, and Mademoiselle d'Urre d'Aiguebonne. She was a lady-in-waiting to the king's favourite daughter, the princess de Conti. Marie Émilie was considered to be unattractive but spiritual.
She entered into a relationship with Louis, le Grand dauphin, in parallel to having a relationship with the Count of Clerment-Chaste. It was rumoured that Marie Émilie and Clerment-Chaste planned to conquer the throne by producing a child from Louis through her. When these plans were discovered, Marie Émilie and Clerment were both exiled from court (1694).
The relationship to Louis did not end, however.
Marie Émilie married Louis secretly in 1695. Marie Émilie did not, however, acquire the title of Dauphine, and she was not received at court. Pregnant at the time of her secret marriage, she gave birth a son who was sent to the countryside and died aged two in 1697 without receiving a name. Ultimately the marriage remained childless.
Marie Émilie resided in the palace of Meudon, where she imitated the morganatic spouse of the king, Madame de Maintenon, by acting as the queen of a court and receiving dukes and foreign diplomats.
After the death of the dauphin in 1711, she withdrew into retirement. She died in 1732 in Paris, "universally respected for her private virtues".
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
spouse of Louis, Dauphin of France. As a morganatic spouse, she was not styled the Dauphine of France.
Biography
Marie Émilie was born in Bourg-en-BresseBourg-en-Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse is a commune in eastern France, capital of the Ain department, and was capital of the former province of Bresse . It is located north-northeast of Lyon.The inhabitants of Bourg-en-Bresse are known as Burgiens.-Geography:...
to Pierre de Joly de Choin, grand bailli
Bailli
A bailli was the king’s administrative representative during the ancien régime in northern France, where the bailli was responsible for the application of justice and control of the administration and local finances in his baillage...
of Bourg-en-Bresse, and Mademoiselle d'Urre d'Aiguebonne. She was a lady-in-waiting to the king's favourite daughter, the princess de Conti. Marie Émilie was considered to be unattractive but spiritual.
She entered into a relationship with Louis, le Grand dauphin, in parallel to having a relationship with the Count of Clerment-Chaste. It was rumoured that Marie Émilie and Clerment-Chaste planned to conquer the throne by producing a child from Louis through her. When these plans were discovered, Marie Émilie and Clerment were both exiled from court (1694).
The relationship to Louis did not end, however.
Marie Émilie married Louis secretly in 1695. Marie Émilie did not, however, acquire the title of Dauphine, and she was not received at court. Pregnant at the time of her secret marriage, she gave birth a son who was sent to the countryside and died aged two in 1697 without receiving a name. Ultimately the marriage remained childless.
Marie Émilie resided in the palace of Meudon, where she imitated the morganatic spouse of the king, Madame de Maintenon, by acting as the queen of a court and receiving dukes and foreign diplomats.
After the death of the dauphin in 1711, she withdrew into retirement. She died in 1732 in Paris, "universally respected for her private virtues".