After becoming a princess of Monaco, she returned to France after three years in Monaco - her and her husband actually spent more time in France than they did in Monaco. At the French court the couple had a good reputation and Catherine served as a lady-in-waiting to Henrietta of England. Catherine herself was a noted beauty and renowned for her intelligence - two qualities that did not pass the King's attention.
But Catherine had another charismatic that did not quite correspond with her otherwise good reputation - although it was not uncommon at the French court. Catherine was "greedy for pleasure" (as quoted by Madame de Sévigné) and had quite a few lovers. These lovers included her own cousin, the Marquis de Villeroi and Louis XIV. This flirtatious behaviour (to say the least) earned her the nickname "the Torrent". She even had an affair with her cousin Nompar. Louis XIV had his eyes on Catherine at the time and asked Nompar to end the affair but he refused - a refusal that would cost him a six months stay at the Bastille.
After her affair with the King, Catherine returned to Monaco after being banished from the French court due to her many and well-known affairs. In 1672 she returned to France though where she received the position of lady-in-waiting to Madame de Montespan (the King's new mistress) and an estate at St. Germain. Here she would stay until she died on June 4 1678 at the age of 39.
Hi! Do you have a source for 'Catherine was "greedy for pleasure" (as quoted by Madame de Sévigné)'? This appears on several sites but no one gives a source and it does not appear in the three editions of 'The letters of Madame de Sevigne to her daughter and friends' I checked. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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