Princess Thérèse of France
Encyclopedia
Thérèse de France, fille de France (Marie Thérèse Félicité; 16 May 1736 – 28 September 1744) was a French Princesse du Sang
.
as the sixth daughter and ninth child of Louis XV of France
and his Polish-born consort Marie Leszczyńska. Known as Madame Sixième from her birth, she was later baptised Marie-Thérèse-Félicité and was known as Madame Thérèse.
As the daughter of a king of France, she was a fille de France
, (daughter of France). This rank allowed her the style of Royal Highness
and she was the most important lady at court after her mother and her older sisters. However, daughters of the king were usually known as Madame followed by their baptismal name. In the case of Louis XV's daughters, when they were young, their baptismal name was replaced by an ordinal number as per their "arrival"; accordingly, Madame Thérèse was Madame Sixième, as the sixth daughter.
When she was barely two years old, Madame Sixième was taken to the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
in the Anjou
province of France. She left with her sisters Princess Victoire of France (1733–1799), Princess Sophie of France
(1734–1782) and Princess Louise Marie of France
(1737–1787). The princesses left Versailles on 6 June 1738 accompanied by furniture and a military escort. During her childhood, Madame Sixième was often ill, and her governess noted that it was probably due to the warm climate of the region. In mid-September 1744, Madame Sixième fell ill with smallpox
. On 27 September, she was baptised. Her nurse and valet stood in as godparents. She died the following day. She was eight years old and had never seen her parents since her arrival at Fontevraud.
Madame Thérèse was buried at the Abbey of Fontevraud, which, in earlier times, had been the traditional burial place of members of the House of Plantagenet
.
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...
.
Biography
Marie Thérèse Félicité de France was born 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....
as the sixth daughter and ninth 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 Polish-born consort Marie Leszczyńska. Known as Madame Sixième from her birth, she was later baptised Marie-Thérèse-Félicité and was known as Madame Thérèse.
As the daughter of a king of France, she was a 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...
, (daughter of France). This rank allowed her the style of Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
and she was the most important lady at court after her mother and her older sisters. However, daughters of the king were usually known as Madame followed by their baptismal name. In the case of Louis XV's daughters, when they were young, their baptismal name was replaced by an ordinal number as per their "arrival"; accordingly, Madame Thérèse was Madame Sixième, as the sixth daughter.
When she was barely two years old, Madame Sixième was taken to the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
Fontevraud Abbey
Fontevraud Abbey or Fontevrault Abbey is a religious building hosting a cultural centre since 1975, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest, in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. It was founded by the itinerant reforming preacher Robert of Arbrissel, who had just created a...
in the Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
province of France. She left with her sisters Princess Victoire of France (1733–1799), Princess Sophie of France
Princess Sophie-Philippine of France
Sophie Philippine Élisabeth Justine de France, fille de France 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.-Biography:Sophie is less well...
(1734–1782) and Princess Louise Marie of France
Princess Louise-Marie of France
Louise Marie de France was the youngest of the ten children of King Louis XV of France and his wife, Queen Maria Leszczyńska. As a daughter of the king, she held the rank of a fille de France, and was known as Madame Louise...
(1737–1787). The princesses left Versailles on 6 June 1738 accompanied by furniture and a military escort. During her childhood, Madame Sixième was often ill, and her governess noted that it was probably due to the warm climate of the region. In mid-September 1744, Madame Sixième fell ill with 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"...
. On 27 September, she was baptised. Her nurse and valet stood in as godparents. She died the following day. She was eight years old and had never seen her parents since her arrival at Fontevraud.
Madame Thérèse was buried at the Abbey of Fontevraud, which, in earlier times, had been the traditional burial place of members of the House of Plantagenet
House of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 16 May 1736 - 28 September 1744 Her Royal HighnessRoyal HighnessRoyal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Madame Sixième [Madame Thérèse]