Princess Sophie-Philippine of France
Encyclopedia
Sophie Philippine Élisabeth Justine de France, fille de France
(27 July 1734 – 2 March 1782) was a French
princesse du sang
. She was the sixth daughter and eighth child of Louis XV of France
and his Queen consort
Marie Leszczyńska. First known as Madame Sixième, she later became Madame Sophie.
was relatively unremarked. Unlike the older children of Louis XV, she was not raised at Versailles
, but sent to live at the Abbey of Fontevraud with her older sister Madame Victoire and younger sisters Madame Thérèse
(who died young) and Madame Louise.
She had a shy, reserved nature, and was considered ugly and uninteresting. She is reported to have had a phobia of thunder, and it was known that she reacted strongly toward it. Her father called her Graille. She did not exercise any influence at the court, but let herself be directed by her older sister Madame Adélaïde, following her in her antipathy against her father's mistresses, Madame de Pompadour
and then Madame du Barry
.
She was one of the four royal sisters to survive their parents. Her mother died on 24 June 1768 and all of her children were badly affected. Her father died 6 years later on 10 May 1774.
During the reign of her nephew Louis XVI of France
, she and her sisters were allowed to maintain their apartments at Versailles and often stayed at the Château de Bellevue
- made famous by the mistress of her father. In 1776, Louis XVI made her the Duchess of Louvois with her sister Madame Adélaïde, both of whom held the duchy-peerage for their lifetime.
She was buried in the royal tomb at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis which was plundered and destroyed at the time of the French Revolution
.
Her nephews included (among others) Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
, Louis XVI of France
, Louis XVIII of France
, Charles X of France
. Her nieces included Madame Élisabeth and Queen Maria Luisa of Spain
.
In 2006, she was played by Scottish actress Shirley Henderson
in the movie Marie Antoinette
.
Her niece, Madame Sophie, youngest daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was named after her.
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...
(27 July 1734 – 2 March 1782) was a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
princesse 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...
. She was the sixth daughter and eighth child of Louis XV 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...
and his Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
Marie Leszczyńska. First known as Madame Sixième, she later became Madame Sophie.
Biography
Sophie is less well known than many of her sisters. Her birth at the Palace of VersaillesPalace 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....
was relatively unremarked. Unlike the older children of Louis XV, she was not raised at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, but sent to live at the Abbey of Fontevraud with her older sister Madame Victoire and younger sisters Madame Thérèse
Princess Thérèse of France
Thérèse de France, fille de France was a French Princesse du Sang.-Biography:...
(who died young) and Madame Louise.
She had a shy, reserved nature, and was considered ugly and uninteresting. She is reported to have had a phobia of thunder, and it was known that she reacted strongly toward it. Her father called her Graille. She did not exercise any influence at the court, but let herself be directed by her older sister Madame Adélaïde, following her in her antipathy against her father's mistresses, Madame de Pompadour
Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
and then Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry
Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry was the last Maîtresse-en-titre of Louis XV of France and one of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.-Early life:...
.
She was one of the four royal sisters to survive their parents. Her mother died on 24 June 1768 and all of her children were badly affected. Her father died 6 years later on 10 May 1774.
During the reign of her nephew Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
, she and her sisters were allowed to maintain their apartments at Versailles and often stayed at the Château de Bellevue
Château de Bellevue
The Château de Bellevue was a small château built for Madame de Pompadour in 1750. It was constructed on a broad plateau in Meudon, above a slope overlooking the Seine to the east, but was demolished in 1823 and little remains....
- made famous by the mistress of her father. In 1776, Louis XVI made her the Duchess of Louvois with her sister Madame Adélaïde, both of whom held the duchy-peerage for their lifetime.
She was buried in the royal tomb at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis which was plundered and destroyed at the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Her nephews included (among others) Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
Ferdinand Maria Philip Louis Sebastian Francis James of Parma was Duke of Parma from 1765 to 1802. He was the second child and only son of Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France, eldest daughter of Louis XV of France and Maria Leszczyńska...
, Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
, Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
, Charles X of France
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
. Her nieces included Madame Élisabeth and Queen Maria Luisa of Spain
Maria Luisa of Parma
Maria Luisa of Parma was Queen consort of Spain from 1788 to 1808 as the wife of King Charles IV of Spain. She was the youngest daughter of Duke Philip of Parma and his wife, Louise-Élisabeth of France, the eldest daughter of King Louis XV.She was christened Luisa Maria Teresa Ana, but was known...
.
In 2006, she was played by Scottish actress Shirley Henderson
Shirley Henderson
Shirley Henderson is a Scottish actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .-Early life:...
in the movie Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (2006 film)
Marie Antoinette is a 2006 biographical film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is very loosely based on the life of the Queen consort in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design...
.
Her niece, Madame Sophie, youngest daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was named after her.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 27 July 1734 – 2 March 1782 Her Royal Highness Princess Sophie of France (de factoDe factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
Madame Sophie)
Further reading
- Zieliński, Ryszard (1978). Polka na francuskim tronie. Czytelnik.