Friday 29 May 2015

The Royal Bastards

Both Louis XIV and his successor Louis XV fathered a small regiment of royal bastards. Louis XIV would eventually officially recognize his illegitimate offspring which secured them a future at court or even secure them marriages into the most illustrious families of France - to the mixed consternation and joy of his courtiers. 

However, Louis XV was reluctant to recognize his illegitimate children which meant that they would never gain the same influence and status at court as their fellow-bastards. This is also why - as you will see in the following - that few of their lives are as well-known as their counterparts. 

Read more on the Royal Bastards here.


Louis XIV's Illegitimate Children 


By Louise de La Vallière:


Charles de La Baume le Blanc 
      Born: 19 December 1663
      Died: 15 July 1665

Philippe de La Baume le Blanc
       Born: 7 January 1665
       Died: 1666

Louis de La Baume le Blanc
        Born: 27 December 1665
        Died: 1666

       Born: 2 October 1666
       Married: Louis Armand, Prince de Conti
       Died: 3 May 1739

       Born: 2 October 1667
       Died: 18 November 1683



By Madame de Montespan:

Louise Francoise de Bourbon:
        Born: 1669
        Died: 1672

Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Duc du Maine
        Born: 31 March 1670
        Married: Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon
        Died: 14 May 1736

Louis César de Bourbon, Comte de Vexin:
        Born: 1672
        Died: 1683

Louise Francoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes
        Born:1 June 1671
        Married: Louis, Prince de Condé
        Died: 16 June 1743

Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Tours:
        Born: 1674
        Died: 1681

Francoise Marie de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Blois:
        Born: 4 May 1677
        Married: Philippe II, Duc d'Orléans
        Died: 1 February 1749

Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de Toulouse:
        Born: 6 June 1678
        Married: Marie Victoire de Noailles
        Died: 1 December 1737



By Claude de Vin:


Louise de Maisonblanche, Baronesse de La Queue
        Born: 17 June 1676
        Married: Bernard de Prez, Baron de La Queue
        Died: 12 September 1712




Louis XV's Illegitimate Children


By Pauline Félicité de Mailly:

Charles Emmanuel Marie Magdelon de Vintimille, Marquis du Luc
          Born: 2 September 1741
          Married: Adélaide de Castillane
          Died: 24 February 1814
          Status: recognized by Pauline's husband but was generally considered to be the son of Louis.   
          His appearance was so like the king's that he was called Demi-Louis

By Jeanne Perray:
Amélie Florimonde de Norville
          Born: 11 January 1753
          Married: Ange de Faure
          Died: 27 December 1790
          Status: Her registered father was a non-existing person while the royal paternity was later   
          proved


By Marie-Louise O'Murphy:

Agathe Louise de Saint-Antoine de Saint-André, Marquise de La Charce
          Born: 20 May 1754
          Married: René Jean de La Tour du Pin
          Died: 6 September 1774
          Status: Certainly Louis' daughter but not officially recognized. She was given an official 
          recognition of nobility so she could marry into the aristocracy 

Marguerite Victoire Le Normant de Flaghac, Comtesse de Chousy
          Born: 5 January 1768
          Married: (I) Jean-Didier Mansard, Comte de Chousy, (II) Constant Lenormant d'Étiolles
          Died: 1814
          Status: Officially recognized by Marie-Louise's second husband but most likely the king's 


By Francoise de Châlus, Duchesse de Narbonne-Lara:

Philippe Louis Marie Innocent Christophe Juste de Narbonne-Lara, Duc de Narbonne-Lara
          Born: 28 December 1750
          Married: Antoinette-Francoise-Claudine de La Roche-Aymon
          Died: 10 May 1834
          Status: Recognized by Francoise's husband 

Louis Marie Jacques Amalric de Narbonne-Lara, Comte de Narbonne-Lara
          Born: 23 August 1755
          Married: Marie Adélaide de Montholon
          Died: 17 November 1813
          Status: Recognized by Francoise's husband

Note: Louis is believed to have been the father of both boys mainly because the Duc de Narbonne-Lara had been wounded in battle in such a manner as would render him "unable to produce offspring". Meanwhile, the Duchesse was the king's mistress for a brief period.

By Marguerite Catherine Haynault:

Agnès Louise de Montreuil
          Born: 20 May 1760
          Married: Gaspard d'Arod de Montmelas
          Died: 2 September 1837
          Status: Paternity officially attributed to a non-existing person

Anne Louise de La Réale, Comtesse de Geslin
          Born: 17 November 1762
          Married: René Guillaume Paul Gabriel Etienne de Geslin, Comte de Geslin
          Died: 30 April 1831
          Status: Paternity also registred to a non-existing person

By Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing:

Agnès Lucie Auguste, Vicomtesse de Boysseuilh
          Born: 14 April 1761 
          Married: Charles de Boysseuilh, Vicomte de Boysseuilh 
          Died: 4 July 1822
          Status: Paternity placed with non-existing person

Aphrodite Lucie Auguste
          Born: 8 March 1763
          Married: Jules de Boysseuilh (her step-brother!)
          Died: 22 February 1819
          Status: Paternity placed with non-existing person

Note: Louis XV left both an annual sum of 24.300 livres as well as a capital of 223.000 livres. Louis XVI would later give them both official recognition of nobility

By Anne Coppier de Romans, Baronne de Meilly-Coulonge:

Louis Aimé de Bourbon, Abbé de Saint Vincent de Metz
          Born: 13 January 1762
          Died: 28 February 1787
          Status: Only illegitimate child to be recognized by Louis XV

By Jeanne Louise Tiercelin de La Colleterie, Madame de Bonneval:

Benoît Louis le Duc
          Born: 7 February 1764
          Married: unknown
          Died: 1837
          Status: Both registred parents did not exist

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